Destination? - Bayfield!
&
Lake Superiors' Apostle Islands

February 2007

Images are thumbnails -
click to enlarge.

Every guest at Sailor's Solace Cottages is special.

But one guest became even more so last summer.

Isabelle is 10 years old. She and her parents stayed
at Sailor's Solace for a week and seemed to have a
wonderful time.

Isabelle wrote her impressions of their activities in the Cottage Guest Book.

They are reproduced below with no editorial changes
other than the addition of links to places mentioned.

"Dear Lew and Marlyce

Thank you so much for your warm Hospitality and kindness! We really enjoyed the Wine bread you gave us!

Our stay at the Sailor's Solace was very relaxing. Everything was so clean and spacious!

While we were here we gobbled up meals in our cottage and at Gruenke's, Maggie's, Ethel's at 250 (new place, good!) and The Rittenhouse (fancy!) The Candy Shop, and Hurricane Hut entertainment are a favorite!

Sunday was that terrible storm, and we were in the midst of it. It was so sad to see all of the Artist's work broken and in the lake from the Art Fest. But thankfully no one was seriously hurt.

Here are some other highlights of our trip: The Historic Ghost Walk, The Big Top Chautauqua 'Take it to the Lake' - (beautiful and funny) the berry farms (yummy blackberries!) and the Apostle Islands Cruise out to Michigan Island.

It was quite a workout climbing 123 steps up the bank to get to the lighthouse grounds. But we made it!

We toured the keepers' quarters and they looked and smelled very old. My Mom and I were too scared to climb the towers, but my Dad did. 139 steps to the modern one and about 96 steps up to the old one. We're glad we took
the tour!

We also ventured over to Madeline Island for a day trip. The Historical Museum is very neat!

When it was VERY HOT we swam at Meyers Beach near Cornucopia. The water was cold, and refreshing.

I saw many interesting animals up here on our trip.
They are: 1 red fox, 2 cormorants, a bunch of red and
grey squirrels, LOTS of feeding humming birds up close,
2 palliated woodpeckers, 2 Bayfield ghost cats (ha ha)
and one donkey grazing in a field.

All in all it was a spectacular vacation!"
 

Isabelle and her parents returned
for a few days late in the fall.

Of course they received the
 Sailor's Solace "returning guests
discount" of $15.00 per night.

But the real reason for their
return was to begin a search for
a "summer place" building site.

Bayfield area vacations often bring
lifestyle changes -- good ones.

Winter?

It has been a strange Winter on the Bayfield Peninsula.
The image at right was taken on December 12 from the
golf course road.

In a normal year the snow would be at least knee deep.

But now in early February the cold has settled in, and we have a few more inches of "here to stay" lake effect snow. And the deer have decided it is easier to visit us for the corn in our feeder than roam at will in the woods.

The small drifting ice floes of mid January have become a full sheet of ice on the Bay. The ferry has stopped breaking a path to Madeline Island and back. A few snow machines have been making that trip on their own, and the ice sled makes regular trips. It seems more likely every day that there will be a safe ice road to Madeline Island this Winter.

Best news of this winter? We now have safe ice to walk on to view the ice caves.        (Ice Cave Images by Fran DePerry)

"Book Across The Bay," a ski event at night across Chequamegon Bay from Ashland to Washburn, is on the schedule as well and is expected to draw hundreds of narrow board ski fans.

But all things considered, I'd rather write about a few of my favorite things of the summer.

 Get your free copy of the 2007
Bayfield Visitor Guide!
http://www.bayfield.org/

We will be featuring our favorite Chequamegon Bay events,  places, and things to do in the next few issues of this newsletter. Favorite beaches. Favorite Islands. Favorite places to eat and shop. That kind of stuff.

Raspberry Lighthouse Station

Our favorite lighthouse station was popular before any readers of this newsletter were born.

This year the "showplace of the Apostle Islands" will reopen after several seasons of much needed care and restoration. Small craft of every kind will visit the grounds and the tower again, and the Apostle Islands Cruise Service will provide passage to those unable to make the voyage on their own.

A huge amount of information on the Raspberry Lighthouse Station and its restoration is at the National Park Service site and at Chequamegon Bay Web. You will enjoy an on-line visit almost as much as a real visit - which this year will be one of the best reasons for a return, or first time, exploration of the Islands.                                       (Images by NPS)

Much of the time Jewels on the Water  rests in a prime
spot on our coffee table. Maybe a glance at the cover
photo in passing. Nothing more. We take it for granted
with the passage of time.

Then a guest will stop for a visit, that photo catches their eye, and conversation stops while they slowly turn the pages, investing more time with some photos, less with others, until all pages are turned.

Then comes the question. "Where can I buy this book?"

Simply stated, if you love the Apostle Islands and great images,  Jewels on the Water  should be on your coffee table.

It makes a super first impression!

More information on Jewels on the Water  is available here.
And you may buy your copy, or a copy for a friend, on line too.

Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are the publishers. They do good deeds for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - deeds that would not be
accomplished without their funding.

And of course the Friends are always seeking more friends!

They make it very easy to join a very special group of
NPS supporters.

Almost 100% of the neat folks who stayed at
Sailor's Solace Cottages last year attended at
least one performance at Big Top Chautauqua,
a wise decision indeed. They also received a
$5.00 discount for every night of their stay,
which indicates how important the Big Top is
to the Innkeepers.

For the 22nd summer, outstanding performances
will again take place between New First Night on
June 15 and Old Last Night on September 8.

Want to see The Kingston Trio in the Big Tent?

The Cherryholmes were great last year.

Greg Brown will be back for a tent-full of fans.

It all starts just four months from now.

More show details next month!

Destination? Bayfield!
is edited by Lew Miller,
PO Box 1512, Bayfield, WI 54814
and published with the assistance & support of:

Apostle Islands Cruise Service
Keeper of the Light Gift Store
Bayfield Maritime Museum
&  Sailor's Solace Cottages

We appreciate your patronage!

Previous
Newsletters

February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
Nov.- Dec. 2005
January 2006
Feb.- Mar 2006
Aug. 2006

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