A Special Spa and More Wine & Food in the Wisconsin Dells

Laurie and I woke up at The Vue in Wisconsin Dells excited for our spa day. First, we went to a local favorite, Stuff’s Restaurant, for a breakfast of eggs, corned beef hash, pancakes, and French Toast. It was obvious why there were so many people in there.

 

I had heard many good things about the award winning Sundara Inn & Spa, but it exceeded my expectations. This was the ultimate grown up escape in Wisconsin Dells. I have been to a lot of spas, but nothing like this.

What I love most about Sundara is the ability to have a full day (or even days) with plenty of relaxation and wellness to do – without getting charged for every little thing.  

 

There is, of course, a large menu of treatments who can purchase, but it’s all the other amenities that you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else. They can be added on for one extra fee.Included in the fee are unlimited wellness classes, indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpools, tranquil spaces, and the Purifying Bath Ritual. With the one charge, you get to spend an entire day enjoying it all.

We arranged our day at the cave-like indoor pool and whirlpools, where we had a healthy lunch from their Nava Restaurant and mocktails at the swim-up bar. We then spent some time refreshing our breath in the Salt Room, and then did a meditation session.

 

Laurie and I also did the bath ritual:  

Exfoliation with their provided scrub in the rainfall shower;

A squirt of their special mist before heading into the steam room;

And a rinse before hitting the hot tub filled with essential oils.

We decided to skip the cold plunge pool.

Before we left, I had a chance to tour some of the accommodations. I loved the large suites in the main building, where you can take the elevator in your comfy robe right down to the spa. For those who want even more space there are villas and Woodland retreats. 

After spending most of the day at the spa, we headed to Fawn Creek Winery. This place has unusually mixed fruit wines, such as Just Peachy, peach and chardonnay, and Black Ber-y, blackberry and Merlot. There were more combinations and they change seasonally. I thought they were all pretty tasty. It was like having a variety of sangrias in bottles.

 

Dinner was at Lake City Social. I had a veggie burger and Mule, while Laurie had a Rueben and beer. We really liked the food and drink there.

 

We were exhausted from a long day, even though it had been filled with relaxation. We went back to The Vue hotel for one more night.

 

In the morning, we went to Paul Bunyan, a well-known restaurant I had been to on my previous trips to Wisconsin Dells. The warm donuts were as good as ever and their breakfast was filling. It is unlimited, but we couldn’t eat any more than they brought us the first time.

 

Before we left the Wisconsin Dells, we took a ride through the downtown. It was a fun trip and interesting to get to experience some of the adult things the region has outside of the.

 

 Note: Sundara Spa does not allow photography. Photos are courtesy of the spa. 

Luxuriating in Bay Harbor

It didn’t take me long to feel relaxed and comfortable at the Inn at Bay Harbor, a hotel in the Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection. 

My suite was perfect, and I had slept well. I was ready to take the relaxation to another level.

My day was wide open with the exception of the start of it -- at The Spa.

I arrived a few minutes before my appointment for the Ginger Glow treatment. 

I changed into my luxurious robe and sat down with a cup of tea in the quiet waiting area.

The Ginger Glow is one of the signature offerings at the Inn at Bay Harbor, and I can certainly understand why its so popular. I could easily rename it “Heaven on Earth.”

It began with a scrub made of ginger, with a hint of eucalyptus, to get rid of the dead cells on my skin. 

After that was rinsed off, I had a full body massaged with a ginger oil and hot stones.

The next part was probably my favorite as arthritis always has me seeking warmth: my whole body was wrapped in a warm robe-like cocoon while I received a scalp massage.

When the spa experience was done, I was ready to take a nap, but I was too hungry to do so. It was late for breakfast at the resort and 

I asked one of the drivers to take me to the Marina.

It's a free perk if you are looking to go around Bay Harbor and don’t want to walk or bike along the beach path. 

I saw a sign in front of the Original Pancake House for their famous Apple Pancake. 

I decided to go inside and, with a side of eggs for some protein. 

I managed to get through less than half of the scrumptious treat. (Of course, I brought the rest back to my room.)

I asked the driver to give me a little tour on the way back to my hotel suite.


In addition to the main lodge, there are also 35 cottages on the property. 

They are two and three-bedrooms each, and popular for family reunions, girlfriend getaways, and golf weekends.

Guests have the option of playing at the Bay Harbor Golf Club, an award winner with 27 holes along the shoreline, or the 18-hole championship course at Crooked Tree.

