Tacoma: On Vacation: The Apostle Islands

Hal writes:

After leaving the Twin Cities, we have spent the past few days in the northeast corner of Wisconsin. We drove to Bayfield, WI and took the Madeline Island Ferry to bring us and our car to Madeline Island. There are other islands that we could have camped on, but we don't (currently) own the kayaks and/or canoe that could have brought us to the other island. Pictured below is Anna and the PT cruiser ready for the 2.5 mile "cruise" to La Pointe, WI, the only town on Madeline Island.

We choose to spend two nights at Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island. It was a nice camp ground that provided plenty of space in between camp sites. Below, Anna is cooking our first meal of the trip.

I set up the tent for our first night. It was a wedding gift and after three years we finally put it to use. It was bigger than I anticipated and with the additional wedding gift of an REI lantern with non-drip candles (thanks Kirk!) it worked out well for the two of us.

Back to Anna's campfire cooking. The first night we had a "Campfire Pot Roast" which consisted of stew meat, carrots, potatoes and Tastefully Simple "Onion Onion" spice that Anna had prepared and frozen before we left. 30 minutes on the coals, with a bottle of Swedish Blackberry juice from IKEA, we had a feast.

Other meals included basic staples: oatmeal for breakfasts, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and some cheddar wursts for dinner. Additionally, Anna made some fun campfire desserts. The first night she put chocolate and marshmallows in a banana, wrapped it in foil, and put it in the coals for a little bit. The next night we wrapped Pillsbury Crescent rolls on a stick, cooked them over the fire, and then dipped them in butter and then cinnamon and sugar mix for hot "campfire doughnuts".

Not all of our time was spent at the camp site. We explored two different nature trails that went around the island. There were a number of squirrels and deer, but no bear sightings for us. We also walked around the small town on the island. For fun we looked up some of the real estate for sale (there was a lot!) and inquired about pricing, taxes, etc. There is a newly remodeled 6 bedroom, 4 four bathroom house on 6 acres with a detached three car garage and pole barn. If there is another two couples that want to split the $300,000 cost ($100,000 per couple) for a nice vacation spot, be sure to let us know.

One of the landmarks that I found interesting was an Indian cemetery. The Ojibwa in the area believe that their people are descendants of Madeline Island (perhaps their version of Eden?). When the Catholics came to the island and converted the tribes, they established a grave yard on the island. In keeping with old traditions along with the Christian rite of burial, small houses were constructed over the grave sites. These places are where food was placed for the dead to assist with their four day journey to heaven. A very interesting mix of two cultures with one faith background. Pictured below is part of the cemetery.

After three days on the island, we came back on the field and toured around Bayfield. In the marina we looked up my high school choir teacher and her husband who spend a fair share of the summer on their boat in the harbor. They were not home, but Anna got a picture of me next to their ship, the H.M.S. Loon.

In an effort to not waste money eating at restaurants all the time, we purchased groceries and kept them in a cooler in our car. Below Anna is preparing lunch for us in a Bayfield park. (My colleagues will recognize the mayo and cans of chicken as items purchased with the use of our meal plan from this past year out of the C-Store.)

The weather was too nice and there was much yet left to explore, so Anna and I drove around until we found another campground we a vacancy. We ended up pitching our tent in Washburn, WI and then exploring both Washburn and Ashland. While in Ashland, we took a self-guided tour of Northland College, which is a liberal arts college with an environmentally friendly focus. It is a beautiful campus and a dream for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Pictured below is my favorite part, the campfire pit ON CAMPUS. Hm, I'll have to check what job openings are available there...

For the evening entertainment we went to Big Top Chautauqua. Anna and I are pictured below with the tent off to the left ant the ski hill in the distance.

In the summer, the big top is placed and there are musicals and other entertainment available all summer. The creator wanted a vibe similar to the old vaudeville shows that traversed the country providing entertainment to rural areas prior to radio. This summer the Big Top will host Garrison Keillor, the Smothers Brothers, the Kingston Trio, and a number of musicals written by creator Warren Nelson. We went to see one of my most favorite musicals, "Keeper of the Light". Mr. Nelson used old journal entries from Lighthouse Keepers of the Apostle Islands to tell the stories of what life was like living on the islands.

At the car wash? No, the showers! At the camp ground we stayed at, it cost 25 cents for every three minutes of showering. I paid 50 cents for my shower, but Anna may have used a few more quarters.

This morning we drove up to Duluth and spent time walking around Canal Park. We also went up to UMD (Anna's alma mater) and toured the new fitness center that had been built after she graduated. Pictured with Anna below is the bulldog mascot "Killer". Well, he's not named "Killer" anymore, the PC folks changed his name to "Champ", but when I went to UMD hockey games in the 80s, the name "Killer" was on the back of his jersey when he skated around the rink in between periods.