About Us

We're a multi-generational family sharing our two log cabins on Washington Island, WI.

Bob & Gail (Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa) - started this adventure in the 1970s by falling in love with "the island." In short order, long before it was cost-prohibitive, they purchased 3 lakefront lots and, along with friends and family, hand-built the first cabin now known as the Lodge in a "Lincoln log" style. This was their perfect getaway between 1980 and about 1998. It was then they realized their family had outgrown the Lodge. In the late '90s, they started on plans for the Nook, which became their home away from home for the next two decades.

Our family stories became entwined with Washington Island through vacations, holiday visits, summer jobs held by multiple family members, deep involvement in island events, and even some family becoming year-round residents for a time. Gail, an at-home parent for much of her adult life, found an outlet for her writing passion by submitting short stories to the Island newspaper, then called The Island Exchange (of News & Information). This passion would eventually lead Bob & Gail to buy the paper in 1993, rename it The Washington Island Observer, and run it for 20 years with the help of family, friends, and the Island community. The onset of Bob's Alzheimer's made this work untenable and they sold the paper.

With Gail's passing in 2013 and Bob's declining health we sought ways to honor their wishes to keep the family connection to Washington Island through these homes. In 2018 Bob passed on, joining the love of his life, and now we strive to honor their love of this unique place by keeping the cabins in the family and sharing them with others who are drawn to one of Wisconsin's hidden gems.

Thank you for supporting our family and we hope you'll come stay with us soon!