Gallagher's Travels: Letter From the Editor: June 2005

Letter from the Editor

June 2005

Dear Friends,

Continuing our theme from last month on combining spa visits with decadent teas and more, I scheduled a visit to Kohler "land" during a whirlwind driving tour of south central Wisconsin.

Wisconsin, I learned on arrival at the Milwaukee airport is highly populated and visited by golf fanatics! Wind, rain, frigid temperatures make no difference. The groups, especially up from Chicago can tolerate the worst weather. Everyone seems to be hail and hearty from the "Lake Affect". Like any large body of water, Lake Michigan affects the weather with almost instantaneous changes. Apparently after years of this mercurial uncertainty the natives have evolved into a highly adaptable species that come equipped with golf clubs.

Less than an hour north of Milwaukee -if I drive, slightly more if you're from Wisconsin or just two hours north of Chicago, it's an easy ride into the Village of Kohler, just off Interstate 43 and adjoining the immaculate broom clean and picturesque lakeside town of Sheboygan.

I flew into General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee direct from National Airport in DC, rented a car and figured out how to get out of the usual garage tangle in a reasonable time. At the luggage carousel be sure and ask for Lee or Robert to assist with your bags, they even know the car slot locations by heart. I use red caps, sky caps, porters and bellman all the time. It's a small price to pay when they know the short cuts or I'm not interested in throwing out my back. At Penn station in NYC they'll even change the direction of the escalator! Well follow this advice if your luggage arrives, mine seemed to have its own plans and went to Detroit or somewhere but Robert still knew what to do.

Amtrak most conveniently has a new station at the airport.

Amtrak Entrance

If you stay at the Village of Kohler for a week, every day will be filled. Unfortunately I only had a few hours to savor the best.

We started the morning by shopping in the Shops at Woodlake Kohler with its variety of high quality stores (wonderful women's clothing) and gorgeous landscaped grounds. While having a very nice lunch at Cucina, their classy bistro, with windows everywhere, we watched someone fishing in a decorative pond! Koi for dinner?

Cucina Restaurant

Having been on the road for 22 days I hardly needed to eat again so we split a wonderful and huge Radicchio salad that included mixed greens, green beans, grape tomatoes and baked Mozzarella crostini with goat cheese. The Rustica thin crust pizza with Italian sausage, caramelized onions and crimini mushrooms was unique with a sweetness from the onions, terrific crust and I polished off the leftovers the next day. Service was friendly but professional and the restaurant filled to capacity quickly. Many people seemed to be regulars, recognized and greeted by the pleasant staff. There is a small intimate bar area cleverly separated from the main dining space that looked like a great place to take a break on hot lazy summer afternoons.

Next we raced to through three floors of the Kohler Design Center to tour dozens of kitchens, baths, decorating ideas and in the lower level 130 years of Kohler Company history. Many people were just cruising while oohing at displays; others had blueprints and measurements in hand, a few with cameras.

One of my favorite settings was a huge round Jacuzzi surrounded by backlit glass block. You should not remodel without at least getting a copy of their massive catalog. Individual decorators have treated the rooms with such a grand variety of styles.

American Club Hotel

Sticking to our schedule, we walked to the original American Club hotel for a tour. The three story, 347 foot long building was designed in a Tudor style, with steep slate roofs and many dormers. In it's original incantation in 1918, Walter Kohler stated that "the name American Club was decided upon as it was thought that with high standards of living and clean, healthful recreation it would be a factor in inculcating in the men of foreign antecedent a love for their adopted country...If this Club besides providing suitable living conditions, be also an influence in the Americanization of the foreign born and serve as a stimulus for greater love of country and a desire for a higher citizenship, then its purpose will have been achieved".

Walking around the inside with it's heavy wood paneling, elegant fireplaces and furnishings it's hard to believe that this was once housing for emigrant workers at the factory. A long way from the tenements of NYC or the housing for miners in Pennsylvania. The entire history and concept of the Kohler's and their concern for the worker makes fascinating reading. If you visit be sure and request a tour with the concierge.

