Wandawega Blog Archive

OUR TOP 10 What did we miss?When in the Maya Heartland (on the hunt for supplies and inspiration for an old camp) you take Ruta de las Artesanas – the Craft Trail. We went off the grid before the 2025 season starts.We showed up blind to the generations of experience behind the crafts made here and came back humbled by the patience & soul it takes to create what we take for granted.No.1: VISITLOG FURNITURE The home-based carpentry studios in FRANCISCO UH MAY (look for cooperatives working with indigenous artisans). These families specialize and teach the next generation their craft.No.2: HUNTWOVEN RUGS In the bazaar for local crafts in TULUM (from other regions like Oaxaca) woven on pedal looms with natural wool, dyed with ingredients like indigo & marigold.No.3: DRIVETINY SHOPS The road from Tulum to Coba, look for artisans homes with attached workshops, open-air porches where they make & sell their textiles, like embroidered blouses (huipiles).No.4: TOURCLAY COOKWAREThe roadside tiny shops in MACARIO GOMEZ- Barro for traditional dishes (handmade without molds)No.5: SEEBRUSH LETTERED SIGNS In Coba near the ruins & lagoons – sign painting rotulacion (youll find walls covered, from barber shops to juice stands, a craft often inherited from a family member).No.6: LOOK UP WOOD BEAM CEILINGS The Mayan style cottages with thatched roofs, found in small villages. Vigas – commonly red cedar or pine – are hand-hewn.No.7: SUPPORTSEED BEAD CRAFTS Beach vendors. Woven by Maya women who work from home making bracelets. (We have seed bead looms in our craft cabin).No.8: FINDHANDICRAFT MARKETS For leather goods. I picked up some huaraches. No nails or glue, just leather, skill, and stitching. 12 hours to make 1pair! No.9: SHOPPOTTERY The makers at Taller Maya- pottery, ceramics using traditional techniques. On the hunt for a maker for clay pots for our craft cabin.No.10: HIKING PATHSFINDPaths enroute to swimming at Playa Xpu-Ha (our brambles are nothing compared to the jungle).Next trip, we are continuing our huntARCHERY CLUB, saw that theres one in Quintana Roo? FISHING SHOP, know of one?

March 29, 2025 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Our one hundredth year of setting up for the season has begun. Were busy setting up the archery range. Pulling out the hammocks. Erecting tents, pulling the bike fleet out of hibernation. And all the million things that go into getting the place ready for guests. Were Looking forward to ringing in our centennial year of embracing the things that never get old. @nathanbobey

March 27, 2025 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Looking forward to this issue of @refueled.magazine. Happy to be included among these ladies (with photos by our friends @vavoomstudios @stevenvisneauphotography @taylorhallobrien @nathanbobey @prezpipe & more ).*with first pic one of tour fav shots of women from the issue

March 24, 2025 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Its that time of year.Were kicking off camp set up season. Bringing back all the tents, trucks and trees. Pulling this old place out of her hibernation gets harder every year. We never know were gonna find. What critters set up camp in the back woods cabins. Which water pipes broke, which vehicles wont turn over. Which windows, trees and gear didnt make it through another wisco winter.Nobody tells you that half the work of running a hundred year old camp is that youre build season is every season. Once you finish painting and repairing on one end of 25 acres, you start over again on the other end and it just keeps -going.We never rest,So that our campers can..Thanks @erikengstromphoto @theamericanswede @benashby @folkmagazine for reminding us what that looks like.

March 21, 2025 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

The last snow. When the Sandhill cranes show up on our lake, you know the ice is gonna melt, and winters over. As much as we look forward to spring, its also a reminder that snow season is too damn short. We didnt manage to squeeze in as many snow mobile-ing/ skating / winter hike days as we thought we would. Heres to stretching all the seasons out and doing all the things in them while we can.(They go by faster every year).As we hit our centennial year-We are celebrating 100 years of seasons.We have so much in store for campers this year! Cant wait to stretch it out.

March 9, 2025 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Camp just grew one tiny cottage biggerWeve been making offers on this teeny little house for over a decade. Steps from camps entrance. Built in 1929 – its a tiny little cedar shake shingle and stone baby lake house. (What it lacks in size it makes up for with a great view of the lake).It only has one mini bedroom, but every wall in every room is wood clad – (I love wood walls so much it makes my heart hurt). The lovely senior school teacher who lived here for over 50 years treated the wood walls religiously to keep it like new. And we love her for it. Ive been dreaming of green plush wall to wall carpeting for years – and finally found a home for it. (Its the first thing weve done here so far). Next up: as soon as the weather breaks, the gray shingles are going green, some landscaping surgery. Next well restore the stone cladding the front, and get this stone fireplace fired up again. Whoever built it must have had grand plans that they never completed – (its a double decker, with another full sized wood burning fireplace on the lower level).A few snaps of our progress – the furniture weve collected so far, the inspo for my green carpet obsession, a pre-vis of the bathroom, the Cherokee Red Frank Lloyd Wright concrete floor. Weve been scouring the Midwest for MCM stove & fridge. (Anybody got a mint condition MCM fridge they wanna part with??)Grateful to our talented dear friend @f.i.n.n.e.y.f.i.n.n.e.y has christened this house with its very first piece of art (above the cabinet stereo). The other 1971 painting was an estate reseller score that we found on Facebook marketplace.Were so excited to breathe new life into this place. Its our new house of many uses for friends and family, creatives and projects. A space for making things and plans. And things we dont even know yet.Grateful to the prior owner (Ginny) for all the good residual energy she left here for us. We think she would like what were about to do. We hope so.

March 3, 2025 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram

Mark your calendar for saturday March 1 at 6:00 am. Once a year we open up our airbnb calendar for folks to jump in and book remaining available rentals (after we lock in all of our all-camp events, retreats & takeovers)Want early bird access? Join the mailing list to get the newsletter – (its where we will share the secret early day access to snag a spot )Due to volume of inquiries (and our tiny staff) we are all self-serve here. So please dont DM/text/email asking us to find/hold /change/book for you – we are too small a team to juggle thanks for your understanding.* spots & booking are all first come, first serve via Airbnb.* If youre looking to book the whole joint – reach out to info@wandawega.com (we are reviewing & locking down the remaining handful of those now)* head wandawegacampstore.com to sign up for our newsletter THE BULLETIN for news & updates

February 16, 2025 • Published by Tereasa Surratt • Instagram