Before this spring, I have to admit that I’d never heard of the Apostle Islands. Then, my brother Tim said he was going to Madeline Island in Lake Superior to work at The Inn for the summer. Stacey and I decided to plan a trip to see a part of the country we had never seen while visiting Tim. Boy are we glad we did!
Our journey started with a flight into Duluth, Minnesota. Tim told me we had to spend at least half a day in Duluth, so we did. It is a quaint little city on Lake Superior with a rich maritime history. We had a delicious lunch at the Duluth Brewing Company and then started walking around. It was an easy stroll to the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in the Canal Park district. We were surprised at how extensive the museum was. I got to read about the EDMUND FITZGERALD shipwreck and the unfortunate loss of 29 souls to a violent storm on Lake Superior. For people who grew up on the ocean, the amazing size of this incredible lake is fascinating. As we left the center, we got to see the canal bridge raise and lower to allow traffic to pass out onto the lake. So cool!
After a nice afternoon in Duluth, we made our way towards Bayfield, WI where we would be taking a ferry across to Madeline Island. We chose the northerly route along Route 13, hugging the coast of Lake Superior. I can’t count the number of rolled hay bails we saw in vast empty fields. The Dairy State has to feed their livestock! Our route took us through the cute little town of Cornucopia where we poked around Ehlers Store before getting delicious ice cream at Corny Coffee!
We took a short walk along the lake and saw a huge group of kayakers finishing up after what looked like a nice paddle on a gorgeous day.
From Cornucopia, it is only about another 20 minutes to Bayfield, where we would catch a car ferry. They don’t take any advance reservations, but all the literature said we wouldn’t need one. That proved true throughout our stay, and we arrived in Bayfield with enough time to poke around the town briefly before catching the 5 PM ferry to Madeline Island. I even had time to kick up my feet while Stacey browsed in a local bookstore! Tim told me to text him when we left Bayfield, and he walked down to meet us at the ferry. It was neat to find him standing there as we drove off the ferry!
Tim took us past his house before bringing us to our room at The Inn, a gorgeous place on the shore of the lake with a spectacular view of this boaters paradise. Tim had put beer, wine, and pink lemonade in our fridge – YES! He gave us an hour to settle in, then joined us for dinner at The Pub before sunset gazing with our feet in the water. These islands are full of stunning natural beauty in every direction.
For our first full day, we purposely planned very little. We wanted to simply stay on the island to take it in at a leisurely pace. Stacey and I enjoyed our first cup of coffee on our deck while listening to the lake waves gently lap at the shore a few feet below us. There was a lovely breeze, with early temps in the 60s. The small town of LaPointe was a short 1/2 mile stroll, and we ventured in to see what stores we would want to come back to. Mission Coffee turns out to make a damned good breakfast sandwich on a croissant, and we did some people watching while enjoying those sandwiches at an outside table overlooking the Main Street of LaPointe. There were some characters, and we found it easy to pick out the locals. I was struck by the number of cars I saw caked with a brown mud on the back, and I assumed they were people too lazy to clean months worth of dirt. We would learn later the actual source of that look!
We met up with Tim and made our way to Big Bay State Park for a hike through the woods to the beach. The scenery was truly amazing, both deep in the woods and directly on the shore. This area is a jewel of Wisconsin, and really the entire Midwest. Take the chance to come see it for yourself if you ever are able.
After this, we went to the Town Park where I jumped in the lake for a swim! Tim suggested a drive around the perimeter of this natural beauty, so off we went. For those that don’t know (like me) … in 1970, the islands were designated as The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Madeline Island was not part of the designation primarily because she was “inhabited”. The population was sparse. It has grown, I guess, to the current population of permanent residents of approximately 250 souls. Our northern drive on unsaved roads revealed an isolated populace with small, old neighborhoods hugging the lake for protection against the social part of society. Lucky bastards. As we arrived back in LaPointe, I discovered that we had found the source of caked on clay and dirt to vehicles!
After a simple dinner in town, we did some ferry watching at the dock and settled back in our room for sunset and an early bedtime- my favorite!
For Saturday, Stacey and I planned a 5 hour sail around the Apostle Islands. The 7:30 AM ferry to Bayfield had us there in plenty of time for a breakfast sandwich and coffee on a nice park bench overlooking the marina. We met our Captain, Maureen, at the slip at 0900 and found out that we were her only passengers! In a few short minutes, we were underway on a 36 foot Catalina called RAPTOR. She was a beautiful boat and we had strong winds to support a consistent speed of 5 knots while flying just the jib. It was heavenly! I had the helm 90% of the time, and was in all my glory. We breezed past Basswood and Hermit Islands with ease and headed toward Oak Island. Maureen told us that Oak Island had just been closed to kayakers and campers the day before because of “aggressive bears”. She told us that usually meant that someone was lax in properly securing their food. Nonetheless, we were happy to steer clear of Oak Island! All of the Apostle Islands that are part of the National Lakeshore are uninhabited with two exceptions. There are still two individuals with rights to their homes passed on by their families. When they pass away, there will be no permanent inhabitants of the Apostle Islands that are part of the National Lakeshore. The scenery out there is truly awe inspiring. We consider ourselves quite fortunate to have sailed those waters on a gorgeous summer day.
