Things to Do in Oconomowoc

Awarded with numerous accolades from the Golf Course Owners of Wisconsin, The Golf Club at Camelot earns recognition for the course's pristine playing conditions of wooded hills and valleys whittled into the landscape by ancient glaciers. Water flows into the picture on half of the holes, including twice on the par 5 ninth, where the fairway bend features an elongated lake and makes players hit their first and second shots with hydrophobic golf balls. On the back nine, the par 3 13th hole places golfers 120 feet higher than the green on a tee box that affords panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and acts as the best place to spot outlaw foursomes on the lam.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course

• Total length of 6,304 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 69.4 from the back tees

• Course slope of 125 from the back tees

• Four sets of tees per hole

Playnasium inspires imaginations inside pint-size frames as kids cavort on sock-clad feet about the approximately 1,800-square-foot facility. Geared toward children aged 6 and younger, the indoor playground showcases a wealth of active options to entertain children as snow and wintry winds roost in outdoor jungle gyms. Kids whip up imaginary snacks in play kitchens, safely leap around in a net-enclosed bounce house, and draft declarations of their pillow fort’s national sovereignty from the coloring area's diminutive picnic tables. Staffers clean and disinfect the entire playroom daily with nontoxic and eco-friendly products to protect budding tots. Playnasium serves up piping-hot coffee to keep parents' tummies toasty, and lunches may be brought from home to refuel tuckered-out tykes. After scheduling an appointment ahead of time, verifying their children's health, and filling a knapsack with a day's supply of snacks, parents can drop their kids off for up to 4 hours of Playnasium-provided childcare and go tend to adult duties.

Playnasium shutters its doors during birthday parties, granting hosts and their guests unfettered access to the facilities’ attractions. Plates, napkins, and utensils will be provided to accompany food and cake brought by the client. The facility’s dedicated staff lends a hand to parents by helping to set up the room prior to the party and cleaning up any messes or leaky big-wheel motors afterward.

Twin sisters and Alpaca Art owners Becky and Brenda helm the cheery studio’s kiln and ready-to-paint bisque objects. Guests of the studio sidle up to an “idea counter” stocked with stamps, stencils, and inspirational booklets before bringing patterns to life on a chosen ceramic. During a weeklong layover in the shop, each personalized curio receives a coat of clear glaze and boards the kiln, becoming immune to the heat of microwaves, dishwashers, and stewardesses who want to put tray tables in their upright and locked positions. The studio also hosts pottery-painting parties for birthdays and other special events and leads summer camps for children and workshops for adults.

The laughter of children echoes through the dense pine forest and across the sandy beach before breaking on the lake's water like a crystal vase smashed with an inflatable hammer. Each week, new groups of kids explore Camp Lakotah's 126 acres alongside Little Hills Lake, engaging in more than 30 activities within its state-licensed and American Camp Association–accredited facilities. Campers engage in aquatic play, land-based sports, and arts-and-crafts sessions, honing both their physical fitness and creative sensibilities.

Staffers cater to each camper's needs throughout the week, guiding each individual toward activities focused on his or her personal goals and interests. The camp can serve vegetarian and diet-restriction-conscious food, and counselors can sing all campfire songs in the styles of both Bruce Springsteen and Andrea Bocelli.

Painted the distinctive international orange of the Golden Gate Bridge, to which it bears more than a passing resemblance, the signature bridge at Browns Lake Golf Course crosses the Fox River in style. Players walk over this sleek structure after they’ve made their play off the tee on the par 3 12th hole. Thankfully, they need not fly the San Francisco Bay or lay up on Alcatraz to reach the green in regulation: a 150-yard strike with enough loft ought to do the trick.

Players have been attempting this feat with varying degrees of success since 1921, when the course opened. Wedged between the river to the west and Browns Lake to the east, it's designed to challenge golfers of all handicaps. A round here represents a 6,449-yard loop from the back tees, filled with enough elevated greens to make players reconsider both their club selections and their reluctance to ask their caddies for a piggy-back ride. Though they may want to steer their golf balls clear of it, visitors can admire a bunker in the shape of comic-strip character Andy Gump on the par 3 fourth hole, which was designed to pay homage to local native Sidney Smith, his creator.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,443 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 70.8 from the back tees
• Course slope of 124 from the back tees