Covered Bridge Park

It's hard to resist the lure of an old covered bridge, especially one in a really pretty spot. So if you're anywhere near Cedarburg, get onto Covered Bridge Road and look for this Wisconsin treasure. Built in 1876 in rare lattice truss construction secured by 2-inch hardwood pins, the pine bridge—once called Red Bridge because it was originally painted red—measures 120 feet by 12 feet. Back then, it wasn't anything too special because there were more than 40 covered bridges in the state. Over time, though, the bridges fell into disrepair and were replaced by modern structures. Luckily, the Ozaukee County Board voted in 1940 to preserve this bridge as a historic monument, and today it's Wisconsin's last remaining covered bridge.

The bridge spans Cedar Creek, which meanders north through Cedarburg and west until it peters out near Jackson. Park in the lot tucked back from the road and take in the view: The picturesque creek winding through a rustic stand of trees, then slipping under the old bridge, whose expansive graying flank has a charming elegance. Then walk through the bridge, which sits alongside the paved road. You can almost hear horses clip-clopping across the bridge, and you might swear you spied a wagon wheel disappear inside. Look in the upper left-hand corner (northwest side) for the initials T.H. scratched into the soft pine by one of the bridge's builders, Timothy Hickey, 130 years ago.