Maureen recommended anchoring in Frog Bay just off the mainland for lunch and we enthusiastically agreed. She took the helm and had me up on the bow to drop the anchor when we were close enough. At a water depth of 15 feet, we anchored RAPTOR, about 80-100 yards off the beach. We were towing a dinghy and prepared it for Stacey and I to explore the beach. As we were getting ready, we noticed a power boat beached and assumed they were doing the same. But one of them called out to us to please go to channel 72 on the VHF to talk. We did, and found that they had beached the boat because they were taking in water. Just before we arrived, we noticed a small Coast Guard boat heading away from them. The Coast Guard had arranged for a private tow team to come help them, but nobody was allowed on the damaged boat, and only one passenger could ride in the tow boat. They were asking if we could come help transport three of them across a small river in the dinghy so they could walk to a parking lot. Maureen looked at me and said it was my call, as she was required to stay with RAPTOR. I agreed, and Stacey declined to join me! The oar locks in the dinghy were flawed, so I had to row it like a canoe. I looked a bit foolish, but the crew on the beach didn’t care! It was a family of four, and I rowed the Mom and her two adolescent kids across the river before returning to our anchorage. They were extremely appreciative and I felt I had done my good deed for the day,
Maureen has been sailing Lake Superior for over forty years and her passion for the area is clear. She retired, twice, from teaching high school German, and now sails 5-7 days a week. I was amazed at her keen eye, as she continuously pointed out bald eagles in the trees. When she pointed to this pair along the coast of Frog Bay, I was fortunate to have my good camera in hand. They are so majestic!
After a quick dip in the lake, I took the helm back for our return to home port in Bayfield and just soaked in the serene environs of the awesome Apostle Islands. These are the days that our fondest memories are made of, and Stacey and I were so thankful to make them together in northern Wisconsin. After docking the boat, we said goodbye to Maureen and walked into town for a drink on the roof deck of the Bayfield Inn. As we sat down, I noticed a woman at the table next to me looking over at us. “You’re our rescuer!” she exclaimed. It was the mother and daughter I had rowed across the river! They were having drinks with the friend that picked them up and telling their story of a troubled day on the lake! Soon, their husband and son joined them and they all thanked me again and again. I really didn’t do much, but it was all they needed to improve their day!
After returning to Madeline, we met up with Tim and headed to a local restaurant called Miijim, where we met his friend Katia and her friend Katie. Miijim specializes in Native American cuisine with a hint of French style. Katia also works there part time, so we let her choose several plates that we shared. The chef commonly prepares deer, elk and rabbit dishes with wild rice and local vegetables. Everything was absolutely delicious, and we passed the food around, tasting a little bit of everything. It is always so nice to break bread with friendly and happy people!
We purposely planned a relatively light Sunday, particularly in the morning. Stacey and I slept until 8:45, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I slept that late. It was wonderful! Ryan and Melissa are on their Honeymoon in France and were at the Olympics. They went to the Brazil vs Japan Women’s Soccer match, so we wanted to watch. It was a great game, with Japan scratching out a 2-1 victory by scoring twice in the final 8 minutes! Ryan reported excellent weather of sunshine and 75 degrees after a rainy start to their time in Paris. Have fun Melissa and Ryan! Tim and I had planned a kayak tour for the afternoon and waited for our guide back in Big Bay State Park. Unfortunately, he arrived to tell us that it was too windy, and our tour was cancelled. Tim remembered that there were canoes that could be taken out on the lagoon at the town park up the road, so off we went. It is an honor system, where you put money in a box, grab a canoe, and launch! We had a great paddle and a few laughs. I reminisced about paddling a canoe on the Pawcatuck River in Westerly, Rhode Island a couple of decades earlier with Jim “Bapa” Ferrier. We saw a few guys get a little over zealous in their power boat and flip it in that river. They were all OK, so we let them retrieve their empty beer cans from the river by themselves. Tim and I stayed afloat in the lagoon, and then retired to a local watering hole to empty a few cans of beer ourselves at Tom’s Burned Down Cafe. Yes, it was as legendary as it sounds.
You can’t beat visiting new places, especially when you get to see family there. Tim is an adventurous soul whose enthusiasm is infectious. He simply loves to live life, and I’m grateful that he still shares that joy with me. I love you Brother!
Stacey and I caught the first ferry out the next morning so that we could take a leisurely drive back to Duluth for our flight home. We got breakfast and sat on a bench in Memorial Park overlooking the beautiful marina in Bayfield. It rained for the first time on our trip as we drove to Duluth, washing the rental car of the dirts from Madeline Island. But, the rain wasn’t able to wash away the fond memories Stacey and I made together during our escape to the Apostle Islands. I hope you all have a chance to see them someday too! 😍
