Explore the Driftless Glen Distillery in Baraboo WI

Logan Marketing August 10, 2022 Comments Off

If you’re in the Baraboo area, you must check out the Driftless Glen Distillery—a one hundred percent grain-to-glass distillery most known for producing bourbon and rye whiskey, but with a portfolio that also includes brandy, vodka, and gin. You’ll find a few experiences at Driftless Glen Distillery: tours, tastings, cocktails, and a full lunch and dinner restaurant serving flavorful and creative dishes. They offer indoor seating in the airy, modern space or an outdoor patio area overlooking the Baraboo River.

The Driftless Glen Distillery first broke ground in 2012, with its first barrels in 2014. Owned by husband and wife team Brian and Renee Bemis, who are passionate about creating locally made and smooth spirits. Since the inception of the Driftless Glen Distillery, its products have received top accolades, including “Wisconsin Distillery of the Year” by the New York International Spirits Competition. The restaurant on site also holds the number two spot as the best restaurant in Baraboo, WI.

Before you make your reservation for dinner and tour at the Driftless Glen Distillery, you’ll want to secure your lodging in Baraboo. Our historic and charming bed and breakfast is just the place! Not only will you be within walking distance to the distillery, but your lovely guest room will be the most welcome addition to your getaway. You’ll love the architecture and stories that make our space unique and memorable. Check out our upcoming availability at Ringling House Bed and Breakfast and book today! Continue reading

Your Guide to Devil’s Lake State Park this Spring

Logan Marketing April 13, 2022 Comments Off

Devil’s Lake State Park is situated along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and offers dazzling views from 500-foot quartzite bluffs overlooking a 360-acre lake. The park clocks in at 9,000 acres but is surrounded by more than 27,000 acres of preserved woodland and other natural areas open to public recreation in Sauk County. So it comes as no surprise that millions of visitors flock to the beautiful cliffs and pristine waters at Devil’s Lake State Park.

Devil’s Lake State Park is the most sizable in Wisconsin, and comparable in size is the range of things you can see and do in this stunningly scenic year-round outdoor destination. You can enjoy lakeshore picnic areas, sandy beaches, bird watching, rock climbing, boating, hiking into backcountry solitude, and much more.

And there’s no better way to begin and end a day’s adventuring in Devil’s Lake State Park than at our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast in the beautiful nearby town of Baraboo. You’ll be rested and fresh to hit the trails in one of our luxuriously appointed guest rooms, and we’ll send you off on the right foot with your choice of hearty and delicious breakfasts. Our historic Inn is well known in the area due to the connection of the infamous Ringling circus family. We can’t wait to host you in Baraboo; book your room today! Continue reading

Winter in Devils Lake State Park near our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

5 Great Ways to Enjoy Devil’s Lake State Park in the Winter

Logan Marketing January 21, 2021 Comments Off

Devil’s Lake State Park is one of the great destinations of Wisconsin for outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes across all seasons, and even the most rudimentary description of the place explains why. The park, situated along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, offers dazzling views from 500-foot quartzite bluffs overlooking a 360-acre lake. Its 9,000 acres are but an anchor for the more than 27,000 acres of preserved parkland and other natural areas open to public recreation in Sauk County.

Also located in Sauk County is Baraboo, its county seat, and more of America’s more charming small towns — in part because it’s home to all things Ringling Brothers of circus fame, which includes Ringling House, our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast. It’s the perfect place to begin and end a day of adventure in Devil’s Lake State Park — it’s close by, it’s loaded with historic charm, and it’s loaded with modern comforts as well.

So make your plans for a winter-wonderland getaway to Devil’s Lake State Park — and start by booking your stay at our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast today! Continue reading

5 Great Reasons to Plan Your Romantic Getaway at Our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

Logan Marketing November 20, 2020 Comments Off

This time of year — especially this year — naturally inspires thoughts of escaping from it all. And if you’re thinking about taking a break from the world with your sweetheart, what better way is there to get away than with a romantic getaway at our cozy-warm, luxuriously appointed Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast?

