Bayfield - Heading Back to Madeline

The ferry is easy to find. Just head toward the lake.

Bayfield

Looking toward Madeline Island.

Bayfield - Holy Name Catholic Church

Holy Name Parish is the Roman Catholic Church in Bayfield. I think this shot turned out beautifully.

Bayfield Flowers

Many yards in Bayfield are filled with flowers.

Bayfield

Commercial property in Bayfield.

More Bayfield Houses

So many charming houses in Bayfield. Here are a few more.

Bayfield Houses

We did quite a bit of walking on our trip to Bayfield. Here are some of the houses we saw. I found them to be very charming.

Bayfield

Warren, Gary, Dale and I ate at Maggie's Restaurant for lunch during our jaunt to Bayfiled.

Island View

A view of Madeline Island from the ferry we took to Bayfield, Wisconsin. During a July 2011 visit from our friends Warren and Gary we took an excursion to Bayfield, Wisconsin. Here is a view of Madeline Island taken from the ferry as we were crossing over.

Ferry Ride Photo

Another photo taken on the ferry ride on an excursion to Bayfield from Madeline Island. Here you see a house on the Island.

Ferry Ride

Photo taken from the ferry on the trip from Madeline Island to Bayfield. Madeline Island is in the foreground at right and Bayfield, Wisconsin is in the background.

More Tommy's Burned Down Bar

The following is from the website travelandleisure.com:

"Tom's Burned Down Cafe, Madeline Island, Lake Superior, WI. The Scene: An old tavern burned down in 1992 and was totally destroyed so that only the decks remained. That didn't bother owner Tom Nelson, who thought, 'Do not rebuild it, and they will come.' Nelson pulled in a 40-foot trailer to the decks and began serving beer from the back of the truck. Since then, he's built more decks and a bar and added a tarp roof and knickknacks. It's a quirky place that could keep your attention for hours between the bartenders' stories and the view of kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders on the lake. There's even a chance of glimpsing the northern lights."

Above photo from July 2011

Tommy's Burned Down Bar

When Dale first got the job on the Island I remember telling people that I'd be spending some time with him up there over the summer. One friend who'd actually been up to Madeline before told me about her visit to the infamous Tommy's Burned Down Bar. The story goes that the bar has burned down so many times that it can't get insurance anymore so now all that's there is a tent over the foundation and a few trailers.

Here's a review for the bar that I found online:

"Best bar within 500 miles. The first time I walked in, there was a large blonde woman passed out face-down on the floor. A dog was crouched beside her, licking the side of her face. As I walked up to the bar, the 'tender must've noticed my raised eyebrow, to which he responded 'She does that all the time'."

"Drinks are very strong and affordable for the island. Strange things happen at Tom's. If you're dainty or Victorian or douchebaggy, go have a cup of tea at one the the B & B's that dot the island and point your pinky toward heaven."

The above review is from the website yelp.com and was written by a fellow identifying himself as Eric S. of Minneapolis. He rated Tommy's a 5 out of 5 stars.

Above photo from July 2011.

Madeline Island Museum

More from the Madeline Island Museum website:

"On the front lawn a pair of fog horns and a bell from nearby Long Island greet your arrival. Anchors from the schooner-barge Pretoria and a propeller from the tug Ashland pay tribute to the area's maritime history.

The above photo was taken in July of 2011.

Madeline Island Museum

More from the website of the Madeline Island Museum:

"The Madeline Island Museum comprises the original museum and a modern expansion. The original museum is four historic log structures that have been relocated and connected together. It includes the only remaining building of the American Fur Company complex built at La Pointe in 1835, making it the oldest structure on Madeline Island. That building is adjoined to an old barn, the former La Pointe town jail, and the Old Sailor's Home, which had been built as a memorial to a drowned sailor. In 1991 the museum expanded by adding the Capser Center and, in 1995, the connecting Walkway Gallery."

Above photo taken July 9, 2011.

Madeline Island Museum

The Madeline Island Museum is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The following is from the museum's website:

"Picturesque and historic Madeline Island first cast its spell on Leo Capser in 1903. In the mid-1950's, the love he felt for the island manifested itself in the Madeline Island Museum."

The above photo is dated July 2010.

Bears

Dale says he's observed bears on the Island. Personally, I've never seen one up there but I'm waiting for the day as I've never seen one out of captivity. Once a mama bear and her cub wandered in to the backyard of Dale's Island apartment. He's also told stories of seeing them on some of his bike rides. The one you see in the above picture was for sale at an Island shop.

Photo taken June 2011.

