A Fall Family Getaway to Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
BLUE HARBOR RESORT REVIEW
Fall in Wisconsin is the perfect time for a weekend getaway with kids. The leaves are beginning to turn, and there’s a chill in the air, but the afternoons are still sunny and warm enough to explore outside. Families are experiencing busier schedules, so use the weekends to spend quality time at one of Wisconsin’s best family resorts: Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Our family was so excited to spend one weekend in October at Blue Harbor Resort. This stunning Lake Michigan resort in Wisconsin has themed rooms for kids, a water park, outdoor activities, and an arcade, so we never ran out of things to do around the property.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about visiting Blue Harbor with kids!
Disclosure: We received a complimentary stay at Blue Harbor Resort in exchange for consideration in my article. All opinions are my own. I only recommend destinations and hotels I really and truly love, and this one is at the top of my list of recommendations!
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
ABOUT BLUE HARBOR RESORT
This is the largest resort on Lake Michigan, and it’s located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
It is made of up 179 rooms and 64 villas, so your family can pick the accommodations that work best for you.
Blue Harbor is only an hour’s drive from Milwaukee and Green Bay, and a 2-hour road trip from Chicago and Madison, making it the perfect Midwestern weekend getaway resort.
While the outdoor pool is closed in fall, the waterpark, Breaker Bay, is open year-round for family fun!
Waterpark passes are included with the price of your room, so be sure to list exactly how many people are in your group on your reservation!
There is a $21.99/night resort fee that covers parking, internet, and towels for the waterpark.
RESORT ROOMS
We have 6 members of our family, so we stayed in the Kid Aquarium Suite which sleeps 6 people. There was a queen bed and a queen sleeper sofa in the main area of the room.
The best part of the room was an aquarium-themed alcove with twin bunk beds for the kids. They even had their own private tv!
We basically didn’t see our kids from the moment we entered the room until we checked out on Sunday morning! They loved sleeping, playing, and hanging out together in their private alcove. Our 3-year-old was loving the sea creature murals on the wall, especially the one of the fish brushing his teeth.
In addition to the most fun sleeping arrangements, we’ve ever had in a hotel room, I appreciated that had a small refrigerator and microwave so we could make some food in our room as well as store necessary kid items like milk, yogurt, and baby food.
We had a balcony overlooking Lake Michigan where we could enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise over the water each morning.
Finally, there was a desk with 2 chairs that also worked as a dining room table for the kids whenever we ate in our room.
Check out all of the different room options here!
BLUE HARBOR RESORT WATERPARK
One of the main reasons families visit Blue Harbor is Breaker Bay Waterpark. This aquatic entertainment area was the highlight of our trip!
There is a large structure with 2 open waterslides and 2 tube slides. This is where our 5- and 7-year-olds spent the majority of their time. They could go on the waterslides themselves and we could still see them from the ground. The kids felt so independent and brave while we appreciated that we could hang out with the younger two and watch the big kids play.
On the tube slides, they had the option to go on a double tube with the lighter person in front, so my husband and I took turns riding with the kids. It was SO much fun and a great bonding moment with the kids as they faced their fears. The tube slides were a bit faster and went through some dark tunnels, so it required some bravery. But they did it, and they LOVED it!
Breaker Bay Water Park also has a Toddler Tides structure with smaller waterslides for the younger members of your family. Our 3-year-old went down that slide probably 100 times while we splashed with our 7-month-old in the water nearby.
My personal favorite part of the waterpark was the lazy river. Each member of our family would grab a tube and float along enjoying each other’s company.
There is also a pool with basketball hoops and a lily hopper. We didn’t spend a lot of time in the pool since the waterpark was what we came for, but it was nice to take a little break from the action and just swim!
The one attraction we didn’t try was the surf simulator. Our kids weren’t quite old enough to enjoy it, and it was the only thing that consistently had a line. I’d love to try it with our older kids sometime in the future, though!
You can’t bring food or drink into the waterpark, but there is a snack bar called Rocky Bottom Snack Shop that is very reasonably priced.
BLUE HARBOR RESORT RESTAURANTS
This resort is huge and has everything you need for an enjoyable weekend stay. You won’t even have to leave the property for meals since there are 5 restaurant options. We still bring our own snacks and beverages but ate our meals at the hotel restaurants.
We bought dinner from On the Rocks Bar & Grill, which opens at 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. There are lots of kid-friendly options on the menu, and delicious sandwiches and salads for adults.
The Beacon is another restaurant with seating on the patio that’s currently closed but usually offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
You’ll find the Rocky Bottom Snack Bar at the waterpark, and the Sandbar at the outdoor pool in the warmer months so you never have to leave the water if your family is having a good time.
