T+L’s Lodge Evaluate of Canoe Bay, Wisconsin

I’ve lived in Wisconsin lengthy sufficient (26 years) to know that “up north” usually doesn’t equate to glamorous lodging (assume rustic cabins hugging the state’s many lakes). There’s one exception—Canoe Bay, the state’s solely Relais & Châteaux property and, arguably, one in all the most effective winter lodges within the nation.

I lately visited the resort for the third time, and whereas at first, the reprieve from town was jarring, I quickly slipped into the rhythm of hen calls and never cellphone calls (most cell suppliers don’t work up right here, however there’s Wi-Fi). Even popping into the reception constructing to select up the keys is an acoustic balm because of its waterfall function out entrance.

Canoe Bay’s prairie-style houses are a useless ringer for a Frank Lloyd Wright design. Wrapped in honeyed wooden, each in and out, my 1,100-square-foot Treetop home had built-ins in all places, two stone electrical fireplaces, two decks, and a soaking tub I could not wait to sink into.

Proprietor Dan Dobrowolski, a former tv meteorologist in Chicago, snapped up the 300-acre property within the early ‘90s, opening Canoe Bay in 1993. He employed Wright protégé John Rattenbury to design two of the cottages, and Minneapolis-based architect Kelly Davis executed the remainder in Wright’s type. Every constructing overlooks the resort’s non-public 50-acre, spring-fed Lake Wahdoon. In its essence, Canoe Bay is a spot the place one can unplug and dial it down.

Typically, a lodge is extra about its vibe than the facilities. Vacationers who wish to hold busy may shriek on the considered a five-star resort with no packed schedule of actions to maintain them occupied from daybreak until sundown, however that is exactly the purpose. Friends can keep as energetic—or inactive—as they wish to.

An A-frame constructing homes an expansive two-story library open 24/7 with books organized by class—lots of them best-selling new titles—and a canopied out of doors patio with lake views. Within the three-acre natural backyard, cozy benches are tucked amongst apple timber and beds of herbs, flowers, and greens.

“Most company wish to decompress,” says basic supervisor Renee Nyhus, a Colorado native who arrived at Canoe Bay a decade in the past. She famous that the resort is a well-liked vacation spot for women’ weekend getaways, {couples} eager to reconnect, and solo creatives like myself looking for quiet time to indulge of their artwork or craft.

Right here is my full evaluate of Canoe Bay in northwest Wisconsin.

The Rooms

Canoe Bay affords a variety of lodging—from visitor rooms and suites with fireplaces and personal decks to stand-alone cottages and villas. They vary in measurement from 300 sq. toes to the two,000-square-foot Edgewood Villa, designed by Rattenbury with two bedrooms, a Finnish-style sauna, and two baths. For every of my three stays, I booked a stand-alone cottage or villa to get the complete expertise of being tucked into the woods. Dobrowolski labored with Davis to nail the look of the cottages and villas, a mixture of Wright’s Prairie and Usonian aesthetics. Wealthy in woodwork and that includes good storage, there’s quite a lot of pure gentle all through all of them.

In Canoe Bay Village, vacationers can guide cottages with king-size beds, separate residing rooms, and screened porches that overlook both Mallard Lake or forested acreage.

Bogs are stocked with toiletries by Gilchrist + Soames. My Treetop Home with vaulted ceilings and a stone hearth additionally featured a two-person deep soaking tub and a steam bathe. Mission-style lighting fixtures, impressed by Wright’s designs, are a pleasant contact that structure lovers will certainly recognize.

Meals and Drink

Every morning, I would whip open my villa’s entrance door to discover a crate stocked with a carafe of espresso, two muffins, Greek yogurt, and granola, topped with edible flowers. Friends can even add sizzling dishes, however since I favor a lightweight breakfast, this was good.

