Canyon Park Cabin

We've had lots of rain in the area, but we're up near the Military Ridge, so the Cabin and the yard is always nice and dry. 

The canyon however, is full of rushing water, and there are many little waterfalls everywhere.  

We have way more fireflys than mosquitoes!   

Canyon Park is located in the rugged, unglaciated "driftless" area of Southwest Wisconsin.

The cabin is a fully furnished vacation rental home, on 44 spectacular acres that you can explore. You'll enjoy the solitude of the bluffs, and the rush of the water in the spring fed pond and creek. Hiking trails and picnic spots abound.

And it's Peaceful out here. If you like the State Parks, but don't like the crowds, you'll Love Canyon Park.

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If you can bring yourself to leave the cool leafy canyon, some of Wisconsin's best attractions are just minutes away. Dodgeville, Mineral Point, Spring Green and Mt. Horeb are all less than 20 miles from the canyon, and there are many local wonders in that small area.

Canyon Park is ideal for your next Get-Away or Get-Together. Please contact us for information and reservations.

We hope you'll sign up for our Newsletter and keep in touch with our Blog for photos and more about the Canyon Park Experience!

Peace,

Jeff and Lynn Martin

Canyon Park Cabin - The secluded get-away that isn't far away.

Time for the re-launch of my hand-made soap business. Cabin Soap Co.

When it’s quiet for a few weeks at the cabin, I make several batches of soap and get them ready for sale.

No shopping cart yet, and a limited selection at this time, email soapdish56@yahoo.com to order. I love making products that are beautiful, healthful and useful.

It’s great to be able to share these with our guests. You’ll find a few bars at the cabin when you arrive!

Lynn 05-03-08

Canyon Park is a great place for a gathering of friends and family. The cabin and side yard works well for groups of fifty people or more.

We can easily park 40 cars.

In front of the cabin there is a patio with chairs and a table. The side yard with the giant white pine is large with a stand alone deck, several picnic tables, a fire ring with grill and andirons, and a great look at the canyon from “the point”.

There is space for outdoor games and other activities. A major form of entertainment is going for a “hike”. Groups of people can take walks “on the loop” or take the road down through the canyon and back.

The short walk “around the loop” is fairly easy with great views of the canyon from the top. The walk down the canyon road and back can take an hour or more (there is alot to see) and is a good activity for age appropriate kids.

We have hosted large events at Canyon Park including reunions, meetings and live music events. I think that we’d have to say that every one has been successful. If you have an interest in hosting your event at Canyon Park, we’d be happy to discuss it with you. And help in any way that we can.

We have some equipment and that you may want to use including a large (16′x30′) tent, a ten by ten tent, PA system, a canopy for the deck, wood for a bonfire, campfire cooking gear and serving accessories. We can also arrange for kitchen assistance, from a head chef to a campfire cook or assist your people. We can also make arrangements for some of the best local food products available. We also know lots of musicians and can help arrange entertainment for almost any situation.

If you’d like to hold your event at Canyon Park let us know and we can work out the details.

Jeff 

but we cleaned off the deck instead……… when we took a break we noticed an eagle circling overhead. The giant bird was checking out the pond.

Beautiful in any season, the canyon is most peaceful and yet very alive at this time of the year. A thick blanket of snow softens some features and accents others.

The bubbling springs remind us to give thanks for the blessings provided by the waters. Water is really what it’s all about this time of the year. It starts to whittle away the ice and snow, even as more piles up. You know it won’t last long now. Good waterproof boots are your best friend now, essential for ice, snow and mud . . . lots of mud, glorious mud. With the deep snow this year, there will be waterfalls everywhere in the canyon. When we have spring rains, there are BIG waterfalls in the canyon and the sound is spectacular!

The woodchuck pops up now and then, to check for sunshine and green shoots. The evergreens shake off the cold and snow and stretch each needle towards the sky and new light. The ferns and mosses take advantage of the moisture and cool temps to show off their first greens. Down in the canyon, near the creek, the skunk cabbage blossom will be the first “wildflower” to be seen, the dark purple & green spathe gets warm from the sun and melts the snow around it!

Fallen leaves encased in icy displays melt interesting designs with the sun’s help, too.

It’s a good time to be on the watch for an eagle from the Wisconsin River Valley to the north. The vultures soar on the updrafts over the canyon. The turkeys are sometimes seen in the front yard of the cabin or wandering up the driveway to the fields.

