Wandawega Blog Archive

As we approach Camp Wandawegas 95th anniversary summer, we want to celebrate another Wisconsin special place who will be marking their 100th year. We first paid them a visit a couple years ago. For those of you who have joined us at Camp Wandawega before you know that we like it to feel like going back in time. Unfortunately there are fewer & fewer places remaining that let you do that..One of them that is still going strong is @RedArrowCamp ..We literally never wanted to leave this time capsule tucked into the Wisconsin Northwoods. Camp Red Arrow is a boys summer camp in Woodruff; they take campers as young as 7 years old for a 7 week stay. It began as a logging camp circa 1870, turned Williams Resort until 1920 when it was converted into the all-boys camp that it still runs as today.This place is a literal living museum with Mess Hall, Rec Hall, Infirmary, and countless hand hewn log cabins (built by the Norwegian lumberjacks) many still in original condition and used today.In the early days, it was known as the beer camp because boys from most of Milwaukees big brewery families attended. (Boys with names like Miller, Uihlein, Schlitz, Pabst, Gettlemans and Blatz, along with the (Harley) Davidson boys. On our tour, the camp director told us that Chris Farley & Scott Foley were campers who got their start on the little log cabin theater stage.FROM THEIR SITE:Red Arrow Camp offers a traditional, single-session, 7 week summer camp experience for boys ages 7 to 16. Built on 100-year-old traditions, we offer our 100 campers an escape from modern-day stressors. ..Because its such a special experience, they book up every year- (and Im sure this year even sooner since its their 100Year anniversary)…. it makes us wish we little boys so we could go. … . redarrowcamp.com. *photos from our visit with Charliegirl (zoom in- every detail in every cabin and room is so good- because its not designed… its all the real deal- the first photo is of their infirmary building)

January 19, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Looking back on a decade of hosting events and groups, the ones most special to us are those that support women. Their careers, their dreams, their startups.So as part of our New Years resolution, we are committing ourselves to sponsoring & hosting more events created by women, for women.So far this upcoming 2020 season, we have two on the roster: One is a pre-curated event, the other will be ticketed, open to the public (excited to share the date + ticket info- stay tuned). Some of our past favorites:@jennakutcher s Retreat (the ultimate Ladyboss)And @feminest.co Feminist CampTodays debt of gratitude goes to those who make it their mission to lift up other women. ..Thank you to the following women, companies and brands who have invited us to share our own personal story of the women that helped us.. .WhatWomenCreate .#LadyBoss Soho House panel .AIGA Women in Design .MommyShorts Conversations With .EvolveHer Women in Business .SheSays pledge for parity for InterNational Womens Day .TheEveryMom (The Every Girl) .The Glossary Community dedicated to Creative Women .HelloSunshine .AdAge Women To WatchFeminist Co. ..Winston still said it best:We make a living by what we get,butwe makea life by whatwe give. So heres to the givers. ..*If you are a female group looking to host a retreat to lift up other women, reach out to us

January 17, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

HOLLYWOOD COMES TO CAMP . Our actor crush Jemaine Clement ( of @avatar, @flightoftheconchords) & @gillianjacobs (of @GirlsHBO) Are the lead cast ina movie just shot at camp this past summer I Used To Go Here (We had to keep it a secret until press released it) but now cant wait to see it! …We were told it was a comedy, will have to watch it before Charliegirl does to make sure its PG enough for a 9 year oldCongrats to rad writer-director @KrisReyKrisRey & the whole SUPPORTING CAST: .@JormaTaccone (Saturday Night Live) .Forrest Goodluck (@RevenantMovie) .Kate Micucci ( @bigbangtheory_cbs) .Zoe Chao (@BernadetteFilm) .@HannahgMarks (Spiderman) .Josh Wiggins (Hellion)About:The film will follow Kate Conklin (Jacobs) who is in a rut. Her engagement is called off, her first book isnt doing so hot, and all her friends are having babies. Out of nowhere she gets a call from her old professor, David Kirkpatrick (Clement), asking her to come back to her alma mater to do a reading. Shes suddenly back at her old school, hanging out with college kids and getting into trouble. ..@DEADLINE Story: https://tinyurl.com/sdynod8 Debuting at @SXSW (link in todays profile).Photos here are cast and crew around camp at the filming, a scene clip from one of the lake shots- most of the rest was shot in and around Chicago. .We loved hosting them for what well forever remember as the Celeb sleepover. … (*disclaimer – some other photos here are personal fan stalker shots from the whole cast in their crazy Hollywood world ) .Admitting it now, Ive officially become one of those awkward celebrity stalkers for a day .especially since we found out (in this case) that its true what they say- they really are just nice down-to-earth folks.