My personal favorite place to get food was the Shoreline Cafe located in the lobby. They serve Starbucks coffee, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, smoothies, and other snacks so you can grab-and-go at any time of day. Even though we had a coffee maker in our room, I enjoyed heading out on a morning walk of the property to see the sunrise over Lake Michigan with a Cinnamon Dolce Latte in hand and whichever of my kids needed a walk the most.
ACTIVITIES AROUND THE RESORT
We were supervising 4 young children in the waterpark, so it goes without saying that after a few hours we needed a little bit of a break.
Luckily for us, there are plenty of other things to do on-property other than the waterpark!
OUTDOOR GAMES
Blue Harbor has lawn games set up on the grass outside the resort during the day. Kids of all ages can head out to play giant Jenga, bag toss, and lawn Yahtzee.
I had a blast playing (and losing) Jenga with my daughter, while the boys tossed beanbags. Though the weather was a little chilly in late fall, the sun was shining and it felt good to get some fresh air with the beautiful views of the lake in the background.
LAKE MICHIGAN
Speaking of the lake, the shores of Lake Michigan are the perfect area to take a family walk or sit in one of the many Adirondack chairs set up to overlook the shoreline.
If one of your little ones needs to get out some energy, take them to the water’s edge to play in the sand, search for rocks, or just watch the waves crash along the shore.
You can even walk all the way to the Sheboygan Breaker Lighthouse for some photos!
THE BOUTIQUE AT SOUTH PIER
Maybe you forgot essential items for swimming like a suit, swim diapers, or goggles. Or perhaps you just want a souvenir from your weekend away! In either case, you’ll LOVE the Boutique at South Pier, an adorable little shop located in the lobby.
My daughter and I snuck away for a few minutes to browse the clothes, souvenirs, and even toys for kids. There is seriously something for everyone here including art, wine, and coffee.
PIER FUN ZONE ARCADE
Let’s be honest. When we weren’t at the waterpark the kids were begging us to go to the arcade. We indulged them and took turns as a family choosing a game to play. There were many games easy enough for the kids to play, and my husband even ended up having good luck on one of the games of chance and won a TON of tickets. The kids had so much fun picking out their prizes!
BONFIRE
Depending on the weather and the season, Blue Harbor Resort sometimes does lakeside bonfires. They usually include smores but didn’t during our stay due to the pandemic.
We didn’t stay out for long since the weather got quite cold once the sun went down, but it was the perfect way to get the big kids out of the hotel room while my husband put the baby to bed. I could see this being a highlight of our stay during the summertime!
MINI GOLF
One activity we didn’t end up doing was the glow-in-the-dark mini-golf. Our weekend was just too full of waterpark and arcade fun, and we just ran out of time!
The mini-golf course is $9/person, but kids ages 3 and under are free. It’s located by the Breaker Bay Waterpark.
BLUE HARBOR RESORT COVID RESPONSE
Travel is never risk-free, but the more information you have, the easier it is to make an informed decision when it comes to your family’s health.
Blue Harbor Resort has an entire initiative outlined on its website called The Healthy BLUE Program dedicated to health and safety during the pandemic.
The first thing I noticed when I entered the lobby to check-in was the hand sanitizing stations all around the room, making it easy and convenient for guests and workers to stay germ-free.
Masks were required in the common areas. All workers were wearing them, and I only saw one or two guests not wearing them (when they were far away from other people).
There is no stayover service for the time being, but you can request items like towels, coffee, and toiletries with a sign hanging from your door, and housekeeping will leave it outside your door in a plastic bag.
The resort uses hospital-grade sanitizers and electrostatic sprayers in the common areas.
As for the waterpark, we felt completely safe due to the following (from Blue Harbor Resort’s website):
Social distancing initiatives will be implemented for safe queuing for rides and attractions. Please utilize the floor guides and limit groups to no more than 6.
The CDC states, “There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19”
If you want to read more about the Healthy BLUE Program, check it out on the resort’s website!
THE BEST LAKE MICHIGAN FAMILY RESORT IN WISCONSIN
Blue Harbor Resort provided our family with the perfect fall weekend getaway to forget about the stress of school, work, and everything else going on in 2020.
We got to spend quality time with our kids, ride water slides and play arcade games, and appreciate the beauty of a sunrise on Lake Michigan.
Nothing compares to a weekend at Blue Harbor Resort, and I hope you get the chance to visit soon!
DON’T FORGET IT! PIN IT!
Emily Krause is a Florida-based travel blogger who writes about exploring the world with kids. On A Mom Explores you’ll find best family travel destinations, Disney World tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.
Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.
