2021 / 1940 Views here in the old camp lodge Alot of things have changed, not many of them within these walls.This used to be the “Wandawega Hotel” DiningHall (a supperclub for the resident guests). It was a common amenity for lake resorts of the time… except for one thing you cant see (on the other side of this room)If you walk through this room to the bar behind it.. then past the ‘PRIVATE’ sign in the (now) sunporch bedroom… there is a trapped door in the floor under the bed… That leads down into the old Rathskeller where Madame Anna Peck offered slot machines, girls and liqour during prohition.(It’s now our Campstore).This is a long-winded way of explaining what our inspiration has been for all the products in our little tourist souvenir shop. We like to think of every product as a story, that helps you time travel.We try to bring back souvenirs that aren’t made anymore. Collaborate with historic brands…but mostly, we try to think of what would have been served in the Wandawega hotel souvenir shop 50,60,95 years ago. This morning we’re sharing our new virtual camp store merch look book,full of all the little stories we’ve been collecting and stockpiling in the room in the back.where our Whiskey decanters and poker decks are out in broad daylight.To Download / peruse it, visit wandawega.com or our shopTo learn more about our mission of preservation. Visit :WandawegaHistory.org
when were this buried in snow wearing a blanket to work zooms 100% counts as business casual.today we may or may not also be camera off on said zooms,while testing out the new glasses that just arrived to stock the Rathskellar bar with. (i mean. somebody has to test the viscosity of this simple syrup.)if you need us, we’ll be working in the #WandawegaHillhouse today.and possibly not leaving, ever.our friend @_lifeinfocuss gave us tips on both last week
If you still have no idea what to get him…Well, we dont really know, either.Ask Jordi. Our Puppy (err- log carriers) just made the cut in Sports Illustrated @si_swimsuit Best Valentines Day Gifts for Men list.@jordilippe pulled together some reccos for those of us who are still trying to figure out what to get our guys this Feb 14. … and given that the man of the house here, David, is also a Valentines baby, we always need to double up on the gift front. Hes already got the carrier, so we may need to fill it with whisky bottles this year instead of puppies.The scoop: (On the @faribaultmill WANDAWEGA LOG CARRIER)Buffalo Check pattern is made with Merino wool and set off with leather straps & edging.The scoop on Faribault Woolen Mill: Today, in a historic mill nestled along the Cannon River in Minnesota, a nearly 150-year-old story is still being woven. Faribault endures as one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. At the mill, fifth generation craftspeople take raw wool and create blankets, throws, scarves and accessories of remarkable comfort and quality. Irreplaceable century-old machinery stands side by side with modern technology in their “new” mill, which was built in 1892. DEETS: measures 21″ x 27.5″ Merino wool and leather BYOL *Firewood not included Thanks to our friends/staff/models and partners + supporters : @stancioff @ahutchgram @bhwoodworks#faribaultmill #faribaultwoolenmill
The question were asked the most: Was everything already here when you bought the camp/ Where do you find stuff?The truth is that you cant be afraid to dumpster dive for that wooden chair.Charity shop dig.You have to be willing to be a gleaner.GLEANERglean (glen)1. To collect bit by bit: someone who gathers something in small pieces slowly and carefully. A collector. :: To gather what is left behind.To cull, sift, garner, reap, amass, pick, accumulate, harvest, select.Weve always been drawn to things that others leave behind (one mans trash).(Maybe because Wandawega itself was nearly condemned when we took over).We try to remember that everything was new once & loved. Before it gets worn out & left in an alley or thrift store.If theyre lucky,some of those things will get spotted by a gleaner who can see past the brokenness & give it a second chance.We should all be gleaners.Looking for old things that others no longer see the use for…whether those old things are objects, places or other people.Give them new purpose.Sometimes its just that simple act of seeingthat gives us purpose, too. 10 of our FAVE FINDS (& where we found them)> Clip-on ice skates: CHURCH CHARITY SHOP > Wicker side table ROADSIDE PICK. (Had a free sign on it)> Toboggan CRAIGSLIST (still has the old painted # on it from a sled> Set of guilded pheasant rocks glasses: SALVATION ARMY> Plaid wool 60s cape: THRIFT STORE in an old Circuit City space. It was at the bottom of a clothes by the lb. crate > Dining table – SALVAGED from an old parts store in Chicago that was getting demod. > Antler mount; JUNK SHOP Delevan (in an old NAPA store). Signed back, somebodys first buck.> Hudson Bay stripe pull over ELKHORN FLEA > shots 9+10 transferware teacups BROWN ELEPHANTSo if youre like us, looking for reccos for places to score vintage (design-on-a-dime style) we wrote a book about it. Documenting what we found here – Found, Free & Flea by @clarksonpotter (div of @randomhouse ). So heres to the gleaners,who know that usefulness isnt synonymous with youthfulness.Shot 1: @bobcoscarelli
