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Is this place Heaven? Or is it Alma?

STLF’s Staff spends 2 days at the one and only Hotel De Ville in Alma, WI.

Author: Brian Peterson, STLF

Each January and July, STLF’s staff blocks off a couple days to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the distractions of the office for our semi-annual staff retreats. These are always times where we build comradery and morale, hatch new ideas , and gain a focused and clarified direction for the organization.  

The memories of these retreats are not only defined by the work we do there, but also by the location, the stories, and people we meet.  I think I can speak for all seven of us here at STLF when I say that our destination this winter was one we will never forget.  It is a small Wisconsin town called Alma, perched on the edge of the Mississippi River.  It is a town with maybe almost as many eagles as people in the winter time, and a quaint downtown lined with unique restaurants and bars, historic buildings, possibly the best bakery in the world, and the true shining star of the town – the Hotel De Ville.

Arrival in Alma at Hotel De Ville.

We arrived at our destination in Alma at the Hotel De Ville, and found a beautifully restored historic house located on the Mississippi river.  After talking to Jeff (one of the owners) on the phone while booking the place a few weeks before, he described the place and couldn’t think of anything more perfect.  What made it even better is that he provided us a great reduced winter rate that made it possible for our small nonprofit staff to have a memorable experience.  

The first person we met was our new friend Dan (the other Hotel De Ville owner).  Dan has worked to restore several historic buildings in town and has endless stories to tell.  Before long we decided that Dan was going to be a great Tour host some day when we bring a Tour to town.  He gave us the scoop on the town, the best restaurants, and a whole lot more.

Heading out on the Town – Great Restaurants, Bakery, and More.

I am pretty sure we made it to almost every restaurant in town, and met all the employees at them all.  Some of the restaurants we made it to were Traxx, the Alma Hotel, Kate and Gracie’s, the Red Ram, and more.  The one place we will never forget though was the much anticipated the Alma Bakery.  We walked in to an incredible spread of baked goods, and before long were chatting with Chris and Stephanie.  When Chris saw us walking down the street, he said he was so hopeful that all seven of us were on our way to the bakery, and sure enough we were.  He said, “We have had five people at once before, even six…but never seven!  This is awesome!”  We were happy to have given them some business, and I will never forget the cinnamon role and chocolate donut that I had.  We wish them all the best, and hope that you all take a trip there soon and buy some baked goods! 

A Vacation You Won’t Regret

Since we are all now very fond of Alma, we are all hoping that more people will make it a vacation destination and provide some business for the town.  Whether it be a romantic get-away for two, a one-day road trip down the river, some priceless eagle watching time, or a weekend with friends, Alma is a great destination and the Hotel De Ville is about the perfect place to stay.

Who knows where the next retreat will take us?  Maybe we will even Settle in Catan…we’ll keep you posted.

 

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