Even if you are not staying at the American club stop in for a coffee at the stunning antique solarium from Chorley, Lancashire, England, that was meticulously dismantled, transported and reassembled piece by piece to stand in the Fountain Courtyard as the Greenhouse café providing a selection of desserts, homemade ice cream, European pastries, coffees and specialty drinks. Just walking into the room takes your breath away.

Greenhouse Cafe at the American Club

The first renovations and transformation to the Inn were in the 1940's and by the late 70's major renovation was again necessary. On the National Register of Historic Places, great care and expertise was taken to bring the property to a level of grandeur that is carried on today.

Fountain Courtyard

Continuing our mad dash, we aimed for the spa and our treatments. Darn, there was tea, coffee and cookies set out at the American Club but no time to sit and enjoy. The Kohler Waters Spa keeps growing at every turn and today features a relaxation pool with waterfall, spa boutique, separate men and women's whirl pools, plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms and areas to just lounge and have a refreshing beverage. Opening very soon will be an expansion of over 9,000 square feet.. Eight new treatment rooms, as well as ten new Immersion Suites will offer in-room spa services - is this luxury? Another exciting new amenity will be the glass-enclosed rooftop deck with whirlpools, fireplace and lounge providing a relaxing co-ed area that guests may enjoy year-round. I can just picture myself enjoying a whirlpool while watching the snow come down outside. The staff seemed quite competent and the individual treatment rooms spacious.

Waters Spa

Lots of choices in treatments for men running from Golfer's Foot Renewal or the Executive Head Trip that includes head neck and scalp massage with warm essential oil. A shampoo and conditioning treatment followed by a relaxing hand massage.

Women can enjoy a Restoration Facial, Relax & Renew and even a Maternity Massage among many others.

Once again a tight schedule allowed time for a wonderful full body massage and my sister an Avocado Stone Facial that she still talks about but all we could do was gaze longingly at the other amenities. I was amazed, for a weekday, at the number of men using the spa. Actually more men than I've ever seen in my spa going life.

Whistling Straits Club House and Restaurant

Now sadly leaving the Waters but thrilled to be driving to Kohler's Whistling Straits Restaurant for an early and the best dusk views dinner. When you make your reservations ask for a window table as they overlook the famous golf course and from some you can see Lake Michigan slightly beyond. Also if you're a golfer you can critique those still playing on the course.

View from Whistling Straits dining room

I started with a cup of the Potato Leek soup that includes a small carafe of sherry to add ($4.00) and we shared a baked double cream brie with Maryland Crab in puff pastry with chives and topped with a lobster cream ($13.00). For entrees, my sister claimed her Duet of Duck and Quail ($28) featured the best quail she had ever had while the duck was just good. Our waiter talked her partner, Chuck, into the seared Chilean Sea Bass served on a artichoke and olive risotto with tomato butter sauce ($29.00) which he thoroughly enjoyed. My grilled wild Alaskan King Salmon was served with grilled zucchini with roasted tomatoes on jasmine rice with balsamic butter sauce ($27.50). Every item was delicious and each plate presented beautifully with generous size servings and we left not a scrap! I couldn't do it but the others went for the Banana Cheesecake on recommendation of our waiter.

We had arrived early and now the Whistling Straits was "whistling" full - most diners envious of our center-window-side table. It was a little puzzling that for efficient service - the work of a skilled dining room team, no course of our food was hot - just warm or tepid. In the spirit of a great day and evening I didn't quiz the waiter on this phenomenon.

As the dusk deepened it ended a wonderful and all too short time in Kohler "Land" a heavenly spot for golfers, spa goers, shoppers, eaters and the rest of us. Please visit their website to learn about the world famous golfing and other amenities available. I'm ready to return anytime. www.destinationkohler.com and www.kohler.com

Back in Virginia and discovering a great weather forecast for Saturday, a friend and I decided to drive over to Annapolis for a boat ride. The Maryland State Tourism site www.visitmaryland.org has a complete list featuring different types of boating excursions with a variety of itineraries, lengths of trip, boat types and cost along Maryland's shore including Annapolis. This link will get you started www.visitmaryland.org/press_room/currentreleases.asp.

We saw the Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake go by with lots of little heads furiously bobbing up and down in happy activities. Children quietly sneak aboard, avoiding the dreaded "bad pirates" and are transformed into "good" pirates, complete with face paint, tattoos, and pirate fashions. Their time aboard the safe, stable ship is filled with non-stop activity, including reading a treasure map, hauling loot aboard, and, of course, defending the ship with their famous water cannons. www.chesapeakepirates.com/

Boarding the Woodwind

"These adults" picked a winner by selecting the 74 ft wood Schooner "Woodwind" and a 2-hour sailing cruise into the Chesapeake Bay. Our Captain Ken Kaye made the trip educational, interesting and great fun. Groaning at his jokes is allowed. Everyone that wanted, could hoist sails or take the big wheel and try their hand at being captain. The crew was a tanned competent happy young team encouraging everyone's, especially Captain Kens, faith in the future.

Combine spectacular blue skies, perfect wind, and a colorful spinnaker race around us, one couldn't ask for a better or more memorable day. It's quite easy to navigate the Woodwind's very comprehensive website that also lists special events - some like the Fathers Day Brunch sail sell out early. Ordering tickets online or calling to reserve is a good idea.

Spinnaker Race

Getting to Annapolis on a Saturday late morning from Northern Virginia was pretty efficient and the websites directions are perfect - don't use MapQuest. After my Wisconsin drive trip I will never use this erroneous and useless system again. Route 50 and other main road traffic can be a bear on Friday or Sunday nights. I found the all too frequent motorcyclists doing over 100 mph in races or individually on the apparently un-policed straightaway a bit unnerving.

It's a good idea to allow plenty of time to find parking as the earlier you get to the area the better. Street parking is quite limited with short term meters and other restrictions throughout the town. There are inexpensive lots with shuttles to the main shopping and bayside area. We arrived around 11 am, parked and had lunch but needed to move the car once. Lots, streets and meters were full by noon as the streets were packed with sun and water worshiping tourists. Restaurants had long waits. Visitors from Philadelphia onboard said they had given up the day before because of the crowds and driven back to St. Charles to explore. They also discovered that not having a photo ID precluded one from taking the Naval Academy tour.

I looked at quite a few of the schedules and prices before making what turned out to be an excellent choice with the Woodwind. Generally there are all day, hourly or every few hour schedules for all the ships in Annapolis especially on warm weather weekends. Everything from 40 minutes (average $16pp) to all day ($100 plus) cruises are available. This was a Schooner sailing ship with a two hour trip at 1:30pm fitting all our criteria for that visit.

Although it was quite calm with an even wind, if you are a bit queasy on the seas perhaps one of the yachts or flatter bottom boats would be a good alternative to not going at all. I've also done those in the past and thoroughly enjoyed the trips.. All in all you'll have a spectacular time and this is an activity appropriate for multigenerational families. Wear a hat that stays on in wind and reapply sun screen several times.

Schooner Woodwind
80 Compromise Street
Annapolis, MD 21403
410 263 7837
www.schooner-woodwind.com

Check Destinations as we always add new stories to the top. You'll notice Ernie Alderete, Dorothea Michelman, Phyllis Steinberg, Kathie Farnell and our latest journalist Mark Bradley aka "semi retired international playboy", have sent fresh reports of their recent travels. Joe Phalen, our superb arts writer has new contributions for Boston, Philadelphia and our first book review.

Two new categories, Cruise News and Books on Review, have self explanatory titles that I can easily understand unlike the pictures, drawings and titles on some restroom doors. Gullettes?

It's nice to be home for a few weeks, work on some book projects, garden and perhaps even fight through all the secondary mail that's lying around. This is a very busy time in Washington and every place, with great programs at museums, gallery previews, festivals and all the subsequent educational and entertainment venues - many low cost or free.

May life continue to treat you well.

Happy Trails!

Mary E. Gallagher

mary@gallagherstravels.com

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