Golf is available in three seasons.

 In the winter, guests can do cross-country skiing and snow shoeing, or arrange to head to the sister properties, Boyne Highlands or Boyne Mountain, for downhill skiing.

In the afternoon, I took a drive to Charlevoix (about 20 minutes away). I stopped at one of their beautiful beaches before heading to the quaint downtown to visit one of my favorite Michigan stores, Cherry Republic. 

I picked up two bags of cherry goodies (especially the Cherry Fudge Sauce my daughter loves).

Brittany and Jamie came back to the hotel to join me for our final night in Michigan. 

We decided to stay on property and relax with s’mores by the fire pit in front of the beach. (I also decided to stick with some leftover cheese for dinner as I had enough snacking.) 

It’s just one of the free activities the Inn at Bay Harbor offers its guests.

Before leaving the next day, I had a delicious breakfast of Blueberry Pancakes and conversation with Erin Ernst, Director of Communications for the Boyne properties.

Then it was time to head south, back to Illinois. It was good to be going home, but I was also happy that I’d be going back to beautiful Michigan in just a few short weeks.

Learning More About Eaglewood Resort & Spa

My friend, Joan, and I were enjoying a quick girls’ getaway to the Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca, just outside of Chicago, Illinois

We had breakfast in the Burnham restaurant, where there are buffets for breakfast and lunch.

This buffet had a lot of healthy options. I was especially impressed with all of the fruit for yogurt and oatmeal. 

They also had an omelet station where you could fill your eggs with just about anything you wanted, and plenty of warm baked goods.

I had a delicious veggie filled omelet, some yogurt covered in homemade granola, a freshly made Danish, and some fruit. Joan also took an assortment from the buffet.

After we ate, we took a tour of the rest of the property we hadn’t seen before we left.

I loved the design of the lobby but hadn’t realized it was Frank Lloyd Wright inspired.

The business center at Eaglewood Resort includes a convenient up-to-the-minute list of flights departing at nearby O’Hare Airport. 

The patio outside the Prairie River Restaurant, where we had eaten the night before, overlooks the golf course and is a good place to sit by day or night, with a fire pit in the middle for cooler nights.

The course is open to guests and the public, giving the Eaglewood another reason to be a popular spot for visitors and locals.

We also took a look at the banquet and wedding facilities. Eaglewood Resort & Spa offers many different options for brides and grooms who are looking for destination weddings.

Before we finished the tour, we were able to see a few of the suites. 

They were set up for families who want the comforts of home, including refrigerators, living rooms, and dining tables.

I also found out more about all the terrific packages and activities available at Eaglewood Resort for family vacations. 

They add to the fun of their bowling alley and Olympic-sized swimming pool with things such as a bouncy house, an escape room, bocce ball and glow-in-the-dark night golf.

The resort also often has multi-generational family vacations since there are so many different activities.

I can personally attest to the attraction for spa getaways at Eaglewood Resort. Check out the latest deals at TripAdvisor.

Girls' Getaway to Eaglewood Resort

My friend Joan and I headed a few hours away to Itasca, Illinois, for a short girls’ getaway at Eaglewood Resort & Spa.

You could see the golf course from the balcony in our room. The Deluxe Room is quite large and suitable for a small family.

The spa and fitness center are located in a building across the parking lot from the rooms and other common areas. 

The pool center at Eaglewood is set up to be enjoyed year-round.

It’s totally enclosed in the winter and one side opens up in the summer so you can sit around a patio and enjoy the Olympic-sized pool with accompanying whirlpool.

During the warmer months, they also serve cocktails and snacks out there.

Three separate rooms were in the fitness center, all with all new equipment. One room had state-of-the art machines.

 The second was all about weights, and the third was for classes. We saw someone in there stretching.

Within the fitness and spa area Eaglewood Resort also has its own bowling alley, complete with snacks and a full-service bar. 

It’s a really cool place to hangout when it’s not outdoor season. There were tables for groups and families too.

Guests of the resort can use the facilities of the spa (including a steam room and sauna) at any time.

Day packages are also available if you’d like to just come for the spa and its amenities.

The spa menu here is quite impressive. It covers an array of body treatments, massages, facials, and nail offerings.

I always like to try a signature treatment when I have the opportunity. I chose the Eaglewood Indulgence.

I was relaxed and my muscles felt better than they had in years by the time I left there.

