1 There’s nothing like a summer fantasy to get you through the winter, so how about giving a June weekend in a lakeside tent at Wandawega Lake Resort in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, about 90 miles northwest? Built in the late 1920s as a “lakeside development for Chicagoans looking for weekend cottages,” it’s been restored and upgraded by a Chicago couple; you can rent out the original cottages ($200-$300/night, two-night minimum) or a trio of old Boy Scouts platform tents ($240/night for all three, two-night minimum) between May and October. W5453 Lakeview, Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 312-282-4693, wandawega.com.
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2 A unique gift for the music lover: Listening to Logs, “interactive art objects” handcrafted by School of the Art Institute senior Benjamin Bergevin-Smith. He embeds speakers (with a standard stereo headphone jack) into logs, then adds a crocheted cover. Sizes range “from that of a football to larger than a microwave.” The speakers aren’t exactly high fidelity, but the wood adds some resonance. $40-$100, bergevinsmithbenjamin@gmail.com.