The Ringling House, a Colonial Revival home near the heart of Baraboo, one of America’s top-rated small towns, offers the perfect blend of historic charm and modern conveniences to make your stay a relaxing and refreshing one. Each of our beautiful guest rooms makes you feel enveloped in the rich living history of the Ringling family while ensuring you have everything you need to create your own history of a memorable romantic stay.

Outside our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast is the wonderful town of Baraboo, ranked as a favorite small-town getaway among Midwest Living readers and as one of the top five small towns to visit in the United States by Smithsonian Magazine in 2013. Those honors are based on Baraboo’s abundance of natural beauty, cultural and historical offerings, museums, and activities.

Even if some of the cultural offerings are unavailable due to Wisconsin’s current COVID-19 restrictions, there’s still much to do and see just a short stroll away. And rest assured that our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast has gone above and beyond to ensure a safe and healthy stay for you and your sweetheart. So make your romantic getaway plans today and reserve your room at our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast! Continue reading

Baraboo’s Midnight Carnival Haunted House

ringling October 2, 2020 Comments Off

Ladies & Gentlemen, children with no fear, step into the realm of circus purgatory in our hair-raising 4rth ring. It’s behind the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast, where halloween spirit lives, and keeping with the circus theme, is called Baraboo’s “Midnight Carnival” haunted house this year.

What better way to scare up money for a great cause than to host a haunted house?

Stuart Koehler and Julie Hearley and a committee of volunteers are, for the third consecutive fall, creating a haunted house in a carriage house behind Ringling House Bed & Breakfast. Their goal isn’t to conjure Ringling family ghosts, but to raise money for improvements to the historic property.

Last year a nonprofit organization, Friends of the Charles and Henry Ringling Estate, was formed to preserve the buildings and grounds once owned by the brothers of circus fame. The one-acre estate includes the main house, which the couple operates as a six-room bed-and-breakfast; the carriage house; a cottage; and a barn. The 1901 Colonial Revival home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“We think – we hope – the community wants this property to stay intact,” Stuart said.

Julie said the nonprofit will remain in place even if the property changes hands someday. “This is designed to protect these buildings as long as they’re around,” she said.

The couple plans to transform the carriage house in an event venue. They foresee hosting theatrical performances and other events attracting groups of 100 to 200 people. “There aren’t a lot of places in Baraboo for those kinds of events,” Stuart said.

Money generated through the Midnight Carnival haunted house will support that project. Setup work began this summer, and updating the first level of the carriage house, and adding the lower level to the maze. We’ve also extended the outdoor section to the maze of horrors set up last year. Julie said the team needs volunteers to help set up the haunted house and operate it. A crew of 15 is needed to sell tickets, provide security and act as ghouls within the indoor-outdoor haunted house.

We will also have a kiddie matinee on Halloween during trick or treating, for small children, who figure not to get as frightened in the daylight (Otherwise, the haunted house isn’t recommended for youths under 10). This will happen on October 31, from 3-5:30pm, with the outdoor maze, spooky storytelling by the campfire, and Halloween treats!

Baraboo’s Midnight Carnival will be open Oct 9-10, 15-17, 21-24 & 28-31 from 7pm-10pm. Admission will cost $15 at the door for adults and $12 for students, but tickets can be had in advance for $12 at https://ringlinghousebnb.com/event/.

Specials** this year include:

Group special 10 or more people, call ahead for pricing (608 -356-4229). $10 each on Friday, Saturday $8 each on weekdays.
Student specials $5 with ID: October 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
Opening weeknight special: October 15 – $8.00 for adults, $5 for students
Ladies night: October 29. All ladies $10.00 admission!

