Sussex, WI Outdoor Activities

Equal parts running, pedaling, and paddling, The Tribal Challenge sends teams of two or more huffing and puffing across a 15-mile gauntlet rife with mental and physical challenges. Designed to replicate the tribulations of pre-industrial tribesmen, the route intersects three 5-mile legs with hunting and gathering missions. The fibers of endurance and camaraderie stretch to their limits as partners demonstrate specific survival skills that were essential before humans could simply buy meat from a butcher or trade dusty VHS tapes with monkeys in exchange for fruit. After completing the course, tribes can bask in the euphoria of accomplishment at a post-challenge powwow, where complimentary beers squelch thirst and live music from the Fire Water Festival helps cast a celebratory tone across the finish line.

In 1977, a group of Milwaukee’s sailors responded to its city’s lack of a public sailing institution by banding together with county officials to create a not-for-profit organization accessible to everyone. The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center has continued to uphold this original vision of granting everyone—regardless of age, physical ability, or financial means—a chance to develop sailing skills while exploring Lake Michigan’s aqueous expanses. Since its founding, it has imparted its knowledge upon upwards of 100,000 student via hands-on classes and private lessons.

Throughout the summer’s balmy months, Milwaukee Community Sailing Center’s experienced and certified staff can be found reviewing boat safety with students during on-shore lessons or calling out instructions to their trainees from within a sailboat cruising around the lake. As winter’s frigid winds rage across the city, a host of off-season winter sessions enables skippers to keep their sea legs toned until spring returns. Bobbing cheerfully in the onsite marina, the center’s seaworthy fleet is comprised of more than 80 meticulously maintained vessels, including sturdy dinghies, cruisers, and saddled-up krakens. The center’s dedication to bringing the community together on the water is further evidenced in its outreach programs, including one designed to help Milwaukee’s at-risk youth turn a new leaf by helping them uncover hidden talents, develop leadership skills, and conquer their fears.

Throughout the summer, the paved paths of Frame Park welcome outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and interests, including riders seated on High Roller Fun Rentals's unique bikes and pedal carts. Two-, three-, and four-wheel vehicles transport groups down the 1.7-mile river walk—a path flanked by playground equipment, picnic areas, gardens, and volleyball courts that double as suitable retirement homes for pet hermit crabs.

For those looking to make a splash, High Roller Fun Rentals also maintains a floating fleet of creature boats, canoes, and kayaks. These inventive vessels allow groups of two, three, or four to navigate the Fox River with ease. And for added convenience, the rental center hands out maps to encourage exploration and discourage people from leaning off the edge of the world.

For the past 29 years, John and Loie Laimon have proudly contributed to the tight-knit fishing community that surrounds them by running their own fishing-and-bait business. Whether they are selling U.S.-made, handcrafted baits or other handpicked products, renting pontoons for small groups, or winterizing boat motors by fastening Santa hats to them, the Laimons approach each service personably and attentively. This approach has helped them grow to two locations on Pewaukee Lake.