Wandawega Blog Archive

Its here!!Ugh. Real excited for this one.(>>scroll for in store tour, unboxing & the catalog camp tour)KOLO X CAMP WANDAWEGAOur new custom product collaboration with @topdrawershop ABOUT:Scottish milled wool tweed upper, suede leather bottom and cozy faux fur lining. Includes an organic cotton travel dust bag. Nestled in the woods of Wisconsin, Camp Wandawega is a magically curated wonderland hosting like-minded people who love being in the outdoors yet appreciate a slice of Midwestern beautiful Amerian nostalgiaGET EM IN THEIR STORES & online ABOUT TOP DRAWER:As creative professionals, we know the nomadic lifestyle is as much a mindset as it is a way of being.We look to tackle the projects that make us stretch. To us, nomadism isnt simply about being on the move: its about an existence in which the thingswe carry directly impact our productivity, our well-being, and even our identity. At Topdrawer, we combine the quality and craftsmanship of our grandparents generation with our drive for independence,function, and stylish sustainability. It all results in a collection of tools curated from around the world, that help you do your best work, wherever you are.BACKSTORY:Our dear friend @nathanmichael approached us last summer to do this collab- we always love working with him (and have for over a decade) he was the photographer and designer of the catalog and the house shoes themselves. Hes a constant inspiration – weve starting working on another little project together that we hope to start sharing a bit on later this year.

June 4, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Diving into pride month likeThe best month of the year. First pic @thewanderboys weekend Next pics from more friends @Shawn2david@Cshore303@marshalltoolbox @astro_knott cape photo @tboethinWe Love each and every one of these souls. Celebrate every day this month, friends!

June 2, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Taking a minute to introduce folks to our new camp Operations Manager, @chase_kruger97 A lifelong camp and outdoors enthusiast, hes the guy who helps keep all the gears moving here on the grounds (your day-to-day outdoorsman & guy in charge of everything from firewood to camp set up)He comes to us from his last position as Jack of all trades at a Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island(thats on a literal island- he has to boat to and from. Next time youre at camp, help us give him a warm welcome (you cant miss him, hes 65 and in constant uniform of Filson- hes also a collector of vintage camp gear at @cabinfevervtg )(Outfitted here giving us a tour of our Fieldhouse in a favorite antique Woolrich)Welcome to the team, Chase!Thanks for the photos, @bobcoscarelliPlease Note: (update from a concerned party)*The wing pictured here came from a teachers supply company. Like the rest of our taxidermy (which is vintage) it was sourced ethically. We do not condone killing any animals for sport or decor, but instead hope to share them as learning opportunities and to celebrate history (camp is listed on the National Register of Historic Places). To avoid confusion, and to remain respectful – we have since removed it from the field house.

June 1, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Did anybody elses grandma keep these in their kitchen? This is our favorite little addition to the little camp guest souvenir shop :The WANDAWEGA WILDLIFE tea towelWe always wanted to make these.Weve been collecting them for years and always wanted our own for camp. A practical staple for the past 70 years here, the tea (kitchen) towel has over the last century established itself firmly as an essential piece of domestic design.Featuring all the little woodland creatures that we share this place with: Deer, fox, geese, chipmunk, beaver, raccoon.Some (might say) trivial Information that we nerd out on:In the mid-20th century, dish-towel designs were updated for the modern household, thanks to improvements in screenprinting techniques and colorfast dyes. Mostly made of cotton or linen, tea towels of the 1940s and ’50s often featured patterns with bright floral shapes, cartoon animals, popular foods, and travel themes.The humble tea towel even eventually made it into the Museum of Modern Arts Good Design exhibition of 1950, and dish towels became a coveted addition to any Mid-Century Modern kitchen.-Collectors Weekly.Just added to the camp store this morning.SOME USES:+Van Gogh used tea towels when he couldnt afford canvas. +As a picnic food carrier+Frame as a piece of art+Line a drink tray +Keep those dishes dry+Just obsessively collect them for no real reason, like we do. SOME DETAILS: +20 x 30 inches+hemmed Printed cotton + comes wrapped in our camp map, tucked in our linen bag and stuffed with our camp swag – things like postcards & stickers.Thanks to our friend Betty of @stemsandforks for the first pic

May 28, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

This just showed up in our mailbox!!It was a really nice (and needed) way to start the morning. now that Instagram only lets .5% of our followers see our posts, we are super grateful to still have the support of OG magazines and editors. Picking up a print magazine off the newsstand can sat least have a a shot of reaching a community.Its a relief to know that there are still ways that folks can learn about small Midwestern businesses like us.Thank you, @artfullivingmag and Anne Roderique Jones for featuring us and all the other mom & pops in your new issue.

May 27, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Anybody else finding yourself hugging your kids a little tighter right now?Our hearts are breaking for all the parents of the children of Robb elementary.This senseless gun violence has to stop.

May 25, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

This started with an obsession in 2015 to find the perfect diner mug. (The kind you see in old school roadside cafes, that havent been improved on in a century). They earned the nickname hammer mugs because they are virtually indestructible you could literally drive a nail with them. This made them the go-to in every blue collar diner, where they could survive multiple drops from overworked waitresses and overtired truckers. Our search led us to a company thats been making them for since 1871. The folks at Homer Laughlin China dug up their Green Bay Stripe paint color from the archives, and took the time to school us on the difference between traditional underglaze plus real hand pinstriping, versus the fast & cheap methods most employ today in the factories of China. Its not cheap. Or fast. Or easy. weve convinced ourselves that a swig of straight black coffee somehow tastes better out of one of these guys. .But, thanks in advance for refraining from driving nails with them were determined for them to last another 100 years, so we dont want to push our luck. Thank you, Homer Laughlin Now part of the (also old school) Fiesta Ware family) Thank you for every last one of those hand glazed, finished, pinstriped plates, platters, bowls, 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.Photos by our friend the talented Betty of @stemsandforks

May 20, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Taking a shower at camp.(A few of our showers dont come with toads and crickets).Part of spring opening is restocking – trying to decide which shampoo campers prefer:Garlic?Placenta? I cant believe people make this stuff but Im obsessed with the packaging

May 14, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Ready. Set. Spring. Camp B-I-N-G-O !!The card games just hit.campers will get to try their hand at winning a merit badge while getting the lay of the land.(Now found on clipboards at registration).Illustrations by @houselogos

May 9, 2022 • Published by Tereasa Surratt