Madeline Island Museum

The sign you see pictured here is outside the Madeline Island Museum. It reads:

MADELINE ISLAND

Known to the Ojibway Indian as Moningwunakauning, "The Home of the Golden Breasted Woodpecker"

The largest of the Apostle Islands was one of the earliest areas of Indian settlement, fur trade, missionary activity and commercial fishing in the interior of North America. It was discovered by French explorers in 1659. Trading posts were built here for the French by Le Sueur in 1693 and for the British by Michel Cadotte in 1793. In 1834 this site and present La Pointe dock became headquarters for the Northern Outfit of the American Fur Company. Missionary operations began about 1830 with the erection of a Protestant Church followed by Father Baraga's Catholic Church.

Erected by Madeline Island Historical Museum

Photo from June 2011.

Another View from Dale's Deck

This shot was taken from Dale's deck and is looking at the lot next door. Mr. and Mrs. C own that property and although Mr. C, who I believe is in his 80's now, doesn't have his driver's license any more he still gets to mow the lawn. I'm told he gets quite a bit of enjoyment from doing this job. The C's have lived on Madeline Island all their lives.

More Views from Dale's Deck

Photos from 2010.

Joe and Dale 2011

This photo was actually taken at Maggie's Restaurant in Bayfield by our friend Gary. Gary and Warren were up to visit us in July of 2011.

Joe and Dale 2010 Part 2

A photo-shopped version of the same photo used in the last post.

Joe and Dale 2010

Dale and I on Madeline Island in 2010. We are sitting on the deck of Dale's apartment. Our friends Julie and Regina were visiting. Julie took this picture on July 17, 2010.

Irises

The irises outside Dale's apartment were beautiful this year. Photo taken June 2011.

The Post Office on Madeline Island

The town of La Pointe has it's own post office which is located next to the ferry landing. Photo taken in 2010.

Tourists

According to the 2000 census the population of the Island was at 246 people. Dale says that during the high season part time residents cause the population to swell up to about 5,000. Tourists who stay for a brief time or who are just doing day trips also help keep the Island especially busy in July and August. Above photo from July 2011.

More Lupines

Photo dated June 19, 2010.

The Lupines

Dale told me that the Island was devoid of lupines many years ago and that his neighbor, Mrs. C, brought a lot of them over from the mainland in her younger days. Although they've all but disappeared by this time of year, they look like this in June. This photo dated June 20, 2010.

Another Shot of the Ferry Pulling In

Here is another photo of the ferry pullin up to Madeline Island's ferry landing. In the distance is Bayfield, Wisconsin. Photo from July 2011.

View From Dale's Deck

Dale's deck is a beautiful place to sit and take in his lovely backyard. Dale loves drink coffee on the deck in the morning. I love to do this too when I am there. The deck is also a lovely place for appetizers and cocktails. Above are a couple of views. Photo from July 2011.

La Pointe, Wisconsin

All businesses and other services on Madeline are located on the southern tip of the Island. The town on Madeline Island is La Pointe and technically the whole Island is considered La Pointe, Wisconsin.  
Photo taken on July 20, 2010.

Dale's Apartment

Through work Dale rents a lovely apartment. The apartment is on the second story of a structure that holds a garage on the 1st level. This is the back view. It has a lovely deck that you can see through the small trees that are at the center left of the photograph. The couple that owns the apartment lives in the house next door. You can almost see it on the right. Photo taken July 2010.

Madeline Island Ferry Landing

Here the ferry is just pulling up to the ferry landing on Madeline Island. I took this photo from the passenger deck up top. You can see Bayfield, Wisconsin in the distance. Photo from July 2011.

The Ferry Ride

Last time I went up to visit Dale I snapped this photo while on the ferry from Bayfield to Madeline Island. Photo from July 2011.

Getting to the Ferry

When I first started going up to Madeline to visit Dale in 2002 I'd take Interstate 35 up to Duluth, Minnesota and then cross the bridge to Superior, Wisconsin. After going through Superior I'd pick up Wisconsin Highway 2 going East and then get onto Wisconsin Highway 13 going North and then into Bayfield, Wisconsin. I'd catch a ferry at the ferry landing in Bayfield and cross over to Madeline Island. The above photo shows the visitor center at the ferry landing in Bayfield. Photo taken in July 2011.

In the Beginning

In 2002 my partner Dale got a job that required him to be on Madeline Island for part of the summer. Initially he wasn't feelin' the love for the island that I did due to the fact that for him being there was work. For me it was a chance to relax. I'm a teacher and I have the summers off. As much as I love having the extra time in the summer, being at home still makes me feel that there is always something I could be getting done around the house. As much as I love doing summer projects at home, the Island allows me a few days to do absolutely nothing but relax, and by relax, I mean read, hike, journal, drink coffee, watch movies and have cocktails. In the photo above you see an inlet near the Madeline Island Yacht Club's marina. Photo taken in July 2011.