Secret Wisconsin Getaway Involves Campfires, Hot Tubs

There are too few winters in this life to spend them all in Chicago’s cold embrace.

Even now — with springtime climes in February — a man needs an escape.

Good thing you’ve got one in Wisdom Woods, a cozy getaway cabin in Wisconsin that demands your attention right now.

“After years of looking for the perfect escape and only finding overly corporate, touristy accommodations, we decided to create our own,” says Chad and Heather Kirsebom, the husband-and-wife duo behind this new Wisconsin retreat.

The dead-end hunt for the perfect getaway is an all-too-common story, especially in the colder months. The slopes of your favorite ski resort get more crowded every year. And that “tucked away” cabin complex? They’ve got a Starbucks down the road now.

So the Kirseboms found a spot in the small town of Spooner, Wisconsin — six hours northwest of Chicago and two hours east of Minneapolis — and built Wisdom Woods.

It’s a bit of a haul, but once you’re supine in a private sauna after a day of campfire cooking and fat-tire biking, we think you’ll agree the trip is well worth it.

Their complex sits on a wide swath of private land, and includes a lodge, spa (with sauna, hot tub and optional massage services) and multiple camping sites. At the moment, they can accommodate up to 25 people, which makes it equally ideal for a caravan of friends as a corporate retreat you’ll actually look forward to.

And once you’re settled in, you won’t be stuck inside playing a 1980s edition of Yahtzee like at your grandparents’ cabin. The Kirseboms fashioned this retreat with their decidedly modern interests in mind, so activities abound.

Fat-tire biking across the property and frozen lake, as well as access to a shooting range, hiking trails, community garden, yoga studio and the spa are all included. For an additional charge, you can rent snowmobiles, snowshoes and boats, depending on the season.

“We view the stay at Wisdom Woods as a true north woods experience with a modern-day twist and design,” the Kirseboms say, “or north woods meets modern day architecture and design, two things we love but are hard to find.”

While they’re hard to find in the log cabin department, it turns out they’re also in demand. This first year of business has been booked as fast as they can release time slots.

So if Wisdom Woods sounds like your kind of winter refuge, you’ll want to shoot them a note, and quick.