I was really curious about Bayfield, Wisconsin when I signed up for a photography workshop there.  What would it be like?  I knew nothing.  Since we were curious we added some days to explore the very northern resort area. 

It reminded me a bit of Northern Lower Michigan—an area with charming resort towns, pretty scenery and all that.  

Bayfield is located at the highest point of Wisconsin where you see the grouping of Islands on the map above.

The town was darling.  I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of shops, many with a Scandinavian theme, the lovely old mansions now B and B’s and the cute art work on the sides of the shops and even on the sidewalks.  One of the shops was run by a Norwegian woman who sells the earrings she makes for $39.   Yep.  Every pair of earrings in her small shop could be purchased for $39.  She was so cheerful and fun to talk with I just had to buy a pair.  

I also got a kick out of the variety of housing.  The grand old mansions and the one with a free toilet out front caught my eye.  Don’t you love the red one with the heart, hugs and kisses by the front door that seems to personify the spirit of this very northern place.  

My husband managed to find a public golf course with a glorious view.  

A big draw for this part of the world is that it is the gateway to the Apostle Islands.  This is an archipelago of 22 stunning islands—21 of which are National Parks.  The 22nd is a larger island with summer homes, a nice beach and cute shops I’m told.  We didn’t get there.  Saving that for another time.  

madelineisland.com

www.madelineisland.com

But we did take a two hour tourist cruise around the islands. I highly recommend this. The captain drove the boat and provided history, geography and funny stories while we cruised in and around the islands marveling at the incredible rock formations and the lighthouses.  It is possible to take small boats to the islands for camping and hiking.  

Apostle Islands Cruises 

apostle island.com

Another day we chartered a sailboat from True North Charters  for a couple of hours with Dusty in charge.  He was a great sailer, basically handling the boat by himself with help from my husband, who excitedly took the wheel.  The boat was marvelous too.  It came from Hong Kong in the 1970s and has been in the same family’s hands since then.  Recently it was sold to the True North folks and put to work in Lake Superior.  

It is a rare experience to sail on a Chevy Lee Clipper.  We particularly enjoyed the fact that the original engine has been replaced with a very quiet electronic motor.  For those time when motoring was required, the quiet engine was an absolute delight.

True North Sailing Charters 

I also enjoyed a trip to nearby Ashland.  It’s a bit of a has been town, but features wonderful huge murals in the downtown area perfect for Instagram.    Over twenty murals in Ashland depict people and events from Ashland’s past. For more information, here’s a link.  https://www.visitashland.com/murals-21/

It was fun and amusing to see a store front window with both St. Patrick’s Day and Easter featured in the window not too long before July 4th.  Speaks to the relaxed attitude.   Converting a church into a nail salon is something I hadn’t seen before.  

I talked about the Wild Rice Retreat a bit in my last blog, but would like to add a few notes.  It’s creative.  You know that when you see colorful  animals at the entrance.  The spirit is reflected in the sign you see as you get close to the Welcome Center–like take it easy.  I also loved the many places to relax including a fire pit by the sauna.  I was there for Photography, but  jewelry making was getting set up and ready to go the day we left.  They host a different art or yoga focused workshop every week. 

While the sign at the entrance said to slow down, I loved this turtle on the path.  It also said to me,  “Take it easy.  There’s no reason to rush at Wild Rice Retreat or Bayfield, Wisconsin.”  

Wild Rice Retreat 

To read about the Photography Workshop, here’s the link for the post about it.