The end of summer has arrived. As an Angeleno, I know this primarily because they are now serving pumpkin lattes at Starbucks. In other parts of the country, I hear, the end of summer is very real and very tragic, and every last moment of it must be savored and celebrated.
I believe this to be especially true in the winter-is-no-joke Midwest. My mom grew up in Illinois and every summer she would take an overnight train to Wisconsin for two months of summer camp. As a child I found the stories about this trip unbelievably romantic. An overnight train filled with kids off to summer camp?! Even now it seems like something out of Harry Potter. When I saw the photos of Camp Wandawega (adorable website!), the summer camp turned hotel in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, I felt like every fantasy I have had about my mom's 1950's childhood were realized.
This lodge-themed hotel is only open from May to October and it seems like the ideal destination for lessening the pain of letting summer go and welcoming all that autumn has to offer.
I stole these photos from Time Out Chicago. You'll also find a good article about the place at that link.
I've been letting nostalgia get the best of me lately. I can't say Southern Illinois in the summer was always the sweetest with its CRAZY humidity, mosquitos and heat, but I do have a soft spot for it in my memory.
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