Tag: National Parks

Apostle Islands Cruise, Apostle Islands National Park cruise, Cruise

Apostle Islands Cruise

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Sunday September 21, 2025

L:61 H:72

It was a foggy, rainy night and morning. We drove into town for the 1:15 Cruise. They told us in the office to go down to the yellow line on the docks. We were early, but wanting to sit on the upper deck, we walked down, getting  behind a nice family. Soon others lined up. Standing there with raincoat, sweater, a backpack with an extra lens, I got hot. The sun had come out. We felt a bit silly. Others had on shorts and t-shirts.

A cruise lady came down like a cheerleader, asking if we were excited. She said we might be warm now, but it is at least 10 degrees cooler as soon as you get out of the harbor. As the boat came in, the people looked pretty chilly.

We got good seats on the left, front and settled in. Captain Don greeted us and said he was going to tell us probably more than we wanted, but he wanted us to know all about this wonderful place. He is an engineer and has retired three times, but he loves this job and this wonderful place.

There was Madeline Island, the only inhabited island. Well, people still have houses or cabins on other islands. When it was turned into a national park, they bought properties at market prices. If people wanted to stay, they could for their lifetime or that of their children. 

  • Brownstone quarry
  • Sentinel Rock

All of the islands were timbered, including Basswood Island. Native Americans used inner parts of basswood to make ropes, mats and baskets. Europeans used it for carving, models, prototypes, blinds, puppets and toys.

Hermit Island was inhabited by William Wilson, who didn’t get along well with people. It is also the site of a large brownstone quarry. After the Chicago fire, people were looking for stronger building materials. Brownstone was used locally, like the current Apostle Islands National Park headquarters. It was shipped to new York where it was used for many buildings.

Michigan Island was named because it was closest to Michigan. Stockton Island is a large island of 10,000 acres with a diverse ecosystem of bogs, dunes and beaches. It has many trails, beaches, blueberries and campsites. It also has a lot of bears. The park, in trying to determine how many bears there were, tagged some of them. One especially large male would swim to other islands. In trying to determine why, a young park ranger suggested it is because he had girl friends on other islands. 

These islands are not so close together, and signs warn tourists about misjudging distances. People will try to kayak to an island, but they may not be in shape to paddle long distances, or they can’t get back. One sign warned of turning over in 47 degree water. Maybe I should take that kayak roll class again.

Oak Island is the highest island in the park. It has 11.5 miles of trails, diverse sandstone formations, bluffs and sandy beaches, including a unique overlook called Sentinel Rock. It has the highest concentration of black bears in the park. Ojibwe people used the island for maple syrup. There is a shuttle from Bayfiels.(supplemented from Google AI).

  • Devil’s Island lighthouse

We went by Manitou Island, known for its historic Fish Camp. In the 1800’s it was too far for commercial fishing boats to travel every day, so they made a camp on Manitou Island. It has been preserved for visitors to explore. It has a unique ecosystem, featuring boreal forests, spruce bogs and alder wetlands, a result of the absence of deer and moose. (Google AI)

Ironwood Island was known for its very hard wood used for tool handles and mallets. There are no trails, but kayakers can find a single primitive campsite on a sandspit with a food locker and fire ring. Kayakers can explore sea caves and fishing. 

Devil’s Island may be the most interesting, being the furtherest north into the vast Lake Superior. There is a beautiful lighthouse that has recently been restored. It is also known for its sea caves. It is named for the sounds of waves booming in the sea caves, interpreted by the Ojibwe as evil spirits. (Google AI). Being so far out, the ice is not frozen solid in winter, so it sloshes against the shores, digging out these unique caves. Captain Don got me on this one asking, “Who wants to see the ice caves? …. Well you will have to come back in winter to see them.”

There are many pictures of these caves frozen and dripping icicles. Who comes out here in the dead of winter? Well, some people do. It made me think about the lighthouse keepers and their families who lived here. To be here in “the storms of November” would be daunting. Ice breakers would deliver supplies….. if they could.

On the way back, Captain Don (I think that was his name) talked about the Ice Highway. When the great lake freezes in winter, the ferry doesn’t run to Madeline Island, so kids can’t go to high school on the mainland and people can’t get supplies. But when the ice freezes enough, they build an ice highway. “You should come and drive it.” Don said. “It can be a bit unsettling to hear the ice crack and see ice bubbles scoot ahead of you, but don’t worry. It is entirely safe. They have been doing this for years, and they don’t open it until it is safe. Toward the end of the season, they close it, but there is always someone who thinks they know better.”

