Wandawega Blog Archive
hot off the press!Excited to be featured in : TINY HOUSE LIVE SMALL, DREAM BIG.new coffee table book by the @tinyhouse.Charlie likes it, too…weve been sketching and dreaming up the designs for our next cluster of cabins in the back acres – this book is end-to-end inspiration!photography: @bennett_young
Our newest tiniest addition: Welcome to the welcome cabin(Same place – Thats Just what were calling it since we added a reception desk)this is your stop to check in with your camp counselors. weve always had an obsession with Old Hickory furniture. (bonus that nearly all National Park lodges feature it). But its rare, and expensive, so we only get it when its in somebodys barn sale (and they dont know what they have). always wanted a reception desk.made of logs. from the era that this place was built. Out of the blue, a few weeks ago, a follower shot us a DM of this guy in MN with a treasure trove of it: (literal. storage. lockers. full) >> be still my heart > be still my heart > This treasure finders name is John. As it turns out, hes a buyer for folks like Ralph Lauren and for 35 years has been the go to for folks in the fancy upstate NY. Weve truly never met anyone with such a massive collection, sourced from every nook and cranny across the country.sadly- some old original Old Hickory antique furniture is getting more rare- folks would leave it outside, then after years- use it for kindling. Especially during the depression…the curator / dealers name is John Provo- (pictured here are some of his finds) You can email him at 9tazzy@comcast.net to get more pictures of his stock in MN!
New favorite thing: BOOZE & WAFFLES served from trailers that pull into the camp sports field. .Were excited to welcome back an amazing group of photographers, speakers, chefs, designers, mixologists, florists & more this week for a 3-day retreat : designed to fuel creativity for entrepreneurs. @thebarmadillo @presswaffles .. @onefinedayproductions @onefinedayproductions @campwed @lexiafrankphoto…..#campwed
A love story ..A boy and a girl counselor meet at a summer camp. …then get engaged at a summer camp. …then follow each other to another camp for their chosen careers. ..then one day, years later answer an ad, Camp Wandawega Director Wanted ..They just got these littlemementos to each other. (Brads knife tattoo is the same as Sams in Moonrise Kingdom, but its relevance is that it represents his favorite blade, a gift from his grandfather.) …@bhwoodworks & @ahutchgram . Brad & Ash Thank you for answering that ad.#BestCampDirectorsEver #mostadorablecampcoupleaward #moonrisekingdom
Got 2 days off? Its a 3 hour drive – ourTop 10 Dells bucket listYes.We said Wisconsin Dells. (Turns out its not just waterparks, fast food & T-shirt shops). There are still a few spots that have not yet been modernized, commercialized & improved. Places where you can still go experience what vacationing Americans did 50 to 70-plus years ago.1. DRINK > at ISHNALA supper club : (THE stuck-in-time world famous – Voted #1, and worth the 2-hour wait)2. STAY > AT BIRCHCLIFF LOG CABIN RESORT : (A fading shadow of its former 1920s glory, but a charming old ghost. book one of the 2 old big family log cabins & bring a book)3. SEE > THE 1950S WATERSKI SHOW (famous Tommy Bartlett synchronized waterski ladies in retro gear)4. SHOP > AT THE MOCCASIN SHOP: (72 year old shop that has hoarded its deadstock in cellar- now going out of business. so go now.) 5. EAT > In SUPPERCLUB style : The Embers (52 years old. cozy up to the 2 bearded old men playing Leonard Cohen & order the old fashioned) 6. DIG > around at PARSONS TRADING POST. (museum in the back. authentic native-americas signed crafts in the front. The oldest souvenir shop, opened in 1918) 7. DISCOVER > ADAMS MARKET (11 acre flea market to explore. also a mix of swap meet & farmers market)8. WATCH > PAUL BUNYAN. (hit up the cabin for flapjacks first, then see the lumberjack show… these guys are the real deal)9. HIKE > CHAPEL GORGE TRAIL. (youll never find a more scenic 2 miles)10. RIDE > one of the Original Wisconsin Duck Tours (we now understand why its the biggest attraction running since 1946).Also, we dont do ads to promote any of these spots- we just wish somebody would save us the time and give us their shortlist of places worth seeing. If you’re like us, vacation days are too few and far between to waste them looking in all the wrong places.@travelwisconsin got a gem we should visit? let us know, because we’re already planning a stop on our next trip to the northwoods.Photos:1: Charlie at the gorge 2: ishnala (supperclubs of Wisco cover)3: fam portrait at Paul Bunyans 4: our haul from the moccasin shop on the strip 10: our Cabin at Birchcliff
10 day countdown! .Excited for workshops, talks, seminars, dinners, cocktails, crafts & all the magic @campwed brings to their wandawega takeover each year.
who are these kids?? it was our 15th wedding anniversary a couple of days ago.we both forgot it. again. its become an accidental tradition that we find funnier every year.so we’re starting a new one:trying to find and celebrate at least one thing everyday, (rather than waiting for a singular annual day designated to remind us).21years ago we met. .years later decided to get hitched at this old abandoned summer camp (we had just somehow talked ourselves into rescuing) (We had zero idea what would lie ahead. the best part of youth is equal parts hope & naivety.) ..That day at camp we wore Wellies down a mud aisle to exchange vows in the rain. We had a dance party on a flooded tennis court, a bonfire was coaxed out of wet logs by diesel fuel and a flame thrower. We had fireworks and lots of drinking with barefoot guests – it was nothing like wed imagined it would be, and everything at the same time. (Friends told us that a wet knot is harder to untie- and weve embraced that every day since).This life partnership, place & path has been more work than we could have ever fathomed – also a helluva lot more rewarding. ..and Leonard’s Cohens lyric is ringing more true every year that we share it: “Ring the bells that still will ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in” — ..So heres to embracing the ever-expanding cracks and soaking up all that light every single day – for allthe years ahead… HAPPY (late)ANNIVERSARY(again)
We like people who smile when its raining. Other than the thunderstorm (that all but blew the messhall tent down, the epic flooding of the sports field, the drenched beds in the teepee) this weeks event turned out to be pretty perfect. Storms be damned- For the past few days, we got to play host for our favorite event yet: CampfireJamboree The world class Chefs from so many of our favorite restaurants came to cook on open fire (in the rain) and under the stars @elchechicago & @lasirenachicago (John Manion)@honeybutterchi (Christine Cikowski)Andrew Brochu who birthed Roister – who just left @thealineagroup to open his new space coming soon.@mitocaya (Diana Davila) But something we thought wed never see (and a Personal highlight) was having @rookietheband play a set In the treehouse. It all happened because of the folks at @fattire (joined by @MakersMark, @metriccoffee + @virtuecider ) and was the brainchild of @stockmfgco. part of the magic of these folks was not only their ability to pull it together in a downpour- but that they did it with a smile – and every guest followed suit. .Its that kind of attitude that makes us want to keep doing this camp thing until were old prunes. by: @jakenokovic & @johntereick
The Wander Boys Presents
We had the immeasurable pleasure of hosting The Wander Boys. Weekend recovery starts now. (These boys know how to throw a party) . 🌈💄⛺️💪🏼🚒🔥🥂 . We ❤️ @wanderboyspresents Courtesy of Tino DeMartino: Dear Camp Wandawega, Hope you haven’t gotten sick of hearing from us. We knew we’d have an amazing time, we just didn’t know that you’d wow us quite so hard. You say you stick to simple and modest while we tend to go elaborate and over the top. There is, however, one thing we’ll always have in common: we’re both true to who we are. We celebrate and honor your commitment to authenticity…