Tag: Wisconsin

Humbird Cheese, Madison, Madison, WI Market on The Square, Stores, Water Heater cleaning, Wisconsin

The Madison, Wisconsin Farmer’s Market

by Greg • September 29, 2025 • 0 Comments

Making our way back to Virginia, we had some interesting stops along the way. I took one last picture of the St. Croix River before driving to Babcock County Park Campground in McFarland, just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin is known for its cheese, but we haven’t really seen it. We drove Rt. 8 east into the sun, then turned southeast on 53 through Eau Claire and the Chippewa River, then I94 and I90 to McFarland. I didn’t realize until writing this that we were running parallel to the Mississippi River. Our friend on the Ferry from Madeline Island had advised us to follow the Mississippi. That might require a dedicated Trip. Interesting how the St. Croix River had a feel of the Mississippi once we passed “The Dells”

https://www.americanrivers.org/river/mississippi-river/

Along the way, we stopped in Tomah to visit Humbird Cheese. I inspected the case, first seeing a price tag of $119. I was shocked until I realized each package of sharp cheddar was arranged by age. We got to our price range at 6 years. Each package was wrapped in wax. The lady helping us, Colleen, was very informative, patiently answering all of our questions. There were many kinds of cheese in the display case, making it hard to choose. The store also had cranberries, jams and an interesting variety of meats. https://www.humbirdcheese.com

“Wisconsin cheese is renowned for its high quality and variety, with over 600 different types produced, making it the largest cheese-producing state in the U.S. The state’s cheesemaking tradition, which dates back to the 19th century, combines European techniques with local expertise, resulting in award-winning cheeses that reflect a rich cultural heritage.” from AI.

Wisconsin has incredible, huge farms and lots of corn. It made driving pleasant along 8 and 53. On the interstates there were lots of orange barrels and bumps. LOTS!

After arriving in McFarland, we had some chores to do; groceries, laundry, gas and a car wash. It was all within two blocks of the campground. Martha made a wonderful dish of chicken, mushrooms, rice and peas for dinner.

In the morning we drove into Madison for the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the United States. “Approximately 130 members attend every Saturday. All of the items for sale are grown, raised, and produced in Wisconsin by the person behind the stand.” Called The Market on The Square, it surrounds the square around the beautiful capitol building. Prices and products are clearly labeled, and every booth was neat and clean. Wisconsin may be known for its cheese, but the flowers were incredible. Vegetables, fruits and mushrooms were abundant, but the largest lines were in front of bakeries with so many delicious offerings. Then there is corn. Having passed miles of huge corn fields on our drive, we wondered what the differences were. At the market there was a huge selection of colors, varieties and popcorn.

Back at camp I wanted to address the water heater issue that Brooke had pointed out in Apostle Islands. A great video showed exactly what to do – 🔥 RV Atwood Water Heater Soot Cleaning & Fix | Improve Efficiency. The problem is it is burning dirty, and essentially needed to be cleaned and also tuned. A short pipe with openings for air can be adjusted to get a clean, blue flame. I will check it more frequently, but it is amazing it isn’t knocked off kilter every day when you consider the bumps we have endured. I may launch into a rant on the state of our highways some time.

As a reward at the end of the day, we scanned our TV reception and found 45 stations using the antenna, which is pretty amazing. We watched the Ohio State/Washington Game while texting Ed and Diego. Ed was at the game and said we had a better view of the game than he did:} He said it is an otherwise beautiful view of the adjacent harbor where many come in boats to the game. They have sailgates instead of tailgates.

St. Croix Lake Sunset Cruise, St. Croix National Scenic River, St. Croix River Cruise

St. Croix National Scenic River

by Greg • September 28, 2025 • 0 Comments

Thursday, September 25, 2025

We took two cruises on the St. Croix National Scenic River. I booked two nights in Interstate State Park, which is right on the river. People book this campground months in advance on the weekends. We were lucky to get a spot for a Wednesday/Thursday.