** Specials only one special per person or group, prices given at door.

Last year the haunted house attracted 800 people. This year’s goal is 1,000. Halloween fans came from across the state last year. “That’s a lot of people who probably wouldn’t have come to town otherwise,” Stuart said.

8 Delightful Things to Do in Baraboo This Fall

Logan Marketing September 28, 2020 Comments Off

There are plenty of things to do in Baraboo in the fall, given the Central Wisconsin region’s slow-cooling October temperatures and abundance of blaze-colored natural beauty. Even with some top Baraboo attractions closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s still no shortage of places worth checking out during your visit to this town, named one of the top five small towns to visit in America by Smithsonian magazine in 2013.

And there’s no better place to begin an end each day’s Baraboo adventures than Ringling House Bed and Breakfast, with nearly 100 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor for this charming Colonial Revival house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a look for yourself! Timeless in its appeal but loaded with modern amenities, you’ll want to reserve your room today at this Baraboo bed & breakfast as you work on your list of things to do in Baraboo. Continue reading

Julie standing in front of the yellow sided, white trimmed, Conway Cottage

Kiva Loan for Conway Cottage

ringling May 2, 2020 Comments Off

May 2, 2020

Hello Friends!

We are happy to announce that our company, Juliart Ventures, LLC is crowdfunding a 0% interest loan on Kiva. Kiva is the first and largest micro-lending service in the world that has distributed $1 billion over 10 years, in 86 different countries, among 1.5 million small businesses.

We are NOT asking for donations, we are asking you to invest in our business. This is a loan that will be paid back in installments, once we reach our public fundraising goal.

We are currently in a public fundraising period, during which we have 45 days to reach our goal of $9000, Anyone can lend to us using the Kiva lending platform. The funds from this loan will go towards fixing the Conway Cottages’ front porch and replacing the sinking rear deck.

If you are able, you can lend as little as $25 (which you will get back!) so that we can progress to the public fundraising period. If you would like to support us, please follow this link to our profile page https://www.kiva.org/lend/1962284 . This is the only way your loan will be tracked as coming through us. We are honestly so grateful for your support!

Thank you!

Julie Hearley & Stuart Koehler, Innkeepers

Ringling House Bed & Breakfast

ringlinghousebnb@gmail.com

608-356-4229

Ringlinghousebnb.com

Safer at Home Order in Wisconsin for COVID-19

ringling March 25, 2020 Comments Off

Governor Tony Evers has called upon all of us to take all possible actions to reduce further spread of COVID-19 to save lives. Therefore, the state of Wisconsin has issued a Safer at Home order that prohibits all nonessential travel. The order is effective at 8 am on Weds., March 25, 2020 and will remain in effect until 8 am, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, or until a superseding order is issued. I’ve added a copy of what constitutes essential travel above, directly from the emergency order #12. Any violation of this law can result in a $250.00 fine and/or 30 days in prison for those found in violation.

However, for those of you that have essential travel, we are here to be able to support you in this difficult time. We are licensed, inspected and insured and use the utmost of safety and precautions and adhere to all the required guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please see a previous blog page for more information on the precautions we are taking: COVID-19 Info

Our dedication to cleanliness and hospitality is our commitment to you. Our guests are like family. So if you must travel, our inn may be the right spot for you.

We welcome you to also explore our website, for your future travel planning, as we all look forward to resuming our normal lives.

We sincerely hope that you and your family and friends are safe and well during these challenging times.

The “Carnival of Horrors” Haunted House Fundraiser

ringling September 23, 2019 Comments Off

Halloween spirit alive at Ringling House Bed &Breakfast’s “Carnival of Horrors” haunted house.

What better way to scare up money for a great cause than to host a haunted house?

Stuart Koehler and Julie Hearley and a committee of volunteers are, for the second consecutive fall, creating a haunted house in a carriage house behind Ringling House Bed & Breakfast. Their goal isn’t to conjure Ringling family ghosts, but to raise money for improvements to the historic property.

