EPT Current photos are generally stock or google-able, I am waiting on an email from the girlfriend for our stuff
About a month ago, my girlfriend and I joined the University Club of Saint Paul. The University Club of Saint Paul was founded 100 years ago in the then boom capitol of my fair state, Minnesota. The only qualifications for joining was that one must have a University degree (Of course at the time this would have really limited the number of people who were eligible to join.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/U5K940D.png)
Swanky, and surprisingly affordable. Tree.Hugger, let me know when you want to grab a drink or hit up the pool.
There are many fringe benefits to joining a club like this, the most used is likely the reciprocal membership at one of the nicest gyms I've ever seen.
![[image loading]](http://www.thespac.com/images/dynamic/getImage.gif?ID=3478510)
Seriously, the other cardio room has chandeliers, and there is a bar in the lobby. Can't get that at a Lifetime Fitness.
There are quite a few clubs like this across the US and maybe Europe so look into it (seriously do, we're talking cheap stays in just about every major US city, and some even have student rates), but being a newly referred member we received two nights free at Stout's Island Lodge.
Our three year anniversary is coming up, and we figured why not have a bit of an early weekend to ourselves to ring it in. Needless to say the girlfriend and I packed, hopped into the car with a gratuitous amount of bad food (per road trip protocol), and headed east towards the scenic Birchwood, Wisconsin (Bluegill Capitol of the World according to the fish statue in the town.)
![[image loading]](http://www.cardcow.com/images/set434/card00580_fr.jpg)
I don't know when this was taken, but not much has changed since this postcard was printed
There isn't much between Saint Paul and the the bustling metropolis of Birchwood, population 442. Taylor's Falls, MN, a casino, numerous billboards informing me of various stages of infant development and a multitude of over sized, Adirondack chairs informing me just how great life was on Highway 8. Beyond that, it appeared to me as though the entire state economy of Wisconsin may, or may not be based entirely on auto repair, churches, and liquor stores. You can throw a rock at just about any point in any town and hit one of the three I promise.
![[image loading]](http://www.highway8chairs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/photo1.jpg)
There are so many of these, I think they were trying a bit too hard to convince passersby
After about two hours, we got to a little landing and waited for the hourly ferry to come pick us up. When they say Stout's Island, they literally mean island which is incredibly cool though occasionally inconvenient.
The lodge itself resembles the University Club if only in history. It was built by a lumber baron, to use the informational pamphlet's description in the early portion of the twentieth century. The whole building has an old smell about it as well, not in the sense of stale museum air but a really vivid combination of fresh air, bon fires, and rooms that have been heated by fire for decades that brings the lodge to life.
![[image loading]](http://www.chicagomag.com/images/2011/0611/C201106-Summer-Escapes-Stouts-Island-Lodge-front-lawn.jpg)
View of the main lodge from the front lawn. The front lawn of the main lodge, is home to a croquet court and a tennis court is just over a small hill on the back side of the island.
We arrived at about one in the afternoon and spent a bit of time settling into our room before going to explore for a bit. While the upshot to being on the island was some beautiful scenery, the primary disadvantage was that wind made our first day too cold to swim or do much of anything on the lake given our lack of motorized watercraft. Instead of swimming we took a stroll around the island and checked out the small, peripheral island that has trodden trails to either end.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/rGlkdgy.png)
Despite my girlfriend's affinity for Instagram, you can tell it was a bit overcast though the wind was what really killed it.
Our full day at Stout's was much more forgiving. Having decompressed a bit, something which I find exceedingly difficult to do (I am one of those people who wake up when their alarm should have gone off on my days off, in a panic I will be late for work.), we waiting for some of the chill of the morning to burn off before grabbing a canoe and taking an hour to paddle around the island and check out some of the other islands near by.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/gpoNNqP.png)
This cabin had recently been abandoned, though none of the staff knew why. The cabinets still had all the dishes, and the beds were still upstairs in reasonably good states as well. Kind of Evil Dead like.
We ended our weekend, treating ourselves to a rather pricey meal at the lodge. We already had spent less money than our room cost for one night, so we figured why not treat ourselves. I had a fantastically delicious bison steak which I am still salivating over, despite it being a bit closer to medium than my preferred medium rare.
We packed our stuff in the night before, and headed out on the first ferry back to shore to beat out the other weekenders to the freeway and hopefully some of the cabin traffic back into the Twin Cities. For the first time in a while, I feel pretty relaxed on a Monday morning. I forget all too often how to, "not do," if that makes any sense.
Though weekends at home are nice, it does a body good to get out of a familiar environment and take a step back. I should have some more photos up later, which I'll just list at the bottom. Thanks for reading. What did you get up to this weekend?
