Cheese curds, fishing, family & more! Wisconsin was a relaxing paradise. We spent the last week at Steve’s family cabin in Fern, Wisconsin, on the shore of Sea Lion Lake. It was fantastic seeing Steve’s family, enjoying long conversations, playing games and some quality time on the boat with all of them.
Where We Stayed
Steve’s family has owned this cottage in Fern, Wisconsin (extremely small town near Florence, WI) since the 1920’s! Of course, since then, there have been some add-ons (including bathrooms) and upgrades to make the cottage what it is today. This four-bedroom beauty is full of charm. You walk in to the living room and yes, you will see a deer head, and stuffed fish – all the fish caught by family members, some from the early 1940s. The cottage is situated on the shore of Sea Lion Lake, we had 24/7 fishing access! We had a comfortable bedroom, and most importantly – a shower Steve can stand in.
What We Did
We left Minnesota Sunday morning with the plan to arrive the at the family cottage by dinner time. We ended up traveling to Leinie Lodge – home of the Leinenkugel Beer (Steve’s favorite). We took a 75 minute tour of the brewery, and had our five tasting sample. Of course we didn’t walk away empty handed – we created our own six pack! If you are in Chippewa Falls – we highly recommend it!
We arrived late Sunday evening to the cottage and were elated to see Steve’s sister, Melissa, and her twin daughters, Nour & Jenna, walking along the road as we approached. Lots of waves, kisses and hugs later, we got our trailer situated next to the garage. Steve’s Aunt, Sue, Uncle, Tom, brother-in-law, Hady, and nephew Zain joined us, and helped us unload the items we needed from the trailer. It felt great to see our family, especially the kids, since they are a part of our “home” in the bay area. After a delicious fried chicken dinner, with the oh so good, Wisconsin fried cheese curds – we showered up and called it an early night.
We knew we wouldn’t have the best weather during our stay at the cottage, so we had to plan our fishing accordingly. The best weather day was Monday, which meant an early morning of fishing on the boat (but not super early). Steve loves to fish. It was an activity he loved doing with his father, Phil, and he can spend every day doing it without getting bored at all. My attention span is limited, and after a few ours, I need something else – so bringing my kindle or some sunbathing worked for me. At Sea Lion Lake, Zain was lucky to catch lots of Bluegills! Steve and Hady both caught a Largemouth Bass, but neither were big enough to keep. Another great day of fishing was Wednesday, when Hady, Steve & Zain hired a guide, Clint Burns of Classic Cast Outfitters, who took them to fish on the Bruel River. It is boundary water between Wisconsin and Michigan. The boys got lucky and caught Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, and Perch. They had a great time with Clint and look forward to fishing with him again!
In Steve’s ideal world, he would’ve fished more, but the weather didn’t always favor that, so we found other ways to occupy ourselves. We enjoyed working on a puzzle and played various games at night. We did several nature walks in the area around the cottage. We made a trip to the famous local ice cream shop. Melissa and I took Sparky, and the girls hiking in Florence Country to view two local waterfalls. They were beautiful, in particular, LaSalle Falls! We went and looked at Trailer/RVs with Melissa’s family, who are possibly in the market, in the nearest big city – Iron Mountain, MI. No, we are not upgrading our R-Pod, but it is just fun to look.
During our stay we were lucky enough to catch glimpses of the local wildlife. We saw Loons, Deer, Coyote, Wild Turkeys, Woodpeckers, and the local Bald Eagles. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get photos of all of them, but were excited just to see them.
Part of the pleasure of staying at the cottage is spending time with family. This includes cooking together, eating together, and even grocery shopping together. Gossiping over cooking Spaghetti, arguing over which bread we should buy, debating who gets dibs on the last cookie, and frantically searching for the lost puzzle piece – all part of the fun & joys of spending time with family. We know that when we get back from our trip that another family vacation at the cottage is a must.
What Would We Do Next Time
There will be a next time, and of course – more fishing. If it was in our control, better weather, and of course, more fish action. We didn’t get a chance to make it to the famous Iron Mine, which we will do next time. We also planned, but didn’t make it to the Florence Visitor Center.
What’s Next
We spent the last few days exploring Michigan and will keep you posted shortly on those adventures!
We had such a great time with you guys! Miss you lots! The kids talked about you all the way home.
We miss you guys too!!! Give the kids extra hugs for me and Uncle Steve!
We were so happy to have you include a visit with us as part of your epic honeymoon trip, we enjoyed it so much! Maybe the next time the weather and the fish will cooperate. The beauty and peacefulness of the lake will always be here.
We had such a great time! Miss you and Uncle Tom already!
glad you had a wonderful trip with the family