Thoughts & Reflections

 (We hope you visit here often, and would love to hear your questions and comments - email: info@journeyinn.net or visit us on FACEBOOK.

Announcement!

Lake Pepin Food,
Wine & Cider Festival

Date: Saturday, Sept. 25, 1 — 5 p.m.
Cost: Adult $25, Child (12 & under) $15
Location: Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery
W12266 King Lane Stockholm WI 54769

Reservations required!!  Tickets available now!
Call 715 448-3502 (receive a package discount when staying 2 nights at Journey Inn)

July 25th, Sunday at WideSpot in Stockholm-
A Cabaret of Consciousness is The New Musical for our Era.
 It's About Life, It's Green and a Whole Lot of FUN!
www.GinaCitoli.net

May 18, 2010 entry - Special for Journey Inn Facebook fans only!!!  Go to your Facebook page and see our specials for this coming weekend (rooms and a Patchouli CD release discount).  Spring is sprung in its full glory and there's room at the Inn!  It looks to be a wonderful weather weekend.

NEW IN MAIDEN ROCK!   Linda Harding is offering monthly cooking classes in her beautiful kitchen overlooking Lake Pepin. She specializes in healthy eating, using natural, local & organic ingredients.  This is a hands on experience and you will enjoy a delicious dinner afterwards. Spend 2 nights at Journey Inn and receive a package discount ($30 off- includes 2 organic brunches!) Call for details -  715-448-2424 Visit www.thekitchensage.com

 June 5 & 6th - Local Wine  Local Food - visit wineries and enjoy local treats.
http://www.greatriverroadwinetrail.org/events/events.html
 
MAY 4, 2010 - We had a wonderful time at the Living Green Expo. This was our fourth year having a booth there. There were many new and fun booths this year.  The winners of our drawing  were K. Hills and R. Bentz.

This February 14th we will celebrate 7 years of living in Maiden Rock and building our dream of running Journey Inn (this July will be our 4th anniversary)  Our goal has been to create a space for  you to heal, learn, and connect with your inner self, each other and nature. Thank you for letting us support you on your journey and thanks for supporting ours! We have loved meeting you and look forward to seeing you again, as well as  welcoming new guests. Wishing you all the best in 2010.

Beginning February 16, A to Z Farm again serves up pizza night.  Only on Tuesdays from 4:30-8:00 till end of Autumn. The chicken coop is heated for eating there, or bring your pizza back to the Inn.
This is a delicious and unique farm adventure!

12/13/09 

Winter's here! 8 or so inches of the white stuff as far as the eye can see contrasts our wide blue sky, and it's just awaiting new trails to be broken by snowshoes and skis. What a grand time to take in the view from the Inn's comfy Center Room, feet up in front of the wood stove, reading the good book or contemplating life. We hope to see you soon!

 Note: The Full Moon Candlelit Labyrinth walk has been canceled.  We had a good foot of snow all at once that erased the pattern.  It we have a little melting we'll be able to reconstruct it.  We'll let you know.  In the meantime, come and snowshoe our 66 acres of pure snow
 

Join us! Stockholm Country Christmas

December  5 & 6th brings in the Holiday spirit. Visit festive small towns - Maiden Rock, Stockholm & Pepin, as they treat you to music and treats.  Shop in small unique shops and leave the stress behind. Enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides and mellow holiday spirit.

9/28/09    AUTUMN COLORS 

The colors of autumn are beginning. The backroad hills were glowing today.  It will be a beautiful weekend.  Due to a cancellation Journey Inn has an opening this weekend, October 2 & 3rd. Also, enjoy the Fall Art Tour this weekend.

The Lake Pepin Food, Wine and Cider Festival was a great success, as was the art & fire project on the shores of Lake Pepin (though an all day rain the day before created a slow burn).  It all added up to a creative, relaxing day for our guests.

I'd like to encourage anyone interested to book now for September 24th weekend, 2010 as I had to turn many a person away this year! 

Pick up an end-of-season Blue Sky Guide for a $35 off coupon for a 2 night stay.

 9/17/2009  The Cottage has just added a bedroom with queen bed and a double sofa sleeper in the living room.  Current rates are $175/night and $1050/week. 

Lots of great local events are coming up shortly, including The Fresh Art Fall Art Tour, Art & Fire, Lake Pepin Food, Wine & Cider Festival.  Also, consider signing up for The Enneagram for Couples, Couples Massage Weekend, plus a new event we're hosting in November, Exploring the Wheel of Life – Sacred Teachings of the Medicine Wheel.  See our Calendar page for more details about these and other events.

On 8/22/09  Join Harvey Halvorsen from the Prairie Enthusiast for a

steep hike up Morgan Coulee hill, across the road from Journey Inn. Harvey will be identifying prairie plants and more. In 2004, Harvey and a team of folks from the DNR help us collect seed, burn our land and plant a prairie to continue the genetic line from the plants on the hill.  8-10:00 AM, Saturday.

