As I type these words, Tara is in Rapid City for a friend’s wedding reception. I would have gone in a heartbeat – neither of us had been back since moving away two years ago, and my own trip was foiled by snow in April – but leaving Laverne and Shirley alone for four days would really be pushing it. And while our neighbor Brian is kind enough to gift us with mushrooms and homemade jam, we aren’t quite on cat-sitting terms with him yet.
Four days might be too much, but one night was do-able, so I planned a quick little getaway of my own to coincide with Tara’s trip. I figured I’d have less time to be jealous if I was off an adventure, too.
So Thursday morning, before the sun even rose, Tara headed west while I went Up North, as they say in Wisconsin. WAY up north: my destination was Superior. When I mentioned this to my coworker, Randy, he said, “You could have stayed in Duluth, you know.” Apparently, he thinks Superior is inferior. And I kinda get that; the one time we drove through town, we weren’t impressed. But it was conveniently located for what I had in mind, and I found a Super 8 that was reasonably priced. I didn’t have a ton of options since this was sort of a last-minute plan.
The drive north was pretty low-key. I was pleasantly surprised by all the fall colors once I reached Tomahawk. The North Woods of Wisconsin are beautiful year-round, but especially when the maples and oaks start changing color. If I had to choose a word to describe my drive, I’d pick bucolic.
After six hours on the road I reached Bayfield, and was more than ready for a break. This quaint town on the shore of Lake Superior is best known as the gateway to the Apostle Islands, and while a cruise and/or kayaking through the sea caves is on my bucket list, that will have to wait for a future visit. I ducked into a bar called the Pickled Herring for a bite to eat and a Bloody Mary. The whitefish sandwich, a Lake Superior specialty, did not disappoint, and the beer-battered fries were fantastic.
Afterward, I strolled around town for about an hour. Bayfield is charming AF!
It was late afternoon and Superior was still an hour away, so I reluctantly bid farewell to Bayfield and continued west, stopping briefly at Meyer’s Beach to dip my feet into the cool waters of Lake Superior. It was a very warm day, in the upper 70s, and the water was refreshing.
After checking into my room – which was about what you’d expect from a Super 8 – I turned around and got back into the car, because clearly I’m a masochist. No, actually, I wanted to check out this upscale cocktail bar called the Spirit Room I’d heard good things about. I’m happy to say it lived up to the hype. The cocktails rotate weekly, so there’s always something different to try.
I chose the lychee lemon mojito, followed by the ginger brandy old fashioned. Both were top-notch, and the prices were pretty reasonable. I struck up a conversation with the bartender and a local next to me who was prepping for their Golden Girls trivia night event. Which explains the photo of Betty White behind the bar. What a fun place! I could have stayed for hours, but I did have to drive.
My next stop was Duluth. Yes, I know, I could have stayed there – it’s just across the bridge from Superior! Two years ago, my friend Ashley had recommended Northern Waters Smokehaus for their sandwiches, which Tara and I tried and absolutely loved. I figured I’d grab one and take it back to the room. I ordered my sandwich to go (the D-Luxxx: smoked pork loin with lettuce, tomato, provolone, mustard, and mayo on a hero roll, so freakin’ good!), but the sun was setting and the evening was so pleasant, I decided to wander around Canal Park in Duluth.
Duluth is pretty cool. Who knew? Tara and I plan to take a weekend trip there one of these days.
If that had been the extent of my getaway, it would have been a very fulfilling one. BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! I still had one more stop to make on Friday morning before beginning the long trek home: a hike through Pattison State Park, which boasts Wisconsin’s tallest waterfall. Tara and I had visited two years ago, and I wanted to come back closer to the peak fall foliage, not realizing this was the same weekend we visited in 2022, ha. Not that it mattered; I was the first one at the park, a few minutes after 8 a.m., and spent 2.5 hours hiking and enjoying the scenery.
(Note to future self: next time, visit on or around Oct. 10. The fall colors should really be poppin’ then.)
I was on the road by 10:30 and back home a little after 4:00. All in all, I had a great time and crammed a lot into a less-than-36-hour trip!
Irony of ironies, Tara is actually jealous of my getaway. Apparently, Rapid City has “lost its charm.” I’ll give you the scoop on that after Tara gets back. She’s got a long 12-hour drive across three states tomorrow; can’t say I envy her one bit.
Mark My Words 
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