Mountain View Blog

Would we do it again?  Would we chuck our lives and move North to the Porcupine Mountains and run Mountain View Lodges?

Most days the answer is a resounding YES! Don’t get me wrong.  There are times when we wish for something different, or miss out due to the constraints of owning our own business.  For instance, our daughter had a baby a two years ago in June.  We would have loved to have been there.  But, can you imagine, she had her child during peak season?  What was she thinking?  We have had to miss some weddings, graduations or other events that typically take place in the summer months.  But the trade-off has been worth it.

There is just something freeing about being in charge of your own destiny. Make it or break it you are at the wheel.  We say a lot of prayers.  We leave our worries on God’s doorstep and we work and do our very best.  On those days that are more difficult, we just have to remind ourselves what the alternative is.  Working for someone else, for less than we feel we are worth, most likely in an office with no view.  Here our office view is Lake Superior!  How can you beat that?  Since the business is more seasonal, we ride a kind of roller coaster.  We are crazy busy for about four months, moderately busy for about four months and very quiet for about four months.

This is one reason we started the Gallery. In the less busy times, we can focus our energy creatively which allows us to rejuvenate.  It also keeps us from becoming stagnated or bored.  It is quiet meditative work, except the chain sawing, of course!

Some of the blessings have been the fantastic people we have met along the way who come to love the Porcupine Mountains and Mountain View Lodges as much as we do. One summer we had over 17 countries represented!  People from all walks of life from all over the world make for some very interesting conversations.  And our little piece of Heaven holds some amazing healing powers.  It is rare that someone leaves not feeling more rested, relaxed and more truly joyful than when they first arrived.  And if you don’t believe me, just check us out on www.tripadvisor.com.  There is something very special about this greatest of Great Lakes, Lake Superior.

The good far outweighs the bad and we would most certainly make the same choice again!

Were there many surprises…Yes and No.  We did our homework.  We researched, wrote a Business Plan, calculated expenses, and explored the Porcupine Mountains area.  We did not expect it to be easy.  We did not purchase Mountain View Lodges so we could “retire” as many have thought over the years.   Every job is work.  Owning a business is even more work.  You do not have the opportunity to leave at 5:00pm and forget about it until 8:00am the next day.  You live it, eat it and breathe it.  Dinner conversations are often more like staff or marketing meetings.  But none of this was a surprise.  Jen’s Dad owned a business he purchased from his father.  So she grew up in the business world.  Customers and co-workers were your friends and family.

Having relocated many times over the last 30 years or so, our family has had to adapt and acclimate.  What we have found, to make the transition easier, is to immerse ourselves in the community.  Make friends, find a church, support local benefits and events.  All of these help to make the transition easier!  So, none of these were surprises.

One surprise we did find was how every day is different!  Not only do our jobs continue to change, from front desk clerk to plumber in under five minutes, but so does the landscape on Lake Superior and the weather in the Porcupine Mountains.  The beach does not ever look the same!  Now when we go back to bigger cities and see new housing developments it is so odd. Most of the homes look so much alike.  Same colors and landscape.  Here every day the beach is sculpted differently, the waves or lack of waves is never the same.  In the winter, the quiet is unexplainable.  You could hear a pin drop on the ice.  Or the old saying about watching the ice crack?  You can!  But if you have ever wondered what true quiet sounds like, experience our little corner of the world in the winter!  The snow is like glitter.  This was truly a surprise.

Also, we had never really been in the service industry.  Sales yes, service no.  It can be draining.  That part we didn’t expect.  We are all outgoing and love talking to people.  So, we thought this was the perfect opportunity!  And it is, but it can also be more tiring than we anticipated.  Come the off season, we are ready for some R & R.  The hard part is where can we go to get away??  We are about as far away as you can get!  But when you work where you live, you need to get away just to clear the cobwebs.  So, over the years, we have incorporated short jaunts whenever we can get away for a few days.

Another surprise was the small town hospitality of Ontonagon.  We are from and have lived in big cities most of our lives.  So, living in a small town where “everybody knows your name” was not something to which we were accustomed.  But it is certainly a nice feeling to know that someone is there and ready to come to your aide and it is also interesting how quickly news can travel!

Were there surprises when we began to run Mountain View Lodges in the Porcupine Mountains?  Most of the things that have come along we anticipated as part of business ownership.  Sometimes something hits out of the blue.  But whose life is without those unexpected events?  And most of the surprises we have encountered have all been for the best!

Be sure to watch our Facebook, www.facebook.com/mtnviewlodges, for up-to-date happenings and feel free to post any questions about the property, owning a business or other questions you may have!

This is Part 2 to “Where does your daughter go to school in the Porcupine Mountains?”

Our baby will be 18 years old soon and we have been homeschooling for many years now.

This fall will begin Karsten’s Senior year.  A year of endings and beginnings.  She has only a few more subjects to complete before graduating and she has been doing quite a bit of thinking about her future.  She decided that she would like to go into Massage Therapy.  Yes, for all regular Mountain View Lodges’ guests, she will need guinea pigs during the learning process! This is a wonderful opportunity for her as she will be able to complete her High School studies and simultaneously complete her Massage Therapy training.  She is very excited about this next chapter of her life. She still enjoys reading, writing and photography and loves hiking with her friends in the Porkies!

