Author: Liz

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Your handy packing list for the Wisconsin Northwoods

We’ve filled Camp Kulisha, our Minocqua vacation rental, with the things we love when staying at a lakeside cabin. But, for sure, not everything you’ll want. Here’s our list of items that might smooth your transition from hectic home life to secluded cabin life.

Personal items

    • Layers to keep you comfortable through the Northwoods’ weather shifts—from hot, hot afternoons to cold, windy evenings.
    • Water-friendly everything—from bathing suits to sun shirts to sandals for wading into rocky swimming areas or launching your boat.
    • Sturdy shoes for muddy and uneven trails.
    • House shoes if you need to ditch muddy shoes at the door.
    • Raincoats for everyone—waterproof, not just windproof.
    • A water bottle and filter, if that’s your thing. We have well water that we cook with and drink. We think it tastes lovely—and so did our well digger!
    • Sleeping comforts. Do you travel with your favorite pillows like our kids? What about an eye mask?

Activities

    • A walking stick to keep you steady on uneven, earthen, or rocky trails.
    • Paddle boards, canoes, or kayaks to meander the waterways.
    • Bikes—for the quiet, empty roads, asphalt trail systems, or dirt trails. Maybe bring a few tools for on-trail repairs?
    • A float for open-water swimming along the shore.
    • A hotspot—just in case. Everyone’s idea of fast WiFi is different.

Eating well

    • Charcoal, if you like slow grilling
    • Comfort food items to make your morning coffee routine just so
    • Unusual, luxury items like a favorite whiskey or go-to spices. No one wants to waste precious vacation days running errands.

Planning a trip to the Northwoods?

Still looking for a modern cabin with lake access to get away this year? Check out our 2025 availability. Or email Liz at stay@campkulisha.com to see if our little slice of tranquility on Tomahawk Lake is right for you and your loved ones.

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Explore the Northwoods in Vilas and Oneida county trails

If you stay for longer than a week with us, you may get an itch to hike, bike, or paddle in the plentiful open land nearby.

Paddling near Minocqua, WI

You choose—a no-motor route through a chain of lakes, some white water, or a large lake with public or private land. Within a 30-minute drive, you can find dozens of boat landings to match your experience level and interest. Here are some to get you started:

Vilas county waterways

The Flambeau River offers the full range of turbulence—from Class I rapids to Class V. It’s further from us—around an hour away.

Nine Mile Tavern Outfitter if you’d prefer to rent equipment

Biking near Minocqua, WI

Bearskin Trail day trip

We enjoy walking this trail from Bearskin Trailhead Park, in downtown Minocqua. To bike, look for the Rantz parking lot on this trail map, allowing you to pick up the trail directly from our place. You just cross Highway 51 (obviously be quick!) and bike south to Blue Lake Road. If you can bike 10-miles to Goodnow, WI, we’ve heard great things about the Silver Birch Supper Club. Of course, that’s 10-miles back home!

Vilas County day trip

The huge network of paved trails through Vilas County offers many itineraries to spend a day out on your bike. This trail map can help. The M&N parking lot is about 35-minute drive from our parking lot. We can vouch for the food at Aqualand Ale House in Boulder Junction, an 8-mile trip, and recommend you get a reservation. If you’re ready for a much longer ride into Manitowish Waters, try  Dixie’s.

Aqualand Ale House

Dixie’s

Planning a trip to the Northwoods?

Looking for a Minocqua rental where you can launch your kayak directly into the lake and enjoy hours of quiet water time? (And then, buzz into town for dinner?!) Check out our 2025 availability to book your stay.

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Minocqua chain of lakes boat ramps

Bringing your boat to Camp Kulisha?
There are several convenient boat launches nearby. We’ve gathered the key info (including live cams and permit links) so you can get onto the water faster—to fish, ski, or cruise the Minocqua Chain of Lakes—on your arrival day.

Lake Tomahawk boat launch

About a 30-minute drive from our cabin, the town of Lake Tomahawk offers ample space to launch your boat and park your trailer. You can check the cam to see how busy the ramp is before you arrive.

Boat launch permit

Lake Tomahawk’s live boat launch cam

Minocqua boat launches

The town of Minocqua publishes a full list of local boat ramps, including address and ramp specifics.

The Thoroughfare Boat Landing is the closest boat launch to Camp Kulisha—just a 10-minute drive from our parking lot. A small launch, the line to launch can pile up fast on the weekends.

Minocqua boat ramp street address, fee + map

Online permit for Minocqua launches

Planning a trip to the Northwoods?

Still looking for a spot to enjoy your annual summer retreat? Check out our 2025 availability.

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Ditch the car. Get to dinner via boat on the Minocqua chain!

