I love Memorial Day because to me, it signals the start of summer here in the Midwest. If you plan on heading out of town, here are some events, restaurants and bars within a two-hour drive that I suggest checking out:

Lake Geneva area

• I’ve enjoyed the all-you-can-eat fish fry at Popeye’s On Lake Geneva. Champs Sports Bar and Grill and Hogs & Kisses are some fun places to grab a drink or watch the game. I would like to try Ryan Braun’s Tavern & Grill (formerly the Cactus Club) some day.
• On the other side of the lake is Fontana, which features the Abbey Resort. If you’re looking for a spa, the on-site Avani Spa is definitely the place to go (you may not want to leave!).
• Not too far from Lake Geneva is Burlington, home of the annual ChocolateFest (Friday-Monday), complete with live music, chocolate and wine pairings and a chocolate eating contest. It’s a fun event, but I really mean this: there needs to be more chocolate! For example, most of the food vendors don’t sell chocolate.

Galena, Ill.

• I really like the restaurant Fried Green Tomatoes–it has good food, good drinks and of course, really delicious fried green tomatoes. Another place worth trying is Fritz and Frites, a place for both French and German cuisine.
• The Grape Escape is the place for martinis, and it will re-open in its new location just in time for Memorial Day weekend. For other drinks and live entertainment, try Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub & Grill.
• There are a bunch of wineries in a 30-minute driving radius, including Rocky Waters, Massbach Ridge, Galena Cellars and Bauer-Kearns Winery. You can get a stamp at each and then a prize if you make it to the ones on their list.

Kohler/Elkhart Lake

• The Midwest’s only AAA Five-Diamond Resort, the American Club, will host many of the events for the Kohler Festival of Beer this weekend. I wonder if patrons are supposed to wear suits and dresses when they drink the beer?
• Speaking of the American Club, the Horse & Plow is a pub and grill in the same complex that’s open to the public. Sorta has a Boston feel to it. For places to eat in Elkhart Lake, watch this informative video from the visitor’s bureau.

Please leave a comment below if you have some fun places or events worth checking out. Have a great weekend!