Elkhart Lake Wisconsin Weekend Retreat

A few weekends ago, I went on a women's retreat with my mom's church to Elkhart Lake, WI. Now, anyone from Wisconsin knows the beauty and charm that Elkhart Lake is known for, even those who have never visited it. It's a resort town. In fact, one of its greatest features is the grand Osthoff Hotel.

The Osthoff is situated on a cute little lake with a public pass-through path. It's a great place for a wedding. In fact, there were at least three going on the weekend we stayed there. One happened right in the "living room" area of the hotel. We gawked and "awwwed" from the upper level windows as the bride walked down the aisle. The backyard area is the most picturesque place for wedding photos.

Our speaker for the retreat was Jennifer Sands, whose husband was a victim of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. That travesty led her to her spiritual transformation and powerful speaking and writing career. I guarantee that you can't listen to her story without shedding some tears. I even won one of her books, which I had her sign, and am eagerly waiting to dive into it.

I really wish we could've stayed longer at the hotel. We had so many ongoing sessions, that we had little time to relax and watch cardinals from our balcony. Our hotel room was more like an apartment, complete with two whole bedrooms (mine's pictured below), two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchenette. I would've happily lived there:) Except I would miss my little family a little too much.

The food we were provided was excellent too. We had two formal meals while there. Only downside was, they served fish and I can't eat fish. But, the quality of the food and the amazing staff make up for that. Plus, no one told me you had to list your dietary restrictions beforehand. Ah well.

Speaking of food, the Osthoff actually offers gourmet cooking classes inside their amazing cooking school. We peeked in the kitchen and it's pretty neat. I've never seen anything like that before in my little Wisconsin existence. I could see Hubster and I spending our anniversary there, learning how to make French cuisine together. That would be so up our alley. Well actually, gourmet burgers would be so up his alley, but you get the point.

I was even able to stay pretty active during our stay. One of the church members is a licensed Zumba instructor, so mom and I got up early on Saturday to get schwetty. I also took a little stroll around the quaint downtown area and ended up accidentally making one big loop right back to where I came from. I would imagine it's even more fun when it's a lot warmer with the multitude of indoor and outdoor pools and public beaches. The Osthoff also has a workout center if none of those other options please you.

I'm so glad I went on this trip to get a little refresh. I remember taking short trips with youth group growing up and remembering how transformed and refreshed I always felt afterward. It was about time that I let myself get away for a little retreat from life as I usually know it.

If you're ever in the Elkhart Lake area, I would highly suggest booking a room at this hotel.