Otter Creek Inn
Today the road has brought me to Altoona, WI.
Here it is, ladies and gents. My 49th review and my first in the state of Wisconsin. It is also the maiden voyage of my new 2018 Ford Focus on these excursions.
It was a bit overcast to start this journey. I chased away the grays with a little conversation with Jesus and making liberal use of my free trial subscription to satellite radio. Having the Beatles Channel is a little slice of heaven for a Fab Four connoisseur such as myself, let me tell you.
As I got deeper into Minnesota, the skies began to clear and the sun started shining down and the day had become quite beautiful by the time I crossed the border into Wisconsin. Before I knew it, I had reached the Eau Claire suburb of Altoona and found the Otter Creek Inn.
The inn is located on a little acreage on Hansen Lane which you’ll find just before 10th Street. I parked the car, stretched out the kinks in my hip, and walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Almost instantly, I was greeted by the inn’s owner, Lisa Jenkins. Lisa is actually a very new owner of the establishment. The inn has been in business since 1987 and the original owners sold the property to Lisa over the summer. Lisa shut down the inn for a few months for renovations before reopening it in November.
The inn still retains most of its originality and is more similar to a lodge than a house. By that I mean, Otter Creek Inn is wide and long as opposed to being tall. One of the first things greeting guests is the common area known as the Grand Room and grand it is. Not only is the room massive, but it holds some games, some comfortable antique chairs, and a monstrous fireplace. One will also find the breakfast options and can fill out what they would like to eat as well as time and location of the meal.
“Location?”, I hear you ask. Unlike many other B & Bs, Otter Creek Inn does not have a communal dining room. Rather it has several secluded areas where the guests can enjoy their meals in private such as a nook just past the kitchen or the 2nd floor balcony. If you feel like it, you can even enjoy breakfast in bed.
Added to this sense of privacy is the fact that Otter Creek Inn is an adults only environment so you can really get away from it all.
Lisa led me to my escape for the weekend: Dream Suite.
The room has blue flowered wallpaper, an incredibly comfy king bed, a 42 inch Smart TV, an electric fireplace, and a jacuzzi tub nestled in the floor by the bay window. It is also important to note that each of the 5 rooms contains a fireplace and jacuzzi which is a hallmark of the inn.
After I settled in, Lisa gave me a tour of the establishment where I snapped photos and got a little inn history. Afterwards, I went to the hors d’oeuvres table where I had a little chip and dip and a Coca-Cola. For the evening, a martini bar had also been set up for those who enjoy a good cocktail.
Martini bar
I feel these long drives a bit more than I used to so I just collapsed on my soft bed, perused the movie menu, and just relaxed. Before leaving for dinner, I filled out my breakfast choices and opted to enjoy it in bed.
Now most of my readers know that I tend to avoid chain restaurants, but even I had to yield to expediency on a Lenten Friday. Luckily, there was a Red Lobster just a bit up the road.
The restaurant was packed and I was amazed that they were able to get me seated in about 15 minutes. I looked through the menu to see what sounded appetizing, made my selection and waited for a server.
And waited. . .
Now I knew the place was busy, but I suddenly stopped to think that I had been seated for 10 or 15 minutes and I hadn’t even been brought water yet. Just as I had that thought a young lady stopped by my table (I think it was the manager) who apologized for nobody waiting on me and she offered me a free appetizer or alcoholic beverage for the inconvenience. I don’t know if she, herself, had noticed or if another patron pointed it out, but I thank whomever for the free cup of lobster bisque I ended up getting.
The bisque was rich and creamy and a dash of pepper added just the right amount of kick to it. A garden salad and a half order of Salmon New Orleans with rice pilaf and mashed potatoes served as my main entrée. The salmon was served in a creamy Cajun sauce and was garnished with shrimp. It really hit the spot.
With a great meal in my stomach, I returned to the inn where I found a good meal really makes you notice how exhausted you are. I dimmed the lights and filled up the Jacuzzi tub while an old episode of Law & Order played on the TV.
Now the jacuzzi tubs in this inn are just soaking tubs. Soap flakes and salts are provided, but you can’t bathe in them as regular soap and shampoo aren’t good for the tub. So I just sat and soaked, letting the jets massage my wearied limbs and the hot water unwound my mind. Yes, sir. I just sat and soaked until every joule of heat was absorbed from the water.
Then I got into my jammies and attempted to go to sleep, but it was too darn quiet. I normally use a fan for some white noise and this room had no ceiling fan. No problem, I just turned on the fan to the bathroom and, voila, instant shuteye.
I did some championship lounging the next morning. Breakfast arrived promptly at 8:30 with my order of a small order of eggs benedict with ham, tomato, and onion served with a side of breakfast potatoes, cheese, and orange juice and hot chocolate. It was 45 minutes of pure dining bliss and it was only as I was using my toast to get the last of the hollandaise that I realized I had forgotten to take a photo for the article. But, believe me, it looked every bit as good as it tasted.
As I ate I watched The Mask of Zorro and then caught a shower and shave before heading over to visit the Leinenkugel brewery.
Leinenkugel brewery
Leinenkugel is a family owned brewery (6 generations running) and was founded in 1867 in the small town of Chippewa Falls. For $10 one can tour the brewery and have either 2 12 ounce lagers or a sampling of 5 5 ounce lagers. Our tour guide was John, a former teacher, who was very knowledgeable about the Leinenkugel history and the process of brewing lager. Most interesting was the revelation that Leinenkugel had to survive 2 threats to its existence.
The first, unsurprisingly, was Prohibition. Leinenkugel managed to survive it by switching its manufacturing to ginger ale and non-alcoholic beer. The second, and the bigger threat to its existence, was the great brewery purge of the 80s and 90s where many breweries started going out of business. Leinenkugel escaped the purge by partnering with Miller which was a win-win for both companies and enabled Leinenkugel to continue thriving.
Leinenkugel is not only known for great lager, but also for being extremely charitable as they donate to or sponsor every charity within Chippewa Falls. It is definitely worth a visit.
After my tour, I returned to the inn where I did a little writing and filled out a breakfast request for Sunday before I headed out to worship at St Mary’s.
St Mary’s
It was a bit different, almost a blend of pre and post Vatican II. Some parts of the service were recited in Latin and there was no sign of peace. On the other hand, there was an excellent sermon on The Prodigal Son which Father argued should really be called The Merciful Father and it was definitely interesting food for thought seeing the parable from the point of view of the father.
After church, I went to downtown Eau Claire for dinner at Stella Blue’s. This Cajun restaurant is easy to miss as it holds an unassuming spot in an unassuming building. You’re probably likely to notice the parking lot first which is actually several blocks past the restaurant.
Despite a well-known reputation, Stella Blue’s has the look and feel of a hole in the wall eatery. In my opinion that makes it better as those joints usually serve the best food.
It seemed to be my weekend for being overlooked/forgotten at restaurants as I once again waited about 10 minutes before a server got to me. This time I got a free drink. I started off with a gumbo appetizer and it was superior gumbo. Theirs was closer to stew than soup and full of vegetables and even used bits of bacon instead of andouille sausage. I mused about whether or not I should have just ordered the entrée version of that until they brought my main course of shrimp etouffee. The spicy brown sauce was amazing, especially when mixed with the rice.
With another fabulous meal digesting, I returned to the inn. When I entered my room, I picked up a white box which I had mistaken for a recharge port and found it to be a white noise machine. Sleep would be easy to find tonight.
Another long soak. A bit more writing. Then I activated the illusory flames on my fireplace and set up the white noise machine to emulate the crackle of a campfire. I almost felt like I was in the woods as the fictional fire snapped, crackled, and popped.
I enjoyed Sunday’s breakfast on the 2nd floor balcony. Bacon fashioned in the shape of a heart along with pancakes with whipped cream, apple pie filling, chocolate chips, and maple syrup joined fruit, water, skim milk, and orange juice. Lisa was a most attentive host and even gave me leads on some new inns and a community theatre in Colorado (her old stomping grounds) which I filed away for potential future visits.
Alas, all good things come to an end. It was time to head back home. But I enjoyed my stay in Altoona and my visit to Otter Creek Inn. Not only is the inn a bit of big city wilderness retreat, but being near to the Eau Claire area means there’s plenty to do in terms of shopping, activities, and the arts. Otter Creek Inn is the perfect retreat for adults who want to get away from it all, yet still have plenty to keep them occupied. It’s peaceful, elegant, and luxurious and Lisa will treat you like royalty.
Until the next time. . .happy travels.
Chris' Corner 