We are on our way back to Virginia, and we never pass up a chance to see a national park. What sets this one apart is a section that goes through great walls of rock, or what they call “The Dells.” The word comes from Old English word, dael, which means valley. On the St. Croix River, it cuts through sandstone cliffs, making giant potholes where spinning rocks in powerful water cut holes in the stone. There are over 400 of them.

The upper part of the 252 miles of protected river is known for floating, kayaking and smallmouth fishing. Two towns, Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls, do not have water falls because two dams were built. I should keep track of towns named for waterfalls that aren’t there. The first cruise was a sunset cruise on St. Croix Lake, which is created by the dam.

On Thursday we took a scenic tour of the river below Taylors Falls. This is a pretty section on a pretty amazing boat that is actually powered by a paddle wheel, but does have side thrusts. It only draws 17″. On Wednesday we walked out the back or our campsite to a little gravel bar on the river. I was surprised to see a cruise boat coming around an island to make a hard left to avoid a gravel bar.

Before the cruise we walked a path through and around all the potholes. It is a most unusual place. In Taylors Falls, we had lunch on the corner at Juneberry Cafe. Then we got in line for the cruise.

The cruise was about 80 minutes. There were a number of senior citizens aboard, but one was pretty cool. She had her wheelchair out on the front deck, pulling herself up to stand for several pictures with her phone. Flood levels have reached 200 feet above this water level!

Holy Cross the river was named for.

Apostle Islands National Park, Bayfield, Wisconsin, Class, Interstate State Park, Minnesota, Little Sand Bay Campground, Bayfield, WI, Mushrooms, Wisconsin

Northern Mushroom Tour

by Greg • September 26, 2025 • 1 Comment

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

L:61 H:64

Martha picked up a brochure in the Farmhouse Restaurant about an outdoor class on mushrooms. We have wanted to do this for some time, so she called and scheduled it. Our last hike piqued our interest. There were so many mushrooms of all sorts. All of this rain and fog has made perfect conditions for mushrooms. They were just sprouting up everywhere!

northernmushroomtours.com

715-209-4748

We drove to our meeting place and were the first to arrive. We talked with a gentleman who drove up, then two ladies who came. Arne Martinson, our leader, came next.

I have added and supplemented from other sources since I can’t remember all the important information Arne gave us. I would love to take this class over and over.

Dressed in hiking pants with an unusual camera setup around his neck, 28 years old, Arne (pronounced Arnie) said we would follow a popular trail. The two ladies were at least knowledgeable and Dana carried a field notebook. He had instructed us to bring a bag or basket to collect mushrooms.

He said the purpose would be to introduce us to a variety of mushrooms and to give us confidence to pick and eat several of the varieties. By the time we got to the trailhead, it was already evident this was going to be a fun day.

His enthusiasm, level of knowledge and teaching abilities are great. It took me 30 or 40 minutes to finally start recording him. In the middle the recording somehow stopped. 30 minutes later, I restarted it. The woods were chock full of mushrooms. He was spotting things right and left, and the information was coming fast. Arne has a way of slowing it down and hitting important points.

LBM, little brown mushroom
Coral mushrooms
Chanterelles
toothed mushrooms
Dorol mushroom
Black Trumpet
Black Trumpets
Black Trumpets
Shelf mushrooms
DNE – do not eat
Shrimp of the Woods
Chanterelles

First there were the LBM’s, little brown mushrooms. There was a discussion of all the varieties, probably thousands of them. It can be hard to specifically identify them, so the simple rule for beginners is to not eat any of these. The Galerina class has over 300 species, some of which can be toxic, even deadly. “So let’s just stay away from these.”

Later he would summarize toxicity. Pick and eat what you are absolutely sure of. “Send me a picture any time of ones you are not sure of.” He got two or three of those calls or texts during the morning. He pointed out some mushrooms that are toxic, meaning you may have an upset stomach, or you might get sick, or you might wish you had never eaten that mushroom, but he doesn’t personally know of anyone who has died from eating mushrooms. Don’t eat them raw. Clean them well before cooking.

