Honest Abe. We found this old (hand painted print) in the basement of Davids parents house, where he had been hidden away for 60 years. He now takes pride of place in our bunkhouse – to remind us that:We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because the thorn bushes have rose. We think America could use some more honesty right now.All photos of top level of the old hotel the bunkhouse Shot by @katebe_

September 15, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

What happened in this building during the depression.Saying goodbye to summer by walking the grounds. This is the time of year that always makes me think about what went down here 90+ years ago.First photos here are of our old hotel building, built in 1925. Chicago architect Frank Schoenfeldt built it as a House Of Ill Repute. Hed just adopted 16yr old Swedish Anna Anderson, who would eventually became the proprietor. Scandal hit town when years later, Anna married (much younger) Gordon Peck much to the dismay of the prominent local family..The speakeasy here became known as Little Orphan Annies & ran under the floorboards for decades. In 42 Anna was sentenced to Taycheedah Womens prison- for selling illegal booze, running a gambling establishment, & for operating A Bawdy House Of Ill Fame.She had a good run- The local law turned a blind eye for decades on what Anna did here.A few locals revealed that more than a few city officials also happened to be patrons of Annies & explained that it was the wives of those local authorities who finally had enough &rallied to get Anna shut down.Anna was an immigrant under unusal pretenses.A criminal who served illegal booze.A scofflaw that provided gambling.A woman who enabled other desperate women during the depression a place to sell the only thing they must have felt they had left to offer.Anna was considered morally bankrupt.But she also considered herself part of the community nonetheless- at a time & place in America when she knew that nothing about her would ever be accepted.After serving 3yrs, she decided not hide from the small town society that she had served & that condemned her.She moved back to Elkhorn into a house off Main st, next to the courthouse- where she lived until June 30, 1980.Unlike many of the menfolk & authorities at that time, she had nothing left to hide.Every little town in America has its secrets.In Elkhorn, Anna knew every one of them- and took them to her grave.The rest of the story is in American Getaway- 100 years of Saints & Sinners at Camp Wandawega by @austinsailsbury (in the store)* we’re always looking for history on camp! DM us @katebe_

September 14, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

CALLING ALL CRAFTERSEvery scout camp in America for the past century had a craft cabina right of passage for girls and boys. You would enter camp a novice, and leave an expert basket-making-loom-weaving-pottery-painting-jewelry-crafting scout ninja..We spent months researching the most common crafts made at summer camps since 1920 – the sign is from cover of a 1940s book of crafts – and started sourcing deadstock art kits, custom made craft kits, and impossible-to-find old school kits to make our own little camp craft cabin.Praying that I can instill some craft love in 9 year-old Charlie so I can coax her into making things here with me. (Before we hit a moody teenager stage and she never wants to make art things with mom@A few of the craft kits in here.For campers. For her. For me 1 Cut a Linocut for printmaking2 Glaze a Terracotta pot3 Build a log cabin model4 Assemble vintage pick up truck wood model5 Weave a basket6 Design a sand art bottle7 Create an arrow8 Build a fort tower9 Stitch a leather necklace bag 10 Paint a PBN painting11 String glass beeds12 Make a gods eye13 String a bead necklace14 Leather crafts: wallet15 Learn knot tying16 Print a fish on rice paper…and about a dozen more crafts now. .Spending more time at home these days has made us realize life is 1% better if we all try to make one creative thing every day. (And that 1% can sometimes be everything).photos: @katebe_ and @bobcoscarelli

September 13, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

.Dear Campers,To celebrate fall & the launch of the Wandawega x Faribault Woolen Mill Co. limited edition camp collection, were giving away some of our new woolen pint (or coffee) sleeves. Theyre hand sewn by a family of chipmunks who live in our woods (the folks at @faribaultmill helped out, too). Theyre made from the remnants of wool blankets (and go up for sale on wandawegaCampStore.com today at noon. If you want one, leave a little note here (were picking a half dozen campers to ship to next week)Warm hands, warm hearts to yall.Love, Camp. (Photos 4-6 of the camp sleeve )

