Merrill, Wisconsin

Tired of all the tourist traps, the long lines, and the chaos on your vacation? It’s funny how a week that’s supposed to be relaxing and refreshing can quickly become a hectic ordeal, isn’t it? For once, it would be nice to just get away from it all.

When you want to run away somewhere quiet and escape the hustle and bustle, head to Merrill, Wisconsin, a small city of 10,000 located in north central Wisconsin, on the northern end of farm country and the lower edge of the great Wisconsin northwoods. In Merrill, you’ll find everything you need for a blissful, relaxing vacation and a whole lot more – without all the hype and hoopla. You can be as busy as you choose to be – or kick back and do absolutely nothing but enjoy the atmosphere – whatever your heart desires.

Let’s start with accommodations. Merrill offers several hotels or motels to welcome the traveler – with or without an indoor pool – for folks who value their privacy. Campers who enjoy roughing it can sleep under the stars just outside the city limits at Council Grounds State Park. And people looking for a unique experience in a relaxing atmosphere will enjoy the opportunity to bask in the tranquil environment of one of the city’s beautifully decorated bed and breakfast inns.

Merrill is known as the City of Parks, and visitors will find many well-maintained parks throughout the city and surrounding area, all easily accessible and free to visitors. Picnic, grill out, play, and catch a few rays of sun during the summer. Or perhaps catch one of the free concerts or performances in the park. Enjoy a game of tennis on one of the area’s free tennis courts, bicycle throughout the area, or hit the water. Fishing, boating, and swimming in the area lakes and rivers are popular and relaxing pastimes, too. There’s a sprawling golf course at the edge of the city, a miniature golf course in town, and several ice-cream stands to help you keep your cool.

Just outside of Merrill, fields of fresh, red strawberries are ripe for the picking during the summer months and people come from miles around to pick their own. Area farms also offer fresh-picked sweet corn, blueberries, and other fruits and vegetables on their nearby properties. And the farmers’ market is a great place to be on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the summer and offers fresh produce and flowers and a great, relaxing opportunity to just shuffle along enjoying the day at your own pace.

Fall in Merrill is a beautiful sight to behold. As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, the area comes alive with the brilliant hues of autumn leaves – red and orange, gold and yellow, browns and umber. Corn shocks spring up on lawns and piles of pumpkins adorn the city. Kids can pick their own pumpkins at the hilltop orchard located just outside the city limits – and enjoy fresh-baked apple treats and apple cider on peak weekends. Families can also pick their own apples and buy gourds, squash, and zucchini if they like.

Craft shows begin to take center stage in October and generally continue right through Christmas. The area features a number of annual craft shows that draw craft lovers out for the day, and there are several small craft shops open throughout most of the year, as well. The area’s numerous antique shops are another opportunity to browse and relax, reminiscing of a simpler, slower time gone by.

During the winter, you can feel like a kid again when you ice skate, sled, build a snowman or a snow fort, or have a snowball fight in the Wisconsin snow. Miles and miles of well-maintained snowmobile trails surround the area and cross-country skiing or snowshoeing are great fresh-air activities, as well. An afternoon of ice fishing on one of the frozen lakes is a thrill for the sports enthusiast, and hunters will find plenty of public land available for hunting throughout the year. Downhill skiing facilities are located at nearby Rib Mountain, just 30 minutes away, and candlelight walks are scheduled periodically at nearby Council Grounds State Park.

Horseback riding is available year round at a nearby riding stable and western tack shop, located just minutes from the city. And Merrill is within easy driving distance of many other great Wisconsin destinations.

If shopping is a treat for you, Merrill has something for you, as well. Shopping is a pleasant, relaxing experience in Merrill, the way it’s meant to be – not a hurried, crazy affair with long lines like the malls. The city is home to the state’s largest women’s clothing store on Main Street, along with specialty shops for men’s clothing and children’s clothing, several furniture stores, fine jewelry stores, a gun and sports shop, and a host of other businesses to meet your every need.

Just taking a drive through the city is a relaxing interlude. Merrill features many large, beautiful and well-preserved historical homes, and the county courthouse, located in the heart of the city, is a historical landmark and open for public visitation. Several other remarkable buildings – like the old City Hall building and the former Jefferson School have been renovated into apartments while maintaining the integrity of the structures. And if history is your thing, a visit to the Merrill Historical Museum provides for an enchanting afternoon. If you happen to visit during the county fair held annually in July, you can also tour one of the area’s old one-room schoolhouses on the fair grounds property.

Special events throughout the year include the annual county fair, a rodeo, small traveling circus performances, a polka festival, crazy days sidewalk sales and street dances, the Labor Day parade, auctions for Habitat for Humanity, community theater performances, a live outdoor nativity, and the Christmas parade.

Yes, Merrill is a quiet, relaxing place to get away from the rat race. But don’t let its absence from the top ten list of tourist cities mislead you into thinking you’ll miss out on something special when you vacation in Merrill –there’s lots to do in this little City of Parks!