Then there were the shelf mushrooms. There are some edibles in this category like Chicken of the Woods. There were two interesting points about this group. He counted rings on one to judge its age. Like rings on a tree stump, he said this mushroom had been there for eight years.

Another was the hoof mushroom which can be prepared and carry an ember for a long time. The Ojibwe used this to carry a fire from one camp to another (my addition). The mushroom is the amadou mushroom (Fomes fomentarius).

https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/401698

There were the gilled mushrooms, with gills on the underneath. Again, it is too difficult to identify for certain, so for beginners like us, don’t eat them. Some have skirts on the stem. One is toxic. It has a bulb at the base along with a skirt, called the Destroying Angel. So stay away from gilled mushrooms, especially ones with skirts and bulbs.

The other deadly one is the Autumn Skullcap, which can cause liver and kidney failure. I think he said he has not seen either of these mushrooms in this area.

Interestingly, he said all animals in the forest eat mushrooms – bears, deer, squirrels, etc. “Everyone OK with going off-trail?” Then we are walking through the forest. Bending over to show us a pretty mushroom, he turns his head and gets very excited. Under a rotting log are tiny mushrooms attached to the log.

“These are (some name I can’t remember) and they had never been found this far north until I reported finding them here. I wrote an article about it with a picture on the cover,” he said proudly.

Like a professor, he is a member of the Mycological Society, going to meetings often, and goes to Colorado to explore and lecture. “I’m a total geek,” he said. His enthusiasm is contagious.

There were a number of mushrooms of interest that were unusual or pretty that he talked about, like coral mushrooms. Then he got excited. “Hey look at these! Black Trumpets!” I couldn’t see them. “They are everywhere!” Still couldn’t see them as he anxiously picked them, handing some to others, picking off the dirty bottom of the stem. “When you get them home, unfold them and wash them in a salad spinner just like you do lettuce. Keep them in a paper bag in the refrigerator. They should keep about a week and a half.”

I bent over to finally see them growing through the leaves. 2-4” in height, they did look like trumpets, and they are hard to see. Everyone was busy picking them. “Mushrooms are a living organism that lives underground and puts up shoots, or fruit above ground. It is the only animal or plant that you can harvest and not harm the organism itself.” You really are harvesting the fruit.

“Sauté them in a pan with nothing in it. You will be surprised how much water comes out. As it cooks down a bit, add butter and cook until crispy. Get a good Alfredo sauce and put it over pasta or rice. Dana said, “Makes a great risotto.” These are so unique, you really couldn’t mistake them.

Chanterelles were another group we found that everyone was collecting. https://foragerchef.com/chanterelle-mushrooms/

The Black Trumpets can sell for $140 a pound at farmer’s markets, We also found porcini mushrooms, another prized mushroom that Dana nicknamed the pancake mushroom. He encouraged such names as it can help you remember. Learning all the names can be difficult. The Porcini is an Italian name, meaning piglet. Cut them to see if there are bugs. How do you know if it is a Porcini? it is a Bolete. It feels like a spongy underside. It is called the King Porcini. It has a netting. There are no deadly Bolites in the world. Porcinis are easy to identify. They are red and brown, and the white stem and netting. Spongy. They are better dried with a dehydrator, or put in the oven at the lowest temperature possible, then vacuum-sealed.

He sliced the cap of a mushroom, which helps identify it. The first one bled blue, getting more intense with time. Dana pressed the cut piece on her notebook, and it printed a cool blue. Surprisingly, when it dried, it didn’t smear or spread. Others bleed other colors. Some ooze liquid with different flavors. I tasted one he said was spicy. It took a minute, but then the burn came like a hot pepper.

