We planned this trip months ago when we were in the roasting heat of Bali. “Being cold sounds nice!” we thought to ourselves. “Yeah let’s do it!”
Little did we know, the week we planned for Wisconsin would have the COLDEST temperatures on RECORD!
The Polar Vortex.
The Frozen Blast.
The Ice Age.
All names they were calling it on the news. But we’re wild and crazy and went for it anyways, because that’s how we roll. Our very first adventure in Wisconsin, I’m not even kidding, was ice climbing in -5 degree weather.
We have both climbed quite a bit outdoors, but this was our first ice climbing attempt. We went with Easton, a very experienced PCGI certified guide from the company Vertical Illusions. Click here to read more about their awesome activities, they have adventures for every season and every ability!
We loved our epic day of ice climbing. Easton made us feel so comfortable and capable and we never once doubted our safety. It was challenging, but more doable and fun than I imagined it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it was still SO cold! I think we learned the meaning of grit that day on the ice. Maybe I am a California-born weenie or maybe Wisconsinites are just built tougher; either way something different, because our guide and a few other people climbing near us did not seemed phased by the frigid temps – in fact they embraced it!
The colder the weather, the better the ice! I, on the other hand, sported a frozen smile as my hands seemed like they would be cemented to my ice picks forever. I took one for the team and agreed to an extra long turn in the warm car with Theo so Cees could crush ice out there. He did amazing! After several routes he was hooked on the sport.
Thanks to Vertical Illusions for such a cool experience on the ice!
The first few days of our Wisconsin adventures were spent in the Blue Mounds/Mt. Horeb area at this beautiful cabin – the Prevailing Winds Lodge. After ice climbing we were SO grateful to come back to this home and the cozy fireplace. Situated on 44 acres of rolling hills and with 5 spacious bedrooms, the only downside was that we didn’t bring our whole family to enjoy this wonderful place with us! Hello next family reunion!
We felt right at home here and really appreciated all of the thoughtful touches, fully stocked bin of firewood, complete kitchen and cooking essentials, fluffy towels and the most comfortable bedding I’ve ever slept in!
Our next stop was Boulder Junction, 40 minutes outside of Eagle River. The days spent here were some of the coldest, with temperatures reaching -33 degrees at night!
We mostly stayed inside our cute cabin at Big Bear Hideaway, partially due to the weather and also because our rental car sadly broke down for 2 days. It was SO cold, the car battery just gave up! On some of the slightly warmer days we were able to get out and about and have some fun in the snow!
Here is a crazy story for you: on Wednesday morning our rental car broke down at the Granary Restaurant where we were eating breakfast. The owners were angels to us and tried 4 different jumper cables before we threw in the towel and had to call the rental company for backup. We were stranded at the restaurant for the time being so the owner drove us back to our cabin a few miles down the road. It was negative degree temps so there was no chance of walking. We were so grateful! Long story short and after hours of begging for assistance over the phone, the rental company still wasn’t able to organize a tow to the dealership until 36 hours later. We had no food and no means to get around town for the next day and a half. The folks at the Granary offered to bring us “room service” haha because they are JUST that NICE! On top of that, the owners of the Big Bear Hideaway even offered their car to us so we could explore for our last two days while the rental car issues were sorted out. What could have been a huge hassle, ended up being an endearing experience as we witnessed the charity and service of strangers. People here are a different breed of good.
A highlight of Boulder Junction was the local Winter Park! There we enjoyed sledding and hockey with complimentary community ice skates, sticks and pucks! It was heart-warming to experience the small-town vibes through this community operated park that provides fun for the whole family.
We planned for more adventures, but since the “Arctic Blast” rolled in we couldn’t really pull off snowmobiling with a toddler in negative degree weather. As we were driving around Eagle River, passing literally hundreds of lakes, it was obvious that this place is a snowmobiling mecca. We can’t wait to come back! Check out the snowmobiling conditions here and get stoked on the countless trails that Wisconsin has to offer! By the way – this is what Cees thinks he looks like when he snowmobiles. But this is ACTUALLY what he looks like.
We came for the adventure, and wanted to stay for the people. You haven’t seen the last of us, Wisconsin!
**This post was sponsored by Travel Wisconsin**
Wow, what an awesome trip! Love the story about the rental car break-down, as I’m considering renting a car for our next trip (which I basically never do) and one of my main worries about that has been breaking down somewhere and being stranded! But as you point out, such misadventures have a way of making for memories, especially when there are excellent people around!