The woodpeckers, jays, cardinals, chickadees and many other birds are your friendly companions out in the woods this time of the year. It’s always interesting to see what trees the pileated woodpeckers have whittled away over the winter.

The real sport this time of the year is observing small things and celebrating the turn of the seasons. It’s a good chance to rest and reaffirm our dreams and priorities before the busy months ahead.

Lynn 02-07-08

Delicious for breakfast or dessert with maple syrup or fruit spread, make a savory version for lunch or supper. I consider this to be an egg dish, but it’s like a big puffy popover.

This is the 3rd one this week! This is a 6 egg recipe in a large 13″ cast iron skillet. I think 3 eggs would work well in a 10″ skillet, 4 might be too much?

One Caution, cover the hot pan handle at all times when you have the pan out of the oven.

Oven Pancake:

• 2 T Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• Melt the butter in a pie plate, cake pan or oven safe pan in the oven while it’s preheating

• In a medium bowl, Beat eggs

• Add milk, flour & salt

• Mix until just smooth, but don’t over beat

• Swirl melted butter to cover bottom of pan

• Pour batter into pan

• Bake 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees (some say 425 degrees, adjust time accordingly)

This puffs up while baking, then flattens soon after it comes out of the oven.

We like to add a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Then everyone can add what they like for toppings. Maple syrup, fruit spread, sour cream, yogurt, homemade fruit toppings like apples or blueberries, nutella, or even pie filling. Think of the possibilities !

One variation has sliced apples in the pan, I’ve made it with savory herbs, spices and cheeses, or a pile of scrambled eggs in the middle after it bakes. You can easily adjust this recipe to any size, just use a larger oven-safe non-toxic pan, and increase the baking time - I bake the 6 egg version shown above 25-30 minutes.

The texture is more egg-y if baked less, crispier if baked longer.

I like to use a hand rotary mixer or a whisk, but some people use a blender to mix this.

I’ve heard that you can use about 1/2 the butter called for in this recipe, but personally, I am not willing to go there . . .

I’ve tinkered with my Mom’s recipe, (great recipe Mom, Thanks!) and this is the ultimate. Simple to make with ingredients always at hand and delicious. Perfect just the way it is, warm or cold. Top with cream or milk, ice cream or whipped cream to make it even more “comforting”!

I happen to think this is nutritious wholesome food, and makes a great breakfast with yogurt too.

This recipe is for a 9 x 13 pan, because I discovered it was a waste of time to make anything smaller that would be devoured in less than 60 seconds. However, 1/2 the recipe makes a 9×9 pan or a pie plate size very nicely.

It’s easy to experiment and substitute other sweeteners or whole wheat flour, for example. I’ve found it works best to substitute 1/3 to 1/2 of the amount called for in the recipe and see how I like the effect on the recipe.

Lynn’s Apple Crisp

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 lbs apples - 9-15 apples
• 3 T lemon or orange juice
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon

Topping Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups uncooked oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned)
• 1/2 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

• Spray 9 x 13 pan with light coating of vegetable oil spray

Filling:

• You’ll need about 3 lbs of apples. Peel and slice apples into a large bowl.

A 3 lb bag of apples makes a 9×13 pan nicely, but not overly thick or full. A 3-pound bag of apples is 9 to 15 apples or so, depending on size. A good rule of thumb is use enough apples to fill your pan with whole unpeeled apples in a single layer. (note: I’ll be checking this out for sure . . . i always do this for pies, I think it works for larger pans too)

• Sprinkle the sliced apples with lemon juice or orange juice, or even apple juice.

The juice is partly to prevent the apples from browning, but this goes together very quickly so that’s not a big problem. I like to add the juice for a little extra flavor and juicy-ness. If I’m using up old sitting-on-the-counter-too-long apples, I add a little extra orange juice so the filling is not so dry. The orange juice gives the filling a wonderful flavor!

• Add to apples and mix well
  • 1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
• Place filling layer in pan

Topping:

• In a large saucepan, gently melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

• Add
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2/3 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned)

• Mix thoroughly - I like to finish mixing with my fingers

• Sprinkle topping over apple layer

• Bake 30 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees.
  • Turn your oven down to 350 degrees if topping is browning too quickly
  • You can tell this is done when it’s bubbling in the middle and the apples are completely tender

• Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Cook’s note: buy 2 bags of apples, you’ll be making this again, right away soon