Lactifluus piperatus, commonly known as the blancaccio, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Lactifluus. The fruiting body is a creamy-white mushroom which is funnel-shaped when mature, with exceptionally crowded gills. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactifluus_piperatus)

As we got back on the trail, Arne turned around and said something like: You know humans have learned to conquer the world. We have cut down the trees, ruined the fisheries, and killed the game. Foraging for mushrooms takes you to quiet, peaceful places that help us become a part of nature, instead of a destroyer. Much like fishing or hunting, it takes you to beautiful places, helps you to see what is there. The nice thing about mushroom hunting is we are not killing anything, and we lose ourselves in the environment.

It was a great class with a great teacher!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis

https://www.shroomer.com/porcini-mushrooms

https://www.shroomer.com/porcini-mushrooms/

inaturalist app was recommended, but not always reliable on edibles, although helpful in identification.

Apostle Islands Cruise, Apostle Islands National Park cruise, Cruise

Apostle Islands Cruise

by Greg • September 24, 2025 • 4 Comments

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, Bayfield, WI, Bayfield, Wisconsin, Casper Trail, Madeline Island, WI, Little Sand Bay Campground, Bayfield, WI, Madeline Island Museum, WI, Myers Beach, Apostle Islands NP, Siskiwit Falls, Cornucopia, WI, Wisconsin

Madeline Island

by Greg • September 22, 2025 • 0 Comments

Saturday, September 20, 2025

L:59 H 75

Martha loves a farmer’s market, so we went to Bayfield. It had been cloudy and a bit of rain, but by the time we got there, it was a sunny, beautiful day. It was a nice, little market with about 12 booths. Martha bought a couple of different mushrooms, a candle and ……

Every week a different musician comes to play

We walked down to the water and sat on a little dock, admiring the view. We decided to take the ferry over to Madeline Island. It runs every hour on the hour, returning on the half hour. It is the only inhabited island of the 21 Apostle Islands, named by Jesuit priests for the 12 apostles.

I love walking the docks, looking at the boats. As we walked the Bayfield docks, every boat was a winner. The Apostle Islands make for great sailing, so there were a lot of sailboats. Lots of people were scurrying around, loading coolers, some with music playing. Turns out there was a two-day regatta.

Maritime Museum

We put our things in the truck, got a sandwich at a little shop and walked a few blocks to the ferry. Since they do this all day, every day, they were very efficient. It’s about a 15-minute ride across the bay. With a clear blue sky and sailboats headed for Hermit Island, it made for a pleasant ride.

We had no idea what to do on Madeline Island, so we sat in a gazebo, ate our lunch and looked at the town map. I was surprised at all the cars and trucks on the ferry. There was also a group of bikers. Somehow I envisioned a more remote atmosphere. It’s a relatively large town with the usual things. We opted for the museum first. We could have rented bikes, but it’s a big island. This might be the occasion for an electric bike.

The museum was surprisingly good. A pretty, young lady and an Objibwe man greeted us. We asked for two senior tickets. She asked is we were veterans. Martha said I was, but I don’t carry a card. The young lady said, “That’s OK, we don’t check ID’s anyway.” My phone battery was about drained, so Martha asked if they had a charge cord. The man rummaged around in the back and found one.

I charged it as we watched a fast paced movie of the history of the island. The Ojibwe people had some disagreement and the tribe split, half migrating west, ending up in these islands. They built their beautiful birchbark canoes, sliding through a great marsh while thrashing wild rice into the boats. Fishing and hunting were great.

The white men came, trading furs. The Jesuit priests came, and then the tourists came in summers. Like most museums, it’s hard to take it all in, but I was intrigued by the boats. There were tools, starting with the Ojibwe, then the early European settlers. I liked the coffee roaster.

Walking back to the original museum, a man dressed in early settler attire, greeted us. This building was like an old cabin. Actually, the man said, it was three buildings combined – a cabin, the original jail, and something else that was brought in.

I asked what the difference was between the Chippewa and Ojibwe. He said they are the same people, but the Chippewa had a different way of sewing their moccasins. Hanging on one room was a sleigh, older than ours, but very similar. It’s a great museum. We thanked them and put a 20 in the donation box.

