Wauwatosa, WI Outdoor Activities

Beach-goers stave off direct sun exposure by hunkering under Bradford Beach Cabana Company's signature cabanas, or basking in the shade of rented beach umbrellas. The purveyor's cushioned lounge chairs fit comfortably beneath their shady structures, and a team of food-service attendants is on hand to ferry snacks to beach-goers who would otherwise have to infiltrate seagull potlucks. On breaks from lounging, adventurers can take to the waves in rented water gear, paddling touring kayaks or balancing atop standup paddleboards on the clear lake waters.

Bumper, Slick, Makaia, and Diego may sound like a team of superheroes, but at Oceans of Fun, they are the names of just 4 of the 11 sea lions and seals that inhabit the center's waters. Nestled in the Milwaukee County Zoo, the educational center focuses specifically on marine animals, educating visitors on their traits, their favorite places to play, and conservation strategies. Kids can feed the seals and sea lions buckets of fresh fish or build their animal-training repertoire during interactive programs; the animals also perform in shows four times daily throughout most of the year.

Presented by MilwaukeeFood.com, The Milwaukee Chili Bowl hosts a steamy collection of chili crafted by local restaurateurs from across the state. Spotlighting traditional and unconventional ingredients such as bratwurst and sweet potatoes, chefs pit their unique recipes against each other, bringing enough variety to satisfy vegans, vegetarians, or children teethed on tabasco chew toys. Guests mingle through the sea of silver serving trays and cast-iron pots, spooning nibbles from each entrant as they go. A nexus of food info for the area, MilwaukeeFood.com hosts tasting events throughout the year, including summer’s Rock the Roost buffalo-wing festival and fall’s Best-Wurst sausage, cheese, and beef festival.