My husband and I just got back from a 3 night anniversary trip at the Wild Rice Retreat in Bayfield, Wi. Wild Rice is a wellness retreat located on the gorgeous Lake Superior. Even though I had never been to a wellness retreat prior, I was familiar with what they are. They embody and focus on how I try to live already – with a full mind, body, & spirit approach. With this said, a designated vacation away allows for a greater focus, a new viewpoint, more downtime, and a renewed feeling. Not to mention, the stunning natural surroundings and environment is not my norm. Needless to say I was super excited to go.
Designed to nurture individual creativity and human development, Wild Rice Retreat provides the environment for grounding the mind, body, and soul. Founded on the three pillars of nourishment, expression, and movement, Wild Rice Retreat invites you to find peace amongst our respite on the shores of Lake Superior.
Wild Rice Retreat
From the moment I started walking over their serene walkway into the main entrance, I felt an extra sense of ease.
Between the informative check-in process at the front desk and extremely friendly staff, all my questions I had coming in were answered. FYI If you book through them directly, the meals are included in the reflected price. If you book through an outside site like Booking.com, you can add on the meals for $60/day per person ($30/brunch 10am-12pm and $30/dinner 5-7pm). There is also a complimentary light breakfast (8am-9am) if you purchase a daily meal as well. Let them know of any dietary needs prior.
Once I walked into our Nest, excitement and calmness set in. It was so beautiful. The light wood planked walls, the large windows letting the natural surroundings in, the neutral furnishings, and all the little details. We opted for the 480 sq ft NEST with the King bed, but they also offer a 310 sq ft RicePod, or private suites in their Treehaus. We slept like a baby in the extremely comfortable, cloud-like bed, laden in Parachute linens.
Wild Rice offers offer both personal retreats as well as different guided retreats each month. We opted for a personal retreat which allowed us to enjoy the grounds, amenities, meals, and any of their daily classes on our own schedule.
Since we drove 8 hours from Chicago and it was our first time to the area, we also wanted to explore the surrounding areas as well.
The end of August was a great time to explore everywhere, but if it was the dead of winter, I would just stay put at the retreat and soak up the stillness.
When evening came, we put on our oversized plush robes and walked to the Sauna Haus. I finally had my chance to try out the extreme hot cold therapy going between their sauna and cold plunge. It was every bit as cold as I imagined. I only got to my waste for about one second twice, but I tried it. Their Peace Pod and Sauna Haus is available 24/7, provided the Peace Pod doesn’t have a guided session in place.
Each morning and evening we just sat overlooking the breathtaking Lake Superior.
One of the day’s we ventured on the Brownstone Trail which takes you directly from the property into downtown Bayfield. A beautiful and fairly easy 35 minute walk (each way) along Lake Superior.
Last, but not least, the food. The food was absolutely incredible with local, simple, creative, and delicious offerings. I was amazed at how well they executed all of the different dietary needs, including my own. If anyone needed anything not available, the chef went out of his way to accommodate with what he had. I had fun chatting with him too; he taught me how to make his baked veggies at home. It might just be his state-of-the-art ovens at high heat and the oils, but either way, I left inspired by his food. Prior to being Wild Rice Retreat, it was the home of the Wild Rice restaurant by Mary Hulings Rice. Wild Rice was a James Beard nominated restaurant for many years and provided an incredible space for dining and inspiration. Wild Rice Retreat is most definitely keeping her legacy alive.
It left us feeling inspired and rejuvenated. We would love to return again some day. Until next time, Wild Rice Retreat.
Scroll down for a post on visiting the Bayfield, Cornucopia, + Madeline Island area.
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