Long live the SKI-BOOSE See that little red sleigh behind our motor sled?These were built in Charlotte, Michigan. The company, (we think is General Aluminum Products) is still around today. For a while in the late 1960s and early ’70s, they made the snowmobile sleighs- aka the snow boose. (And also some little camper trailers and ice shanties) – check out this old ad for the kind you could ice camp in).This gal comes out of camp storage when the snow is crazy deep like we have now here in Wisco.David found both our 70s era Yamaha twins (& the sleigh) on Craigs list a decade ago for a song. They are cold blooded starters & feel like youre riding a cinder block. But wed still rather have these old gals than the modern flashy neon striped speed racers.Shes admittedly a little brittle, Is missing some cushions and cant see well (her windshield plastic is permanently fogged up from age) (Btw: I personally can relate to all of those issues).And we still love her anyway.Back in the day, dealers sometimes sold sleighs & sleds in matched color schemes & decals sets. But sadly many were abandoned in the barn or yard weeds and were picked up by scrappers in the mid-2000s (when Aluminum prices were at an all time high).Another reason to snag one if you see it pop up on Craigslist.- They literally do not make them like they used to. which is why we pickle ours at the end of every season, hoping shell be ready for another year once the snow hits.Heres to hoping well get a lot more years.Photos:@ambermiller9 (first)& @davidtsay (3,8)
A couple things you wouldnt know by looking at this picture:The Wisconsin girl you see here (who visited us last weekend) is unbreakable. Literally. She could bench press you.And That coffee cup shes holding has a backstory. It might be the most basic and the most extraordinary thing we have here. It started with an obsession in 2015 to find the perfect diner cup. (The kind you see in old school roadside cafes, that havent been improved on in a century). This type earned the nickname hammer mugs because they are virtually indestructible (you really can drive a nail with them) This made them the go-to for every camp & blue collar roadside diner, where they could survive multiple drops from overworked waitresses and overtired truckers.Our search led us to a company thats been making them since 1871. The folks at Homer Laughlin China dug up their Green Bay Stripe paint color from their archives, and took the time to school us on the difference between traditional underglaze + real hand pinstriping, versus the fast & cheap printing methods most employ today in overseas factories.Its not cheap.Or fast.Or easy.We might be crazy, but weve convinced ourselves that a swig of straight black coffee somehow tastes better out of one of these. (Try it when you visit us next – Some of you will think were overly nostalgic, but there will be some will get why we spent years obsessing on how to get this right.)Thank you, @hlc_dinnerware. …for every last one of those hand glazed, finished, pinstriped plates, cups & mugs. It helps makes us feel like weve just taken camp one step closer to what it must have felt like to have dinner at the Wandawega Hotel back in its glory days. Grateful to know there are still American companies like yours employing 4th generations artisans 140 years later (through wars, pandemics and economic depressions) and still going strong.@ambermiller9 #homerlaughlin
Old things have soul.That tell their stories.When the article camp out in the @WSJ last month(about our little vintage campstore goods) it wiped out our vintage campstore inventory right away.Weve been slow to get it restocked. But happy to report that we just launched a new selection today.OUR STORY IS NOT NEW.We are still obsessed with telling forgotten stories here. The things that are past their prime & show the wear that only a long life can earn.We honor people, places and things that show their age.Cause In our youth/trend obsessed culture, its hard to survive even a single season.None of the things in our vintage shop are particularly fancy. But all of them are precious in some way.> A quiver of archery arrows in original deadstock packaging.> A set of study books for a Boyscout in the JFK era.> Pocketknives of bone & wood – from a time when everyone carried one, everyday.Because we’re overly nostalgic about giving old objects new life, weve been on a mission to hunt down the things that have layers. Then tell their stories and blow them back out into the world like dandelion seeds.Instagram has given us a greater breadth of support than we could have ever imagined – so itll be fun to see how far we can spread these little stories that piggyback on antique souvenirs & gifts.We think that If a pocketknife can still serve its intended purpose 50+ years later, then it deserves to still be put to good use.Most likely, the original owners of these things are long gone. Weve given their books/arrows/baskets a home for a while and now theyre looking for their next new home. Our store carries mostly our own old school custom throwback souvenirs, but it wouldnt be camp if we didnt include our fav vintage too.We like to think that theres a little bit of residual good karma that every object absorbs from their former owners (+ their time here).The shop (re) opens today. The only thing we like more than buying antiques is wrapping em up to send off to their new homes.(Last pic: how everything ships: even a card game gets the full treatment.) Our way of showing respect.
