Welcome to Wit's End of St. Peter. Here, you'll find a story that celebrates hidden treasures, embraces uncertainty and takes life one step at a time.
The moment Lee and Kate Blue set foot on the former Camp Fire Minnesota campground, just outside of St. Peter, Minnesota, they knew they'd stumbled onto something remarkably special and unique.
The Blues, who had already been living in the area for a few years, were searching for a little more space.
"A friend of mine pulled up in his four-wheeler and said they're selling the old Camp Fire girl camp," Lee Blue says.
The property, stretching nine acres, contained a significant amount of wooded ravines. Still, Lee Blue says he got a good vibe about the place.
After all, this was a place with endless possibilities...
Once they purchased the campsite, they began making plans to build a new home on the property.
But as time went on, it dawned on them that they'd be empty nesters soon and wouldn't be needing as much living space.
That's when they decided to give the small bunk house onsite a second look.
"It was super overgrown. Everything was boarded up. It was a major thing just to get to this building," Lee Blue says.
"It was covered in red. It looked like a barn, it was just all red," Kate Blue says.
Immediately, they got to work on plans to replace the siding. But after further examination, they discovered something unexpected.
"I took a board off and took it into my wood shop. It was all clear redwood."
Redwood is known for its durability as a building material and for its resistance to insects, decay and fire.
"So, we set up an assembly line and made our children and our nieces and nephews help us. We took it all down board by board, skip-planed it and stained it." Kate Blue says.
No more red paint here! The siding's new look gives the home a more rustic and cabin-y like feel.
Creating a home inside the old Camp Fire Minnesota building, would be another adventure.
"We had to gut it, we had to take it down to sticks. This was our weekend torture," Lee Blue says.
Early in the process, the couple still lived at their other property in St. Peter, while they spent their weekends getting the new place up and running.
"It wasn’t finished when we moved in. We were still living in dust. It was just a construction zone," Kate Blue says.
When they first started working on the place, it had an office, two bathrooms and a kitchen -- otherwise, it was one big open space. Wood floors were eventually installed over the concrete.
"People run into showstoppers like...oh, this is the wrong color. We're like, you don’t know about paint? Kate and I, we’re the opposite. We see way beyond paint and moving walls," Lee Blue says.
Meanwhile, the two of them worked quickly and within about a year's time, the majority of their new living space in St. Peter was complete.
"I’m not sure why...we’ve wanted always to just make something our own," Kate Blue says.
Much of the woodwork you see here has been designed and installed by the Blues. The China cabinet pictured above was purchased separately, but the trim work around the doors, cabinets and the rest of the home is their own.
Lee and Kate Blue designed this little reading nook for the home too.
"I enjoy the creative side of the construction and how it goes together, but I really trust Kate when it comes to the final look," Lee Blue says.
The Blues have enjoyed creating some cozy spaces outside of their home too. They have their son, Tristan, to thank for building them a few wooden benches to help them enjoy the picturesque views around their property.
"We have almost nine acres, but a lot of it is not really usable. It gives us a lot of privacy tho. It's really nice when you're sitting on the porch, it looks like you're kind of looking down into a rainforest," Kate Blue says.
And no home is complete without a handful of furry friends...
Here, my daughter, Joanna, snuggles up to their cat, Pippin.
Meanwhile, Bess, one of two dogs in the family, makes herself at home in the living room.
And you never know where your next adventure(s) might lead you...
So keep in mind this tiny tidbit of tongue and cheek truth:
If you find yourself at your Wit's End, you just might be.....right where you need to be....
Founded in 1910, Camp Fire is one of America's longest running youth development organizations. With 1,300 campsites across the nation, Camp Fire Minnesota continues to offer nature-based educational programs to young people at its Twin Cities location in Excelsior.
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