Since it was too early for dinner and too late for lunch, we stopped at The Market for coffee and muffins.

It’s a unique store on the ground floor that combines a little grocery shop and a coffee counter. 

They have prepared food and sandwiches, and even make pizzas.

After a little nap, we had dinner downstairs at the Prairie River restaurant.

We had hoped to eat out by the fire pit, but it was a cool evening so we stayed indoors.

Joan ordered the House Barrel-aged Old Fashioned and I had a glass of their White Peach Sangria, also made on the premises. Both were very good.

We were hungry and couldn’t make up our mind what to get for dinner, so we went ahead and ordered appetizers.

Ramon’s Street Tacos were excellent. They were filled with peppers, onions, and steak, which had been marinated and was quite tender. 

The guacamole served with it were also good.

Joan ordered and enjoyed the Salmon Bites on the recommendation of the waitress. 

They were served with a garlic horseradish crème and think potato crisps.

While we thought the Petite Sirloin and Shrimp combo would be served like a Surf & Turk, it actually came in a stack. Joan really liked it.

I had a soft and flavorful pork tenderloin in a Shandy BBQ sauce.

It was served with a leek and cauliflower mash and a side of broccolini.

All the vegetables we had were fresh.

We couldn’t resist the dessert list when we saw it. We decided to get two different ones and share.

The first was a Mud Pie. At Prairie River they make it with an Oreo crust and fill it with Bailey’s and Kahlua ice cream. It’s then topped with a fudge sauce.

I don’t think I have to say how good that was!

The other dessert was also fantastic. It was called Chocolate Marble Xango. Cheesecake-filled burritos were fried and served alongside a chocolate sauce that was thick like a pudding.

We headed back to our room right after dinner. It had been a relaxing day and evening.

It was the perfect girls’ getaway, and we still had a little more time to go at Eaglewood Resort &Spa.

Lodge Kohler Spa and Titletown Tour in Greenbay

My first trip to Titletown in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was winding down, but we still had a few things left to check out on the final day.

Rich and I had enjoyed breakfast at Lodge Kohler's Leaps & Bounds Café the day before and decided to go down and see what else we could try on the menu.

The thing I like most about Leaps & Bounds was that there were quite a few things that you rarely find on menus, certainly not on the menu of a hotel coffee shop.

For our Sunday morning, I chose the West Coast Wrap, with egg whites, avocado, spinach, tomato, inside a whole-grain wrap spread with a light herb cream cheese. It was delicious.

Rich had the Breakfast Sandwich. It has scrambled eggs, cheddar and arugula, with a bratwurst patty on a toasted English muffin, a combination he enjoyed.

We shared an order of the Classic Beignets, which had an unusual twist: they were served with a spiced chocolate sauce and an apricot-ginger jam. 

I thought both went very well against the sweetness of the powdered sugar beignet.

After I finished my latte, it was time to return to the Spa at Lodge Kohler.

This spa is the only co-ed spa I have been to in the Midwest. While it’s not unusual to have relaxation rooms that are co-ed, Kohler offers much more for you to share.

The water experience at Lodge Kohler, included with your services or available for a slight cost on its own, includes a very large hot tub that has a walkway to massage you, a cold plunge pool, a steam room, and a sauna.

Once we were warm and relaxed, it was time to bundle up and head out to check out Titletown.

From many of the windows in the hotel, we could see the tubing slide, but in front of it we could actually hear the shouts of joy as people came down in their inner tubes.

We also went by the rink, where everyone was having fun ice skating. 

(I was a bit jealous, ice skating used to be one of my favorite past times before ankle problems.)

Carol Kedzior of Titletown met as for lunch at 46 Below to tell us more about the plans for the future of Titletown in Green Bay.

The area will have more fun activities, such as outdoor concerts and movies in the spring, summer, and fall. They will also be building condos here.

While there we had an amazing Tomato Bisque with grilled cheese croutons and a grilled cheese sandwich. (Rich had the ham sandwich, but I don’t think there can ever be too much grilled cheese!)

I could have definitely stayed at Titletown longer, but it was time to head to the airport.  

I had no idea that my flight would get cancelled, but it worked out. (Thanks, Dosh, for making it easy, while saving money).

I’m looking forward to returning to Green Bay and seeing the beach side in the warmer months.

Check for the best prices at Lodge Kohler now at TripAdvisor. 


Start the story with Day One in Green Bay.