Lunch is delivered in a basket and will be loved wherever on-site. I selected the deck overlooking the lake on the Rattenbury-designed 2,000-square-foot Edgewood Villa, a uncommon take a look at this design jewel that’s normally booked. I’ve had quite a lot of grilled-cheese sandwiches in my life, and even printed a cheese cookbook, however the one I had at Canoe Bay—filled with artisan Wisconsin cheese and paired with tomato soup and a glass of buttery Sonoma-Cutrer chardonnay—was unbelievable.

Canoe Bay’s restaurant serves nightly dinner within the Lodge. Every night, company are handled to a three-course menu with wine pairings in a eating room with expansive home windows overlooking the lake. I’m nonetheless swooning over the scrumptious, heat bread served with maple butter, the pan-seared Norwegian salmon, and the lemon chamomile tart. Each of my dinners on the resort additionally included a spring salad, culled from the natural backyard. Oenophiles could wish to guide a desk within the wine cellar.

Actions and Experiences

Whereas there isn’t any pool at Canoe Bay, swimming in Lake Wahdoon through the summer season months is a well-liked exercise for company. Stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes can be found on the boathouse and are included within the nightly fee. I do not fish, however Nyhus defined company usually catch panfish and bass right here. I’ve canoed earlier than, however by no means alone, so an worker accompanied me on the water, which created an enriching expertise as I discovered extra in regards to the space’s flora and wildlife.

Actions within the resort are laid-back and booked on a person foundation, whether or not it’s a guided tour of the natural backyard or a walk-around with the resident birdwatcher. In every cottage, company will discover a pair of binoculars and a replica of “The Sibley Area Information to Birds of Jap North America” to assist them establish birds. (Right here, frequent sightings are ospreys, warblers, orioles, eagles, green-backed blue herons, and pewees.) It was raining throughout my scheduled birdwatching tour, however my information stuffed me in on what I’d usually see, with sufficient element and enthusiasm to rival a nature documentary. (Enjoyable truth: apparently, birds have regional accents, similar to folks do.) He even identified a nest in my cottage’s carport I had been too busy to note.

Friends who wish to enterprise outdoors of Canoe Bay can go to Hillcrest Pottery or discover the Chippewa Moraine phase of the Ice Age Path for climbing and biking, in addition to cross-country snowboarding within the winter. Native outfitters can even prepare fly fishing for trout.

The Spa

Canoe Bay has no spa, however in-room remedies will be organized. Final 12 months, the resort added a brand new health middle with treadmills, an elliptical coach, a spin bike, yoga mats, and weights.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Canoe Bay has two cottages, really useful for company with restricted mobility. Dream Cottage 24 is ADA-compliant with a zero-threshold entry and bathe, in addition to doorways with handrails. Dream Cottage 8 is suitable for many, though not absolutely ADA compliant. Contact the resort upfront of your keep to make additional lodging—from curbside check-in to in-room supply of meals, books, motion pictures, and different objects. The trail connecting the Lodge, reception, Inn, and cottages is paved and large sufficient for a automobile, in addition to a motorized scooter and wheelchair.

The resort’s sustainability initiatives are all tied to holding a small footprint. This contains sourcing meals from its natural backyard and native farms, in addition to sustaining the land for present wildlife populations. When constructing the cabins and cottages, sustainable supplies have been used to forestall harm to the forest and keep away from releasing pollution or toxins into the setting. Rainwater harvesting and composting are additionally practiced.

Location

Canoe Bay is situated within the city of Chetek alongside the shores of Lake Chetek (there are six lakes within the space). The closest metropolis with an airport is Eau Claire (Chippewa Valley Regional Airport), 45 minutes south, serviced by United Airways via Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport. Between late January and mid-April, Solar Nation Airways affords a continuous flight between Fort Myers, Florida, and Eau Claire. Most company, nonetheless, fly to Minneapolis-St Paul Worldwide Airport and hire a automotive for the two-hour drive.

Canoe Bay doesn’t present chauffeured airport shuttles.

E-book Now

Canoe Bay will not be a part of any loyalty program. Nonetheless, the resort has particular affords and reductions introduced on its web site.

Nightly charges at Canoe Bay begin from $355.

Each T+L lodge evaluate is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed on the property, and every lodge chosen aligns with our core values.