2018 Great Lakes Trip – Bayfield, Wisconsin
Photo link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rX8oPvFuZsrzx4SJ6
Wednesday, July 25th – Tuesday, July 31st
Apostle Islands Area Campground,
Bayfield, WI
For our
next adventure we headed towards the northernmost point of Wisconsin, a
peninsula on Lake Superior. The town of Bayfield on the south shore of the
peninsula was our destination.
This
cool, small harbor town dates back to 1856. The town is surrounded by the
Chequamegon National Forest and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The
crystal clear waters of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands is an adventure
haven for fisherman, kayakers and beachcombers. Also in the area are networks
of trails in the surrounding hills for hiking, biking, skiing, dogsledding,
horseback riding, snowmobiling and ATVs. There are orchards for strawberries,
blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries and apples from spring through
fall. The little town of Bayfield is filled with great restaurants, art shops,
cottages and inns, all looking towards the beautiful waters of the lake.
We
camped at a wonderful local campground surrounded by forest, just about a mile
from Bayfield. So far this was our stop that had the coolest weather. One night
the temps actually got down to 49 degrees and averaged in the upper 70s during
the day.
The
first day, as usual, we drove into town and around the area to check it out. We
found a really nice lakefront hiking trail that started in Bayfield, so we
decided the next day to bring the dogs and do a wonderful hike.
Just
across the bay from Bayfield is Madeline Island. One day we took the ferry to
the Island with our bicycles. We were able to tour the island on our bikes and
check out the town and the countryside. It reminded us a little bit of Martha's
Vineyard, but more quaint and not so upscale. The weather was perfect and we
had a wonderful day.
Nearby
Bayfield we found a great mountain bike trail system on Mt. Ashwabay. We spent
two days there riding the fun trails, which were really well designed and
maintained. Just our style of mountain biking. At the top of the mountain were
great views of Lake Superior and Madeline Island.
The
main attraction near Bayfield is an offshore series of islands called the
Apostle Islands. These islands are an archipelago of 22 islands
formed by ice, wind and waves. Over time the sandstone eroded, creating cliffs,
sea caves, windows and arches. A few islands still have the historic light
houses in place. A portion of the National Lakeshore lies on the shore of the
peninsula on the northwest side.
Also along
the northern peninsula shore are a series of sea caves. One day Kurt took his
kayak there and paddled along the sea caves, going in and out of some of the
open caves. The geologic changes to the sandstone cliffs in this area are amazingly
beautiful and unlike anything else we've ever seen. He truly enjoyed the
day.
There
are cruise boats that can take people out to the Apostle Islands and cruise
around several of the main islands to view the cliffs, sea caves and light
houses. We chose instead to take a small boat tour along the lakeshore caves, as
this captain only takes 6 people. Because of the smaller size of his boat, he
can actually take you back into a lot of the caves for a close up view.
We took this tour and really enjoyed Captain Mike's narration of the geology
and history.
We also
really enjoyed touring the town of Bayfield, it is so beautiful and filled with
a lot of historical mansions, which many have been converted to inns or Bed and
Breakfast. There were plenty of shops and restaurants. We celebrated our 24th
anniversary one evening in the town of Bayfield at a really nice restaurant. We
indulged in lake trout and other local seafood. We enjoyed walking around the
town looking at the historical buildings, the boats in the harbor, all the
beautiful flower gardens and checking out some retail shops.
The
last day there we found a gorgeous little beach south of Bayfield on the
lake. We took the dogs and enjoyed the afternoon just relaxing and
looking at the views of the lake.
We
truly fell in love with Bayfield. This has been added to our “go back” list.
Hopefully, one day we can return to Wisconsin and visit our favorite places.
