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Nestledown Bed & Breakfast
About the Innkeepers
We are Ken and Sue Schauland and together we built an inn! Nestledown Bed and Breakfast was an idea that started from the thought that it would be nice to work together for our second season of life. The initial idea grew into a vision. With the momentum of a dream, combined with a lot of sisu (a Finnish term) and plain old hard work, our completed Scandinavian-style bed and breakfast in Marquette became a reality.
Sue and Ken
We met and married in Marquette. Sue was from the Detroit area studying nursing at NMU. One day the Pastor at church introduced me to Ken. I invited him over for a whitefish dinner, we started dating and married a year later in 1982. Ken grew up in Marquette and his family home is here. Our eldest son Scott was born here. Ken’s work took us to lovely Hopewell, New Jersey, where our daughter Heidi and son Tom were born. The next adventure brought us to Appleton, Wisconsin, where we raised our family for 24 years. Marquette has always been home though and we wanted to move back.
The Pattern Building at 975 N. Lakeshore Blvd. was on the market and we watched the listing closely. One day, we saw a steep price drop on the property, we researched our options, and by some miracle, became the owners of 1.01 acres right across from Lake Superior. We often ask ourselves, “How did we get this spot?” We are thankful!!
Ken and I have four young grandchildren now. They love visiting Nestledown (muscledown) going to the beach, dance parties in the dining room, walks to the playgrounds, and visiting with our guests. Leif, Bennett, Lilah and Irvin… Do you see the joy Grandma Sue and Grandpa Ken have being Innkeepers and how proud of you we are when you meet the guests.
Building the Inn
The basement apartment of Ken’s parents home, where he grew up in Marquette, became Nestledown’s construction headquarters. Tom left his job to help his Dad build and lived there too. (It was really a man cave.) I stayed in Appleton and worked most of the construction year, ending my time as a Pediatric Nurse at St. Vincent Hospital Green Bay in April 2015 to move to Marquette and put the finishing touches on the inn. We sold our family home in Appleton and moved all of our belongings in mid-July, unpacked, cleaned, painted, sewed, hung the decor, washed linens, dressed the rooms, shopped, and then opened for business August 28, 2015. It was quite a year! We are grateful for this unique opportunity!!!
As your innkeepers, we feel suited to this business and lifestyle. Ken can fix and build things and I enjoy homemaking and taking care of people. We are both quiet and a bit bashful, but eager for the challenge of operating a one-of-a-kind lodging experience for travelers to Marquette. It is our privilege to welcome you!