“They might get half way across before their car sinks into the ice, and they can’t get it out. It’s only 2.5 miles across, so they can walk back to safety. But what happens to the car? The state wants to preserve the purity of the lake, so you have to remove the car. Insurance doesn’t pay for it, because you were driving on a closed road. You will have to hire a barge to get it out and dispose of it, and that can be expensive. Now there is a sled with an airplane propeller on the back to ferry folks back and forth. But you should come back in winter and drive the Ice Highway.”

It was a great tour. Captain Don and the crew were great, and the scenery was great. It was so full of information, I couldn’t remember it all. How he drives and talks so much at the same time is impressive. We skirted a couple of squalls, but had to go through another. It was interesting to see how he went around one, then waited for another to pass. We got wet and cold going through one, although we should have retreated downstairs, but we did stand under an overhanging roof behind the cabin, which was heated.

Crazy weather seems common on Lake Superior. It was foggy and dripping rain all morning. The sun came out while we waited for the cruise on the docks. There were rain squalls all around us. Then we hit patches of sun. Yet through it all, it was beautiful, and the clouds were amazing. We were lucky the water was dead calm. Don said it was unusual to be so calm around Devil’s Island.

I talked with the captain as we slowly disembarked. I complimented him on the great job he did. His love for the lake and the islands was evident. Having retired three times, he said, “It’s great to have a job you love and live in a place you love.” We were lucky to spend a couple of great hours with him.

Apostle Islands National Park, Apostle Islands National Park, Bayfield, Wisconsin, Little Sand Bay Campground, Bayfield, WI, Maritime Museum, Bayfield, WI

A Rainy Day In Little Sand Bay

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Friday, September 19, 2025

L:58 H:63

It was a rainy, gray morning, which was nice to catch up on a few things – emails, a little news, the blog, etc. Since the Apostle Islands Cruise was cancelled yesterday due to high winds, we had scheduled for today. However, it wasn’t looking so good for today either, so we rescheduled for Sunday. 

We kept looking at our schedule. we might not even see this national park at this rate. We are supposed to leave on Wednesday for St. Croix National Scenic River. We considered cancelling that to give us more time here.

After lunch, we decided on two things we could do in the rain – the Maritime Museum and driving “The Fruit Loop.” Parking in Bayfield is a trick, but we are getting the hang of it. In front of the museum a man was building a small boat. A volunteer, he was very polite in telling us what he was doing, and he loves working with wood. It was like a boat museum in Newfoundland where volunteers built a boat every year, then auctioning it to raise money for the museum. The Bayfield volunteer said they haven’t caught onto that yet. 

It was very cool inside, with displays of big and small ships and fishing boats. There was a display of the shipwrecks around Apostle Islands. I was fascinated by the display of sailboat rigging. Around the corner Martha worked on a hands-on display of knot tying. We might have stayed there for an hour, but others wanted to try it. 

There were engine displays, both big and small. The one that intrigued me was an old Indian recording of how he built birchbark canoes. A real birchbark canoe was standing against the wall. I would like to listen to that again. He looked for a special birch tree and told how he stripped the bark, sealing the seams with pine pitch. The frame was made from a special northern white cedar. He said he only cut three of them down in his life.

On our way out, Martha put $20 in the contribution box. The man working the front thanked us with a smile and said, “Ring the bell.” After looking around, I pulled the string beside the door, ringing the bell. Outside was a big bell from a boat, so I gave that a ring too. 

We walked over to the fish store. Most things had been sold because the weather had limited fishing. They did have some whitefish liver, which we had seen on the menu at Manypenny Bistro. The young lady behind the counter said she had never had it, but reports are that it is similar to chicken livers. “It’s a thing here.”

This area is big for fruit farms, and there is a drive that takes you past some of the farms that have shops, stores or roadside stands. Apples are big, but also blueberries, raspberries, grapes and more. It was raining pretty hard when we stopped at the first one, Apple Hill Orchards.

I thought he had an Aussie accent, but he was from England. A soccer player, he had traveled to many places, but he always liked this area the best, so he and his wife started this orchard. We bought a bag of Courtland apples on his recommendation, a candy apple and an apple crisp. He was a nice chap, and we enjoyed talking to him. We were going to the farmer’s market tomorrow, so there was no sense in stopping by more farms.

