Take a Nostalgia-Laden Trip to Camp Wandawega

Sleeping in a tree is a childhood fantasy, but the tree house at Wisconsin’s Camp Wandawega doesn’t lack for grown-up appeal. Built around the trunk of an old elm, the airy, three-level structure is stocked with sheepskin pillows and vintage Pendleton blankets and crowned with a chandelier of fallen antlers. (Note to bibliophiles: the private library contains many 19th-century tomes, including a bird-watching guide from 1890 and a well-thumbed copy of Moulton’s Library of Literary Criticism.) The tree house is just the latest addition to the retro-styled Wandawega (tree house from $200 a night, two-night minimum), a 1920’s resort located 90 minutes from Chicago and reimagined by a creative young couple. The mood is appealingly quaint; instead of TV’s, there are puzzles and an antique pool table. At day’s end, retreat to the sleeping loft, where three glass walls look out on pike-filled Lake Wandawega and the purple martins and mourning doves that swoop overhead. —Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

When to Book: The tree house fills up year-round with weddings and other events; reserve at least a month in advance.

Read This: Delve into the fascinating intricacies of The Private Lives of Birds (Walker & Company; $25).

On the Agenda: Nostalgia-laden activities await at every turn, from archery and canoeing to fishing with antique rods and minnow buckets.