4. Page 32 ~ July 2008 ~ CSI Publication “Boomers” Quarterly Magazine
❘❙❚ CHEF
CONTINUED FROM page 18
ley face in their pancakes. Then they’d eat them and ask for
more, because it was fun for them.”
It seems you’re never too old to get your hands dirty. At 60,
Michalsen still loves to play with food. “It’s fun for me,” she
said.
While her children often were the inspiration for creating
815-624-8393
122 S. Prairie • Rockton, IL
new dishes, they also played a role in her choice of career.
www.cyndyscountrycottage.com
When Michalsen was a single mother with an 8-year-old son, Wed.-Sat. 10-5 • Sun. 12-4 • Closed Mon. & Tues.
she discovered bed and breakfasts. “When you vacation with
an 8-year-old, you find out pretty quick that you need some-
one else to talk to,” she said. “I discovered B-and-Bs that were
family-friendly.”
Michalsen looked for
active places to stay. A
favorite destination for her
and her son was a 5,000-
acre ranch in the foothills
of the Rocky Mountains.
“We’d go out for a horse-
back ride in the morning,
and come back for break-
fast. My son had a yard to
run around in, and I had
LYNN GREENE/STAFF an adult to talk to, if I
The River House Bed and wanted,” she said.
Breakfast Getaway Lodge and Later, after meeting her
Timeaway Lodge overlooks the husband, Jim, she discov-
Rock River in Machesney Park, Ill. ered the romantic side of
bed and breakfasts in
Door County, Wis. “Once you get stuck on this lodging style, it
gets in your blood,” she said.
Once her children flew the coop, Michalsen left her job as
sales manager at a local radio station. In 1997, she opened her
bed and breakfast, and has been accommodating guests ever
since.
Now, Michalsen has complemented the family-friendly
atmosphere in the Timeaway Lodge with the romantic, cou-
ples-only accommodations in the Getaway Lodge. The two
buildings sit side by side on her property.
Guests have been enthusiastic about their stays. “This was
our first time at a bed and breakfast,” said Marion and Rick
Kleiner of Franklin Park, Ill. “The friendly hospitality, cleanli-
ness and delicious breakfast far exceeded any hotel experi- KEALY PHARMACY & HOMECARE
ence.”
Michalsen has some great ideas for fun group weekends, as
21 S. Jackson St. • 608-752-7869
well. Taking a cue from popular TV cooking shows, Michalsen
offers an Iron Chef weekend. People assemble their own group
Meet Our
and reserve the Getaway Lodge. “The house is perfect for it *Medicare Part D Specialist*
and the kitchen is easy to work in and big enough for a
crowd,” Michalsen said.
Mark Johnson, RPh
During the day, guests each prepare a specialty dish. In the
evening, everyone joins in for a great dining experience. Janesville’s Only
“It’s a fun thing to do, because everyone has at least one
thing they make really well,” Michalsen said. “This is sort of a Independent Pharmacy
fun way to showoff for your friends and enjoy the whole day Monday - Friday 9 AM - 7 PM • Saturday 9 AM - 5 PM • Sunday Closed
doing it.”
BOOMERS ’08 24 Hour Emergency