Sheboygan sits on the shore of Lake Michigan in eastern Wisconsin and calls itself the Bratwurst Capital of the World — a title earned by the German immigrants who settled here in the nineteenth century. A proper Sheboygan brat is a double bratwurst in a hard roll with mustard and onions, and every August the city hosts Brat Days, a festival dedicated to the cause.
Beyond sausage, Sheboygan has a surprisingly good art scene centred on the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, which houses an eccentric and excellent collection of outsider and folk art — including the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden, a remarkable environment created by a self-taught folk artist. The lakefront offers sandy beaches, a harbour district with restaurants, and some of the best freshwater surfing in the Great Lakes — Sheboygan has hosted national surfing competitions on waves that form during autumn storms. Kohler-Andrae State Park, a few miles to the south, protects a rare stretch of natural Lake Michigan shoreline with sand dunes and excellent swimming.