Movement, Nourishment & Nature: My Wellness Getaway To Kohler, Wisconsin

I knew I needed a break. What I didn't know was that I needed a 10-minute shower.

As a busy working mom living in a pre-war Brooklyn apartment, my showers tend to be efficient rather than indulgent. There are usually other things to do, someone who needs me, or somewhere I need to be. So when I stepped into the bathroom of my room at the Carriage House in Kohler, Wisconsin, I wasn't expecting the shower to be one of the highlights of my trip.

But it may have been the best shower of my life.

The panel on the wall allowed me to select which showerheads I wanted to run (there were six!) and at what exact temperature. I could control the experience down to the degree, showing me I like an extra-hot shower. And because this is Kohler, I could even get a summary afterward of how much water I used and how long I showered.

I can't tell you the last time I took a 10-minute shower. But I did. And boy did I love it. The delightful Diptyque shampoo, conditioner, and body gel sent the whole experience over the top. Of course, I had to don a fluffy robe while I dried my hair and enjoyed my Kohler chocolates.

That shower was a fitting introduction to my stay in Kohler. I had arrived feeling overdue for a reset, and I quickly realized that wellness here isn't confined to a treatment room or a particular class. It's woven into the entire experience: how you move, how you recover, what you eat, how much time you spend outside, and even the spaces and people around you.

Movement is one of my favorite wellness topics—and one of the pillars of longevity we talk about constantly at mindbodygreen—so naturally, I wanted to see what Kohler had to offer. The answer: a lot.

Guests have access to the amenities at Sports Core, including workout facilities, pools, and tennis courts where you can book lessons with instructors like Kelly Monahan. For group fitness folks, there are classes at Yoga on the Lake and spin at Bold Cycle, both located in The Shops at Woodlake. There are also new pickleball and platform tennis courts coming this fall to Sports Core.

I took a Soul Sculpt Hot class taught by Ashley Kohler, and it was one of those workouts that manages to be both challenging and fun. I left feeling sweaty, energized, and—as is often the case after a great workout—very happy that I started my day with it.

And honestly, somewhere between the tennis courts and the golf offerings (of which Kohler is quite famous; Whistling Straits is known to be one of the best courses in the country), I found myself dreaming about a tennis-and-golf vacation—which is notable because these are two things I have never personally wanted to do before. There's really something for everyone.

Kohler Waters Spa is legendary, and it's not hard to see why.

As you enter the spa from the lobby of the Carriage House, you're transported into a relaxing oasis. The connection to the spa is felt throughout the hotel, but here it becomes the entire experience.

The locker room is perfection, with Hollyhock products and essentially every amenity you could want. The pool and waterfall greet you as you enter, with hot- and cold-therapy experiences flanking the space.

On one side is a traditional sauna. On the other is a steam room and cold plunge. The idea is to move back and forth between hot and cold, with time in the pool in between.

There are also lovely lounges throughout the space. I found myself multiple times grabbing a cup of citrus water—there's also cucumber water and tea—and a little nibble of trail mix before settling into a lounge and doing something I don't get to do nearly enough: absolutely nothing.

One of the biggest surprises was the Ammortal Chamber. It's notoriously hard for me to drop into a guided meditation, but because of the tactile experience—the air lightly blowing on you and the molecular hydrogen in your nose—I found myself floating into the meditation surprisingly easily.

Doing the Ammortal Chamber before my massage helped relax my mind and loosen up my muscles so my massage therapist could go deeper. When I was face-up, he moved the table into the shape of the Ammortal, so I wasn’t fully flat on my back, which I found extremely comfortable. I walked out feeling like I was floating. 

And then came the hot-and-cold finale.

I spent 15 minutes in the infrared sauna, three minutes in the ice room with my back against the ice and ice-cold towels, and then some time in the hot whirlpool. It was divine.

One of my favorite things about traveling for wellness is that food can stop feeling like something you have to squeeze between activities. In Kohler, there are plenty of options, from casual stops at Woodlake Market to more elevated meals throughout the community.

