The master Sign painter @ChesPerry of @rightwaysigns paid us a visit to christen the latest project with his brush. We found a box of new old stock brochures in the attic that featured our past names: Wandawega Lake Resort. So it got us thinking: every self respecting lakefront vaca spot back in the 20s-40s had a fleet of matching resort boats. (Even the little blue collar joints like us had at least one).Weve never been able to manage more than our hodgepodge collection until now. Meet our little Scoutmaster. Shes still very much a work in progress. We Found her in a Craigslist ad years ago. She was being sold by an old man who told us that he was sad to part with it but could no longer get it into the water on his own. It was his childhood family boat, hand built by his father who was a shipbuilder at one of the old, now defunct shipyards in Chicago. (Which explains why it has some features uncommon in a small metal rowboat, including hand cut wooden ribs and gunwales).Stripping layers of paint to reprime, repaint four coats, restripe. All of her woodwork trim is getting repaired or replaced, stained, custom painted oars, dead stock cup holders to bow lights, flag + fishing rod holders and Hand made rope fenders. And (our fav bit) both benches are getting new custom upholstered cushions using a bolt of original 1960s Mopar green plaid naugahyde that was an unused remnant roll from a shuttered factory. Scoutmaster is her new name. She will be wrapped up in the coming weeks, thanks to our newest staff member – @penticoff51 is our design asst coming from @SCADdotedu. Merritt is an industrial designer by background, and jack-of-all-trades everyday. From deck building, tent erecting, landscape designing, 3D rendering, hes been a great addition to the team this season (& is pictured here sanding for the 100th hour) Looking forward to putting her back in the water again for guests as our first official resort boat. .When you do a lap on the lake, think about the dad who hammered it together for his kids 80 yrs ago- he must have been good at his job, because she hasnt sunk yet. (Also, a bilge pump )
July 28, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
#ChallegeAccepted Thanks for tagging me in @skoogdunagan & @tanjababich (and for always being a constant source of wisdom, inspiration & wit)Loving seeing so many of our friends faces in our feed, and for such a good reason. #womensupportingwomen today and always
July 27, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
THE CAMP ADVENTURING IN NATURE BOOK & ART SET. (Aka: a rainy day distraction for campers of all ages)INCLUDES:> 12 colored pencils> Pencil Sharpener> Slider storage box> Wood RulerWell be giving these away to groups who get rained out ( and gifted with purchase of the camp art set.)This Rainy Day Activity book Is the result of a dozen years of collecting vintage outdoors-themed activity & coloring books.Its inspired by rainy days at summer camps – when you have nothing to do but puzzles, cards & board games.The games have been complied to be shared as celebration of US National Park Service, traditional Wisconsin local attractions & the history of America. Well be sharing these books for free, to educate and inspire. Each of the activities have been sourced from 1920s-50s childrens activity & coloring books (that weve had around camp & have been collecting for years).HERES WHATS INSIDE :(Zoom into the pics for a sneak peek of some of the pages)…Board gamesPaper doll dogsWisconsin mapColoring pages Flower Identification gamesMazesTongue twisterPuzzlesCrosswordMake A birdhouse kitLeaf projectTree climber quizBoat race gameDesign a cabinDecorate a cottageIdentify the bird species DIY puzzlesShield & arrow match gameName the hookColoring mystery gameConnect the dots gamesIdentify the shop signsLearn sign languageDot block gameDecorate the tipiTrapper box gameFinish the drawing gamesCattle marking ID gameIdentify insect gameMaze gamesIdentify the leaf gameFlowers & nations matching Decorate the objectsPaint the vases Pencil puzzle3-D cut out gameLearn wildflowersFinger puppet tutorialLessons from Smokey BearLetter game
July 27, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