Missing one of our turns, we ended up driving by a lot of the farms, wondering what was being grown. We saw 24 turkeys on our 30-minute drive, plus a beautiful red fox dashing full speed across the road. Later I looked up what turkeys eat, since they seem to proliferate here. Acorns are a staple of a lot of wildlife, but turkeys are omnivores. They eat insects for protein, acorns, and they love fruit. They will eat apples on the ground and berries from bushes, but also clover, grass and other soft greens. No wonder they do well here.

We stopped at a tiny log house with a sign. We have passed it a number of times, but had other things to do. Interesting story.

Back at camp, we drove around a bit and found the closed visitor’s center had WIFI, but it is only strong at the building. I took my computer over and loaded pictures for the blog, We can get one bar of cell service in the Airstream, but our cell booster gives us one more. That’s enough to get messages and emails, but not enough to upload pictures, and surely not videos. Moving my phone around the trailer, I get one bar sitting at the table, two bars in the cabinet above the refrigerator and three bars up against the booster. I’ll try to find a way to hang the phone there.

Martha made a fine dinner of pork chops and mushrooms from the farmer’s market, cooked in butter with peas – very good.

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Finish Hiking AT in Shenandoah National Park

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Sunday, November 20, 2016

I had seven miles to walk to Compton Overlook to meet Martha. I was sore and tired, but it felt good to be finishing the hike. It was still blowing very hard when we got up, and it was cold. The water bottles weren’t frozen, but they had ice in them. Nick was nice enough to boil me some water for coffee. We didn’t know if Kelly got the messages through the InReach, so we didn’t know if Nick’s girlfriend or Martha would be on the way to pick us up. I figured at worst I would walk or hitch to Front Royal and get a room. 

I set out at 7:30 not knowing what kind of hike I had, but I knew by now that 7 miles is a 5-hour morning for me on this trail. I had a lot of layers on as I started up the steep hill form Gravel Springs Hut figuring I would take some off when I got to the top, but I didn’t. It was cold and that wind was really blowing. The first part was pretty level and the whole day was relatively easy with a couple of mountains to go over. I flushed a couple of grouse at the top of one. That was nice to see. I haven’t seen grouse in Virginia in a long time. Trying to take pictures at the top of the first mountain, the howling wind about knocked me over. It was dangerous, so I moved on, trying to stick to the business at hand – getting to the pick-up spot in reasonable time. I stopped for a breather at one point and a tree limb fell right in front of me. All it would take is for one of these trees to give up in this fierce wind and fall on you. Thank God that didn’t happen. 

The last mountain, Compton, wasn’t so big, but by the ninth day, everything was difficult. I knew it was the last one, so that helped a lot. I was surprised to see hikers at the top. It as Sunday, so I knew people would be out, but it was also cold and nasty with that wind. More hikers passed me on the way down the other side. Someone was bringing a group of community kids up the mountain for a hike, one having a Superman backpack. I shook his hand, congratulating him for hiking up this mountain. Cute kid!

It was difficult to control my pace as I got closer. I wanted to go faster, but you always know that one bad step and there goes a knee or an ankle of a pulled muscle. Every day I felt something sore. Of course the feet are always sore, one way or another, and I had plenty of blisters. Today I felt like I could pull a muscle behind my left knee, the top of the calf muscle. 

I got to the parking lot just after 12:00, but Martha wasn’t there. I had 3 bars on my phone, but couldn’t make a phone call. I could see that she got my message to pick me up, and she replied at 10:15 that she would soon be on the way. I knew that would take about three hours to get here. It was cold standing there in that wind. I drank more icy water in wind that kept wanting to blow my hat into Never Never Land. I took out my rain jacket and put it on for another layer. I didn’t want to take out my long john pants and put them on in the parking lot. People were coming and going, and there were probably 10 cars in the parking lot. I was impressed there were so many out on a tough day like this. It was 29 degrees and blowing gale-force winds. I didn’t see Nick anywhere, and hoped he had gotten through to his girlfriend. 

I walked down the side of the road a couple of hundred yards to keep moving and try to stay warm and also see if I could get cell reception, but that was no use. Even if I got through on mine, what were the odds that hers would have reception? I figured 1:30 was a good target, so I kept walking, once considering getting the sleeping bag out. It might look foolish, but it would be warm! Sure enough at 1:30 I saw that beautiful truck round the bend! It was so good to see Martha! She had a big thermos of hot tea that really hit the spot! 