Motoring across the lake to eat is a novel Northwoods activity for our family.  If you’re staying at Camp Kulisha for the first time, these three Lake Tomahawk restaurants are pretty close to our place. Depending on your energy level, you could paddle to the first on this list.

Lakeside Grill (Minocqua) for sandwiches, burgers and wraps. Closest place to fill up your gas tank.

Gaslight Tavern (Lake Tomahawk) for sit-down pan-Asian food. You’ll need to tie up your boat at the town launch and walk 5 minutes.

Lake Tomahawk Village Cafe (Lake Tomahawk) for classic Northwoods fare, including fish fry. Also accessible via the town boat launch.

Want to make a day of it?

If you’d like to stay out all day, you can reach these spots by boating through Mid Lake and into Lake Minocqua via the channel. These Minocqua restaurants on the water are casual enough that you can be in your swimming gear too.

Yacht Club (Minocqua) lively newly remodeled spot for cocktails, flatbreads, entrees and periodic live music.

The Boathouse (Minocqua) Walleye bites are a favorite for our family. Upstairs dining room has more expansive menu.

The Thirsty Whale (Minocqua) is a favorite cheese curd and beer spot! If you time it, you can watch the Minocqua Bats show from the deck.

Prefer a picnic?

There are plenty of places to throw down your pontoon anchor or pull up your canoe on shore to enjoy your own treats. If you want to make a plan in advance, this helpful map of Lake Tomahawk commissioned by our lake association shows state-owned shoreline. And, here some of our own Minocqua-specific host tips on food.

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Immerse yourself in Northwoods supper club traditions

For those who delight in regional culture, the Northwoods offers a bounty. Our hiking trails and paddling routes—with their mix of boreal forest, loon and eagle battles and dramatic weather are magnificent, but maybe not singular. The Northwoods supper club dining experience, however, is iconic.

Step Inside, and Back in Time

“What’s a supper club?” our guests often ask, intrigued by nostalgia that hovers around them. Each supper club exudes particular charms and personality, like a carefully curated antique mall booth. Taxidermy? Maybe. Mounted canoe? Perhaps. Stocked bar? Likely.  Expect to eat heartily. Expect to be patient—with the staff, and with the kitchen. With all that’s unpredictable, plan to settle into conversation and laugher with your loved ones.

Here’s a fun video to let you peek inside!

Supper Clubs Near Minocqua 

Each of these spots—between ten to fifty minutes drive from our property—offers good food and a distinctive ambiance.

Boathouse (Minocqua)
Norwood Pines (Minocqua)
Little Bohemia (Manitowish Waters)

Reservations are recommended during the summer, and often in the spring and fall too. How to dress, you ask? There’s never been a dress code that I could suss out. If you like to spiff up, this is your moment!

One hot tip: If you enjoy a cocktail, try one. My husband and I prefer a more alcohol-forward version of an old fashioned. If that’s you, may we suggest you ask for a Manhattan or a martini.

Craft Your Own Pickle Tray!

When we’re up north, we like to recreate the supper club experience and stay at home. With a little prep, we can whip up fresh lake fish or a Tomahawk cut of meat from nearby markets. We make our preferred version of an old fashioned. Then, there’s just the relish tray to conjure up. Some favorite recipes:

Traditional Lacto Fermented Dill Pickles, from Fermenting for Foodies
Garlicky Fermented Green Beans, from Fermenting for Foodies
Marinated Red Peppers, from Eugenia Bone’s book

Bonus: the kids have freedom to roam and play by the water.

Share Your Supper Club Tips!

Love to hear your favorite spots. And, if you’d like our thoughts on how to avoid a three-drink wait time, email stay@campkulisha.com!

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4 ideas to unwind and recharge in your vacation rental

If you’ve got your VRBO or your rental cabin secured, now you can daydream about filling your days. If you’re frazzled by parenting, your career, or the doomscroll on your phone, a retreat mindset might be just the thing to help you plan.

Eat al fresco

Complicated food is hard to transport outdoors. Just by deciding to eat outside, I find that I simplify meal prep. I’m a foodie, for better or worse, so I have a few go-to ideas to feel nourished and pampered. For proteins: seafood or fish packed in oil, hard boiled eggs, cheese, or summer sausage. For fresh veggies: carrots, peppers, cucumbers, jicima, and cherry tomatoes. For starch: crackers, and a loaf of bread.

Nap in the afternoon

There’s satisfaction in accomplishing your to-do list, no doubt. I have hundreds of lists, and I won’t embarrass myself by sharing their titles. I stop noticing or celebrating the wins, though, if I don’t add rest to my agenda. At home, I’m getting better about a sleep routine that works for this stage of life. On vacation, I’m experimenting with naps. Here, there’s often a breeze off Lake Tomahawk—the perfect companion for a nap. I often take a book out to the hammock, to signal to the family to steer clear, and can snooze for 10 or 20 minutes. Once I shake off the half-dream, I’m a more playful family member. Those are the real gems of vacation, right? Being your happy, joyful self with the ones you love?

Try gentle movement 

I can’t empty my mind without movement. My thoughts leap and swing around on the mental jungle gym of tasks, responsibilities and worries. If I can move—whatever that means for me that day, I naturally vary my breathing patterns and, wham! I’m clear. In the Northwoods of Wisconsin,  that often means a paddle across the lake, a walk in the woods or a swim around our peninsula.

Find nature’s wisdom

I’m too squeamish to put frogs or bugs in a jar, but I love to gather beautiful seeds, rocks, and pinecones wherever I go. With age, I’ve learned to take only what I can use. More and more that means harvesting the simple metaphors on offer in the landscape or the weather. For instance, how fast a summer storm thunders in—it’s a great reminder that life circumstances will sometimes surprise me, bring on a deep chill, and then the sun will appear. Sometimes there will be a rainbow.

Share your ideas!

How do you reset? Vacation isn’t always right around the corner, so we need to slip in 5-minute tricks to keep ourselves regulated. Or, if you are wondering if we have something at our rental house to help you retreat, please email stay@campkulisha.com!

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3 steps to hunting wild mushrooms

In my teens, someone suggested I gather up hobbies that I could do when I was 80. It sounded odd, but it was delivered with such conviction, I tucked it away. Getting close to 50 with the usual signs of aging, I see how my mushroom passion will be one of these all-ages activities for me. So far, it has offered a creative cooking outlet, a ready excuse to be in the woods, and a way to meet people passionate about conservation and slow living. If you think hunting wild mushrooms might tap into a core part of how you envision a happy life, here are my suggestions on how to start:

 

    • Try it out with enthusiasts. My first attempt to find wild mushrooms was off putting. The local mycological gathering I joined felt competitive and anti-social. I didn’t go back. Then, someone I knew shared his weekend adventures in the woods with me. Most convincingly, he shared a portion of his mushroom bounty with me. His abundance became my week-long cooking project. That’s how my story unfolded, but I wouldn’t wait around for a chance meeting. I have been meaning to connect with the Wisconsin Mycological Society who organize events and host educational sessions.
    • Buy a field guide. Or, maybe three. I’ve found illustrated field guides super helpful.  Photography makes everything seem important. If you’re hoping to eat your foraged finds, then you need to be sure that you’re able to confidently distinguish the edible from the poisonous. Illustrations focus the eye on the features of the mushroom that make it safe to eat. Here’s one I use frequently, written by Larry Weber and Cora Mullen.

       

    • Find ways to deepen your experience. I’ve found chefs and foragers who post online. They lend me fresh energy with their finds and their enthusiasm. I follow Eugenia Bone because her cookbooks are consistently outstanding. She has one coming out about mushrooms. The Forager Chef is a favorite online resource; he just won a James Beard award, so there’s that.
Already an expert? Would you share your favorite mushroom resources?

 

P.S. If you thought this would be a blog post on the best Wisconsin Northwoods spots to find rare mushrooms, sorry! How can I give up all my harvest grounds? Even if I did, I’m not sure it would help you pick up the habit. The woods and the seasonal rhythms are half the joy. Maybe more important and satisfying than the bounty. Well, maybe not…
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Why not choose a vacation rental for your next sabbatical?

Are you working on a book? Are you trying to synthesize your research? Are you working out your MVP? If you’re planning a creative, academic or business sabbatical, why not sit yourself down with a panoramic lakefront view? Incubating any idea is easier. Whether you join us in the Wisconsin Northwoods or head to another remote corner of the woods, you’ll get more done away from home. Why?

Shrug Off Chores

There are countless “shoulds” everywhere you look at home. Whether those things are relationships, gardens, or finances that need to be tended, most can wait till you get back. At the very least, only the most pressing chores will persist once you’re away.

Simplify Your Routine

Remote spots reduce the number of tantalizing activities you can consider any given day. It’s easier to feel satisfied when the choices are 1) take a lake dip, 2) watch the eagles dive for fish, or 3) stare at the stars. Most days, you can do all three! That leaves several reliable 2-hour blocks for deep work.

Spark Your Creativity

New environments surprise you. They force you to be present. When you’re out of your habitual daily habits, your mental habits have a way of loosening up too. Let novelty spark your creative mojo.

Free Up Heart Space

Home is full of memories. Fantastic ones can distract you. So can hard ones. Open up some space in your heart by shaking up your surroundings. Physical distance can give you new perspective. Enough said?

Reset Your Energy, Naturally

You already know this, but sometimes we forget: nature is a reset button. Go ahead and imagine the sounds of loons and the lapping water. Feel the crisp lake breeze as you paddle along the lake shore. Watch a summer storm tumble across your view. The places most of us live are far away from this kind of sensory immersion. Too far, some say. When you step into a stand of white pines, you can’t help but reset yourself.

When would you like to set down your urban or suburban pleasures and stay@campkulisha.com?

 

 

 

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Top 5 Things to Bring to Minocqua

What are the essentials in the Northwoods? I think each person who loves it “Up North” takes pleasure in having an opinion. Wherever your travels take you, I hope you’ll engage in some fruitful exchanges to expand on my list below.

A Boat

I hope you have a boat or can rent one while you’re here. I prefer to paddle for the quiet it offers. My childhood camp community sings many homespun songs. One titled “The Trail of the Little Canoe” includes the phrase “Dear are the lakes to me…” That might sound a tad trite if you haven’t yet spent a morning hugging the shoreline, but I don’t think it will be long before you’re a convert.

Sturdy Clothes & Shoes

The weather, like the lakes, is a thing up here. It must be minded and honored. If you like your vacation days spent outside, plan for layers that allow you to enjoy the sun and protected from a sudden cold rain. The sun part is intuitive, yes? As for cold rain, let me get a bit specific. A raincoat is better than an umbrella, and if you can, aim for synthetic or wool clothing to manage any cold or wet adventures. Finally, shoes. Do you have the kind of shoes that handle uneven and unpaved ground? I appreciate sandals I can wear into the water.

Biodegradable Personal Items

You’re closer to the earth here. Likely you’ll be in and out of lakes or rivers for many activities. Consider swapping anything you use in your hair, on your face, and on your body—lotion, sunscreen, bug spray—with a biodegradable option. Our lakes, fish and birds thank you!

Low Tech Games

Sometimes you want a way to stay connected to your loved ones without expending much energy or brain power. Colored pencils? A puzzle? We love the game Set and Mancala—both games that span the generations. We’ve aged into Scrabble, thanks to the online Wordle. Have you tried a Pokémon battle? I still need a lot of coaching, but I’m game for anything that isn’t on a screen!

An Intention to Reset 

Honestly, the stress dials down once you pass Wausau. Once you turn off the highway, the quiet and stillness rush in to fill up any empty space. Recalibration happens automatically. Why not take advantage of good conditions to deepen? The ritual of speaking your intentions aloud always motivates me & sometimes I get surprise support from those around me.

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Minocqua Area Summer Goals (for Kids)

As a former camp counselor, I appreciate the need to pace kids through focused activities and wild free time. Coming up with a bag of tricks that satisfies kids isn’t easy, especially if your vacation rental is in a new-to-you Northwoods location. Hopefully, our summer goal list will get your mind thrumming with fresh ideas. (And for adults, read the food activities list!)

Marvel at Water Skiing Tricks

Established in the 1950s, the Min-Aqua Bats ski show continues to be a central attraction in town several nights a week all summer long. You might want popcorn. You might eye the merch. You might get wet.  We always find the joy and mastery of the skiers to be contagious.

Meet Our Ojibwe Neighbors

A few years ago, we became enchanted by the Ojibwe exhibition in Madeline Island Museum. I loved the pictographs. Closer, in Lac du Flambeau, we’re aiming to spend a weekday at the Ojibwe museum. Based on our family flow right now, a Waaswaaganing Indian Bowl Pow Wow might be possible this summer.

Laugh at Snowshoe Baseball

What else is there to say but that? The absurdity of this sport is so fun and the pie is worth arriving early for.

Get On/In/Near the Water

Whether you like to swim, paddle, fish, sail or ski, there’s a pleasure for everyone on a Northwoods lake. We’re partial to the clean, deep water of Lake Tomahawk. Further away, we’re curious to try a paddle down the Flambeau River, and we’ll need someone who can rent us canoes and/or shuttle us with ours.

Travel to Dinner by Boat

Motoring over to a lakeside restaurants on the interconnected Lake Tomahawk-Lake Minocqua-Lake Kawaguesaga chain is a Northwoods pleasure. Our local is Lakeside. We might try for the new Oakfire downtown this summer.

Eat Ice Cream

We have never been sad to bike or drive over to Briqs. With super-sized portions, kids never feel cheated. I can get a “mini” and feel satiated.

Race Each Other!

We never tire of these go-cart tracks at Holiday Acres. We’ve never opted for horseback riding but you can do that too.

What’s On Your Cabin Wish List?

If you’re game, love to hear your Wisconsin Northwoods favorites on Instagram!