Yesterday, I noticed my mother had posted on Facebook that she was going to start decorating the Music Tree and get out the carolers. Alone. The pangs of guilt certainly hit me. I was tired and had been fighting off a nasty head cold for almost a week, but I didn’t like the idea of her doing things like that alone. These were a part of our family tradition. Okay, so I must confess that I didn’t run over to Pinehurst right away, but I did go. As I walked in the door, she said to me, “The carolers are ready to go out if you want to help.” I didn’t jump up and down or get as excited as I might have 20 years ago, but without question, I went to the landing and starting arranging. The music was once again playing (I think I may have even heard a muppet or two!). Placing each of these carolers in their appropriate space and laughing with my mom about their silly faces was a perfect moment. It was tradition.

While this is certainly a quieter season here at Pinehurst, we do love having guests at this time of year. There is something so warm and welcoming about this big old house when there is snow on the ground and a fire in the fireplace. If you haven’t been here at this time of year you are most certainly missing out. We really do love sharing our traditions with our guests and hearing about theirs.

We want to wish a very happy holiday season to you all, and hope that you enjoy sharing your family’s traditions as much as we do.

Stone's Throw, another great gallery in Bayfield!

Today, the day following Thanksgiving, is being trumpeted by the media (quite loudly) as Black Friday. But here in Bayfield, we are sounding off and actively promoting that locals and visitors support our area small businesses. Yes, this is happening all around the world, but when one lives in a small town, these types of efforts are palpable.

So here are the Pinehurst Inn top 5 hot spots for holiday purchases:

1. Big Water Cafe & Coffee Roasters – not only the place to go to pick up a great coffee drink or scone, but great assortment of coffee and tea goodies.
2. Apostle Island Booksellers – locally-owned, independent bookstore located in Bayfield. Their collection of books emphasizes the history, cultures, nature, lifestyle, cuisine and activities of our locale – the Apostle Islands, the Chequamegon region, Lake Superior, the Great Lakes, Ojibwe Country and the Northwoods.
3. Bayfield Wine & Spirits – Offering 60 – 70 different, individually selected wines from the U.S., France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and elsewhere – they have a great assortment of wonderful little wine/drink related items as well. And watch for periodic availability of Sassy Nanny Goat Cheese.  Yum!
4. Wolfsong Wear – Yup, these are the same folks who run the great dog sledding adventures in the area. They produce some of the best outerwear for adventure sports. They are all locally handmade with the highest quality materials: Woolrich Wool on the outside and soft comfortable Malden Mills 300 weight polar on the inside. AND they are running an incredible sale through the end of November – buy 1 coat, 2nd coat is half-price!
5. Eckels Pottery – located just South of Bayfield, Eckels Pottery has been in business since 1960. They offer beautiful, hand crafted ceramics along with a wide variety of other items large and small. We are pleased that most of our dishes used for breakfast service are from Eckels.

We could easily turn this list into a top 10 or top 15…….there are many more wonderful options. But we’ll stop here. If you are an area resident, know that the choices for your holiday shopping are many. If you are a periodic visitor, come back and make us your “one-stop” shopping location.

Either way, we do encourage everyone to shop locally. Supporting the small business people in every community direct and indirect economic impacts.

Enso Wellness Center & Day Spa, located on Pinehurst Inn property is pleased to offer our Harvest Special guests the opportunity to receive a 20% discount on Facials or Body Polish Treatments. These treaments are a great way to help our skin (and spirit!) transition from summer to fall.

What makes Enso Exceptional?

• Highly skilled staff with a wide variety of work and background

• The First Travel Green Certified Spa in northern Wisconsin, sustainable practices are throughout the business

• Comfortable, calming, and inviting space

• Enjoy a sauna before or after your service

• Lodging on the premise as well as packages with other wonderful lodging facilities

Pinehurst Inn is thrilled to partner with Enso. We are pleased to share additional information on Pinehurst Inn and Enso Wellness Center and Day Spa.

With adventure comes risks. Sadly one of the most common destinations for kayakers, the Mainland Seacaves, has also been the site of a number of deaths. In both cases hypothermia and being ill prepared were a part of the picture. Waves at the mainland sea caves can be particularly dangerous because of the bowl-like rock cliffs that reflect and amplify waves. Two large waves can combine to form an extremely large wave.The National Park Service and Bayfield area are working to minimize these dangers.

With support from Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and the Friend of Apostle Islands, kayakers now can check wave heights online before visiting the mainland sea caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Using a smart phone or the Web, kayakers can check the live conditions report at www.seacaveswatch.org. The website lists the wave height for the previous six hours in 30-minute increments. The site also displays water temperature and photos of the waves at the sea caves, and it relays wind speed and direction recorded at Devil’s Island.

“We hope kayakers will use this system to make good decisions before venturing out onto the lake,” said Bob Krumenaker, superintendent of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. “We hope it will save lives.”

The rule many of us follow on Lake Superior is this: “The Lake is the Boss.” We love this grand body of water but we also recognize how dangerous it can be at times. We appreciate efforts such as this one to make the decision making just a bit easier.

Most days, if there is any sort of wind, we are cooler than the rest of the region. But, on those days where it seems miserably muggy, there is still a solution – go swimming! There is nothing quite as refreshing as taking a dip in this beautiful lake to cool off. So, while it maybe miserably muggy everywhere else around us, we don’t mind! We’ve got this wonderful lake keeping us cool and comfortable.

Living Adventure is one of our favorite partners. Living Adventure home is located just north of Bayfield. Sitting on the shore of Lake Superior and the southern most Apostle Islands, they provide magnificent kayaking trips for visitors. Ranging from 2 hours to multiple days, their trips provide all equipment, instruction, guidance and fun. The instructors are prepared to work with first time paddlers. Education on the area, the natural history and more is woven in. Safety is key.

The most popular trip our guests take is the Sea Caves trip, a 5 hour paddle. A hallmark of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is the ancient geology noted by red sandstone cliffs and sea caves. Centuries of wave action, freezing and thawing have sculpted artful caves considered to be the most spectacular in the Great Lakes. Kayakers have the unique opportunity to paddle under arches, into vaulted chambers and into the cavern’s deepest recesses. This is truly a breathtaking experience not to be missed. The trip includes a great lunch along the way, and is provided in a safe environment with experienced guides.

Our guests return  from these kayaking outings with a smile on their face. They’ve had an adventure – an important component of a Pinehurst Inn stay. Now we can help them shape the “personal rejuvenation” component of their stay… how about an Enso Day Spa massage to round out the day?

Fritz Kreiss and his wife, Catherine McQueen, are about to begin work on building the 19-room Green Leaf Inn in rural Delavan. Their plans are exciting and we wish them well.

And in that same article, Pinehurst Inn is recognized for being a leader in the Travel Green Wisconsin program. Tom points out some of the specific steps we’ve implemented. Every step taken is important, whether offering stainless steel water bottles or using renewable energy. Yet the more important concept is the overall approach – every decision is made with a full analysis of the environmental, the social and the economic impacts. How will this  decision affect our natural environment (carbon footprint), how will the decision impact our guests, our employees, our community? How will this decision impact our bottom line? It’s a thought process that becomes second nature.

We strongly encourage our friends and guests to use Travel Green Wisconsin as a resource when traveling in this fine state. Take a look at what many of our peers are doing throughout the state.

June 21, 2011 – the Summer Solstice.  The longest day of the year with the sun at it’s most northern position. Why is the summer solstice of any import to any of us? Here are some traditional / symbolic meanings:

• While some consider the summer solstice as the beginning of summer, many actually regard it as midsummer.
• For those who revere nature, summer solstice may be celebrated by a bonfire, and staying up to greet the dawn.
• It both ushers in the warmest season, and reminds that the season is short, slipping away day by day.

In 2005, Steve and I made a trip to Sweden to tour various “eco-municipalities”. We were able to be there on the Summer Solstice, with wonderful memories of staying up much of the night playing volleyball and running in and out of the sauna. Swedes know how to celebrate.

So we welcome summer here at Pinehurst Inn. While we might have had a bonfire and lots of guests using the sauna, the gale force winds and rain happening today might cut that short. It’s alright thought. We have summer ahead with lots of opportunity to to honor this place, our community and our guests.

But we are reminded to take the time to experience each day to the fullest.

How do you celebrate this day?

History comes to life with the traditional Blessing Ceremony this Sunday, June 12th at 1:00pm: commercial fishing boats, tugs, powerboats, sailboats, excursion and transportation craft, and rowboats parade through Bayfield’s City Harbor. As they pass by the tip of the pier, clergy from the Apostle Islands community grant each vessel a blessing for safe passage and a prosperous season on Lake Superior. Lake Superior is Bayfield’s lifeblood. The Lake has drawn countless people to this area, from the Ojibwe, to the fur traders and missionaries, to commercial fishermen, and finally to tourists and pleasure boaters. In the late 1950′s Bayfield inaugurated the Blessing of the Fleet to honor its fishing families who formed the backbone of the area’s economy.

This event is open to all boaters, from kayaks and rowboats to fishing and sailboats. The Ferry Line has even been known to bring a few of their boats through for the annual blessing. Come to Memorial Park for a brief ecumenical service before the ceremony and then enjoy seeing the variety of boats get their blessing for a happy, safe and bountiful boating season.

If you are interested in participating in the Blessing, feel free to contact the Bayfield Chamber with any questions at 715-779-3335 or email Erin at erin@bayfield.org.

This month is unique! Participating businesses will have sidewalk chalk available for guests to start their own chalk art design, or finish a design that is already there – and say “Hello Summer!” with friends and family. The design to the left is from Donalee Designs, a wonderful jewerly designer/silversmith south of Bayfield. Come to display your creative side.

To honor this fun promotion, Pinehurst will have our own supply of sidewalk chalk (yes, it helps to have a 3-yr-old grandson!) for our guests to enjoy. What a fun way to greet summer!