January 16, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Every room has a story.This one has always been called the card room. Its in the top level of the old hotel/brothel – last room at the end of the hall.It earned its name from card games played in here by all different groups over the past nearly one hundred years :1925-1940s: early on, the illegal kind – when it was called Wandawega Inn and Hotel Wandawega.1950s: the friendly public sort, as it operated as Wandawega Lake Resort.1961- 2004: During the Vandavega-era the Latvians used it for a traditional Latvian card game called Zolte as well as poker.2004 to present : From Old Maid and UNO to blackjack, guests do their part to help us continue the tradition. (And we keep a full set of vintage poker cards and chips stocked just in case they want to take it old school)..We try to honor all the different folks who ran this place by continuing to use all the different iterations of their own take on business graphics. Youll find the old brochures in each guest room, and sometimes we bring out the original guest book and try to find some names we know. First shot @atlasandpine

January 15, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Calling all the adventurersJUST LAUNCHED for 2020 SeasonWandawega Excursions … Our camp EXPERIENCE TRIPS guest offering has been a long time goal for us, so were excited to finally get to roll it out on our site now for the 2020 season..We love adventuring of all kinds – and love to curate cool experiences for our campers.Ever wanted to have a culinary picnic with the bees (and their keeper) at their hives?Or go behind the scenes with a distillery for a tasting workshop?.Because our guests book several months out, our new planning guide gives a menu and roadmap for making the most of the couple of days you spend with us..To help our campers do just that, weve worked with local friends to curate our favorites classes & workshops close to Camp (in both proximity and heart)..EXCURSION PROGRAMMING1. Antique wood boat cruise at Cruise Lake Geneva 2. Wreath making class at @GreatWhiteFarm3. Mead tasting at @TheHiveTapRoom4. Farm chores for groups at Farm Wise Education5. Trout fishing instruction at @rushingwatersfisheries Trout Farm6. Gardenwalk & plant educational talk at @northwind_perennial 7. Horseback trail ride at #DanPatchStables8. Painting class at @BoardAndBrushcs9. Winery tour & tasting at Aeppeltreow Distillery10. Bike trail ride at @backyardbikeshop *To get the itineraries for each excursion, visit todays profile line or visit wandawega.com/excursion-programming/Each outing, class, workshop & tour is run & booked directly with our favorite host neighbor friends.#SupportSmallBusiness #ShopLocal #WisconsinPride #walworthcountytourism . *last photo shown : Lagrange general store – a separate but equally rad mom-and-pop business attached to backyard bikes

January 14, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

SLEDDING.then…STEW this is all we want right now.(throwback to best day ever with beef stew by @cnbuzzbee stew photo by @juliastotzWith friends Alexei, Mary, Heather & Brett

January 13, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

In 1925, WHAT THEY PUT BEHIND THE ROPED OFF ROOM (BEHIND OUR BAR)….When you come to visit us at the lodge and walk through the old bar, youll see a roped off area.This used to be the back of the house in the 1920s and 30s.(Its now one of our private bedrooms). If you walk through this room,it opens up to a sunporch, where youll find a trap door in the floor. When you open that up, youll find a steep narrow staircase that leads you to the Prohibition-era rathskeller. A 97 year old local (and one of his friends) told us the story behind this strange layout.Back during Prohibition, when Feds or even local law enforcement showed up(word is, locals who were on duty were obligated to come, even though they where probably also patrons). Visitors who needed to get out quick would exit behind the bar, through the (now bedroom) to the trapdoor in the sunporch floor, to the rathskeller, exiting the back basement door, which led to a staircase down to the old dock – so you could then row across the lake to the opposite dock, where a car could pick you up.All this was to avoid getting busted with those slot machines, booze & gambling in the basement.Its hard to imagine that playing cards and drinking whiskey could land you in jail. If we tried to enforce those laws today, wed all be outlaws.So heres to the outlaws. And the ghosts of those that remain..Photos here of steps down to the lake from back in the day..The slot machines confiscated from another one of the madames nearby illegal gambling dens, The Lone Oak Inn..The rathskeller today (and exit route) through trap door..First photos by @bobcoscarelli

January 12, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Because our first few books came out before we got on Instagram, most folks dont even know they exist.So we thought wed share the things that got us here – writing about the dreams and failures of this place.Along with some old copies of Field & Stream, youll find most of these tucked away in guest room drawers here at camp.We love old books. Leather bound, Florentine covers, walls lined with them. We love finding notes inside the covers, tucked inside the pages. We feel damn lucky to have our books published by @randomhouse @penguinrandomhouse @clarksonpotter @sterlingbooks (of @hearst)But our First up here in our little re-share series is our personal camp history book – this is the only one that we published ourselves. AMERICAN GETAWAY95 years worth of history, condensed to 100 pagesINDIANS.BOOTLEGGERS.A SWEDISH MADAM.THE FEDS.A MURDERER ON THE LAM.REFUGEE PRIESTS.THE GHOST OF THE LAKE.KIDS IN CANOES.A RUSSIAN GANGSTER.AND A CHEEKY RACOON NAMED GEORGE.This is the very strange, very true story of Camp Wandawega, Wisconsin: An American Getaway. . REVIEW:Its incarnation as Camp Wandawegashows the increasing appreciation of historic preservationand the aesthetic, romantic, historic, and emotionalpower of a place that has stood against our seeminglyrelentless need for constant updating and change. Manyresorts show one or two phases of this evolution, butwhat makes Wandawega special is that you see all ofthese aspects in a single site. Its extraordinary state ofpreservation allows each of the stories to be clearlyseen in the physical fabric of the place, creating apowerful slice of time and place that transcends anyof these single stories.-Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Officer, Jim Draeger . .For more info, visit our not-for-profit website:WANDAWEGAHISTORY.org.To get the book, visit our profile line for the link, check out our blog under American getaway or go to . https://tinyurl.com/sg65uts.NOTE: those arestandard gloss book jackets, not the limited edition shown here with extra details..In collaboration with the amazing writer and storyteller @austinsailsbury .More at #wandawegacustoms

January 11, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt