Newly Built B&Bs Do Exist in Wisconsin

February 2nd, 2012

There’s a long-standing myth the B&B industry can’t seem to shake and it’s that all inns are Victorian with antiques and doilies everywhere.  It’s just not so.  Styles of architecture among B&Bs in Wisconsin run from historic mansions to lakeside cabins to ultra-contemporary new builds.  Let’s focus on that last category for a moment. There are B&B owners who have created their inns literally from the ground up, favoring a modern style.  Great examples of that include the Artesian House B&B built on a 25-acre wooded plot in Bayfield.  The guest rooms feature a creative mix of contemporary and eclectic. The Inn at Wawanissee Point in Baraboo is a luxurious villa-style B&B with incredible views to the Lake Wisconsin valley. Moondance B&B in Fond du Lac is furnished in a decidedly artistic style with a master suite that also includes a large fully-equipped kitchen, dining room and living room.  

Then there are inns whose historic exterior belies their modern interiors.  Examples include Lauerman House Inn – Marinette, Tritsch House – Alma, and Wilson Schoolhouse Inn – LaCrosse. 

If you like modern, don’t rule out a B&B.

 

contemporary B&B decor, historic bed and breakfast, modern, gourmet dining

The Lauerman House in Marinette is a circa 1910 Colonial Revival mansion. The 7 spacious rooms are unabashedly contemporary - and the dining is gourmet.

 

pool table, B&B pool table, contemporary B&B amenities

Try your hand at a game of pool on the 8-foot Olhaussen pool table at the Tritsch HouseB&B in Alma. You'll find a nice mix of period rooms with beautiful woodwork paired with modern amenities.

 

contemporary B&B in historic school, Scandinavian-modern comfort, Wilson Schoolhouse Inn, LaCrosse

Go back to school ... and this time, relax in Scandinavian-modern furnishings in an historic schoolhouse that welcomes small groups. The Wilson Schoolhouse Inn, LaCrosse, pairs contemporary comforts - even a full kitchen - with the historic schoolhouse architecture.

 

 

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Wisconsin B&Bs for Business Travelers

February 1st, 2012

A Wisconsin B&B may not be the first type of lodging that comes to mind when planning a business trip, but give it a try.  Lots of inns offer corporate rates and even have meeting rooms right on premise.  Other reasons to stay at a B&B for business?  It’s quiet, for starters.  When you’re on the road, getting a good night’s sleep is paramount, and having throngs of people running up and down hallways is just not going to cut it for business travelers.  Not having to pay extra for breakfast is always a check in the plus column, but when that breakfast is homemade, hot from the oven and served to you on nice china, well, you’ll feel like you’ve just won employee of the month.  We also hear from women executives traveling alone that they feel a real sense of security staying at a B&B.

A quick scan of inns in some of the larger cities in the state turned up a nice list that fits the business bill.  Here’s a sampling: In Whitewater, try the Hamilton House B&B, with luxury linens and stocked refreshment center.  In Appleton, the Franklin Street Inn is in a historic neighborhood and, while it’s Queen Anne in style, the amenities are 21st century.  Also in Appleton, The Roost B&B.  In Steven Point, Dreams of Yesteryear is on the National Historic Register and conveniently located in the historic downtown business district, along with A Victorian Swan on Water.  There’s the Astor House B&B in Green Bay, the Livingston Inn in Madison, the Otter Creek Inn in Eau Claire, and the Stewart Inn in Wausau.

While we can’t guarantee you’ll win the next big client for your company simply by staying at a B&B, we can make sure you’re in your best form for the big presentation.  One other note: If you’re looking for extended stay options, just ask the innkeeper about rates when you call, because there are plenty of inns that offer that too.

B&B TV Room, Corporate Meeting Room, Business Meeting at B&B

The executive conference room at the Stewart Inn - Wausau, comfortably hosts business meetings and supports your computer presentation. After hours? Picture yourself cheering on your favorite teams!

 

 

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Warm Up with Soup (and Grilled Cheese)

January 25th, 2012

Some might call it a classic combination – tomato soup and grilled cheese.  Of course, with it being Wisconsin, we always suggest making the sandwich using an artisan cheese.  Download the brochure of artisan cheese varieties and think about pairing two or three cheeses.  Then whip up this recipe for Italian Basil Tomato Soup from Green Fountain Inn in Waupaca and you will feel warm and cozy no matter what the mercury reading is outside.  Here’s one more idea: Search for B&Bs that offer rooms with fireplaces (wood-burning) and enjoy a warm-you-up breakfast made for you.

Italian Basil Tomato Soup – makes 4 servings

1 pound Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 (14.5ounce) cans diced Italian tomatoes
1(8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 c basil, chopped
1/2 c lemon juice
2 TBL sugar
1TBL Worchestershire sauce
1 t salt
3/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Heat a bit of oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over med-high heat.  Remove sausage from casings & crumble into the pot.  Add onion & celery and cook until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.  Add in the tomatoes and puree together using a blender (regular or immersion). Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat to low.  Cook just until heated.  Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and/or croutons.

Cooking Classes - a great inside activity for the winter - are held at the Green Fountain Inn, in Waupaca.

 

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Opera Season in Wisconsin

January 23rd, 2012

Are you a fan of “Saturday Afternoon at the Met” on NPR, the live broadcasts of the New York Metropolitan Opera?  It’s so easy to be swept away by the tales of romance, intrigue, betrayal, life and death, and that’s just Act 1.  This is opera season, so let’s take stock of what we have in the world of opera right here in Wisconsin.

The Madison Opera resides at the Overture Center for the Arts located right on bustling State Street.  We can’t wait for the April performance of Rossini’s Cinderella.  Naeset-Roe Inn in nearby Stoughton has a grand architectural quality to it – it’s a renovated 1878 Italianate National Registry property – making it the perfect spot to spend the night after an evening at the opera. Dating to 1873 is the Hotel Ruby Marie in Madison overlooking Lake Monona, another grand choice for overnight accommodations.

The Skylight Opera Theatre of Milwaukee is performing Gershwin & Friends, which takes place at a ritzy party in the New York City home of George Gershwin in the midst of the Jazz Age.  Over at the Florentine Opera, also in Milwaukee, they’re staging a musical revue of love songs February 10-12 called Isn’t It Romantic?    Their season wraps up in May with a performance of Mozart’s first major opera, Idomeneo. The Brumder Mansion B&B has its own 70-seat theatre on the upper floor that it uses for staging real weddings.

If opera isn’t your thing, then maybe you’d like ballet or a symphony performance.   We recommend staying at a historic B&B to set the mood for performances of historic proportions. We have 25 inns around the state listed on the National Historic Register.

Relax before and after the opera at historic Hotel Ruby Marie in downtown Madison

 

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On with the Snow

January 18th, 2012

Now that Wisconsin has snow, we’d like to point out a few events in February that we’re keen on because they’re so Wisconsin-esque, starting with the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race in Bayfield the weekend of February 4-5, with mushers completing half the race distance each day.  Friday night there’s a “Meet the Mushers” Dinner too.  On February 10 there’s the Sturgeon Stampede Ice Extravaganza in Fond du Lac, with kiting and windsurfing on the ice of Lake Winnebago.  Saturday, February 18 is the Madison Winter Festival on the Capitol Square – it’s a veritable winter wonderland with all the ice and snow sculptures.  And last but not least, the American Birkebeiner Cross-Country Ski Event, North America’s largest cross-country ski marathon, will welcome 8,000 skiers and spectators to Hayward on February 25.  It’s so easy to book a B&B for these events – just search by city on our web site. 

If you prefer the solitude of a cross country ski or winter hike, then consider booking a room at Courthouse Square B&B in Crandon, Inn at Lonesome Hollow in Soldiers Grove, or Speckled Hen Inn in Madison.  Each has ample acreage for you to glide or stomp through the snow. 

For the downhill skiers among you, here’s the directory of ski hills in Wisconsin as compiled by the Department of Tourism.   Cross reference with our list of B&Bs by city and you’ll be on the slopes in no time.

You can't miss this bright guy as you snowshoe the grounds of Speckled Hen Inn.

 

Courthouse Square B&B in Crandon - no traffic lights in Crandon to halt your hiking or snowshoeing.

 

Step right out the door at Inn at Lonesome Hollow in Soldiers Grove into a winter wonderland.

 

 

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Are You Ruled by Your Heart or the Calendar?

January 16th, 2012

Sweetest Day is always the third Saturday of October.  Easy, right, especially when it comes to planning a romantic weekend getaway.  Not so for Valentine’s Day.  This year it falls on a Tuesday.  We asked our innkeepers if couples travel for Valentine’s Day even when it falls midweek.  The answer: Not so much.  Seems the weekend before and the weekend after are big with couples celebrating their love for each other.  Which is actually good news a) if you’re a traditionalist and think romance should be duly observed on February 14, no matter the day of the week; or b) if you’re able to sneak away midweek with the one you love.  Perhaps decide which region of the state you’d like to escort your sweetheart to, and then start researching inns for one that you’ll both love.    

Here’s another option for those who like to hand a present to their partner – gift a Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association gift certificate as a token of how much you love traveling as a twosome.  Together you can choose a Romance Package that fits your mood and your schedule.  You must take a look at the romance offerings from Lazy Cloud B&B in Lake Geneva.  We’re intrigued by the “Enchanted Evening” romantic board game!  At the Door County Lighthouse Inn, the winery tour and cozy sleigh ride sound pretty wonderful.  The in-room massages included in the “Enhance the Romance Package” package from Westport B&B in Manitowoc would be especially relaxing for couples looking to slow down and reconnect.