We walked a couple of blocks to the bike shop. A very large crowd gathered at a municipal building. It seemed like the whole town was there. A couple of doors down was another crowded place with a different atmosphere.

At the bike shop, mopeds and electric bikes were lined up outside, but the door was locked. Martha went next door to ask. They said there was a funeral that many people in town were attending. That accounted for one of the large gatherings we had seen. This seemed a great way to see the island. Perhaps another day.

The town map showed a trail across part of the island, so we walked up the main road with yellow lines down the middle and a fair amount of traffic. Heck, it was as large at the Trans-Canada highway!

It took us 20 minutes to get to the Capser Trail, a well-maintained trail through a pretty forest. A couple of loops would make a longer hike, but we weren’t up for that. Early on, it went through a beautiful stand of big white birch trees, and later what I thought were black birch, but my plant identifier app said they were big quaking aspen.

We came out to another road and followed it to the ferry. Our timing was good. There was only a short wait. We sat next to a gregarious couple. They were celebrating his 80th birthday with their children, and had been to Tom’s Burned Down Cafe. Tom’s is apparently a famous place, but it burned down. After some time, Tom bought a trailer and opened back up, saying, “I ain’t done yet.”

They had been drinking Bloody Marys, and although not drunk by any measure, he was talkative. They have been coming here from the St. Croix area for years. They had a sailboat and love sailing these islands. “Best place to sail in the world!” He pointed out a boat in the distance that they sailed yesterday. The boats were sailing against the wind now, moving slowly.

The wife asked us where we had been and where we were going. She suggested following the Mississippi River south. She said it is quite pretty, and there is a lot of history. I thanked her and said I would look into that. She also said to go to the little town of Cornucopia, just west of our campground.

Back on land, we walked back up through the busy, little town of Bayfield to the truck. It was only 2:30, so we drove to Cornucopia just to get a preview. There is a busy marina on the north side of the highway. We turned left to find a “town” composed of 5 buildings. the interesting one was a very large general store. I’m quite sure that would be interesting, but having gotten up this morning at 3:00, I was pretty tired.

We turned left at the stop sign to see the rest of the town, but there wasn’t any. We were getting ready to turn around when we saw a sign for Siskiwit Waterfall. We were the only ones in the parking lot, but as we walked down a pretty, little trail, we saw people on the other side on another trail.

It was a very unique cascading waterfall over solid rock. I don’t know how far this goes, but we followed it for 300 yards. A sign posted limits for trout and salmon. The river was crystal clear and depth would be measured in inches. Looking up the name later, I would find a site for “18 Waterfall Hikes Near Cornucopia!”

Heading back to camp, we stopped at Myer’s Beach in Apostle Islands National Park. Cars had filled the parking lot and spilled out along the entrance road. It was Saturday, sunny and warm, but hardly swimming weather. A large sign warned of the dangers of kayaking here. If you turn over, you have limited time to get upright. In 30 minutes your hands and feet will get numb. In an hour you will lose consciousness. Martha read another warning for the current lake water temperature. It was 47 degrees!

But another part of the sign showed the attraction, and a large part of the attraction of the Apostle Islands – sea caves, arches and tunnels. Several kayaks were returning from their trip. The beach is very long and pretty.

The drive back to camp didn’t seem so long, and we saw 6 more turkeys. Now I was very tired. Martha made a very nice dinner of pork chops and cooked the mushrooms with peas in butter. Yum!

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

by Greg • September 21, 2025 • 0 Comments

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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Duluth to Little Sand Bay, WI

by Greg • September 19, 2025 • 2 Comments

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

L: 62; H: 77

Leaving our happy spot in Spirit Lake Marine and RV Park, we headed for Little Sand Bay in Russell, WI. to see Apostle Islands National Park. We have allotted a week to explore 21 islands in Lake Superior. I was excited for a pretty drive with rest areas right beside Lake Superior.

