Surrounded by 300-year-old white pines, this lodge recalls its early days as a fly-fishing retreat.

Lewis, Wisconsin

Nothing much has changed since the early 1900s, from the light fixtures and pictures to Native American artifacts and Mission-style furnishings.

But today, couples come to this 65-acre woodland hideaway (85 miles north of the Twin Cities) to read, hike and spend time together (no TVs or room phones). Some guests snowshoe or cross-country ski; some go antiquing in nearby towns.

A Minneapolis businessman built Seven Pines as a private getaway. Norwegian craftsmen secured the log walls with square pegs, visible in the main room. You can relax there in front of an immense fireplace. Teddy Roosevelt gets the credit for the buffalo head that hangs above another fireplace.

In one of the log-walled guest rooms, visitors nod off in a bed Calvin Coolidge slept in. Original Arts and Crafts pieces furnish each room where flannel sheets warm your toes. Some guests prefer the newer log bungalow or the original gatehouse cottage, with a fireplace and whirlpool.

Dinner, an elaborate four-course affair, usually includes steak, quail or trout, perhaps caught in the creek that murmurs beyond the dining room.

But no matter how cold the temperatures get outside, the historic lodge nurtures romance from the moment you pass through its green door.

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