THE THINGS WE KEEP. (Our camp shop sneak peek) we are obsessed with the old here. With the things that are past their prime & boast the wear that only a long life can earn. We honor people, places and things that show their age. Cause In this youth/new /trend obsessed culture, its a privilege to survive even a single season. None of our store offerings are particularly fancy. But all of them are precious in some way. > Antique books with notes scrawled in the margins 100 years ago. > A quiver of hand painted arrows that in the era of Roosevelt where used to shoot more than targets. > Wear-worn brass belt buckles of trout, stag & pheasant from the Hank generation > A poker set gifted 90-years ago. (Waiting to play their first game that would never come.)> Pocketknives of bone & wood – from a time when everyone carried one, everyday. So because we are overly nostalgic about giving old objects new life, weve been on a mission to hunt down the things that have layers. so we can tell their stories and then blow them back out into the world like dandelion seeds. Instagram has given us a greater breath support than we could have ever imagined – so itll be fun to see how far we can spread these (U.S. shipping)Were obsessed with vintage because its a little reminder to embrace age in every form (unless its your truck brakes).And practically speaking, If a pocketknife can still serve its intended purpose 4 gens later, then it deserves to still be used. More than likely, the original owners of these objects have long since passed on. Weve given their precious book/quiver/patch/game a home, and now theyre looking for their next new home.Our store launches Friday.And so were taking in a greatbig hopefulbreath.* Our initial launch offering will be with our own line of old school, custom souvenirs. But it wouldnt be camp if we didnt also include a section with our fav vintage gear & goods. We like to think that theres a little bit of residual good karma that every object absorbs from their former owners & the time they spend here on our mantles & in cabins.
July 26, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
You wake up to birdsong here is what our old 1930s brochure promised. When you stay in the pair of new Birch & Hickory goldenrod canvas tents you feel like you are nestled in the treetops. They are perched on a ridge on cantilevered platform decks.Ease out of bed in the morning to your own private adjoining hillside deck to take in the view, watch the sunrise with friends and enjoy campfire coffee. .We are getting better at doing it simple: each platform tent is open on both ends for a cross breeze through the zippered bug screen and comes equipped with just the basics:Roll out cot mattresses cooler to keep the critters out of your breakfast.a supply of vintage field & stream magazinespair of binoculars we are finishing off the interiors now with the soon-to-launch new @faribaultmill x Camp Wandawega blankets also equipping them with 1970s Coleman electric hurricane lanterns & coolersperiod hand knotted rugs for those card games on the floor. sheet sets & pillows are provided in your RACOON-proof footlocker For august, this pair is available to book as an add-on for guest group overflow for those booking our other Airbnb listings (but it might have its own listing later this summer). If all continues to go as planned, this ridge will be lined with a cluster of 4 tent cabins arranged in a circle across the kettle from each other (which already includes the nature watching stand for rainy day gatherings). Guests will be able to shout to their friends across the kettle, then join them for a beer at the base, around the campfire (or take dip in the hot tub that weve got our eyes and hearts set on next )
July 25, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Beers + watching the sunset is a Wisco summertime must-do tradition. So we had to make our own camp beer taster set to keep this tradition alive.( and… making this little gift collection was the best excuse to collect every single vintage beer tasting glass that we could get our paws on – for design inspiration)Tucked inside youll also find some camp swag and a set of four vintage pulp board brewery coasters from various beer makers of Wisconsin and across America..The glasses themselves are not particularly special. They arent hand-painted, cut crystal or imported from Italy. They just hold beer…And are best used while sitting on a dock with friends watching a sunset like we had here last night. But you wont find them anywhere else in the world but here, so we hope that they are a little reminder of your visit, and a bigger reminder to just slow down and never take these sunsets for granted.It is our latest addition to the campstore, that were finally launching next week!!After a year of laboring and curating it, wed really like a beer to toast yall to that. .Sunset photo by @penticoff51
July 24, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
