Wisconsin, United States
I really didn’t expect much out of Wisconsin...there is actually a lot to it! During a recent trip to visit my in-laws in Chicago, my husband and I decided to stay a few extra days and make the trip to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In a remote section of northern Wisconsin on Lake Superior, it was a long drive from Chicago, but well worth it.
We stayed in Bayfield, Wisconsin, the gateway to the Apostle Islands. This small town of 600 or so is very quaint. Kayaking is the best way to experience the Apostle Islands up close and personal, and we did just that. We settled on a day long kayaking trip that took us along the shoreline of Lake Superior through the sea caves. While Lake Superior is by definition a lake, this body of water has ocean-like characteristics. It can sometimes be quite cold and unpredictable. Over millions of years of erosion, the waves of the lake have carved intricate caves in the sandstone. Going through the small networks of caves, you can hear the waves as they enter into small caverns and as the wave crashes, the entire cave booms with intensity. The reverberations of the booms can be felt down to your core. I was in awe of the beauty of the shoreline and scenery of the caves.
There are a number of small guest houses here and we spent our two nights at the Silvernail Guest House. The summer season doesn’t really begin until July, so during our May visit, we were the only guests lodging there. For dining options, there are a few, including Gruenke’s Inn (apparently JFK Jr. stayed here once) and the Old Rittenhouse Inn. The brunch at the Rittenhouse was exceptional, and you’ll consume this three-course gourmet breakfast that will leave you satisfied for the remainder of the day. Brunch is very well priced at just $12.50. Everything closes early in Bayfield, so be prepared. We were hunting for dessert around 9pm one evening and found Ethel’s at 250, that wrapped up dessert to go. A bonus: My husband was happy to find Schlitz in a bottle at Ethel’s, and they let him take that to-go as well.
We saw many photos of adventurers snowshoeing on the iced-over lake to explore the caves in the Winter. I’ll leave that one for next time.
If there in summer, a Wisconsin beer must-have: Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy (amazing!). Beer with a hint of lemonade, yes, kind of girlie, but the guys love it too.
Date of Completion: May 2009
I really didn’t expect much out of Wisconsin...there is actually a lot to it! During a recent trip to visit my in-laws in Chicago, my husband and I decided to stay a few extra days and make the trip to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In a remote section of northern Wisconsin on Lake Superior, it was a long drive from Chicago, but well worth it.
We stayed in Bayfield, Wisconsin, the gateway to the Apostle Islands. This small town of 600 or so is very quaint. Kayaking is the best way to experience the Apostle Islands up close and personal, and we did just that. We settled on a day long kayaking trip that took us along the shoreline of Lake Superior through the sea caves. While Lake Superior is by definition a lake, this body of water has ocean-like characteristics. It can sometimes be quite cold and unpredictable. Over millions of years of erosion, the waves of the lake have carved intricate caves in the sandstone. Going through the small networks of caves, you can hear the waves as they enter into small caverns and as the wave crashes, the entire cave booms with intensity. The reverberations of the booms can be felt down to your core. I was in awe of the beauty of the shoreline and scenery of the caves.There are a number of small guest houses here and we spent our two nights at the Silvernail Guest House. The summer season doesn’t really begin until July, so during our May visit, we were the only guests lodging there. For dining options, there are a few, including Gruenke’s Inn (apparently JFK Jr. stayed here once) and the Old Rittenhouse Inn. The brunch at the Rittenhouse was exceptional, and you’ll consume this three-course gourmet breakfast that will leave you satisfied for the remainder of the day. Brunch is very well priced at just $12.50. Everything closes early in Bayfield, so be prepared. We were hunting for dessert around 9pm one evening and found Ethel’s at 250, that wrapped up dessert to go. A bonus: My husband was happy to find Schlitz in a bottle at Ethel’s, and they let him take that to-go as well.
We saw many photos of adventurers snowshoeing on the iced-over lake to explore the caves in the Winter. I’ll leave that one for next time.
If there in summer, a Wisconsin beer must-have: Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy (amazing!). Beer with a hint of lemonade, yes, kind of girlie, but the guys love it too.
Date of Completion: May 2009
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