I would LOVE to find a quiet and charming cabin/cottage to rent some time in July. Any suggestions on rustic locations or internet sites or books I can research? Location preferred would be the mid to southern part of the state. Thanks!

I just read about a beautiful place in Chetek, WI--it might be further north than you want, but it's called Canoe Bay. It's very pricey, but comes highly recommended by Conde Nast Travel magazine. Go to the website:
www.canoebay.com Haven't stayed at the resort, but the pix look great, and the area I know is beautiful.

I own a summer home on Long Lake in Washburn county in northwestern Wisconsin and there are several "resorts" that might fit your need. Most of the rental properties on the lake are of the "resort" type (a resort in the north woods of Wisconsin is not your typical resort) and are very quaint, peaceful and comfortable. I would suggest Lincolnwood Resort, Scottie's Reel-Em In Resort or Underwood Resort. The thing to keep in mind is that most resorts also have a tavern on the premises (Underwood does not) and if it is peace you want, to ask for a cottage away from the tavern or stay at a place like Underwood. They all have piers and it is common to see loons, bald eagles, otters etc on a daily basis. Nearest large town would be Rice Lake (20 mins south) or Spooner (20 mins north). Good luck and enjoy.

When I was growing up in Wisconsin, here are the places where we rented cottages on lakes. Paddock Lake & Twin Lakes in Kenosha county, Browns Lake near Burlington in Racine county(that was 1 of my favorites), & Shawano Lake just northwest of Green Bay. I don't know if you would call these areas secluded, but depending upon the area of the lake you rent on you could get a nice quiet cottage. But realize that a number of the best cottages in these areas are rented out long in advance, some from the prior year. But my over all favorite place to rent a cottage (it was actually a cottage from a resort similar to what a previous poster listed) was when we went to Lake Puckaway near Montello & Princeton Wisconsin. I remember that area being quiet & somewhat in the backwoods. I think that area may satisfy the quiet, charming, & in the mid to sourthern part of the state area of your description. Green Lake is also in that area.

I own a condo in Cape May, NJ that I rent through web site http://www.vrbo.com. They have vacation rentals by owner all over the states. There are alot of other web sites similar to this one that you can research. Try http://www.vrr.com, http://www.vacation-properties.com. Good luck.