Unplug, unwind and settle into the simple life

Rich Palzewic

Staff

February 2, 2026

WISCONSIN DELLS – In the wake of a tragic loss, Cale and Tanya Schorer said they decided to turn their grief into something positive. 

The couple – owners of the Sandstone Rustic Retreat, N422 County Road N, in Wisconsin Dells – said when Cale’s 17-year-old daughter, Peyton, and her boyfriend, Anthony, were involved in a devastating motorcycle accident in October 2021, they were faced with a choice.

“In the midst of unimaginable grief, we could let the tragedy define us or transform it into something that could serve others,” Tanya said. “Sandstone was born from that decision.”

The couple said what began as a personal healing journey has evolved into a purpose-driven business – a quiet, nature-immersed space designed to help people reconnect with each other and disconnect from the constant noise of modern life.

“Every detail of Sandstone is intentional, created to offer peace, presence and a place to breathe,” Cale said. “We see guests arrive exhausted and guarded and leave lighter, more connected and often deeply moved.”

Tanya said the retreat’s mission is simple but powerful.

“We want to help people slow down, heal and find peace – whether they’re navigating loss, burnout, transition or simply the need to feel grounded again,” she said. “Sandstone is not just a retreat – it’s a testament to how purpose can shape a business and how entrepreneurship can be a vehicle for hope.”

Rearranging his priorities

Cale said he and Tanya began dating in 2014 and were in a long-distance relationship for quite some time, with him often making the drive from Syracuse, New York, during four-day weekends to visit her.

“Fast-forward to 2020, and I bought a house in Kaukauna – literally right on the Kimberly/Kaukauna border,” Cale said. “I had encouraged my daughter to step outside of her comfort zone and come here for a semester of school just to try it and meet some different kids.”

Cale said at that point, he knew he and Tanya were in it for the long haul.

“All systems were a go when we bought that house, so Peyton came here for the second semester in 2020,” he said. “Then, after five or six weeks of school, COVID-19 happened, and we went into lockdown. Like other kids, Peyton went from really enjoying school life to being stuck in the house.”

Despite the lockdown, Cale said his daughter created some great friendships with other kids she had met through Tanya’s children.

Around that same time, he said he attended a vision-building workshop in Milwaukee, where he realized just how off-track his priorities had become.

“I was prioritizing work and building my business over quality time with my family and then building a business that supports that,” he said. “That was the first light bulb that went off in my head about how we should be living and how most of us are not.”

Cale said we’ve been taught from birth to graduate high school, go to college, get a job, work hard for 40 years and then retire and enjoy life.

“In the meantime, while you’re working hard and pouring into your business, what is happening?” he said. “Your kids are growing, and your relationships are growing colder. The divorce rate in America is more than 50% – people aren’t spending quality time together, and they’re too focused on work.”

After taking a step back to reevaluate his life, Cale said he changed his approach.

“Things were going much better in my life – so much so that my daughter decided she was going to spend her senior summer working for me,” he said. “She got really close with some friends, so a couple of days before I was ready to take her back to Syracuse, she said, ‘Dad, I want to stay here and do my senior year here.’”

As a father, Cale said his “prayers were answered.”

“We got her into Kimberly, and all her credits transferred,” he said. “She was going to graduate on time, and things were good. She was applying herself in classes and had great friends. Then, on Oct. 4, [2021], right after homecoming, on the way home from school, she and her boyfriend were involved in a tragic motorcycle accident.”

Cale said his daughter’s boyfriend was killed instantly, while Peyton spent seven days in the hospital before passing away.

“That was obviously a life-changing moment,” he said. “It strengthened our faith for sure, and it got [Tanya and me] focused on each other. What I found in the aftermath of my daughter’s passing was that we had no quiet space. The world we’re living in today has so many distractions that even a simple, important conversation is almost impossible to have without some kind of interruption.”

The inspiration behind Sandstone

Cale said a friend, who was also grieving the loss of a child, offered them a cabin at a property they were renovating.

The concept for that cabin, he said, closely resembled what Sandstone has since become.

“It was similar but different from what we have at Sandstone,” he said. “It was a chance for Tanya and me to have some of these tough conversations and try and figure out what our next steps were – that was the first step.”

The second step, Cale said, was spending a few nights at a friend’s house in Waupaca on the Chain O’Lakes.

“We brought my daughter’s friends and a couple of our close friends, and we spent the weekend there and had a wonderful time,” he said. “It helped the kids realize you can regain real life after a tragedy.”

Cale said the idea had been on their radar for a while, and while attending another workshop, he received a text from Sandstone’s owner about selling the retreat.

“Tanya was ready to be done with teaching after 23 years, so the timing was unbelievable,” he said. “We were surrounded by a bunch of real estate people. We had never done anything like this before, so it was nice to lean on them.”

Work to be done

Cale said in October 2022, after their offer was accepted, they got their first real look at the property.

“It was then we realized how much work it was going to be – it was a dumpster fire,” he laughed. “It was really bad, but we jumped in and started dreaming.”

From the start, Cale said they envisioned what the property could become, beginning work in January 2023 with the renovation of its four cabins.

