The family and I tried to beat the heat by going north to Duluth over Labor Day weekend with only marginal success. It was our third time up there, staying in Canal Park each time so we can watch the ships come in.

This year we ventured east so the kids could earn their Junior Ranger Badges at Apostle Islands. We did the boat tour to Raspberry Island and toured the light house there. I was surprised they leave a Ranger on the island all summer to give tours, they had an intern there as well for the last month. That would be an interesting summer gig.

Bayfield, Wisconsin's food places barely kept up with the crush of holiday visitors. We ate lunch at Manypenny Bistro in Bayfield and dinner at Little Nikki's in Cornucopia, WI on the way back to Duluth. Little Nikki's had a single bartender and a single cook and did an admirable job of keeping up with full tables and a constant bar patronage.

We cut our trip a day short and returned early to avoid I-35 Minnesota construction traffic jams but were able to get Gooseberry Falls in but it was busier than I have ever seen it and dryer than I have ever seen it as well.

Also, I will never sleep on a hideaway bed sofa again. The floor/ground/desk/bathtub/toilet/car are all better.

Come up in February! If conditions are right, you can walk over the ice and visit the ice caves. Lots do.

I heard about the Madeleine Island ice road, that's crazy.

Even more fun: From time to time, the ice shifts or breaks up, stranding the visitors on an ice floe. The USCG then rescues them. Thats a fun vacay!

We did the Apostle Island cruise probably 10 yrs ago during 4th of July, it was good.

quote:

Originally posted by Scuba Steve Sig:
I heard about the Madeleine Island ice road, that's crazy.

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We were there in October in the 1970s. Loved the area. Stayed at the Old Rittenhouse Inn. There is a house at the bottom of the channel. It was too costly to ferry the supplies to the island so the contractor tried the ice road. Did not work. Sounds like Bayfield has been discovered.Sad.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
It was too costly to ferry the supplies to the island so the contractor tried the ice road. Did not work.

Did not work as in the supplies ended up on the bottom of Lake Superior?

Bayfield has definitely been discovered but I wouldn't call it a tourist trap. The Chippewa (I believe) have a very nice newish casino/resort not far away, I imagine that increased exposure.

Lake Superior is so amazingly clear, I'd rather go there than the Gulf, Atlantic or Pacific with more crowds and salty water. Problem is, it has to be pretty darn hot for Lake Superior to not be really darn cold.

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Actually the entire house is at the channel. It happened not long after we were there. Memories of Bayfield were great. The apple festival was going on, but not that many people. We lived in Wisconsin at the time and got really good treatment.