(Opening soon)IN 1925, BEHIND THIS DOOR…This was the entry circa 25-42 for deliveries. The “backdoor” you would slip in to play the slots, poker & drink. This was the door that the madame Anna Peck kept locked unless she was expecting you. (There’s also a trap door in the floor from above). You didn’t come to this door unless you were delivering “supplies” for the hotel.After this post, nobody will notice, care, or know about what went into restoring this entry. But all the details matter to us, so we want to tell their story at least once :* The security grill was welded by Pug, an elderly East Troy blacksmith who works in his dad’s metal shop, where he began learning the trade when he was 4yrs old..* The door was pulled out of an old jail in Madison.* The shutters came from a PA 1890s house (with patina you can only earn by years of weather)*The padlock is prohibtiona era. (Used to lock proprietors out of their own establishments after a raid)* The PRIVATE gold leaf lettering, deadstock 1940s.* Zwick in Chicago made the period blind, Quality Since 1930″* 4th-gen Gallagher Tent matched the awning from a 49s photo found here* No Admittance sign is antiqueSince we became listed on the National Register of Historic Places, weve been trying to piece history back together. It’s more time & money-consuming to try to tell the story of the past – we tell it through objects. (Doorknobs & blinds. Fabric & hinges).NEXT WEEK, WERE OPENING THIS DOOR. To be our stockroom to display/pull/pack/ship for our new online campstore. It will be filled with all the stories of a different time.We dont have a shingle to hang, or hours of operation – sorry, were not open to walk ins. But if youre a guest here, you can find the door by walking past the lodge entrance, follow the wall along the side of the old servants quarters, to the back. Hang a left, look for the PRIVATE sign.Knock twice.Well pull the blind, see who you are. And then let you in. Maybe ; )–To test our gut, we shared diff designs – comments were unanimous to go with this one. (Just stay true to who you are. Dont try to be like something youre not). #goodadvice
July 23, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Stocking up the store! Next up in our throwback offerings will be (when we open soon) our glass bead change purses (featuring camps vintage hotel room key fob pull tags).Coin purses were a staple in summer camps for the last century – kids packed change to spend in the camp commissary to buy postcards & stamps to write home. Change bags were also common in the roadside souvenir shops of a bygone era. Most people dont carry change purses anymore; theyve outlived their usefulness in all practical terms. Which isWhy we have a soft spot for them. Ours come in varying designs & patterns, but we tried to curate more abstract geometric patterns. We found them at a makers market while on our family vacation last year. David is a Hernandez, a common name for a family from the rural countryside outside of Morelia. These remind him of the vibrant colors of the simple gifts Nanna would bring back from her annual trips home to Mexico.Last shot is collage of some of our research on different style of glass bead pouches from around the world. We are expanding the collection to celebrate other regions as well – to not only include southwestern, western and Native inspired patterns, but a wider variety also representing Baltic designs (especially since we bought camp from the Latvian church)
July 22, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
Keep close to natures heart…and break clear away once in a while and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. – John Muir .Hes not called the father of our national parks for nothing. (And he learned to love nature while growing up in Wisconsin)Good advice. these photos our friend @anda_Marie shared from her visits reminds us to take his counsel.
July 21, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
We you too, Wisconsin . our little team here is so happy to have been included on this short list of Wisconsins Most Instagrammable PlacesSome of the other spots on their top pics (that are a must- see) : Milwaukee Art Museum, Frank Lloyd Wrights Taliesin & House on the RockThe show : THE CABIN About : Welcome to The Cabin, a weekly podcast produced by the crew that brings you the nations longest-running tourism TV show, Discover Wisconsin. Joined by producers, travel experts and tourism leaders, hosts Mariah Haberman and Eric Paulsen take you behind-the-scenes to the heart of the Midwest -presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association This weeks Campfire Conversation: No one questions the beauty of Wisconsin but have you taken a trip to these picturesque spots? Here are some of our favoritesExcerpt:A Hidden Gem- Go look up Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn. This place is a photographers dream.It has been featured in a bajillion magazines. You can go to retreats, you can tour the facility. Its completely restored, its the coolest version of a campground. Very popular. It has Beautiful cabins. You can tell the people who run it are extremely detail oriented. And its in Elkhorn, you wouldnt guess it. It is so cool. Even the website, it screams instagram. Go check it out#discoverwisconsin
July 20, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
