Rock Porch 2025: Content in Nature’s Playground
I never expected to find myself in Marion, Wisconsin in late June let alone at a campground with a lagoon, a golf cart, and a pocketful of Buffalo Gold slot machine winnings. But that’s exactly where I ended up, and honestly, I’m glad I did.
After wrapping up an amazing week at TBEX 2025 in Quebec City, I was exhausted but energized. TBEX always gives me new ideas, new connections, and new momentum. What it didn’t give me this time? A convenient next step. I had committed to attending Rock Porch 2025 a creator retreat tucked away in rural Wisconsin but I had no idea how I was getting there. I was out of flight miles (down to 400, or about $4 worth), and traveling with just a 30- liter backpack. No plan. No car. And no clue what I had signed up for.
So I did what I always do: I barreled forward. I booked a $470 one-way flight with two stops, first to Chicago, then a short hop to Green Bay. When I landed around 11 p.m., I was completely drained. I had booked a Quality Inn through my Choice Platinum account, but in my late-night haze, I had accidentally reserved it for the wrong day. They had already marked me as a no-show and were fully booked. I called Choice customer service and was told there was nothing they could do. So I did what any exhausted traveler would do: grabbed an ice cream sandwich from the vending machine, rolled my eyes, and booked the closest hotel I could find: My Place Hotel. Luckily, it turned out to be really nice and just a 10-minute walk away.
The next morning, my mission was clear: get cash for the campground deposit, pick up a full bedding set, and somehow make it to the middle of nowhere. I Ubered to Kohl’s, picked up a queen-size comforter, sheets, and a pillow, and called a ride to the campground. My driver had a thick Hebrew
accent and a ton of energy. I told him it would be about an hour-long ride, and he barked, “I came here to work, not to stay home!” That set the tone.
We made several detours for coffee, shampoo, and cash, but the driver kept veering off the GPS, insisting he knew better. Eventually, I ended the ride while still in the car and called another Uber from a Shell gas station. This second driver, from Mexico, was much calmer but still made four wrong turns. I finally arrived at Kenny Lake Campground about two hours later than planned.
That’s when everything started to shift.
“The lagoon view when I first arrived, complete with inflatable slides and the obstacle course. The moment I realized this was going to be different.“
I paid my $100 campground deposit and another $100 for a golf cart. That golf cart changed everything. I cruised across the massive campground, eventually arriving at a row of brand-new cabins. Mine was in the center, facing a beautiful lagoon called Kenny Lagoon, complete with a man-made beach, floating slides, and a giant inflatable obstacle course. Kids were running around. Families were everywhere. It felt like a Midwestern summer camp dream.
“Me in my personal golf cart with a campground map arguably the most important tool of the week (besides coffee).”
I dropped my bags, paid for five days of Wi-Fi ($6 a day, worth it), and headed to the restaurant. Over a grilled shrimp salad and a few spins on
Buffalo Gold (where I won another $100), I ran into Elaine, the brains behind Rock Porch. It was clear immediately: this trip was going to be different.
One of my favorite things about the campground was the restaurant. The grilled shrimp salad was the first thing I tried, and it just got better from there.
“Grilled shrimp salad at campground restaurant”
That night, my roommate and I barhopped through four local joints to catch the final game of the NBA Finals. We mingled with locals and made it back in time to meet the wave of content creators just arriving. We capped off the night with old-school s’mores by the fire pit. It felt like summer camp for adults.
“Unwinding after a long night, quiet moments by the water”
The next morning, I woke up at 7 a.m. and couldn’t resist the water. I climbed across the inflatable structures in Kenny Lagoon and walked the sandy beach back to my cabin completely drenched and totally at peace.
Technically, I broke the rules (the sign said swimming starts at 9 a.m.), but I had the whole lake to myself. I even managed to lock myself out of the cabin, only to be rescued by Jim, who cruised by in a security golf cart and handed me a spare key. That morning, I had black coffee from Oneida One Stop (Mexican Chiapas blend, roasted by La Java), and it may have been the best cup I’d had in weeks.
We officially kicked off the creator camp that Monday. Canoe rides on the lake. Surprise swag bags with t-shirts, fanny packs, and candy. An art session led by one of the Rock Porch crew who happened to minor in art. Dinner was
noodles, veggies, and sausage. Hot chocolate and coffee around the fire that morning. Everything just clicked.
“Painted during our group art session, my own abstract take on the colorful chaos of Rock Porch 2025.”
While some creators headed to arts and crafts, I stayed back to handle some urgent Cajun Stays operations and outline a new SOP for our social media reels. The first reel will feature me dunking a basketball, playing mini-golf, roasting marshmallows, eating floats and ice cream, canoeing, painting art, driving the golf cart, diving into the lagoon, and even trying to win at slots.
Quick 2-second clips, stitched together with music, tags, and mentions. Real content from real moments.
“Quick brainstorm with my roommate (who also works for Rock Porch) in our cabin overlooking the pond. This is where half the ideas—and most of the laughs—happened.”
Lunch was a keto-friendly burger with no bun and a lemon-topped salad. I tried to film a jackpot win, but luck wasn’t on my side this time. I lost $120 but was still up $600-$700 since arriving. I headed back to the cabin to work on my iPad, surrounded by trees, water, and a kind of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Keto burger with salad and lemon”
This place had everything: a basketball court with a six-foot goal (even I could dunk), a putt-putt golf course that took our group eight hours to finish, two foam parties, a forest hike littered with old kitchen appliances, Coke floats, golf carts, art classes, s’mores, wild deer sightings, and a massive inflatable obstacle course in the middle of a large pond.
“Goofing around with a couple of the other creators—because sometimes you’ve just gotta embrace the silliness.”
Sometimes the best trips aren’t planned. Sometimes, they’re the ones where nothing goes right until everything does. Rock Porch 2025 reminded me why I travel in the first place: not just to see new places, but to let them change me.
But more importantly, this trip showed me something that every creator should take note of: Rock Porch actually cares. Hosting a camping trip like this isn’t something most companies would do. It takes effort, planning, and genuine commitment to building relationships. Whether you’re a travel blogger, a gear reviewer, or a content creator in any space, it means
something when the brands and teams you work with go out of their way to connect with you face-to-face.
It’s not just about the swag, the cabins, or the content—it’s about the people. And Rock Porch got that exactly right.
More updates coming soon. We’re just getting started.
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