“We completed the first two by Valentine’s Day and the second two by the beginning of March,” he said. “In the meantime, we were also fixing up the gathering house. Instead of a bar and tavern, it feels very homey, comfortable and warm. At Christmastime, it feels like a Hallmark Christmas in there.”

The couple said they also put in outdoor glamping domes for their guests.

“I think the domes are the crown jewel of the property,” Cale said. “The domes are very popular – they are heated in the winter and have air conditioning in the summer. They are Sandstone’s top performers.”

Beyond its amenities, the Schorers said the property itself is “breathtaking.”

“With the canyons, riverfront and the proximity to Wisconsin Dells, it’s special,” Tanya said. “I don’t think you can find a better spot – it’s beautiful.”

Since renovations caused some unexpected delays, Cale said they had time to “dial in and get better at running the new business” – figuring out:

• How the ebb and flow of the system worked
• How Airbnb worked
• How short-term rentals worked
• How to capture the eyes of tourists coming to the Dells
• How to get in front of more people
• How to showcase something new, unique and different

“We were kind of hamstrung,” Cale said. “A lot of people depend on the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau, and even though we have a Wisconsin Dells address, we’re located two miles outside of town – we can’t participate with the visitor and convention bureau.”

Due to its location and other factors, Cale said Sandstone isn’t listed in the organization’s tourism guide.

“Because we can’t get on their marketing campaign, we’ve had to be very intentional about our marketing campaign to try to get this property out to as many people as possible,” he said.

As soon as they renovated the first cabin, Cale said Sandstone started bringing in revenue.

“We’ve increased our revenue every year,” he said. “This year, we’re looking forward to a big growth year where we plan to add three more domes – those tend to do really well.”

Different offerings

Cale said Sandstone stands apart from many of the traditional attractions in the Dells.

“Wisconsin Dells tourism is obviously big into vacations, water parks, etc.,” he said. “I think a big reason why there are not more [mom-and-pop resorts] is there are fewer people who want to just go get quiet. But I think that has turned the corner in the last two years since COVID. I’m starting to see a movement toward people wanting to get away. Sandstone Rustic Resort is that place.”

Tanya said they often host guests from Chicago looking to escape the “concrete jungle” of the city.

“They don’t have to travel all the way up north when they realize what they are seeking is just a couple of hours from them,” he said. “I think that’s been huge, too. People are transitioning more into what we call ‘forest therapy.’ They want to get closer to nature.”

How much technology is too much?

Tanya said she and Cale had plenty of conversations during renovations on how much technology they were comfortable with having at Sandstone.

None of the cabins, she said, have TVs.

“At first, that was a bit stressful – not going to lie,” she laughed. “When we first started getting guests, everybody was expecting TVs, but since then, our guests have thanked us. We’ve gotten great feedback.”

Tanya said Sandstone does, however, have Wi-Fi.

“Everybody has computers or their phones if they need them,” she said. “There is Wi-Fi, but it’s limited and only reaches past dome one. We’re struggling with that a bit – do we really want the Wi-Fi to reach further? If people absolutely need Wi-Fi for work purposes or for some other reason, they come to our main building.”

The Schorers said the main property spans six acres, with another six acres across the road dedicated to the wedding venue. 

“[Ours was] actually the first wedding [held] on our wedding deck in October 2024,” Tanya said. “The stairs and the bench were finished the night before our wedding. We did our wedding here to see if it could all work out on the property.”

Tanya said they already have six weddings scheduled for this year, with several more in the works.

“We don’t want to be a wedding venue,” she said. “We wanted to be able to share the property and host weddings. We are finding that more people want smaller weddings outdoors in nature. Couples are moving away from the barn scene and the big hotel kind of feel. The great thing is, we can also house their wedding party right on the property, which makes everything so much easier and more convenient.”

The Schorers said the property also has a private dock and kayak rentals.

A storied history

Cale said the original main building of Sandstone dates back to the 1920s, with add-ons constructed throughout the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

“I’m a little bit of an old soul,” Cale laughed. “I’m big on keeping the character and keeping things as original as possible. Our contractor, who did the renovation work, after he first got in here and started looking around, thought we’d be better off just demolishing the main building and starting fresh.”

However, Cale said demolishing the building would have defeated the purpose.

“A new building just doesn’t have the character an old original building does,” he said. “The sandstone on the front of the building is why it’s called ‘Sandstone.’ That sandstone was quarried when they put the road in a long time ago.”

Cale said the whole feeling of the building and atmosphere has completely changed since they took over.

“It went from a very dreary and dismal kind of feel when you walked out of the property prior to us owning it, to a property with life in it,” he said. “If you pay attention to something and pour love into it, it always returns that back.”

Cale said Sandstone offers a departure from the typical Wisconsin Dells accommodations – making it that what they provide is more of an experience than just a place to stay.

“This is experiential travel,” he said. “This is getting away. This is completely different from what you’re going to experience at the water parks. You can spend a lot of money there and have a great experience, but it’s totally different.”

In their minds, Cale said “less is more.”

“We want to be economical with our development and want people to be in touch with nature,” he said. “Take some time and breathe, unplug and disconnect. When our guests come here, most people don’t have a hard time putting their phones down, which is cool.”

For more on Sandstone Rustic Retreat, head to sandstonerusticretreatwisdells.com or its Facebook page.