Wandawega Blog Archive

Most folks wont be able to find our new cabin additionTHE ARTISTS CABIN( its a sleeper )If you walk up the hill – about halfway into the back acres – the path splits off. To the left is our hickory grove camping cluster. To the right is an unmarked trail that winds around a bend and leads to this little non-descript cottage tucked up against the woods.Just 5 1/2 rooms.2 beds, bath, kitchen, living room/library.Weve been under the radar rehabbing it for the past year-plus.Shes an 80 year old lake cottage; weve gutted / rehabbed most of her interior.Refreshed kitchen, bath, fireplace, blacktop driveway, and some new trees. Her garage is the future home of our wood shop.Her basement is in the process of becoming our prop room.Her rooms are filled with things we brought from home. And our childhood homes. And our friends homes (art).Shes definitely no looker from the outside. What she lacks in architectural character she makes up for in purpose. (Although a new dress of cedar shingles are in her future.)Were so exhausted from this rehab (& now having moved on to 2 more cabins resurrections) that we havent taken the breather to share the story of her renovation.But we have been documenting every layer & planning to share more pics of the things we found . For the floors alone we discovered :80s carpet70s linoleum60s tile squares 40s congoleum30s tar paper & asbestos (pros remove)20s comic book newspaper plastered over wood (preserved a section)We restored the floors – sourcing period wood to fill every hole.This cottage is not for rent.You wont find a place to pay to stay. Its for artists, creatives & causes. Friends and family.Guests can only pay in good vibes and goodwill. The walls are filled with the art weve been collecting forever.Our faves are from the hands of friends:@struggle_inc our favorite neighbor & artist) @jeffzimmermann@stepheneichhorn@carlosrolonA special piece in the Nat Geo library custom by our talented long time friend + co worker @steve_hahn_ Weve set our intention with this little house: Purpose & passion over profit.pics: @bobcoscarelli

August 11, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Newest additions.Weve just added a new option for the most rugged of campers :CAMP-IN-A-TRUNK.If youre up for a challenge,consider yourself the rugged outdoorsy type, dont mind when a raccoon tries to spoon you, you might be the right kinda camper for this option. (If hospitality is rated on a five star scale, this option isnt even gonna rank a 16th of a star) Off the hiking path past the archery range is a Bear Box that holds 2 footlockers, stocked up with everything the adventuring type needs to pitch their own fully outfitted tent site:- A-frame for two *snug*- A couple sleeping pads- 1 ground cover roll- flashlight (batteries)- lantern (solar)- camper clipboard (w/emergency deets)- six-pack cooler- insulated snack bag – folding camp chairs- sheets, Blanket, pillow, towels- frisbee (cause, why not)How it works:When you book the two A-frame wedge platform tents, youll now also get two tent sites & outfitting kits. guests grab a fully stocked foot locker, pick a tent site (new carved out, mulch beds set in the back woods overlooking the ravine)Erect your site, Then pack it all up back in your truck & return to bear box at the end of your stay. Well flip the box for the next campers. * were adding this new option this season as our trial run to work out the kinks. Kinks like how to prepare folks for what will be the most DIY overnight adventure they can imagine. Prepare, scouts. These accommodations are not for the meek, and best suited for Eagle Scouts.Time to earn your merit badge.

August 10, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Every self respecting historic camp should have one of these-So weve finally got our own to stock the kitchen a couple of years back.They hold 16 oz of pretty much anything come in three colors. (And meant to hold up to all things – including, some say- even being thrown in a campfire. Although we dont recommend that.Like everything we bring to the campstore, we wanted to do our homework on the history of this camp staple. So heres a bit of what we learned about enamelware. It arrived in North America in the 50s.Regional standard decorations:USA: plain enamel & speckled.UK: white enamel with a navy blue brim.SWEDEN: cream with a greenEnamelware is made of steel, so it conducts heat better than other mugs.Thats why IT FEELS HOT IN YOUR HANDS. WARM MUG, WARM HEARTS, FRIENDS.Love,Camp@stemsandforks

August 8, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

GIVEAWAYWeve partnered up with @sohohousechicago to celebrate their August birthday – by giving away the Hickory canvas cabin for a member and friends – all the feels for this special group of folks- we hosted their first weekenders event when they opened up in Chicago years ago! head over to their post today for all the deets on how to enter Photos : @bobcoscarelli

August 3, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Most days, our Ping Pong table gets more action as a beer pong set up. Were not sorry about that – but decking it out for more paddling, too. The New balls are in, and paddles are in production now (the most basic wood paddles with silkscreened rubber faces)were starting to build out the sports equipment shed with camp gear- Games Dept. (open to other ideas for what to add next)The inspiration: -Old school games (inspo pics 4+8).-No tech.-Must be played with custom sports gear.Ideas welcome

July 31, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Fan spotting. We ask you (here but also IRL) to find the fans in our rooms: the 8th one is the hardest. Even when Im in there I forget where the hell its at. Heads up if you havent stayed with us yet – except for some of our cabins, most rooms here dont have AC, so guests rely on opening the windows for the lake breeze – and the fans we stock each space with.So happy to see @countrylivingmag paying tribute to the most utilitarian small luxuries and for the feature in the new issue! In the August edition youll find a few pages of our cedar cabin and bunkhouse….shots here by @bobcoscarelli and @aimeemazzenga

July 28, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

UNLEASH YOUR INNER GAMEROur inspiration for one of our newest additions this season (the game room) was a scene from the Royal Tannenbaums (the closet meeting). Guests can come check out a game to take back to their cabin or hang in the room to play cards. – A little story just came out with a roundup of some hotels that offer game rooms. A couple other hotels featured : The Curtis in Oregon (video game suite) And The Asbury in Jersey is BYOBB (bowling ball).So were excited to make the cut!EXCERPT:Combine family travel with a little friendly competition with these gamer-inspired hotel packages. Whether you are into board games, cards or video games, these hotels find different ways to incorporate fun into guest experiences.At this Wisconsin summer camp-turned-getaway, guests can try their hand at poker in the newly introduced Poker Room. The room features a felt-lined poker table, walls lined with portraits of gamblers and trophies, and more than 100 vintage board games for guests to play. Head to the camp store to purchase a vintage game or branded playing cards to take home with you as a memento.Link:https://whereverfamily.com/unleash-your-inner-gamer-at-one-of-these-hotels/Thanks, Mary Melnick + @whereverfamily And to @bobcoscarelli for pix and first shot by @aimeemazzenga

July 27, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

You scream.I scream.When groups check into camp, we give them a handful of half pints on the house as a little welcome to summercamp. (Charlie says this is her fav product collaboration weve done here yet, since its the one she can eat).SCHOEPS Camp Wandawega KAMPER KUPS come in half pints, in 2 flavors: Malted Milk & Vanilla Custard. We love their backstory.nearly a century ago, E.J. Schoephoester started making ice cream in the back of his Madison, Wisconsin grocery store with a single hand cranked ice cream maker. Today, Its still family owned and proudly made locally (with some of their offerings featured on @epicurious for best old school flavors).* sharing here some research on period label design – miss this style of packaging on shelves these days!

July 25, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt