The Fourth in Wausau (But First in Class): Stewart Inn & Wausau,WI

Stewart Inn

Today the road has brought me to Wausau, WI.

After 4 months, I was more than ready for a relaxing return to the road.  I’m currently in the midst of my regional play reviewing season, but my Fourth of July weekend was open so I decided it was time to partake in my 70^th B & B review.  My choice:  Stewart Inn, owned and operated by Randy and Sara Bangs.

I couldn’t have asked for a better road trip.  I had to deal with a little rain, but also got to enjoy lunch with my best friend, Josh, when I made a brief stop in Fort Dodge, IA.  I had a peaceful layover with a comfortable suite at the Holiday Inn Express in Albert Lea, MN and then took a more scenic and circuitous (by 15 minutes) route to Wausau.

Mid-afternoon on Saturday found me in Wausau and I soon found myself outside the impressive edifice of Stewart Inn.  A quick text to Randy gained me entry into the mansion.  As the first arriving guest, Randy gave me a thorough tour of the inn and its rooms.

Stewart Inn is designed in the Revival style by George Maher, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright.  This is a big house, but it’s very wide as opposed to being tall.  It has the biggest commons area of any inn I’ve visited with a mammoth living room area, a library where one can curl up with a good book while seated in a comfy chair in front of a fire, and a TV room that could seat 6 people. 

Architectually speaking, everything in the house is original:  the wood, the fixtures, the fireplaces.  The furniture is not, though some of it is period.  After showing me around, Randy brought me to the Foster Room which would serve as my home away from home for a few days.

The Foster Room is very intimate with a working fireplace, a cozy chair, a small library, a desk, a queen-sized bed, and a TV mounted in the far wall.  Stewart Inn actually has a pillow menu, but the soft, squishy pillows set on my bed fit the bill just fine. 

Each room of the inn contains two unique amenities:  a steam spa shower and an Amazon Echo Show.  The Echo Show is voice activated with Alexa and you can get weather reports or enjoy some music.  The steam spa shower lets you turn the shower into a steam bath.

It was a perfect day (perfect weekend, for the most part) with very comfortable temperatures and very little humidity.  So I decided to walk to church to worship at Church of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  At least, that was the plan.

When I arrived, I was puzzled that no cars were in the parking lot and I found the doors locked (a fact that saddened me as, once upon a time, churches were unlocked all the time).  Someone connected with the church appeared and asked me if I needed help and I befuddledly answered that I was hoping to attend the 4pm service.  The helpful stranger told me that the 4pm service was at St Michael which I would never make.

As I walked back to the inn, I pulled up the church’s website and there it was:  4pm service.  Then I read the rest of the line “at St Michael”.  It turns out the website was for all the Catholic churches in Wausau and not just Resurrection.

So I enjoyed a leisurely walk around the neighborhood and downtown area before returning to the inn where I worshipped via a streaming service performed by Fr. Jack Sheaffer.

As it happens, Wausau is the hometown of my brother-in-law, Scott, and his mother, Pam, suggested I have a meal at the Pinewood Supper Club. So I made a reservation.

Pinewood Supper Club

If you want to enjoy fine dining, I recommend giving this club a try.  It’s located by Half Moon Lake so you can dine with a view of the water.  It also has a well-stocked bar for those who would like to enjoy a pre-dinner drink.  I was seated by the window where I enjoyed viewing the lake while noshing on a relish tray. 

My dinner consisted of a salad with a dill ranch dressing and a main entrée of Blackened Salmon Oscar served with jasmine rice, fruit salsa, and grilled asparagus.  The salmon was exquisite and I spent over an hour savoring the meal and even indulged in a post-dinner cordial of a grasshopper.

I drove back to the inn and took in another constitutional before retiring to my room for the night.

I awoke from a great night’s sleep and made use of the steam shower (very relaxing) before heading downstairs for some breakfast.

Down in the commons, I met Jodi and Brian with whom I enjoyed some conversation during the meal.  Randy had promised some really great coffee.  Now I don’t drink the stuff, but Jodi does and the self-professed “coffee snob” said it was really great coffee:  very dark and rich.  So consider that a recommendation from a connoisseur. 

Breakfast was served in 3 courses.  The first was a tasty yogurt served with grain-free granola.  The second was fresh strawberries from the Farmer’s Market with homemade whipped cream.  The final was biscuits and gravy.  All of it was wonderful and I truly appreciated the portion sizes as they didn’t leave you feeling stuffed to the gills.

If you’re into nature and outdoor activities, Wausau has a number of parks and is famed for skiing.  Given that it was summer, I decided to visit the Monk Botanical Gardens.

I was somewhat disappointed by the gardens simply because nothing seemed to be in bloom.  However, I did enjoy walking the trails and got to play around with a flower kaleidoscope.

I returned to Stewart Inn where I took a longer walk around the downtown area where I looked at the famed Grand Theater and the 400 Block which is an outside concert venue that plays host to many summertime concerts.

Grand Theater

The 400 Block

Sweets on 3rd

It started to mist a bit as I walked back towards the inn so I ducked into Sweets on 3^rd where I nibbled a cup of Ultimate Oreo ice cream while I waited for the weather to clear up.  Once it did, I returned to the inn where I organized photos and then headed out for a tour of Yawkey House.

Yawkey House Museum

Yawkey House was the home of Cyrus and Lisa Yawkey.  Cyrus was a lumber baron and had the house started in 1899 and it was completed in 1901 at a cost of $35K ($1,000,000 in today’s numbers).  Six years later, Cyrus had the house completely remodeled to keep up with the Joneses due to the popularity of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright whose revolutionary designs made Yawkey House’s original design seem passe. 

Cyrus was part of what was known as the Wausau Group.  They were a group of powerful businessmen who pooled their resources to bring a massive economic boost to Wausau (known as Big Bull Falls at the time).  So massive was Wausau’s growth as a result of their efforts that Wausau nearly took over as the state capital.

Yawkey House is definitely worth a tour, especially at the low cost of $7.  The house has had some restoration, but the woodwork is all original (most of which is no longer commercially available) as is most of the furniture. 

After my tour, I came back to Stewart Inn where I did some prep work on the article until dinnertime.

And my evening meal was eaten at Milwaukee Burger Company.  Now I rarely partake of a truly junky meal, but allowed myself to do so on this night.  I tried a Spicy Curd Burger with a side of chili cheese fries.  Everything about this burger screamed spice.  Aside from the two pieces of spicy curd, the burger also brings the heat with a spicy chipotle spread and jalapeno infused bacon.  The burger was nice and juicy and it definitely had a lingering heat as I very nearly broke out into a sweat.  The service wasn’t quite up to snuff and that’s even making allowances for the Great Resignation.

Milwaukee Burger Company

Spicy Curd Burger with Chili Cheese Fries

After dinner it was back to the inn to begin writing and just relaxing for the night.

Breakfast the next morning consisted of a delightful Almond Joy Crustini, cantaloupe, and polenta with chicken sausage. Conversation ran the gamut from music, to pets, to fitness, to employment. As we left the table, Randy gifted us with discount coupons for stays at Inns of Choice (11 best B & Bs in WI), future stays at Stewart Inn, and a last one for any B & B in WI.

Polenta with chicken sausage

Almond Joy Crustini

A very wonderful and relaxing inn experience and I was sorry to see it end. But if you find yourself, up Wausau’s way, take in a night or two at Stewart Inn. It’s a haven.

Have a fun Fourth and, until the next time. . .happy travels.

A Christmas Kind of Town: Phipps Inn & Hudson, WI

Phipps Inn

Today the road has brought me to Hudson, WI.

December has arrived which means it’s time for the annual Christmas review here at the Corner.  This year’s selection was Hudson, WI which is located right across the St Croix River from the Twin Cities and is home to Phipps Inn, owned and operated by Maryellen and Rich Cox.

Weather wise, I had a considerable amount of good fortune as no snow had fallen in the region so I had a clear and safe drive over to Hudson.  I arrived in town about 4:30 and was blown away by the activity in the downtown area.  I mean the joint was jumping!!  Very surprising for a small town.  Later I was to learn that Hudson is considered part of the Twin Cities metro area and receives a lot of visitors in the downtown area due to its plethora of restaurants and shops.

As my car slowly creeped through the heavy traffic, I could already tell that Hudson was a Christmas kind of town with the beautiful Christmas decorations hanging over the main drag as well as the colorful displays in the shop windows.  Once past the main drag, I was able to turn off into the historic district where I found Phipps Inn.

Phipps Inn is an 1884 Queen Anne Victorian mansion that had once been owned by, you guessed it, the Phipps.  They were a wealthy and philanthropic family which, regrettably, has died out though smatterings of their history still exist, both in the form of the inn and in at least one local museum.

I was greeted at the door by Maryellen Cox who gave me a quick, socially distanced check-in and led me to the Peacock Chamber which would serve as my headquarters for a few days.  The inn was lovingly decorated for the holidays and Maryellen told me normally they have even more decorations out, but kept things a little simpler this year due to the pandemic.  Personally, I thought it was just right.

The Peacock Chamber is located on the third floor of the mansion and the floor was once the ballroom before renovations.  The chamber itself is just perfect for a writer.  A half canopy queen sized bed is at the center of the room.  The room contains lush wood paneling, a gas fireplace and a massive two person jacuzzi tub with waterfall faucets.  A small table is located in the corner for breakfast in the morning or, in my case, a place to get some writing done.

After leaving me to my own devices, I did a quick exploration of the house, getting photos of all the Christmas goodness before donning my coat and hat and walking around the neighborhood to get photos of Christmas lights.

After a brisk walk, I decided to get some dinner and ordered some takeout from a popular local bar/restaurant called Paddy Ryan’s and ordered one of their house specialties, Irish Stew.  The stew was right on the money with a lightly spiced broth filled with lamb, bacon, and vegetables.  After dining, it was time to give my Christmas itch a serious scratch so I visited the nearby town of Somerset to take in Sam’s Christmas Village.

Sam’s Christmas Village is located on a 40 acre piece of property by the Apple River in Somerset and boasts a series of displays with a total of over 6 million lights.  Two of the hallmarks of the Village are its 500 foot light tunnel and 50 foot animated Christmas tree.  The property also boasts an onsite restaurant, gift shop and S’mores cabins (cabins that contain fixings and means of making s’mores).  The lights are all outside so social distancing is a snap.  A series of firepits along the path will help ward the chill out of your bones and a mask also makes for a dandy face warmer.  Sometimes Santa Claus can be found wandering the property spreading Christmas cheer.

This place truly awoke the kid in me as I marveled at the intricate light displays.  I honestly could have spent hours there, but, man, it was a frigid night.

I returned to the inn where I reviewed a new album by Omaha musician, Billy McGuigan.  You can read that review here.  At that point, I curled up under the triple sheets of my oh, so soft bed and put out the room lights shortly before my own went out.

The next morning, I rolled out of bed, turned on the fire to warm the room and proceeded to fill my tub.

Now this jacuzzi is a bathing tub, but you have to have the jets turned off when you want to scrub.  The tub has a very interesting effect when the jets are on.  A second waterfall faucet cascades water while the jets are going, but, somehow, doesn’t seem to add any extra water to the tub.  I’m not sure what the trick is, but it’s a neat effect.  After a good long soak, a knock at the door let me know breakfast was ready.

Normally you can have breakfast either in the dining room, your room or the front porch.  For social distancing, breakfast is currently only served in the room.  I found a basket with food and cutlery waiting for me and I enjoyed orange juice, milk, a Pecan French Toast cake or souffle for lack of a better word, raisin scone, sausage, fruit and a couple of chocolate chocolate chip nuggets.

Raisin scone, fruit, OJ, milk, Pecan French Toast Souffle, Sausage, and some dessert is hidden behind the fruit.

With breakfast put away, I took another walk around the neighborhood for some exercise as well as to get photos of houses with Christmas decorations that can only be viewed in daylight.

At noon, I stopped at the Octagon House Museum for a private Christmas tour.  The house had once been home to the Moffatt family and for Christmas the theme is the Christmas of the late 1800s.  The tour guide, Linnae, admitted that they embellish the theme a bit.  The Moffatts were from Scotland and Wales during the Victorian period and Victorian Christmases are very flashy.  However, the Moffatts were devout Baptists and lived very austerely and so would not have had the flash and sizzle of a traditional Victorian Christmas.

Octagon House Museum

It was a pleasant way to see how life was lived in yesteryear.  Photos were not permitted inside the house, but I did buy and photograph some postcards showing the home’s interior so you can get an idea of what the interior looked like.

Upper Left: Living Room Upper Right: Music Room Lower Left: Kitchen Lower Right: Dining Room. The china had been owned by the Phipps family.

When my tour was done, I listened to the Iowa Hawkeyes put a beating on Illinois in football.  Admittedly, it took a couple of quarters for Iowa to kick it into gear, but it’s how you finish that counts.

My stomach started to rumble so I ordered some dinner from the Milwaukee Burger Company and picked up their Jalapeno and Smoked Cheddar Infused Burger with a side of Tailgater’s Chili that I enjoyed in my room.  The burger was just right.  Perfect kick.  Smoky.  And the chili really stuck to your ribs.

I did another walk around the neighborhood and visited the downtown area to get photos of their lights.  I thought about working on this article when I got back and decided I was taking the night off.  The instant I did, my body said, “You got it, boss” and I felt my adrenaline shut off and the toll of a long drive and the running around I’d be doing hit me all at once.  I drew a hot bath and let the jets massage my lower back for about 20 minutes before crawling into bed and reading myself to sleep.

I tell you there’s nothing like a full night of sleep.  I awoke ready to write and breakfast arrived about 9:15am.

Today’s repast included a sticky bun that had an apple cinnamon sauce and sliced pecans (I think), a baked apple with a cherry on top, a tiny square of mint cake, a casserole of eggs, sausage, cheese, potatoes that came with a brown, spicy salsa and my milk and OJ.

Mint cake, milk, OJ, Baked Apple, Breakfast Casserole, salsa, sticky bun and bread.

Another fine meal was tucked away and left me time to finish writing and begin the trip home.  But a stay at Phipps Inn in the quiet town of Hudson can be a restful retreat for you and if you like Christmas there’s always Sam’s Christmas Village and the Twin Cities are just a short drive away.

Until the next time. . .happy travels. . .and happy holidays!