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Wisconsin B&Bs Are Not Just for Coffee, They’re for Tea Too

January 13th, 2012

January is National Hot Tea Month, which had us doing a little research of our own on the benefits of hot tea.  One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that substances in tea, especially green tea, may promote weight loss by increasing the amount of energy spent by the body.  Then there’s the research reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that found that people who drank three cups of black tea per day produced five times the amount of germ-fighting cells than those who drank coffee, an especially handy stat during flu season.  Which finally led us to catalog B&Bs in Wisconsin that serve tea as part of their beverage service. Feel like the Queen Mother herself when you sip tea at Ye Olde Manor B&B House B&B in Elkhorn, where innkeeper Karen Fulbright-Anderson said they have a ‘”ridiculous selection of teas, some in fancy bags, some loose, all delicious.” The Ludlow Mansion in Monroe serves teas that the innkeeper brought back from Africa.  Guests at the Westphal Mansion Inn B&B in Hartford can watch a tiny ball of Flowering Jasmine Tea become a beautiful flower. Wisconsin tea companies like Cha Cha Tea in Madison, Fava Tea in Appleton, Rishi Tea in Milwaukee, Door County Coffee & Tea Company, and Baltica Tea Room in Port Washington are among the state’s most sip- worthy contenders.

At Westphal Mansion Inn B&B in Hartford, Jasmine Flower tea blossoms right before you eyes.

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Wisconsin’s American Players Theater is #1 with Wall Street Journal Critic

January 10th, 2012

If your travels in the coming year take you to the Spring Green area of Wisconsin, then you must take in a performance of the American Players Theatre.  Wall Street Journal theater critic Terry Teachout named APT the Best Company and “The Cure at Troy” the Best Play of 2011.  Here’s an excerpt from the story:  Wisconsin’s American Players Theatre, located in Spring Green, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home town, has been putting on first-class productions in its 1,148-seat amphitheatre since 1979. When it opened a second indoor stage, the handsome 200-seat Touchstone Theatre, in 2009, APT decisively established itself as one of America’s most ambitious and consistently impressive classical summer festivals. This year’s offerings included an overwhelmingly moving small-stage version of “The Cure at Troy,” Seamus Heaney’s English-language adaptation of Sophocles’ “Philoctetes,” directed by David Frank, APT’s artistic director. A perfect embodiment of the company’s serious yet unpretentious style, “The Cure at Troy” was the best show of any kind that I saw in 2011.  The 2012 APT schedule has just been posted and includes Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and “The Royal Family” written by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman, among others.  Spend the night at Silver Star B&B Inn or Hill Street Bed and Breakfast, both with Spring Green addresses.

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In Search of Snow in Wisconsin

December 21st, 2011

About this time of year people are usually firmly divided into two camps – those who can’t get enough of the fluffy white stuff and those who would rather visit the dentist than trudge around in the snow.  The latter group is all smiles, given Wisconsin is conspicuously bereft of snow drifts.  That’s not to say there’s no snow at all.  In fact, in the very northern counties of our state, more specifically the Hurley and Mercer areas, you’ll find fair snow conditions for snowmobiling according to observers for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.  Close-by B&Bs, all within an hour’s drive, include Inn at Pinewood in Eagle River (criss-crossed by miles of snowmobile trails) and Bayfield’s Artesian House, Rittenhouse Inn, and Pinehurst Inn. 
Cross country ski enthusiasts take heart, the Polk County area in far western Wisconsin reports good conditions, and there are two inns to choose from – the St. Croix River Inn in Osceola and the Wissahickon Farms Country Inn in St Croix Falls.
Like to downhill ski?  Head to Granite Peak in Wausau, and stay at the Stewart Inn, a real Arts & Crafts masterpiece.  Or try Cascade Mountain or Christmas Mountain Village, both in the Wisconsin Dells area, where you’ll also find Bowman’s Oak Hill B&B as well as White Rose Inns. 
Rest assured, snow will fall just as surely as Wisconsin B&B innkeepers will welcome you to their inns with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa, a roaring fire, a cozy bed and the warmest hospitality this side of anywhere. 

Happy holidays!

A snowy welcome at Wissahickon Farms in St Croix Falls, on Wisconsin's western border.

 

 

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Wisconsin Snow Conditions Report is Live and Making Headlines

December 14th, 2011

For a number of years now the Wisconsin Department of Tourism has offered visitors a handy tool – an up-to-the-minute snow conditions report.   It’s great for all you outdoor enthusiasts who downhill ski, snowmobile, cross-country ski, snow shoe, winter hike, or just enjoy a sleigh ride or sledding.  Volunteer reporters around the state regularly update the online interactive map, which is conveniently divided by activity – snowmobiling, downhill ski and snowboarding, and cross country skiing.  You can also sign up to receive a weekly snow report via e-mail.   This year, the Tourism Department cleverly used a Wisconsin map made to look like a mitten to announce the report was up and running, and that’s when things got interesting.  Let’s just call it a case of “Mitten-gate.”  Seems Michigan claims it’s the Mitten State and has been for some time.  Wisconsin Tourism was quick to offer a mea culpa of sorts, saying it doesn’t want to steal the Mitten State moniker; it wants to be known as the Fun State.  The good-natured back-and-forth made headlines all over the country!  Check out the story in USA Today.   By week two, the mitten map of Wisconsin was also sporting a cheesehead, proving we Wisconsinites do have a sense of humor.

 

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