“We think – we hope – the community wants this property to stay intact,” Stuart said.

Julie said the nonprofit will remain in place even if the property changes hands someday. “This is designed to protect these buildings as long as they’re around,” she said.

Money generated through the Carnival of Horrors haunted house will support that project. Setup work began last month, with the team adding to the maze of horrors it set up last year. Julie said the team needs volunteers to help set up the haunted house and operate it. A crew of 15 is needed to sell tickets, provide security and act as ghouls within the indoor-outdoor haunted house.

Also needed this year are sponsors. The Friends of the Charles and Henry Ringling Estate group is offering sponsorships ranging in cost from $40 to $1,000 in exchange for tickets and prominently displayed gravestones bearing donors’ names. Donors will be invited to a VIP event at Ringling House, featuring personalities from the “Bordello of Horror” television show. Rachel Frank will offer demonstrations of horror-themed makeup and fashion. To volunteer or secure a sponsorship, send email to ringlingfriends@gmail.com.

The VIP event isn’t the only new feature this year. The haunted house is adding matinees for kids, who figure not to get as frightened in the daylight. Carnival of Horrors will be open Fridays and Saturdays starting October 11 from 7-10 p.m. During the final week of October, it will be open Thursday through Sunday, featuring $5 matinees for kids that Friday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. (Otherwise, the haunted house isn’t recommended for youths under 10). Admission will cost $15 at the door, but tickets can be had in advance for $10 at https://ringlinghousebnb.com/event/, at the Al. Ringling Theatre and at Con Amici Wine Bar, starting Friday, September 27th.

Last year the haunted house attracted 700 people. This year’s goal is 1,000. Halloween fans came from across the state last year. “That’s a lot of people who probably wouldn’t have come to town otherwise,” Stuart said.

Hop Growing in Sauk County

ringling June 13, 2019 Comments Off

Did you know that Wisconsin’s proud brewing traditions were at one time centered here in Sauk County Wisconsin?

The conditions of soil and climate were found to be well adapted to the growing and curing of an excellent quality of hops, and Sauk County soon was among the leading counties of the West in acreage and production.

Hop farm in Sauk County

Pioneers in the industry had demonstrated that hops could be raised at a profit, and when prices suddenly went up, there was a rush into the business In 1866 and 1867, more than sixty per cent of the farmers in the townships of Greenfield, Baraboo, Fairfield, Delton, Dellona, Reedsburg, and Winfield had hop yards, while other townships in the county were extensively engaged in the industry. Many who owned no land rented from two to ten acres, and started to make a fortune.

The sale of hop roots became an important addition to the hop raiser’s revenue, as seed roots were very much in demand.

Competition in buying was intense, and buyers drove through the county bidding on the hop holdings of farmers. When a man had “sold his hops” he was viewed as ready to pay the bills that for months had been accumulating, unpaid.

Few farmers were really enriched by the cultivation of hops, but, hops made it possible to erect buildings for hop-houses, and, though not well suited to other uses, such as stables or granaries, some still stand as reminders of the days when hop farmers were rich, or thought themselves so.

Disaster came almost as immediately as the craze started. In 1868, when, partly from over production, and partly from destruction of the hops by insects, prices fell markedly. Some were able to sell their crops for what they could get, but many growers held out, hoping for better prices next year. By then, the bottom dropped completely out of the market.

Harvested Hops

The “hop-crash” brought widespread disaster. Even the women, who had picked the majority of the hops, were not paid for their hard, back-breaking services. Merchants, blacksmiths, carpenters, doctors, and even lawyers, had charges upon their books that they could not collect.

Due to the honesty, industry, and thrift of the Sauk County farmers of the time, within ten or fifteen years, the “hop-crash” was almost completely overcome, and exists today only in the memory of the older inhabitants of Sauk County.

Taken from “The Hop Days in Sauk County”
By Hon. John M. True
January 25, 1908

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