Woodlake Market felt like a mini-Erewhon, filled with all my wellness favorites, plus some new local finds. There's a café in the store where you can grab coffee or matcha (mine was yummy), the bakery has all kinds of treats, and there are plenty of snacks and provisions to grab for your room or a day of exploring. 

But what stood out to me was my cozy lunch at River Wildlife.

At Blackwolf Run, I sat on the porch overlooking the golf course and ate a delicious Greek salad. I also had to sample some cheese curds (when in Wisconsin!) with a super-tasty blueberry lavender lemon jam.

Blackwolf Run is a stately log cabin structure where golfers peel off the Pete Dye-designed course into the restaurant and bar for refreshments. The space feels like it's been there since the 1800s, but the food is anything but stodgy.

Kohler's chocolate tradition is another example of the company's commitment to doing things exceptionally well.

Mr. Kohler apparently felt there needed to be a better chocolate turtle, so, like the Kohler family tends to do, he started R&D. The result was the Terrapin: chocolate combined with nuts and smoky, burnt caramel.

The town of Kohler is pristine.

The landscapers certainly know what they're doing, as every bed is full of gorgeous lavender, grasses, and purple flowers. Pathways have archways with woven vines overhead, sculptures are nestled between thoughtful placements of greenery and flowers, and ivy makes the factory look more like a hallowed institution than anything else.

I loved all the art throughout the town. It was very apparent that art is important to the community.

I learned later that Kohler has an esteemed art residency in which artists are allowed to use materials from the factory and are given space to create work for a year. There's one stipulation I particularly love: They must give a piece from their time to be displayed in Kohler, Wisconsin.

It's hard not to notice the thoughtfulness as you walk around town, which is why I think walking should be on everyone's Kohler itinerary.

You can walk from place to place, taking in the landscaping, sculptures, architecture, and art along the way. The shuttles are also incredibly convenient, and the drivers are almost like tour guides, sharing what they love about the town, the buildings, and even the Kohler family.

One of my favorite surprises was the Kohler Design Center.

If you have any interest in design, architecture, or even just dreaming about what your own bathroom could look like someday, make time for this.

The Design Center takes you through Kohler's history and showcases products from across the decades. Upstairs, there's a showroom filled with inspiration and possibilities.

I was raised in a family business. My mom is the sixth generation to run my own family business, albeit one much smaller than Kohler. So I think I noticed something about my time there that I might not have otherwise: You can really feel that this is still a family business.

The family members are very present. I took a Yoga Sculpt class alongside Nina Kohler and was taught by Ashley Kohler. Later, I saw Nina in Woodlake Market making sure everything was up to snuff.

Both were kind and humble, and both seemed genuinely interested in expanding the wellness experience in the community and beyond.

That sense of stewardship was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

If I were planning my own return trip, I'd make the itinerary intentionally simple.

• I'd start with coffee and breakfast at The Greenhouse, then head to a yoga or spin class at The Shops at Woodlake. 
• After getting sufficiently tired, I'd head back to the Carriage House, shower, put on my robe, and take the elevator down to the Kohler Waters Spa Café for lunch.
• Then I'd spend the afternoon at the spa, with a massage, hot-and-cold therapy, and plenty of time in the lounge. Really luxuriate here. 
• Another perfect day would start with a walk to Woodlake Market for a coffee or matcha. I'd wander through Kohler, taking in the sculptures and landscaping, have lunch at River Wildlife, and spend the afternoon at the spa. 

The point isn't to pack every possible wellness activity into one trip. It's almost the opposite. It's to create enough space to move your body, eat well, spend time outside, recover, explore something beautiful, and connect with the people and places around you.

I left with a different perspective on what a wellness getaway can be.

The best part wasn't any one treatment, class, meal, or amenity. It was how seamlessly everything fit together. Movement naturally led to recovery. Walking naturally led to discovering art. A great meal became a reason to linger in nature. Even a shower became an experience worth slowing down for.

For a busy person—and especially a busy parent—that kind of wellness feels particularly appealing.

You don't have to choose between an active vacation and a restorative one. You don't have to spend the entire trip at the spa to feel like you've prioritized your well-being.