(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
We have a long history of bonfires here..(Shots here at camp from the 1971 annual St. Johns summer solstice festival, “Jani”. Davids family was part of the community who dressed up in traditional garb & celebrated with a huge bonfire.)It’s why the inside of our matchbooks says HOME OF THE KING SIZED BONFIRE’We now have a socially-distanced version, with 5 separate campfire sites across the campgrounds for each small guest group to build their own smaller version. Upon camper registration, each group gets a DIY “Campfire Kit” to learn the art of fire-making, and get the satisfaction & lumber jack confidence of finally being able to achieve what every 10 year old scout has already mastered: the art of camp fire building. .photos: @lakeaffectchicago @liztaylor @chrisstrongphotography @girlscouts
July 18, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
This left me equal parts intrigued, fascinated, mesmerized (and a little freaked out).Its a Music video shot entirely here at Camp. .What this film team went through to get these shots They brought in a dump truck of dirt to bury her alive on the beach. She was wading in frigid temps out in the middle of the lake forever. And dont know how they got her inside the tree, tho?).I may never be able to watch the TV set in the bunkhouse lounge again after seeing her image there… but the whole video is so beautifully executed and such gorgeous cinematography, we have to give the team props .(This is just a clip & the images are other scenes: to see the full edit, visit YouTube Katie Dey- Dissolving ARTIST: Katie Dey – “Dissolving” (Official Music Video)Directed by: @johntereick & Dakota SillymanProducer: Lainey MuhlbergDirector of Photography: David Hughes JrStarring: Ashley Thompson Editor: John TerEickColor: The Mill Chicago
July 17, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
For the first time, and likely only time for 2020, due the cancellation of all of our “all-camp” events (for everyone’s safety) we now have openings in the calendar for small groups – or even just 2 peeps – youll just also get extra empty rooms on your rental floor.Every week for the next 3 months, we are going to share out the remaining spots open for the following week, at 30% off.This is our first announcement for openings left for next week:We have two avails, 2 day min for either the top or the mid level of the bunkhouse. Its first come first serve DIY booking wandawega.com/visit – select bunkhouse (photos here of a few of the rooms)(Were making this price discount so that folks can come in smaller COVID-FRIENDLY pairs of couples and small “quaranteam” small groups – (sorry, this is not single rooms for single nights). social distancing is our first priority, so we have shut off some of our cabins entirely for the season, so we can host fewer, smaller, separate groups for “self-guided” camp stays.Love, Camp W .UPDATE: for those sending questions: our rentals are STILL for groups of rooms, (not single rooms for single nights) – its based on our business license as a camp- so even if you only come solo, you are still renting the block (but at a 30 percent discount). Thanks !!.Photos :@bobcoscarelli @aimeemazzenga @nelsoncash
July 16, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
A camp / hotel owner sees a lot of things. From weird to gross, to hilarious things we just cant mention. We find things in rooms after checkout that folks didnt mean to leave behind and certainly wish we didnt find.@FathomAway asked us to share some stories for their series TALES FROM THE INNKEEPERS.I contributed a handful but have yet to write the one that nobody ever talks about. So here it is: TOP TEN DIRTIEST JOBS RUNNING A CAMP:The shots here are #nofilter, to paint a real picture of what it looks like to resurrect a derelict campground. We get calls all the time from folks wanting to pick our brains when they open a resort, buy a camp, open an inn. Always happy to help!1. Ripping out moldy carpet from the Sterlingworth Cabin (getting a face full of 60 years of DNA)2. Raking out algae slime-sludge from the swimming area (when we had to restore the beach)3. Scraping up countless rodent carcasses. (Not to mention a rotting 50 pound snapping turtle)4. Shoveling out a latrine overflow situation during an ad agency creative retreat 5. Shopvac up a blanket of ant eggs from under a tent mattress (during a wedding retreat)6. Over-served wedding guest vomit situation clean up. 7. Gutting out the crawl space under the bunkhouse (& being confronted with an angry family of groundhogs)8. Morning ritual of shoveling goose poop off the fishing docks. (Fun fact: Geese each make 5 lbs of poo a day. And they love piers.)9. Helping guests who: ripped off a toenail / knocked out a tooth / fish-hooked their hand / stepped on a wasp / got their nipple bitten by a fish / rope burn from the tireswing .10. Retrieving unmentionables from under the bed after a bach party ( this should have been # 1)Restoring, building, running a camp isnt a turnkey job. (Unless youre made of money -in which case, good for you)Its true what they say: When you are building a house, the house ends up building you. There is nothing like investing literal sweat equity that makes you appreciate everything more.(I personally would appreciate never having to do any of the 10 things listed above. Ever. Again.)#OnceIsEnough#buildyourhouse …@vavoomstudios
July 16, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
GIVING IT AWAY (good vibes with a side of our new pennants). TO GET ONE. tag a friend who follows camp, (who you would like to go camping with) We pick a handful of winners in the morning to send a pennant to.Theyre heeeere… to celebrate the launch of this little trio, were going to do our fav thing and give some away!(We are now in our final dash to add products to the camp store before opening )The new Camp Wandawega pennants were spanned from a 15 year addiction of collecting every retro tourist, historic, old school vintage souvenir pennant we could get our paws on (shot 6 is some of our inspiration- we always try to pull from the patterns. Colors and fonts of history, vs modern interpretations).Our collection ( crafted by @oxfordpennant) comes individually or in a set of three. .Silk screened, two toned, hand sewn felt. The embroidered tag says it all; CELEBRATE EVERYTHING (for us, it feels like a good reminder for keeping a positive mindset In these unstable times) . I think well start with celebrating a cup of coffee on the dock right now. ENTRY DEETS: if both you and your friend are following us at time of you tagging them in, you are entered!*friends, please celebrate responsibly . Thank you B & @williammgolden for modeling
July 15, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
These campers know how to have a good time. . (Frankie agrees and would not stop following them around.).Pics: #lonewulfnomore Congrats to the bride to be!..*PLEASE NOTE: the family and friends in this photo socially distanced from other rentals groups who arrived here separately – each group has their own private building, campfire & picnic grill zone- with no shared access to other guest groups. The only guests shared space for camping groups is the treehouse and beach, (waterfront has four separate zones consisting of docks & piers spread out across hundreds of feet waterfront). These very respectful ladies kept separate from other groups at camp while they were here (as all of our groups do). Although Wisconsin is an open state, (with packed bars )…. here at camp, we are committed to providing 25 acres of ample social distancing opportunity between groups for their stay here. But please note that we do not have a police force here on staff to moderate and mandate each individual guest within a singular group to distance from each other when they are in the out-of-doors, those who come here are ultimately responsible for their own safety)To learn more about our CDC recommendations and plans, cleaning protocol and social distancing offerings, please visit our homepage
July 14, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt
