Wisconsin’s own Northwoods Glamping Resort
“Where roughing it, doesn’t have to be that rough”
Tucked among the trees on the shores of North Twin Lake, Point of View (POV) Lake Resort is a gem in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. There are tons of places around the country, and in Wisconsin, that you can escape to with your family for a fun filled lake vacation, but POV resort is doing something most others aren’t - offering a truly unique glamping experience in the Midwest. We recently had the chance to talk to the owner, Genevieve Coady, about what makes POV Resort a unique Wisconsin escape, and all the interesting and unique sleeping options at POV Resort! Read on below to learn more about the resort, it’s unique accommodation options, and our interview with Genevieve!
What is Coady’s Point of View Lake Resort?
Let’s start off by talking about what exactly POV Resort is! One of the Northwoods top rated family resorts, POV Resort is nestled in trees along a wonderful lake. The resort offers a welcome escape for families on vacation, couples on a relaxing weekend getaway, or larger groups. Here you will have access to activities that are sure to suit any tastes! From winter wonderland festivities like snowmobiling or ice-fishing, to those classic summer activities like canoeing or swimming, there will definitely be something to do for everyone. There are seriously too many activities to list, so we definitely suggest you head over to their amenities page to check out all the fun stuff you can do! You will be close to some of the major Northwoods classics like Phelps and Eagle River, but you will feel world’s away once you enter POV resort!
What Makes POV Resort Such a Unique Experience?
We think POV Resort is definitely worth seeking out! Where else are you going to have a Northwood’s Glamping adventure?! POV resort has traditional cabins (if those are more your vibe, check those out here) but they are definitely doing something different with their glamping and glamper options! There are 5 glampers and 4 glamping tents. They are all fun and unique. We are going to go into more detail about each below! If you are not familiar with glamping - it is important you familiarize yourself with the term. Glamping is glamourous camping - but it is still camping. You will have more luxury than a tent an sleeping bags, but you will still be in nature and without modern conveniences. You can check out more about what glamping means at POV resort - the owners have put together an amazing guide.
So what are the different glamping options of POV Resort?
1972 Vintage Holiday Rambler
This beauty will make you feel like you stepped right back into 1970 with it’s funky 70s color scheme. Perfect for a small family or group of friends, this camper sleeps 4 comfortably, but there is also a BYOT (Bring your own tent) site nearby to have 6 total. The camper is outfitted with one queen bed and one full bed. Outdoors is home to a gas grill (tank included), Edison lights, a picnic table, and a firepit. This camper does have electricity for small amounts of power, but plenty enough to charge a phone. There is no traditional bathroom, but there are clean bathhouse facilities near by.
1952 Lighthouse Vintage Camper
The 1952 Lighthouse Vintage Camper is a perfect getaway for those looking to jump back in time while having all the amenities of modern glamping. This camper is 1 of only 8 known 1952 Lighthouse models to still exist, it was built in Chicago by the Lighthouse Co. This double-decker renovated vintage camper is all glammed out in mid-century fifties décor. It affords guests much more than just another shelter in nature; the Lighthouse will help you create lifelong memories and a sense of nostalgic adventure. This camper sleeps 4 in the two lofted beds, and 2 more in the futon. Enjoy nature without having to pack all of your stuff!
1961 Wolfe Vintage “Fiesta and Siesta”
The 1961 Wolfe "Fiesta & Siesta" Vintage Camper option really is so perfect for a couple’s getaway. She sleeps 2 inside and has a BYOT campsite for kids (or friends!) outside. For those looking to jump back in time to mid-century Mexico while having all the amenities of modern glamping, this camper has been renovated and is all decked out in 60's fiesta décor. You will find you can’t help but say “Ole!”
1947 Jim Dandy Vintage Camper
The smallest and most cozy, the 1947 Jim Dandy Vintage Camper glamping rental is also the oldest vintage camper at POV resort. Also sleeping just two inside (with room for more at the tent site), this camper would be perfect for a couple ready to try a vintage glamper. This camper is outfitted with one camper full-sized futon bed that converts from the couch, and also has a food prep area (no appliances/water) and a changing room (for bathroom, guests use the bathhouse). While it is snug on the inside, the nostalgia and authentic character of the early American camping era more than outweighs the smaller interior.
1965 Vintage Airstream
It really does not get more iconic than a gleaming silver Airstream trailer. This vintage one from 1965 won’t disappoint! Hop back into sixties and experience mid-century camping and décor! Perfect for a small family or friends getaway, you can sleep 4 people inside with one full bed and two single beds, all with amazing memory foam mattresses and luxury bedding. There is also a BYOT space. This one is like glamping on professional mode because it has full electric hook ups!
Hawaiian Luxury Tent
All the glamping fun isn’t to be had just in a camper! There are several glamping tents available at POV resort as well! The first one, a large Hawaiian themed glamping tent, will surely have you saying “Aloha!” Decked out with 1930's tropical décor, you'll be able to get away without the travel time or time travel. This tent sleeps up to 4 comfortably - it is located within a short walking distance of the bathhouse, is set within tall trees, and has a great view of the woods. It has a stunning set of skylights in the roof to watch the trees or stars, and at night it can be covered for darkness. You will love the tiki torches outside!
Luxury A Frame Glamping Tents
There are not one, not two, but three more tent options for you and your family! These are A Frame style glamping tents with comfortable beds you will just love cuddling up in. Each is named after a famous Northwoods gangster, Al Capone, Dillinger, and Baby Face. Decked out with historic photos and memorabilia of the gangsters time in the Northwoods in the Prohibition era, these tents will truly help you connect with nature! Watch the trees or stars from the covered porch with the firepit aglow.
Ready to book your own Northwoods Glamping experience at POV Resort…
…then head over to their website to learn more about all your options and amenities, and book your glamping escape today!
What does it take to bring a vintage camper glamping experience like this to life?
We had the chance to talk with Genevieve Caody about all the love and passion that went into creating these unique accommodations in the Wisconsin Northwoods. Read on to learn about that has gone into her process!
Owners Genevieve and Darren
1. How did you come up with the idea to add luxury glamping tents to your resort? How about vintage campers?!
For the luxury tents, we wanted to offer something for families that hadn't experienced camping before, or families that have small kids and couldn't bear the setup of traditional camping, or for those who just want or need a real bed! The tents fit the bill for sure, and we loved that we could leave them up for the season. For the vintage campers, we found out the first two years how much folks loved the luxury tents, so we began searching for vintage campers we could offer as alternatives. It snowballed into being able to offer campers from the 1940s to the 1970s - each camper has been renovated and outfitted with period-authentic colors, patterns, décor - and even photos of people vacationing in the Northwoods from the decade of the camper. We upgraded the experience with memory foam mattresses and luxury linens so that it would be a premier experience Theming the campers, led us back to theming the A-Frame tents as well for the prohibition era (as Al Capone's doctor purportedly owned the island off our shore on the lake) and 1930's tiki Hawaiian theme for our yurt style luxury tent (complete with 1930s travel posters to Hawaii). So now we have decades of camping covered from the 1920s to the 1970s!
2. These options are unique, very different from the typical white linen hotel room, or regular tent camping. What inspired you to try something different?
We love going on vacation ourselves, but you get so gosh darn tired from packing and getting somewhere! So we wanted to offer our guests a bit of luxury and treating themselves at a place that has a ton of fun on site and nearby. We LOVE we get to help folks make special memories. Something different. Something memorable. This is really important to us.
3. What is it about your glamping tents you think people will love? They love pulling up in their car and unpacking their cooler and bag - and having instant camping! They love sitting on the covered porch of the A-Frame tents in a light rain. They also love the skylight looking at the stars and trees in the yurt-style tent. We have heard they love the themes - I can't tell you how many times we've heard they're coming back next year to try that different camper or tent! So every trip to POV Resort Glamping is something new and memorable.
4. What about the vintage campers - what makes them so special? Well, they are really a step back into time - but with the modern luxury touches. We're not about the $2k a night luxury tent experience you'll find in Montana - it was important to us to keep the campers and tents at a price point folks could afford and enjoy. And we want it to still be camping - so instead of bathrooms in the unit, which would have added to the costs, we instead invested in a new bathhouse trailer - with four clean and private bathrooms with a shower, sink, toilet, and AC/Heat in each. We feel it is a key to unlock the memories of vacations from yesteryear - giving permission to the guests to slow down and make more new memories. Many of the campers have photos of my family camping, actually. Each camper has its own theme! (You can read more about those themes above!)
5. What is it about your area of Wisconsin that makes your resort stand out?
We're in the national forest on a 3k acre Class A fishing lake! You can renovate a resort but not the lake or environs! We are only 15 minutes north of Eagle River, a Main Street Community. The entire area has a shockingly great foodie scene. And there are a TON of things to do in the area year round (see our Northwoods Guidebook: https://www.povresort.com/en/northwoods-guidebook). So you don't have to go to the Rockies or California or North Carolina to experience vacationland - it is right here in the Midwest! Did I mention the cheese curds and beer that Wisconsin is so famous for? But on site there is so much to do (see https://www.povresort.com/en/amenities) - we wanted to help guests not have to run around to have a great vacation if they didn't want to leave the property, so there are so many amenities onsite!
6. What was the most frustrating part about putting these awesome options together? And the most rewarding?
For frustrating - really nothing besides maybe finding great staff since we were new to the area. But we've definitely put together an awesome team that makes it all work by now. We found the vintage camper units on the marketplace and planned for the renovations and repairs. For the tents we've gotten good at setup and teardown - and we've gotten really good at preparing our guests for their stay so they both enjoy their stay as much as possible but know how to also take care of their units and pay it forward. The most rewarding thing is reading all of the long super positive reviews - I can't remember the last time I left a long review like we regularly get. So many folks are now booking because of word of mouth too - what a compliment. And repeat guests like I mentioned before! We LOVE when folks come find us and share what a great time they're having. It means the world to us. What a life we get to live that we get to help folks make special memories.
7. When formulating an idea like this in your head for unique accommodations, what goes into your process?
Part planning, part marrying the right guy that became my business partner! My husband Darren and I are very complimentary it turned out in running this business. So that has been a huge help. We live on site so if guests do need help at 3am we are here - but it's self check in so if they don't want to see us they don't have to. This has been such a creative fun outlet for us (see above with the themes we've come up with). We do a lot of research on what others are doing and how we can not reinvent the wheel, but also do something unique at the same time. We're really big on durability and the user experience - staying in the units ourselves. Our guests are here to relax, and we want their experience to be "turn key" to fun!
8. Speaking of new ideas - do you have any plans for any more unique accommodations at the resort?
We're considering doing a tree house. A school bus. And an igloo. Or a shipping container. But those might be a few years off. This year we aim to double down making sure we maintain the high level of service and experience we've developed - the luxury tents are only 3 years old and the vintage campers only have 1 season of summer under their belt so far! We are also working on publishing a book called "Cocktails, Campfires, and Camping" - with an overview of each decade's camper, cocktail recipes that were big in that decade, and campfire recipes to compliment the cocktails. We will set the items showcased in the book in our on site store.
9. If you had an unlimited budget, and no one could say no to you, what unique option would you love to add for guests?
We would buy the island off the shore and add more glamping there! It isn't out of the question someday - if the opportunity did present itself - we would want to make sure we could run the experience well enough for the guests!
10. You must get asked this all the time - but do you have a favorite vintage camper or luxury glamping tent?
Love this question. Honestly no - they are all so special! We've taken so much time curating each one - the A-Frames have photos of Al Capone and his brother fishing in the Northwoods and whiskey barrel lids with our logo on them! The Hawaii tent has framed 1930s Hawaii travel posters, leis, thatch grass and vintage pillow designs. Those are so much fun. The Lighthouse camper is so rare - it's truly a tiny house with the double decker! The Jim Dandy is a honeymoon suite. We have many folks in the Wolfe have the parents sleep in the camper and the kids sleep in a BYOTent outside... they are each an adventure in their own right.
Thanks so much for reading our article about the unique glamping options at POV Resort, and our interview with the owner, Genevieve Coady! We definitely think this Northwoods destination is a Midwest gem worth Seeking out. Be sure to head over to the POV Resort website to explore more about all the amenities the resort offers, the cabins you can rent if you are looking for something more traditional, and browse through the area guides and glamping guides POV Resort has put together!
If you are interested in more cool things to See, interesting things to Seek out, and unique places to Sleep - check our our home page, and follow us on Facebook - we share amazing places every day! Scroll on down to explore more of host interviews - definitely check out our interview with the creators behind Fablerealm - where you can sleep in Hagrid’s Hut from Harry Potter, and the creators of Treehouses of Serenity - and their amazing Hobbit House!