The 10 reasons why you should open that @airbnb that youve been dreaming about. Now.Hi! Tereasa & David here (trying to get better about showing our faces once in a while to connect in a disconnected time).We fell into running this place. We got it to save it from getting demolished & gradually started renting. And we learned lots along the way.If youve been dreaming about that farmhouse to start a garden, that A-frame to host pop-up dinners, or pc of land for craft workshops…10 things that we wish somebody had told us – because we would have done this 10yrs sooner:1. It gives you a creative outlet & space to grow. Proof of the benefits of creative outlet: Harvard Business Reviews Purpose, Meaning & Passion. #GameChanger2. Its a built-in gym. If you are into clearing trails, digging out drainage ditches, stacking firewood, you’re set.3. Its an investment that pays back. Look for places you can rent to cover your mortgage, then grow it gradually. Do it on the side while you keep your day job. (Its what we do).4. In a pandemic, you have a place to work remotely. 5. Folks want to get away & need places that are easy to drive to, and social-distanced.6. Real estate is a good investment. If you buy a fixer upper & are handy, you can buy cheap and build your dream through sweat equity.7. You get to meet so many new folks – and then they get to share it with others too- expanding your circle 8. You are immersed in every season – It makes you plan for the future by Investing in the land & planning your future creative outlets.9. It gives you purpose bigger than profit. A place to donate to others (from Make a Wish Foundation to various NFP groups).10. There is no 10th. The # of ways it will change your life is infinite. Mentally, physically, spiritually.If theres one thing weve learned,its do it for the right reasons.If you go into it for the labor of love (vs wealth)& in the spirit of generosity….You’ll make your own definition of success. So just take the leap, youll figure it out as you go. There are so many resources to support you.by our inspiring friend & long-time camper @pauloctavious #airbnb
AFTER > slide for the BEFORE / work in progress > Weve got big dreams on a small scale here. The awning is getting sewn now, our little green benches built.and excited to introduce the progress on The Little Wandawega Canteen !We look forward to opening this new little corner of camp for guests this spring. The inside is nearly completed and we are busy stocking its shelves with all of our favorite things.So once weve melted our way out of this snow drift, well be able to start the new facade update & little gravel patio seating outside under its awning.The original Camp Canteen opened its doors here in 1925 and advertised serving Boats, smokes, Tasty sandwiches, Ice cream & candy(we arent serving boats & smokes- but we will be carrying all the vintage concessions & snacks from the era of Camp, circa 1925-1965).@bhwoodworks is the crafty beaver here, designing and building out our new favorite spot, overlooking the lake, where the coffee is always hot.
The things that happened in this room (then and now)This is the old rathskeller bar (its now our camp store pull, pack & ship room). Theres still a trap door in the ceiling of this room with a rickety staircase that leads down here. (You can kinda see in back right corner of this pic)During prohibition, Patrons could sneak down here to play the nickel slots, poker and get a drink from Annie – the Madame who also managed the working girls she housed in what is now the bunkhouse. (In 1942, Annie was sent to prison for what she did in this room)This space is pretty much the same as it was back then.It still doesnt have a store front.Or business hours.We dont have a proper bartender or a shopkeep.Walk-ins are still not welcome.(You need a personal invitation, just like folks did during prohibition)But today if you happen to be staying here in one of our cabins as a guest, knock twice. Most days were down here making old things new again. Well be happy to tell you the stories behind all of our little old school souvenirs.We just wrapped a shoot with our friend @samerphotography – hes helping us tell the story of all these little tourist mementos we stock this room with. (A sneak peek here)
