September 4, 2014 – Copper Harbor, Michigan to Bayfield, Wisconsin

                                                      
                                                   

                                                  On the shores of Gitchee Gumee

Of the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood Nokomis, the old woman,
Pointing with her finger westward,
O'er the water pointing westward,
To the purple clouds of sunset.

From the Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Ojibwa call the lake gichigami, meaning “be a great sea”. To the French it is Lac Superieur. 

Lake Superior is 150 miles across at its widest point. There are 2880 miles of shoreline, much of it pristine, and undeveloped.

We take an early morning drive up Brockway Mountain to a viewpoint that lets us take in the grandeur of the lake for a final time. Our tour is coming to a close and our time beside this magnificent body of water will soon be ending. Schmaltzy as it may seem, we’ll miss her. So, we take some time to appreciate and admire and say farewell.

Early Morning on Brockway Mountain

I walk along the “on the edge trail” for a while, looking out and looking down (steep drop-off) and think my thoughts of gratitude for the wonders of our world.

On The Edge Trail

Twice a year hundreds of thousands of migrating birds fly across the Great Lakes. The Keweenaw Peninsula is a critical rest stop and feeding ground. This route is part of the Mississippi Flyway.

Near Eagle River we find the Jampot, a bakery run by monks. They live just down the road in a unique looking monastery with turrets and shining domes. There are six in the community. They sell baked goods and jam to support themselves. One monk asked Jim if he’d like to donate his car to their mission. Nope. We purchase Wild Bilberry Jam, Cherry Butter and a poppy seed muffin to share.

The Monastery

Picture Taken With Permission, But No Smiles

We stop to take a look at a snow gauge beside the road. It shows snowfall from 1957 to 2011. The average for this area is 24 feet. Remarkable.

Roadside Snow Gauge

We find lunch at the South Shore Brewery and Deepwater Grille in Ashland, Wisconsin.  I try their South Shore Pilsner sweetened with local honey and a grilled white fish, (fresh from the lake), sandwich.

Someone in Ashland is working to preserve the city’s history by painting murals on downtown buildings. So far there are 11 paintings with more in the planning stages.

Mural in Ashland, Wisconsin

Same Mural Different Angle

We’ll spend just one night in Wisconsin and it will be in Bayfield. The 50’s style motel flashes a “no vacancy” sign. The reason for its popularity is evident as we look out from our small deck directly onto the blue water of Lake Superior. Location, location, location.

View From the Seagull Bay Motel

There’s a small ferry that runs to one of the Apostle Islands, (I thought there would be 12 islands based on their name, but there are 21). The Madeline Island Ferry runs about every 45 minutes between Bayfield and LaPointe taking cars, passengers, and bicycles on the 25-minute crossing...sweeping views of islands and lake included. The information station on the dock hands out a free CD (they would like you to return it) with a narrated driving tour of the island.  Pretty nifty.

The Ferry Crew Was Very Solicitous With "The Car"

St Joseph's Catholic Church on Madeline Island

There is a small Indian cemetery near LaPointe where the surrounding metal fence braces are lined with small stones and coins. I wonder at their significance and have been unable to locate a reliable source of explanation.

Gifts For The Afterlife??

Welcome Back to Bayfield