Bayfield And Madeline Island

I took a trip north last weekend and it almost didn't happen.

It started on Thursday, when I realized that I really wanted to get out of the apartment (if only for a day) and take a mini-vacation. I was going to leave Friday after work, crash at a motel somewhere, and spend Saturday sightseeing. After getting suggestions from Kristi & JD, I decided that a trip up to the Apostle Islands was in order.

On Friday, I got thwarted by work and weather. It's moderately rare to put in extra time on a Friday (I mean, who wants to be there later than absolutely necessary?) but due to a project that kind of stunk and my new-ness, I was there till after I intended to be on the road -- which meant I hadn't packed or eaten supper yet. When a nasty thunderstorm blew in as well, I decided to leave early Saturday and make the trip.

When my alarm clock went off shortly after four, I shut it off and tried to talk myself into staying in bed. Or going. I couldn't figure out what I really wanted to do. And then the comic above popped into my head.

So I baby-stepped it. "Hey, you're awake -- you might as well get up and shower. Well, as long as you're ready, you might as well go somewhere so you can watch the sunrise. Hey, now that you're on the road, you should just keep driving!"

Somewhere between Tomahawk and Prentice, the sun came up. Shortly after turning north, I stopped at a wayside.

Waysides are pretty funny little places. They're the highway equivalent of an interstate rest stop, scaled down appropriately. Basically, they consist of a pulloff, an outhouse, and a water pump. And, inevitably, one car that's probably been abandoned there.

Around 8:30, I rolled into Ashland, WI.

Ashland is a decent-sized town right on the lake. And I mean RIGHT on the lake. The way Duluth and Superior are RIGHT on the lake. Gorgeous stuff. I had to pick up batteries for my camera and it had been recommended that I stop at this one particular coffee shop. Of course, first I had to find these places ... and I had left my Google maps behind. As usual.

So after a rather funny conversation with my mom (the only person I was absolutely certain would be up before noon on a Saturday), I found a grocery store and set out to find the coffee shop. It turned out to be on a street that was closed for construction on one end and closed for a sidewalk sale on the other. Frustrated but not deterred (remember: up at 4:30), I wandered through said sidewalk sale, briefly considered buying some tomatoes, and found the shop.

Where I had the best mocha I've had since high school.

On a great-coffee high, I headed toward Bayfield.

I made a quick trip out to the Bayfield Winery (down a highway that was under construction -- look, a theme!), where I bought a bag of apples in addition to a bottle of wine, and then I braved the parking situation in Bayfield. (Just for perspective, it wasn't yet noon.)

Well, it worked ... eventually. I decided to leave Sophie on the mainland and headed for the ferry.

Madeline Island is the only developed island of the 22 Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin. It's 14 miles long and three miles wide (and heavily wooded like the rest of Wisconsin). The ferry lands at La Pointe on the southwest end.

Now, La Pointe is a small tourist-y town, featuring little shops with almost anything collectable, a decent-sized marina, plenty of cabin and condos to rent, and one small overpriced grocery store. Aside from the grocery store, it's a pretty cool little town, and moderately easy to explore on foot.

My main goal for the trip was a geocache right on the shore ... but alas, it was not meant to be. I spent a good hour and a half looking for it with absolutely no luck. I did, however, get to spend some quality time right next to (and briefly in) Lake Superior. Decidedly NOT a waste of time.

After spending several hours on the island and realizing the pain my feet were in (ouch, sand in the Chacos!), I limped back to the ferry, enjoyed the ride, found my car, and took a different route home. My revised route allowed me to drive into Michigan's upper peninsula, look around, and head south to Wausau -- arriving home about 18 hours after the adventure began.

So now I've "been to Michigan." Or something like that.

Now a week later, I sit inside listening to the rain, glad I took advantage of last weekend's amazing weather to make the drive. The early morning, the foot pain, the six hours in the car -- all totally worth it.

Don't you love it when that happens?