This also means a new chapter for Mountain View Lodges.  We have had to add more staff to keep things running smoothly.  After all, we aren’t getting any younger and our “help” is growing up.  Over the years, we have had sons, daughters, nephews and friends pitch in to fill the voids.  But now, most have moved on with their own lives, college, jobs, family, etc.

But the new chapter means new possibilities.  So, here are some questions for you… What would you like to see added at Mountain View Lodges?  Would you be interested in a spa, massages, etc.?  A Fitness area?  Bicycles? Multipurpose room? Classes?  Or something else?  We always welcome your comments and feedback.  We continue to work to improve all that we have to offer each year.  So, please take a few moments and let us know your ideas!

Where does your daughter go to school in the Porcupine Mountains?  After the last blog, we received even more questions about homeschooling.  What we use, how we do it, what works for us…

So, this edition will shed some light on the aspect of raising children while running a business like Mountain View Lodges.  What materials we use is a complicated question.  We take advantage of all that we have at hand.  The tens of thousands of acres of wilderness, the abundant wildlife and, of course, Lake Superior!  We also have used a variety of curriculums over the years.  We have geared each year to Karsten’s interests.  She is more excited about learning that way.  Photography, glass work, painting and writing have kept her creative side blossoming.  As she has gone into High School, she has opted more for online studies.

Over the years we have watched for opportunities in Ontonagon, the community we live in, also.  She’s performed in Miracle on 34^th Street as “Susan”, worked an historical internship at the Ontonagon County Historical Museum and Lighthouse, attended Exploration Days at Michigan State University, attended summer camp every year, counseled elementary camp, and worked for the Outpost and the Porcupine Mountains Ski Hill.  Her artwork has been on display at various shows and she won the Michigan Youth Photography Contest.

How we do it may be the most important factor.  Since we began when she was so young, the goal was to be sure she learned to teach herself and learn on her own.  As with any working parent, it is difficult to keep up with everything the children need to learn.  So, it became our focus to make sure what she didn’t know or didn’t understand, she knew how to go about finding the answers.  This has proven to be the most critical part of her learning experience.  Now that she is 16, she is level-headed, able to make good decisions and curious enough to find the answers to the questions that come up both in her studies and in her everyday life.

Homeschooling has also allowed her to do quite a bit of traveling.  We have been to at least 24 States!  Seeing the different parts of the country has provided many educational opportunities as well.  She has traveled by bus, train, plane and cab.  She skis, snowboards, likes to 4-wheel and has even been snowmobiling.

What has made it all work is keeping things flexible.  Some days there are many cabins to clean and prepare for the incoming guests.  On those days, we are all working doing our part to make the business run smoothly.  Other days are relatively quiet allowing for more study, reading or just relaxing.  We do try to incorporate some study into the summer even though this is the busiest time.  Usually this is more reading, maybe some writing or a new computer program that can be done on the fly.

If you have stayed at Mountain View Lodges over the years, you have watched Karsten grow into a beautiful young woman.

This is probably the question that brings the most laughter into our lives!  Managing a family and a small business is anything but retirement!

When we made the decision to take our lives in a different direction, swim against the current so to speak, we knew it wouldn’t be easy but we were pretty sure it would be worth it.  We have five children.  When we took on Mountain View Lodges, the oldest was grown and married with a family of her own, the next was in the Army and the third had just graduated from High School and was planning her College Career.  So, the youngest two, ages 6 and 16, moved here with us, along with Mom.  This business is definitely a family business.  It takes many hands to accomplish all that needs to be done each day.  After 10 years, we have a fairly nice rhythm going.  Since that time our son in the Army helped out for a year, and our other kids have pitched in when needed. Our 16 year old is now in the Navy.  So, we are down to four…Rick, Jen, Karsten and Mom.

Due to the type of work we do and many other factors, we have chosen to homeschool our youngest, Karsten.  Each year she has had the choice to attend school, but has opted to continue and she will be a Junior this Fall.  Her education has included customer service, business management, cleaning and a variety of other skills.  She is quite creative and has become a beautiful photographer over the years, just like her Dad who continues to sell his photographs in the Gallery.

The Gallery was opened as the second stage of our business in 2008.  Rick Varecha is a phenomenal photographer and enjoys heading out in the forest for great shots of waterfalls, wildlife and everything nature.  He and Karsten have also shot some weddings in the area. You can view some of his work at www.thewildup.com.  Karsten and Jen work on various glass projects from jewelry to sun-catchers to night lights. You will also find hand-crafted notecard, hand-dyed silk scarves, knitwear and wool mittens.

In 2011, Rick added chainsaw carving to the mix and currently carves all summer.  You can watch him at work while visiting the area.  The Gallery also carries a sundry of necessities for visitors, Nuwati Teas and scented candles.  Most items in the Gallery are created by the Varecha family.  The Gallery was listed in Michigan Travel 2012 as one of the 10 Artsy Spots to visit in Michigan!

Even if you are not staying at Mountain View Lodges, be sure to stop in and check out the Gallery!  If you need more information, call 906-885-5256 or visit us at www.facebook.com/mtnviewlodges or www.mountainviewlodges.com