Reviews
Mpls./St. Paul Magazine
“The vibe of Stout’s? Stylish quietude. Any lodge on its own island has a leg up on the competition. Besides, Stout’s has a great look and a traditional style. It feels upper crust, and hanging out there makes you feel a bit of the same.”
- Greg Breining
Capital Region Business Journal
“The Island of Happy Days was a name well chosen, because 100 years later, guests still talk about the rustic styling, cozy guest rooms and serene setting of Stout’s Island Lodge. Stout’s elegantly woodsy ‘summer cottage’ feel continues to catch the eye of companies seeking a unique place to conduct serious corporate business – a breath-of-fresh-air retreat – an excellent destination for out-of-the-office meetings without the hassle of air travel.”
- Betty Stark, travel industry consultant and business.
Treasures of Wisconsin
“Stout’s Island Lodge is a memorable spot for a romantic getaway, and it’s also a favorite location for weddings, family gatherings and other events. No matter why you come, you’ll be enchanted by the Island. The restaurant is as spectacular as the grounds, which are easily visible out the windows as you dine. However long you stay, you’ll love Stout’s Island Lodge.”
Irish Gazette
“The lazy days of summer reign at Stout’s Island Lodge . . . guests enjoy a restful and quiet travel experience – there are no cars on the Island. After arriving by ferry at the boathouse, you walk up the steps and across a huge lawn to the main lodge. When you enter the lodge, you’re greeted by the wonderful smells of pine and wood smoke. It’s no wonder no one wants to leave.”
Minneapolis Star-Tribune Outside Magazine
“The moment you step onto the Stout’s Island ferry, life’s hassles melt away.”
Capital Region Business Journal, Madison, WI
- Betty Stark, travel industry consultant and business writer
Minnesota Monthly Magazine
“The main lodge is something out of a Bavarian fairy tale – dark wood, four-inch plank floors, and a vaulted ceiling crossed by heavy carved beams imported from Germany. The Great Room offers classic comfort for relaxing with a brandy old-fashioned. Or two. The cabins blend into the trees; dark-stained, their roofs green with moss, they seem to rise organically out of the ground. Railings are often made of sticks. And of course, it’s quite – no cars, no interlopers. For real solitude, wander the smaller, uninhabited island linked by an iron bridge, a structure given to Frank Stout by Andrew Carnegie.”
Cover: Bed, Breakfast and Beyond Issue and feature story
Weekend Trips Magazine
“On a slice of land surrounded by water, you’re pretty much marooned until the next ferry shows up. But you quickly learn this is a good thing. You’ll feel far away, even if you haven’t traveled far. A grand lodge, crackling fires, and views to die for . . . at Stout’s Island Lodge, happily stranded guests while away vacation days in slow-lane pursuits – bocce, croquet, sailing, tennis, puzzles, or snoozing in a hammock. The creative use of local ingredients is the formula behind the elegant dinners served in the Main Lodge dining room. If you feel like you’ve landed in an Adironack camp in upstate New York, it’s no accident.”
Minnesota Monthly Magazine
“Fall colors will surround you as you drive through the beautiful St. Croix River Valley on your journey to Stout’s Island Lodge. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Stout’s is a rustic, yet refined oasis.”
Sunday Saint Paul Pioneer Press
“In Wisconsin, Stout’s Island Lodge, built in 1912, is particularly unique because it is accessible only by boat. This resort was originally the private island and summer home of Frank Stout, one of the wealthiest men in the country at the time. Each guest room or cabin is unique too.”
GO Travel Section, Historic Hotels of America
Chicago Tribune
“As the weather cools, travelers have unique choices about where to snuggle and snooze in Wisconsin. At Stout’s Island Lodge, there is an aura of perfect privacy. On this island getaway, which resembles an Adironack camp, there are rooms in the main lodge and cabins to rent, some furnished with antiques, many with a fireplace and screened porch. Picture thick plank floors and carved ceiling beams from Germany. The mood is one of charming nostalgia.”
Front page travel section
Milwaukee Magazine
“A North Woods haven in the middle of Red Cedar Lake . . . the ferry is the only way to get to Stout’s Island Lodge, and stepping on the dock can send you back in time. Chicago lumber baron Frank Stout christened his family’s summer sanctuary ‘The Island of Happy Days’. It’s easy to see why.”
Great Escapes Guide
Saint Paul Pioneer Press
“The waning days of summer are a good time to snatch a few more days of vacation . . . there’s nothing better than being at the lake . . . lazy afternoons, boat rides, marshmallow roasts – it’s the pure essence of summer. One suggestion is Stout’s Island Lodge – a 1912 resort on a 26-acred island with lots of character.”
Sunday travel section
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“The picture of summer . . . at Stout’s Island Lodge, no details are spared in creating a timeless escape for world-weary vacationers – it’s a collection of gabled cabins and a century-old lodge fashioned after the storied ‘great camps’ of New York’s Adironack Mountains. It oozes good taste and Old Money. There are no souvenir stores, no thrill rides, no mini golf and no water park. Pleasures here are basic: a swimming dock a fine restaurant, sunny spots to relax with a book – and plenty of screen doors reverberating with the sound of summer.”
Sunday travel section cover story by Kerri Westenberg, travel editor
National Geographic Adventure Magazine
“One of eight best summer escapes in the United States”