Three Small Towns, One Really Fun Racine County Weekend

Guest post by Jeremy Gill from Chicago, Illinois (Instagram: jeremys_jaunts)

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I’ve spent time exploring Racine County before, but this trip took me somewhere new: west of I-94.

I spent the weekend checking out Waterford, Burlington and Union Grove. The goal was pretty simple: shop small, find some good local food and drinks, and see what each town had to offer.

And honestly, that slower pace ended up being one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Starting in Waterford

First up: Waterford.

I started by popping into Main Street Mercantile and Rusty’s Mens on Main before making my way to Reads by the River Books and Gifts. Give me an independent bookstore and I’m going in.

I also spent some time at Ten Club Park along the Fox River, which gave me a chance to take in another side of Waterford before getting back to the food.

That meant a burger at Noble Brothers Burger Shop followed by something sweet (turtle sundae) at Noble Brothers Waterford Creamery. Because if there’s frozen custard nearby, I’m probably going to find it.

Later, I stopped at Waterford Stillhouse for a Lemon Drop Martini and checked out Oak Wine & Spirits for a Blood Orange Martini.

What I liked about Waterford was how easy it was to spend the day bouncing between shops, food and drinks while still having time to enjoy the Fox River and explore. 

Exploring Burlington

Next up was Burlington.

I started at The Coffee House at Chestnut & Pine, and this was one of those places where I immediately understood why it’s a community gathering spot. I grabbed a coffee and croissant, checked out the space and then headed out to explore more of Burlington.

One thing I enjoyed here was simply walking around and taking in the downtown. There’s history mixed in with the local businesses, restaurants and shops, and I had time to actually look around instead of just heading straight to my next stop.

Eventually, I made my way to The Runaway Micropub & Nanobrewery. Fun fact: The Runaway was the first brewery to open in Burlington in more than 65 years.

I’m not even a huge beer person, but I really enjoyed the space. I checked out the shop, tried something local and spent some time hanging out before continuing on.

Burlington felt different from Waterford, and that was part of what made visiting all three towns so much fun.

Finishing in Union Grove

My final stop was Union Grove, where Main Street really became the focus of my visit.

Naturally, I started with a Pistachio Latte at Just Brew It, a family-owned coffee shop right on Main Street.

From there, I kept exploring and stopped at Pine Acres General Store and The Nerdy Word.

Yes, another independent bookstore. And yes, I absolutely had to go in.

The Nerdy Word was another fun local find, and I grabbed some popcorn at Pine Acres General Store before spending more time walking around Main Street.

Union Grove was a great reminder that you don’t always need a huge attraction anchoring your day. Sometimes grabbing a coffee, walking into a few local businesses and seeing what you find is the experience.

Jeremy’s Jaunts Picks

📚 Favorite finds: Reads by the River in Waterford and The Nerdy Word in Union Grove. You know I’m not passing up a good independent bookstore.

🍦 Don’t miss: Noble Brothers Waterford Creamery. Because a Wisconsin road trip needs frozen custard.

🍺 Most unexpected stop: The Runaway in Burlington. I’m not a huge beer person, but I really enjoyed the space and experience.

☕ Coffee stop: Just Brew It in Union Grove. Grab a coffee and then head out to explore Main Street.

🚗 My biggest tip: Don’t try to pack too much in. Pick a few places you really want to visit and give yourself time to see what else you find along the way.

Three Towns Worth Exploring

What I liked most about this trip was getting to see three different sides of Racine County.

Waterford gave me the Fox River, local shops and plenty of food and drink stops. Burlington brought a little more history into the mix, along with coffee, local businesses and a brewery I genuinely enjoyed—even as a non-beer person. And Union Grove was all about that small-town Main Street experience.

The best part? They’re close enough that you don’t have to choose just one.

If you’re coming from Chicago, Waterford, Burlington and Union Grove make for an easy Wisconsin weekend without spending half your trip getting there.

My biggest tip? Have a few must-stops, but don’t fill every minute. Some of my favorite parts of this weekend came from simply wandering the downtowns and seeing what I found.

Sometimes you really don’t have to go far to have a great weekend away.