Wandawega Blog Archive

Finding an abundance of peace around here this fall season. Were soaking up all the good zen energy this Wisco autumn is bringing to camp….Film created by @stockmfgco

October 6, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

An example for the rest of us.Diana Dvila (owner chef of @mitocoyo)Is a GIVER.We all saw how Covid was tough on small hospitality businesses (especially restaurants) – she kept everybody on payroll, and later turned her restaurant into a foodbank for undocumented restaurant workers.And shes still giving back – she just brought her crew here for a team overnight – continuing her show of support for the people who support her & her partner Joe. It was just announced that the new IRON CHEF Mexico just came out – were rooting hard for her and the whole @mitocaya family ABOUT THE TODOS PONEN PROJECT :They team up with Chicagos Top Chefs and local non-profits in 2021 to1) Raise awareness to the lack of COVID-19 relief aid for undocumented restaurant workers – the backbone of the hospitality industry.2) Provide free meals for the community while simultaneously employing undocumented restaurant workers and keeping the supply chain between restaurants and local farmers and vendors intact. 3) Host a series of interview with fellow chefs in Chicago.Donations are needed to fund this initiative, feed those in need, and advocate for those without a voice. Visit @mitocaya site to learn more & support.

October 5, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. – F. Scott Fitzgerald The first fall pic by our buddy & lake neighbor @skaw. Film by our good friends @stockmfgco -@garrettsweet.Feeling grateful this morning for our little growing lake community (crazy to think that 16 of our creative Chicago friends have now bought second homes up here with us around this little lake).Chosen family is everything -And were leaning into that as we are creating & manifesting our new plans for the future here.We cant wait to grow in new ways and share it with you.Thanks @garrettsweet for letting us reshare the film you made here

October 3, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

never been done here before.they constructed a greenhouse over our tennis court to take in the fall views.And that was just the beginning.Oh what a night for Jakob + Colleen@cflesch_3@alilockerykemp @ferskfloralartistry

October 2, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Ghosts of Wandawega.The new issue of @madisonmagazine tells the story of two of our resident ghosts.One benevolent. One malevolentAs the reporter explains .This is the story of the first. If there is a scale of friendliness by which ghosts are judged, ours would certainly be the most docile, kind & watchful.His name is Boleslavs, and was known as Father B (for Baginskis). He was the priest that sold us Camp Wandawega nearly two decades ago.Ten years ago we hosted a memorial at camp where a tree was planted in his honor. (A birch, a customary Latvian choice). People came from far and wide to pay their respects. Folks that hadnt been to Camp Wandawega in decades arrived bearing casseroles, grandchildren and photo albums overflowing with memories. In stark contrast to the Religious Haven Father B built at Camp its seedy past as a Bawdy house & speakeasy has been well documented. Murders, Suicide, all manner of illegal activity, for its first 40 years, Wandawega Hotel had drawn a sketchy crowd. There was a time that I worried about the karmic residue left by so many desperate souls whod escaped here to commit crimes of all sorts. (That era came to an end when the house Madame Annie Peck went to a womens prison in 1942). My fears where put to rest when the church elders told us that every spring Father B would walk the length of the grounds, reading from his bible, sprinkling holy water, and blessing the entire property for another new year.This is how we see our friendly ghost now.Walking the grounds, blessing the birches.His memory is celebrated every Sunday when we open our doors to sometimes hundreds of worshippers. Mass is no longer given in its native Latvian tongue, and many of the original Latvian congregation has since been replaced with locals from neighboring lakes. But Father Bs presence can still be felt every warm sunday when the church bells ring and the fish are biting.May his soul rest in peace…*this issue also features other haunted places and spaces in the area -And also tells the story of other ghost – Johnny Sweetheart well share his backstory in our next post.

October 1, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

That time @jaysonhome took over camp to shoot their catalog and I wanted to keep everything forever and ever Dreaming of new things . Plans.LooksFor next season even as we are in our last HIGH season celebrating fall

September 30, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Our Wandawega mini flask can only hold enough to get a chipmunk drunk.It’s part of the Keychain Bar we have in our campstore (in the rathskellar and online).It’s where folks can build their own, pulling from our vintage collection board as well as the new stock weve had custom made for us: >Large CW Hotel Key fob >Small CW Green Key fob >brass stamped CW valve tags >the tiniest of CW slingshots >and tiny CW flasks if you want to snag a rabbit’s foot or moccasin keychain you’ll have to visit us onsite.DEETS: Mini Flask Measures 3″ x 2″ Brass Key Tag Small Key Fob Large Key Fob Slingshot Shots by @stemsandforks @nathanmichael @bobcoscarelli

September 29, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

In partnership with our friends at @claytonandcrume we are excited to share two new camp hand crafted treasures. *launching in the camp store this morning ABOUT THE ORIGINAL GLASS FLASK:Inspired by Iconic Kentucky Distilleries: Theres a reason distilleries have been bottling spirits in glass for decades its the only way to preserve the integrity of the spirit and avoid tarnished taste that comes from cheap metal flasks.It’s time we craft a flask that matches the quality of the spirit it carries. Full-Bodied Glass + High-Quality Leather: English Saddle, full-grain leather is wrapped securely around 200 ml of full-bodied, break-resistant glass and finished with steadfast stitching, built for a lifetime of service guaranteed. Completely Solid-Brass Cap & Funnel: Leave no bourbon behind. Finished with a solid brass cap and funnel for a mess-free pour everytime. The detailed knurling offers a unique, yet highly functional component to the flask – built for easy grip to open and close. The final touch : The hand-stamped Wandawega logo. ABOUT THE POCKET JOURNAL:The handmade Natural Leather Pocket Journal is perfect for grand ideas & to-do lists. Fits snugly in a back pants pocket, and doubles well as a passport holder.One Field Notes Memo Book (3.5″X5.5″) Wandawega branded journal included. Premium Horween full-grain leather and robust stitching for many years of service, guaranteed. The final touch : The hand-stamped Wandawega logo. Proudly handcrafted in Louisville, Kentucky.ABOUT CLAYTON & CRUME: Founded on a simple idea, we believe all leather goods should last a lifetime. Raised in the heart of bourbon country, we grew to value what was storied, tested and enduring. The traditions of our upbringing taught us the value of honest, hard work and the pride thats earned by creating something with your own two hands. It is our mission to create goods that, like a barrel of good Kentucky bourbon, only get better with time.

September 28, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

She turned our tennis court into a lounge And that was just the beginning of the transformation for the best party weve ever seen thrown here..then @elisabethsinnott elisabethsinnott wrote a step by step guide for how she did it, to share with all

September 27, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt