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.

April 27, 2022

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!

April 19, 2022June 10, 2025

Summer Goals: Food

Seasoned travelers at extended stay vacation rentals know to ask us, “Got any recommendations?” As I started to list out my summer goals to share with our guests, it was quickly clear that multiple posts would help me manage the length. Here’s my first with food-inspired activities.

Paddle, Float and Picnic

We like to paddle canoes and we also like to stop and take in the sky and the air and the particular way the water moves in that moment. I pack picnics like any good camper—sturdy and hearty. Wisconsin cheese makers consistently win the top competitions, but often skimp on the marketing. Their humility is our gain—affordable and delicious. Depending on my errand routing, I stop at Wild Berry and The Cheese Board.

Hit the Farmer’s Market

Friday mornings (8a—1p) at 408 E Chicago Ave in the middle of town, you can find farm-to-cabin produce, flowers and meats. We get through the summer and winter with maple syrup from one of the vendors, Northwoods Maple Farm. They added an old fashioned mixer that I want to try this year!

Sun Dry Wild Mushrooms

I’ve learned so much about Wisconsin mushroom hunting! In the living room library, you’ll find books on where to look and their identifying features. To make summer last a bit longer, I started dehydrating our harvest last summer. When I feel lonesome for the Northwoods, I grind some up into a powder and add to meatballs or hamburgers.

Order a Meal Kit

Sometime I crave urban pleasures in Minocqua. This meal kit company, Meez Meals, is based in our winter hamlet and offers national delivery. They offer generous portions and flexible subscription options.

April 17, 2022

Migration

The sound of sandhill cranes is unlike any bird sound I’d previously known. And ubiquitous enough in our little corner of the Wisconsin Northwoods that I got more than curious. I got focused. I needed help trusting that I was hearing birds in the marsh and not a distant construction site. A friend suggested this site, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. You can find audio loops of the various sounds a sandhill crane makes, making identification on-the-go possible.

Last fall, I heard their unmistakeable call overhead. Nov 21, to be exact, I was gardening and thought I was having a dissociative moment. I knelt in the dirt, turned off my podcast and waited. I heard them again. The sky is only available in tetris-shaped sizes where I live in the suburbs. With patience, though, I eventually saw dozens of birds overhead, trailing their honking sounds. Our little rectangle of land is under the migration path! I was flooded with the joys of the near-wilderness.

Spring is here in the organized and orderly way that suburban life offers. I’m thinking of the marsh waking up with all its sounds and smells. When I go outside, I keep one earbud dangling to see if I can bridge the distance between wild and tame.

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020

Spring brings change

The lake shook off the ice coat last week. Like that, a completely new palette appeared. Two weeks ago, ducks glided purposefully into the small spots of open water. Now, they are liberated. They dive into the water like torpedos. Are they starving this time of year? Mallards have always seemed lazy and slow. Idyllically perched in some small marsh water, moving achingly slow like Sunday strollers. What gives?

June 18, 2019May 5, 2020

Oysters mushrooms!

I harvested my first wild mushrooms of 2019. I’m geeked over the whole adventure—the confirmation with my mushroom guide, putting on my waders, opening my pocket knife, treading carefully across the fallen log… and then I cooked them for dinner.

I learned afterwards from an online source that wild mushrooms soaked in salted water will scare out the bugs. Next time!