I requested lunch at Skyland for lunch, although I wasn’t really hungry. I had eaten an energy bar while I waited, but I wanted to drink a lot of something and I wanted that split pea soup! I drank half of the tea on the way. Never having seen this part of the parkway,  we enjoyed spectacular views. It was interesting to drive back past all the places I had walked. It seemed like a long time ago as we went back. Nine days. It’s pretty amazing how far you can walk in nine days! 

When we got to Skyland, it was 28 degrees with a fierce wind. Martha scurried across the parking lot into the building. I didn’t have any scurry in me. No split pea soup so we ordered chicken and rice, which was the best ever, with big chunks of chicken. It was almost like a chicken pot pie without the shell, a meal all in itself. Martha ordered a wedge salad, which was great, and I had the fish and chips, stuffing myself. It’s worth the trip up here just for the soups!

Driving back along the parkway, I wound back the clock, seeing all the places I had crossed days before. It was a lot of mountains to slog over. I think Mary’s Rock was the most difficult, both going up and coming back down. It’s steep with a lot of rocks. On the other hand, I had met a couple from Culpeper who love this hike and come regularly. 

I’m glad I did it. I was sure tired and worn out. No doubt it would be a lot easier for a young person. 10 miles a day is an all-day job for me. I learned a lot, and saw places I have never seen. I feel more comfortable in the woods alone. I know more about how to get water and appreciate it a lot more. There are places I want to come back to with Martha, and I’d like to camp at the campgrounds. I have huge respect for through hikers who spend months on the trail. I can’t even comprehend spending four months hiking the whole thing! Then again, if I were 25 years old, I’d be very tempted. We have a great national park in our back yard. It needs our help. They are understaffed and underfunded, and it is tremendously porous. You can fish any stream with a fishing license on hundreds of miles of trout streams. You can hike hundreds of trails from the bottom and not pay a dime. The only way they get a fee is if you drive the parkway, and you can get a lifetime senior pass to ALL the national parks for $10. You can stay in these shelters for free!  Canada would not let you get away with this, and therefore their parks are in much better shape. 

Cities, Southwest Harbor, Maine

Three Hikes and a Lobster Roll

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High of 74℉. Hiked in shorts

Thursday, October 20, 2016

After doing some laundry, we decided to explore the southern side of the Quietside of Acadia National Park. We walked the “Wonderland Trail”, a short hike to the coast. The tide was out, which was best for this hike. Park signs told us to explore the pools around the rocks to find Periwinkle (snails) of two varieties, sea urchins and seaweeds. As we walked around the rocks, Periwinkles were everywhere. It would be easy to gather a meal here. Seaweed with little pods on them were just like the ones we saw at Hopewell Rocks where the tour guide told us it could be used as a facial conditioner. I popped a little pod open and applied the clear cream under my eyes and on my forehead. Now I look 30 years younger! 

It was a very short drive to the second hike, “Ship’s Harbor Nature Trail”. It’s so crazy that two hikes very close together could be so different. The forest was different, more boreal with mosses and mushrooms. We saw a beautiful pumpkin-colored bird we have never seen before. Then you come out to a beautiful cove, which at high tide would surely hide a small ship, maybe a smuggler. The tide was coming in strong, looking like a river rushing downhill. Several ducks rested in the protected area.

Coming back out, we wanted what might be the last lobster roll, so we went to Charlotte’s Lobster Pound for lunch. With picnic tables all around and a busy parking lot, we placed our order, sharing a lobster roll, two ears of corn on the cob boiled in the lobster pot and a piece of blueberry pie with ice cream. This is a happening place with a goat to pet while you watch the cook working outdoors. 

After lunch we walked through a park campground to get to a short carriage trail. Only two miles one way, we decided to walk it. It isn’t as pretty as yesterday’s trail, but still a lovely, quiet walk in the woods where we didn’t see a soul. Somewhere along the walk, Martha said she didn’t know why she thought she might be able to walk that famous trail in Spain. 

Stopping at the grocery store, we stocked up on a few things. We have had incredible weather in this great park. Still after a week we have left many things undone. Every time we explored one thing, we discovered two more. So many little side roads to drive, hikes to take and wonderful seafood to eat. I think I have had enough lobster for a while, but I love the fish sandwiches, fish and chips, and I never did get a crab roll which Andrea said was great. We’ll just have to come back after winning the lottery and buy a Hinkley Picnic boat.

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