8/8/2009  Summer's here and Autumn workshops aren't far behind

Summer is here at Journey Inn, as the heat's finally rising and the sun's out!  As Labor Day fast approaches, many of us are making last-minute plans for a summer get-away.  Here in the coulee everything is green and lush, exploration possibilities are abundant - as is the wildlife - deer, coyotes, hawks, turkey vultures and many small mammals.  We're grateful to be here in our home and inn, and hope you will join us soon for a getaway, a chance to relax, explore and enjoy great food.

Check out our Calendar for information about upcoming Enneagram For Couples and Couples Massage weekends.  We are offering discounts for early birds.  These are popular events so sign up soon! 

We hope to see you.

7/28/09 The Cottage Opens Its Doors!

We are now renting The Cottage, a wonderful, cozy vacation home on the Journey Inn property.  The Cottage is for guests who are looking for a quiet get-away or retreat in a natural setting.  It has a fully equipped kitchen, casual dining area, living room with wood stove, two bathrooms (one with shower, one with bath) and a covered porch.  The living room, dining room and kitchen are an open floor plan and fully tiled.  The bedroom has a wooden floor and futon bed (we will shortly be adding another futon bed, expanding to a two-bedroom capacity). 

Check out our listing on VRBO.com for prices, availability, pictures and other details.  We hope to see you soon.

7/10/09 Stockholm Art Fair, July 18th, Saturday only.

Enjoy a wonderful array of art in beautiful Stockholm park (10 minutes from Journey Inn).  Music & good food all day!

 BLUEBERRY PICKING HAS BEGUN!

Call Rush River Produce for details 715-594-3648 or visit www.rushriverproduce.com Open Thur, Fri, Sat & Sun 8AM-2PM

6/20/09  Hope you are having a wonderful summer solstice weekend.

Fireflies are lighting up the night sky on clear nights and we've had wild nights of lightning shows across the sky on stormy ones.  The sky above Maiden Rock will be lit up on the 4th of July with fireworks and Brazilian Jazz will be pouring out of the Creamery building. Hope you can come!

We are enjoying fresh, organic veggies from our CSA farm.  Check the CUISINE page for a great recipe if you are wondering what to do with all that chard and spinach.

There are two rooms available for the Lake Pepin Farm Tour Weekend, July 24-26th. See the Calendar page for more details or call Charlene at 715-448-2424

 
5/10/09 - Prairie Burn at Journey Inn

We just completed a prairie burn on the north side of our property.  Volunteers from Prairie Enthusiasts were on hand to orchestrate the whole process.  It was about 5 years ago that we planted our 1 1/2 acre of native prairie, assisted by the Wisconsin DNR, and it was long past time for the burn.  We are so gratified it finally happened and appreciate the fine work of the Prairie Enthusiasts crew.

 4/24 - Spring budding has begun

I was amazed to see white roadside flowers have blossomed along the west side of County A. (bloodroot, I think).  The hills will be full of trilliums by the second week of May, in time for the Fresh Art Tour (call for a brochure, 715-448-2424). Local artists let you into their homes, studios and galleries to be inspired by their winter creations.  Some have wonderful gardens and unique plants for sale.

4/18 -  Upcoming Fun Events

In two week (the weekend of 5/1-5/3) we'll be sitting in our booth at The Living Green Expo at the State Fair Grandstand in St. Paul.  One of our favorite annual activities, the Expo is a chance to find out what's happening in the world of Green.  "The Living Green Expo, Minnesota’s largest environmental event, provides real solutions for people to live better, healthier lives with less impact on the environment. The two-day event, free to visitors, connects people who are interested in making a positive difference both in their lives and in their communities."  Visit our booth and the dozens of other exhibitors/workshops, and find out all you'd like to know about the cutting edge of green living.

A weekend later, 5/7-5/9, come on down to our area along the Mississippi River Valley and enjoy the Spring Fresh Art Tour, a chance to visit local artists' homes and shops.  It's also a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the first budding of spring, with the explosion of wildflowers and greening of trees along the local highways and byways of this beautiful, natural area.  Check out the Fresh Art Spring Tour website and book a room at Journey Inn to enhance your visit.  Rooms are still available.  We look forward to seeing you!

4/16 - Anderson's Farm, Pasture-raised Pork sale 

This local farm is well tended and the animals are raised organically.  You can buy direct from the farmer (city pick up spots available). They also sell beef, chicken, lunch meats and sausage.  They are having an open house on Saturday, May 16th, 9-3:00, and a cooking class on April 25th. A beautiful 30 minute drive from Journey Inn. Check out their website: http://www.andersonfarm.us


4/15 - Prairie burn  - cancelled

The weather must be perfect - no rain or wind - and not so dry that we could burn down the place.  Bill Ramsden from "Prairie Enthusiasts" has offered to come and help burn our 2 acres of prairie in front of the Inn. Burning will help kill off invasive weeds in our 5 year old prairie. It also increases nutrients and helps seeds to germinate. Let us know if you would like to help! We are hoping to try again next weekend (4/25 or 25) after the rains this week.  715-448-2424 (no experience necessary)

4/7 - Come visit our booth at the Living Green Expo in St Paul

 May 2nd  & 3rd at the St Fair Grounds.   This is an inspiring, uplifting event.

3/23 - The Harbor View Cafe in Pepin is open for the season!

A beautiful 20 minute drive down the Great River Road overlooking Lake Pepin.

Expect a wait during nice weather. Visit BNOX art gallery, the Art & Design Center (when open), Smith Brothers Landing for unique garden metal work; walk the harbor boardwalk, sit outside and sip a glass of wine. (NOTE: THEY DON'T TAKE CREDIT CARDS)

 A-Z Pizza farm is open! Just outside Stockholm, Robbie and Ted bake homemade, homegrown pizza in a wood-fired outdoor pizza oven. Bring your own blanket/table & chairs, wine etc. and enjoy country life at it's finest. (NOTE: ONLY OPEN ON TUESDAYS, 4:30-8PM, CASH OR CHECKS ONLY)

Smiling Pelican Bakery, in Maiden Rock is open and serving delicious baked goods, sandwiches. Sit in their beautiful garden patio.

Eagles are everywhere. Pelicans and vultures have returned. We're opening the door to incredible birdsong now.  SPRING IS HERE!

Bogus Creek Cafe & Bakery is open for breakfast and Lunch now.

3/15 - Trees

A few days ago I was doing morning writing and reflecting on my appreciation for nature.  Trees surfaced in my awareness that morning, and I wrote:  I am grateful today for trees and all they do for humans and the planet.  I love their beauty and their utility.  How they stand like sentinels, guarding the land, protecting flora and fauna.  That they give us oxygen to breathe and take in CO2.  I am grateful for the heat they give when burned, and the cooling they provide as shade.  I am grateful for their color, texture, how they soar to the heights and stay low to the ground.  They give us tables for our work and meals, places to sit and places within which to live.  They are generous in all they offer.  Yes, they are generous and ask for nothing in return, but we can give thanks.  We can show gratitude by being mindful of our interdependence and by taking responsibility for the stewardship of trees and the rest of the natural world.

3/2 - Coming this Summer - The Cottage at Journey Inn.  As you may have seen in our recent e-newletter, we are working on the possibility of offering  overnights in another house on our property. This house is set up with a bedroom, 2 baths-soaking tub and shower, equipped kitchen, living room and porch.  Big windows look out at the bluff/hill across from us.  It has heat+a wood stove and air conditioning.  We need to get permits from our township and county and expect it all to go through by this summer.  Let us know if you would like to be added to a "interested" list and we will let you know as soon as it is ready for a weekend or week long stay.

Upcoming Events - 2009

Coming this Spring - COOKING WITH ORGANIC, PASTURE-RAISED MEATS with Lynn Anderson from Anderson's Family Farm  in Arkansaw, WI ·  enjoy delicious brunch dishes as you watch Lynn's special preparations. (includes Friday overnight at Journey Inn)  SIGN UP NOW! we will do it when we get enough names on our list.  Call for more information and to register   715-448-2424

Thanks to all who have stayed at Journey Inn during our first 2 1/2 years. We have enjoyed meeting you and learning about the wonderful things that you do. We all have many gifts to give this world.  Enjoy every moment!

Charlene & John

Come back for our upcoming, regular journal postings.

We will keep you informed of the happenings here at Journey Inn

and in the Lake Pepin area through the seasonal cycles. 

^TOP^

Charlene Torchia & John Huffaker, Proprietors
W3671 200th Ave | Maiden Rock, WI 54750
Ph: 715.448.2424 | email: info@journeyinn.net

Journey Inn, an eco-retreat is a new-concept holistic Bed & Breakfast. It incorporates features of a get-away, a learning center, a retreat, and a natural spa. Built with earth-friendly products and healthy building features, the Inn uses natural & organic: bedding, cleaning products, ammenities and delicious whole food.

During your stay enjoy biking, hiking, snowshoeing, sightseeing, birding, or resting in a creek-side hammock. Receive one of our services: a massage, life coaching session or take a life-enhancing workshop, such as The Artist’s Way, Couples Massage, Women’s Spa Weekends, Yoga and Meditation Classes.

All Rights Reserved. © 2007 Journey Inn, an eco inn, bed and breakfast serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota and Wisconson.

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