Girls’ Northwoods Cabin Getaway – Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Sometimes when you get into the depths of your own life between balancing work, local and social events, finances, health, etc., it can be challenging to gather with the long-distance connections you still have from previous chapters of your life. These are the friendships that will always pick up the phone, invite you to important milestone gatherings, and so much more. This weekend I was able to leave town for the weekend and spend time with my mom and close family friends, Kenzie and Julie, in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
The week leading up to our Northwoods Getaway was incredibly warm and melted away almost all of the 2 feet of snow we got at the beginning of April. As I made my way down, it was weird to see piles of snow where the trees casted their shadows, while wearing a t-shirt, shorts and sandals. When I arrived at the cabin, my mom and Julie were sitting in lawn chairs out front with their beverages in hand.
The Woodpecker Bar and Grill
My mom, Julie and I headed to town to grab some dinner and make a pit stop for groceries while we waited for Kenzie to arrive from work. Julie pulled into the Woodpecker Bar and Grill, a small bar on County Road K, to the west of Rhinelander. We sipped on Blackberry Old Fashions, waiting for our beer battered cod and shrimp dinners. The moms headed to grab some groceries and I decided to wait at the Woodpecker for Kenzie. We enjoyed a drink and caught up on our lives, then headed back to the cabin.
The Smell
When I got out of my car when I first arrived, a stench filled the air. Julie told us that last October they lost power and all of the meat in their freezer expired. They took apart the whole fridge and freezer to clear out the smell and put the meat in a garbage can outside to freeze and discard at the local dump. Unfortunately, winter came to an end before the smell came back. After our excursion to town for dinner, Kenzie and I took the “quad-fourwheeler” on an adventure to throw out the garbage can. Our incentive to get rid of the stench was a tall glass of Spotted Cow at H2H, formerly known as the Flying Finn on Highway 47.
Day Drinking
Saturday morning came, and Julie made us fried eggs, sausage links and hash browns for breakfast after Julie and Kenzie had a mishap with the coffee maker and discovered our milk was spoiled. The neighbor came over to catch up while we sipped on some mimosas and bloody marys to start off our day full of adventure. My mom prepped her homemade BBQ for us to come home to later in the day.
Lake Nokomis Cranberries, Inc.
Our first journey of the day took us to Lake Nokomis Cranberries, Inc., a winery centered between Lake Tomahawk and Sugar Camp, just half an hour north of Rhinelander. Kenzie pointed out the snowmobile trails she took this past winter while we drove the winding roads that took us through the northwoods lakes and national forests. The gift shop was filled with wine lovers’ staples and local products. We sampled cranberry wine and bought some goodies.
While we were sitting at a picnic table, enjoying a glass of wine, it started down pouring. We ran to the car and I realized that the overhead window was open. I immediately started the car and played with ALL of the buttons to figure out how to close the dang thing. While we were heading back to town, Julie fed us some pretzels and cheese dip.
Downtown Rhinelander, WI
Once we got back into Rhinelander, we stopped at the visitor center for a photoshoot with the Hodag. One of Kenzie’s favorite places is Rhinelander Brewing Company, so of course we made a stop there too. We snaked around the gift section and grabbed a pint. We chowed down on popcorn and laughed while telling stories, making jokes, and snapping some more pictures. On our way back to the cabin, we stopped back at H2H Public House and Resort and enjoyed some appetizers and each others’ company out on the covered back patio in the pouring rain. The bartender even recognized Kenzie and I from the night before as soon as we walked in. Julie grabbed some appetizers to tie us over before dinner, chicken tenders, cheese curds, and deep fried mushrooms. We made one last stop at Backwaters Bar and Grill, just up the road.
Saturday Evening / Night
We knew we had some delicious food waiting for us at the cabin after our full day of drinking and spending time together. Along with my mom’s famous party BBQ, we had cheese and venison sausage, veggies and dip, and chips. The rain had slowed down so we decided to start a little bonfire on the back patio. Kenzie and I grabbed some chairs from the shed, and we sat and enjoyed the quiet of the woods while my mom took a nap. After Julie went inside, Kenzie and I watched the fog come up the hill from the lake, roll over the hill, and *poof* all the fog was gone.
Sunday
Julie made breakfast for us again- fried eggs, sausage links and hash browns, before we all headed on our journey home. After cleaning up the cabin, we all slowly made our way out to our cars for our journeys home, Kenzie headed south east, I headed north, and Julie and my mom headed south. These types of weekends always come to an end quicker than we want, and goodbyes are bittersweet when you only get to see your favorite people every couple of months. I always find myself feeling this kind of “I don’t want to go yet” type of way.
Visit Rhinelander, Wisconsin
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