September 12, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Fall at camp is our favorite season. we’re making a new activities brochure for guests to include a top 10 suggestions list – And looking for your ideas to add ( and thoughts about new activities to add here to camp. )What are the things you like to do here (or just in Wisconsin) in autumn?1. hot chocolate on an open fire 2. Gourmet smores 3. canoe the lakeshore (color ride)4. Take our hiking path through the back acres 5. Road trip here (fall color drive route) 6. Visit the local apple orchard7. Take the fall antique train ride to the local @elegantfarmerpies 8. ?9, ?10. ? Minnesota Magazine cover shot by @bobcoscarelli

September 11, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Tiny house walking tour. Part one. (Best results if taken with a coffee in early morning, or beer late afternoon)..Photo references for your self guided walks courtesy of @katebe_

September 10, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

What does the fox say?.To find out, grab the thermos of Baileys and coffee and head up to the rustic camping cluster (this is the best spot for watching the den of foxes chase each other around.)And In the evenings, if you listen closely, you can hear the mamma fox calling to her kits.Shots by @katebe_

September 9, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

Just launched in the campstore- our limited edition CAMP PUPPY (err… log) CARRIERSWith so many hearths and firepits around here to keep stocked, weve always wanted our own house version of a firewood caddy. Our new Buffalo Check log tote is made with Merino wool, set off with leather straps + edging and customized with the embroidered Faribault X Camp badge. THE MAKER: We couldnt have found a better partner than @faribaultmill. In a historic mill nestled along the Cannon River in Minnesota, a nearly 150-year-old story is still being woven. The mll endures as one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. Where fifth generation craftspeople take raw wool and create blankets and goods. Irreplaceable century-old machinery stands side by side with modern technology in their “new” mill, which was built in 1892.THE TOTE;(H) 21″ x (L)27.5″Merino wool and leatherCare: Dry-clean onlyMade in the USABYOL / BYOP *Fire wood & pup not included WandawegaCampStore.com

September 8, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

There is always that one summer that changes you. (Do you remember which one it was for you? ). We hope that our little 9 year old remembers 2020As the summer of fireflies and glow sticks, smores and spending so much time with mom & dad.We when our campers send us their pics. So this is an open call – DM us your best memory from your visit with us so we can feature our favorites here.These memories from campers: @hunteratha1 @thewanderboys @alexperry80 @erockstaab @erockstaab @crystaltranrealestate @benleberofficial @_fishin_addiction @alacraterentals @melhog @mutantmachine We dream of summers that last forever.

September 7, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt

What was in the Labor Day time capsule: .Its the holiday weekend here at Camp Wandwega in 1974. (Someone uncovered and gave us this shoebox of memories – every photo is of David, growing up here).The picnics, the mud fights, riding with his cousins in the back of the pickup through cornfields…It spans decades of labor day weekends at camp. .(We found the common denominator in these Polaroids as a lesson that were here to learn)They say the way to grow a business is to look to the future.But what if your heart is in the past?(And youre not sure if bigger is better for the life you want?)Were leaning in to who were meant to be, which is what this little camp has always been -embracing small for going on a hundred years now.This new forced social distancing reality has made us realize that.Smaller groups.Smaller events.(And the seemingly littlest lake in the county, with the smallest fish.)isnt a bad thing (unless you are a hotelier with investors & aggressive expansion plans, which were not)..The smaller moments with the bigger people in our life is what were embracing now.The smaller fleeting moments are the big picture for us, and now its what we now see when look to the future..We have a different meausuring stick for growth when we think about the future of this little mom & pop business.This last picture is of Charlie & David taken yesterday.She is now 9 years old (going on 19). .Its a time warp, because ( it really is just the reverse of the same picture of David and his mom taken 45 years ago).She is her fathers daughter.This weekend we have a full camp of folks doing the same little things we see in all of these pics- a good personal reminder of what this place – and we – are here for. Happy Labor Day, friends and to embracing the little things in life

September 6, 2020 • Published by Tereasa Surratt