I got an error message on the truck: Engine power throttling back. I have had nothing but trouble since Colonial Auto replaced the catalytic converter, charging me $4,500. Martha advised me to buy a new truck, but I thought this one would go the distance. That is one of the reasons I bought a diesel. I thought it would last longer under the load of pulling the trailer. I have 152,000 miles on it, but it is not uncommon for these to go 500,000 or more. I don’t need that many, maybe another 100,000.

We pulled over at one of those beautiful rest areas. I put in more DEF and checked the oil level, which was dirty, but OK. The coolant tank was full, but I put a little water in it. We limped on, sometimes going 55mph, but on some big hills, we got down to 8. With emergency flashers on, some cars passed us, but we were fortunate traffic wasn’t busy.

We limped into the campground, set up, had lunch and Martha called the nice lady who had booked us into the campground, but she got a recording. She was hoping to get a recommendation for diesel repair. Then she went to work, making a list of garages and calling one, Ron’s Auto Repair, but he was retired. he referred us to Dietrich. We had minimal cell reception, so we decided to go to Dietrich Auto Repair. Typical of areas like this, he had a garage next to his house, and the yard was full of cars and trucks. He is a very nice guy, whose house had just burned, so he and his son were living in a big trailer. Listening to our problem, he directed us to “Walkie’s up on Fire Road.”

At first we tried to call him, but then decided to just drive up there. Without GPS, we would have never found it. It was a great big metal building surrounded by woods on Fire Tower Road. A friendly springer spaniel greeted us. Walkie was pushing a dead pickup into the garage with a unique tread machine with a blade on the back and a fork on the front.

Once the truck was in the shop, he smoothed the tracks with the blade, then shut it off. “How can I help you?” he asked. He listened to our story, then listed some things that could cause the problem. “Let me just take a look.”

He opened the hood and started removing the cover for the air filter. “It’s a good engine, but then GMC puts all this stuff on it – sensors and computerized stuff. It would be better without it.” Even removing the air filter was a bit complicated. He said, “Look at this little filter for that big engine. A lot of times the engine just isn’t getting enough air. I’ll order a new one and have it by 9:00 in the morning. Then we will clean this connection in front of the filter that often gets dirty. If that doesn’t do it, we will run a regen. I hate doing that because it really runs the engine hard.” he blew out the old filter and replaced it. I told him that sounded good, and we will return tomorrow at 9:30.

There is nothing quite like watching a mechanic work on your truck. You learn how it works, where things are and you get to hear what he is thinking. Dealers seldom let you do that, saying it’s a liability issue. Or maybe they don’t want you to learn how to do things. His cousin, Walter looked on.

We drove a short distance to Bayfield to check out the cruise schedule. A nice young man told us what the schedules are and the likelihood of getting aboard on the spur of the moment. It was pretty good really, as the season is waning. The visitor’s center at the campground is closed for the season.

The little town was bustling. It reminded me of Bar Harbor 30 years ago. It was a beautiful day. People were sitting outside at restaurants and benches. Flower boxes adorned windows, and people were getting off the ferry smiling. I asked two bikers if they had a good time. The young man smiled broadly and said it was great. “Which island,” I asked. “Madeline,” he replied.

Ferry coming into Bayfield

Martha had talked to Walkie’s daughter-in-law while Walkie and I were under the hood. She wanted to get him something as a thanks for his help. She said to get him some Stella Artois, so we went into a little grocery and got some.

Back at camp, our next door camp host and her husband came over. She said the campground booking lady had called her to check on us concerning our truck problem. Brook and John were their names. She told us there are GMC dealers in Ashland and Duluth “when you get through with your guy.”

They had the similar problem with a catalytic converter. Someone put the wrong one in, so they went to a different dealer to get it replaced, all under warranty. Then she asked if I had disconnected the battery after the treatment. Never heard that one, but rebooting is often the first thing I try with any problem. Then she pointed out the soot around my water heater. “Could be bugs in there.” Stink bugs, I thought, but I had not noticed how black it was all around the heater.

I thought about all those things as I went to sleep and when I woke up in the middle of the night.