A Cozy Winter Weekend in Wisconsin
Wisconsin in January doesn’t normally sound like my kind of thing—I’d much rather go south in the winter. Unless it’s to a 5-star resort in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but relax.
The American Club in wintertime—stunning!
And that’s exactly what The American Club delivers.
From the moment we arrived, as soon as I smelled the signature Kohler Waters Spa scent, that knot in the upper left part of my back began to unwind and I knew we had made the right decision.
My husband and I had stayed at The American Club a few times before, thanks to his previous job that took him there for “meetings” once a year in the summer. We had never, however, been to Kohler in January, and certainly not since Covid, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, since the man is impossible to buy for, we called this his birthday present as his birthday was the week before.
We booked a room in the Carriage House, which allowed us to use the spa in the mornings. I took full advantage of that, spending time in the steam room, sauna, and hot tub both days we were there. Unfortunately, I booked our reservation too late to grab a massage appointment, but just being able to use the spa, to me, is one advantage to staying in the Carriage House vs. the hotel.
Lovely room with sitting area.
Our room was lovely and felt a little old-world with dark paneling and heavy curtains. Some might call this outdated, but I liked it. The room was cozy and warm and very large.
Huge bathroom!
They even give you fluffy bathrobes—my favorite!
The bathroom, likewise, was huge with a giant, jetted tub that I absolutely loved. Of course, the bathrooms are outfitted with Kohler products, so you know you won’t have any issues with flushing or showering.
Under normal, non-Covid circumstances, a lovely breakfast is served for Carriage House guests, but this time we found mainly pre-packaged food and bagels/English muffins to put in the toaster. Hopefully they will resume their normal breakfast service sometime this year.
There is a Kohler design center just down the street from the Carriage House where you can plan any upcoming home renovation . . . or simply dream. We didn’t go through this time, but have in the past. Highly recommend a stroll through there.
We were also late booking dinner reservations, so, unfortunately, we couldn’t get into the Immigrant Room, the most high-end restaurant on the premises. (NOTE: it doesn’t matter what time of year you’re coming to Kohler—book ahead to get the restaurant of your choice!) But we did have some very good meals at The Taverne at Woodlake, Blackwolf Run, and River Wildlife. In the summer, having lunch at Whistling Straits is a must.
Blackwolf Run
Can you spot the deer?
On Saturday, our only full day there, we headed over to Blackwolf Run, one of the golf courses at the resort, and took a 3.5 mile hike. At one point, we came across a herd of about 30 deer, which was a breathtaking experience to watch. After our hike, we settled in at the bar and enjoyed a drink and some bites.
That afternoon I took a walk through the main hotel, which is absolutely gorgeous and historic. You get such a sense of times gone by when you’re there—the hotel is over 100 years old!
The library (with roaring fire)
Lobby
Finally, on Saturday night, we booked a table at River Wildlife, a private sportsmans club affiliated with the resort. The restaurant is located in an old cabin with a huge fireplace and a roaring fire—so cozy! We had a three-course menu that was delicious, especially the warm cherry/apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.
River Wildlife - cozy cabin in the woods
All-in-all, our weekend was so relaxing that we decided that we need to do this every year. A January getaway to Kohler is the perfect drive from Chicago—only three hours—and just the break we needed to feel like we could make it through another Chicago winter.
