The Logbook

04/02/2025

We’re excited to be part of Finlandia Foundation National, Inc.'s Sauna Week 2025 by helping share a small piece of the Copper Country sauna story!

📅February 19 | 7 p.m. EST
📍 Free Zoom Event | Sauna Stories from the Copper Country: The Brass Buckle on the Sauna Belt

Join moderators Jim Kurtti, Honorary Consul of Finland, along with other panelists Barbara Männinen, Haley Goodreau, and Daena & Amanda Mäkelä, as they explore the deep-rooted sauna traditions of the Copper Country.

Be sure to check out the rest of the week's speakers! From exploring the health benefits of heat with Dr. Earric Lee to an inside look at North America’s sauna business market with Cedar and Stone Nordic Sauna + Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna Podcast , there’s a fantastic lineup of topics ahead.

♨️🔥 Register here: nationalsaunaweek.com ♨️🔥

p.s. you might even spot some of our photos on the FFN sauna week website 👀

National Sauna Week is a heartfelt celebration of the Finnish sauna tradition, a cultural treasure that blends history, wellness, and connection. Rooted in values of harmony, equality, and restoration, this week-long event unites people worldwide to honor the transformative power of sauna as a sanct...

10/01/2025

Getting close SAUNA WEEK KEWEENAW 2025! 🔥

10/07/2024

Logbook Stories was recently featured on the The Upper Bench podcast! 🎙️✨

In this episode, we dive into the heart of our latest project—capturing the rich sauna culture of the Upper Peninsula. We also broach the topic of sauna culture related to hunting camps. From the stories of local sauna enthusiasts to the photography that brings their experiences to life, we explore how these traditional spaces have changed over time and foster community.

Tune in to hear about the journey of creating the Saunas of the Upper Peninsula book, the joys of storytelling, and what's next for Logbook Stories. Whether you're a sauna lover, a fan of outdoor adventures, or simply curious about the unique subcultures that thrive in our region, this episode is for you! 🌲📸

🎧 Listen or Watch Now: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-upper-bench/episodes/Haley-and-Cody-Goodreau-from-Logbook-Stories-e2lnl5s

Thank you to The Upper Bench for having us on the show. We can't wait to share more stories with you all throughout the process of making our book!

25/06/2024

Old shampoo bottles, rusted stove grates, and chipped drywall—each detail in a sauna can hold a memory.

Together, they weave a tale of past warmth and comfort. This sauna, located in a basement in Oskar Bay along the Portage Canal, features a hot room lined with cedar shake, a small faux window, and a single lightbulb illuminating the space. The family-fabricated wood-fired stove is paired with handpicked Lake Superior rocks. The shower room, situated between the changing room and the sauna room, is an essential component of the experience. For this sauna owner, the space filled a practical need while also providing a cozy way to enjoy Keweenaw’s long winters.

14/06/2024

Mmmh, sauna beer. 🍺🔥

DYK that Bosch Brewing Company used to have a beer called Sauna Beer? Here’s a bit of history for you! Bosch was a small brewery on the Keweenaw Peninsula founded in 1884 and ran until 1973.

In 1968, Bosch introduced a Sauna Beer, developed after consultation with brewers in Finland. According to The Houghton Daily Mining Gazette: “This beer is for those who prefer a light bodied, mildly flavorful, bitter-free beer, light lunches, and long evenings.” It was a light beer similar to Finnish “kalja”, and was called a perfect after-sauna thirst quencher. Since many local residents had Finnish ancestry, and so were familiar with saunas, Sauna Beer sold well, and won Houghton County’s Product of the Year Contest in 1968. Side note, we should totally try to bring this contest back into the ether.

We were lucky enough to found and collect led our very own Sauna Beer box and Sauna Beer label! The box photographed above was hidden in plain sight inside the gift shop in Alberta, MI near some very well crafted and $$$ birdseye maple furniture.

Here’s a nice little tidbit from Brewer’s Digest about the brewery in 1966: “Certainly the Bosch Brewing Co. has all of the ingredients for success that a smaller brewery can have – an efficient, well equipped plant; dedicated employees who know their jobs thoroughly and who take personal pride in the products the company markets; an intimate and realistic knowledge of the market it serves and of the consumers’ desires. But most of all it has an enthusiastic management, the kind of enthusiasm that can become contagious among potential customers.”

Source: Wikipedia

27/02/2024

Heikinpäivä 2024 brought to you by third grade essay winners, Finnish American heritage and cold plunge bellyflops.

10/01/2024

A good adventure buddy is everything. ❄️

To say I’m overjoyed to finally see some snow in the Keweenaw would be an understatement. An odd year for snowfall but alas the adventures still remain all around. I’ll have to clean off the cobwebs on my XC skis, though!

With some sauna photo shoots scheduled and even more photo stories in the queque, the creativity that winter brings sure is stirring up some fun.

Find me at this year’s Heikinpäivä festivities capturing some cold plunges AND a mobile sauna with Torch Gas Sauna Stoves! 📷

-Haley