There was a moment Friday evening when I turned to Tara and said, “Holy shit. I can’t believe we’re on a boat in the middle of Lake Superior.”
This is how my life has been: full of surprises. Experiences I never dreamt I would be having just 10 years ago.
We left home shortly after 8:00 Friday morning, arriving in Bayfield some six and a half hours later. The drive was long and uneventful, except for the moment when we suddenly and unexpectedly found ourselves in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I pride myself on my geography skills, but I legit had no idea Michigan was that close. We had just passed through Hurley, Wisconsin, and needed a gas stop. There was a Kwik Trip two miles down the road at the next exit, so we took that – and passed a “Welcome to Michigan” sign.
Just like that, we were in the U.P., and Tara crossed another state off her list. We were probably more excited than anyone else driving through Ironwood, MI, because it wasn’t much more than strip malls at that end of town.
Minutes later we were back in America’s Dairyland, and we pushed on to Bayfield without ending up in Nebraska or Alabama or any other surprise state.
Our motel was kind of weird. It was a half-refurbished old property under new ownership that didn’t show up on Google Maps. There wasn’t even a sign or any humans on the premises; we were emailed an access code in lieu of a key. And it was also in the midst of a renovation. It was decent enough inside, but the work was a little sloppy. At least the bed was comfortable, and we had a decent view of Lake Superior from the deck.
We had an hour to kill before it was time to board the boat for our Apostle Islands cruise, so in true MarTar fashion, we stopped by a dive bar for a cocktail before proceeding to the dock.
Standing in line before boarding, we debated where to sit. I wanted to hang out up top, out in the open, where most of the other passengers were making a beeline. Tara said it would be much more comfortable below deck. I planned on taking lots of photos and didn’t want a pane of glass obstructing my view. Besides, there’s a certain romanticism to feeling the wind in your hair as you’re chugging along. (Do boats chug, or is that just a train thing? I’m not sure of the exact terminology.) But I reluctantly agreed, and we grabbed a spot next to a window, which thankfully slid open. Midway through the cruise, half the passengers up top had retreated to the cabin to escape the cold, and the rest were probably wishing they had.
I hate that Tara was once again right, but to her credit, she didn’t rub it in.
We booked the Grand Tour, which covers 55 miles over 2.5 hours. Our guide shared lots of interesting facts about the Apostle Islands, recounting the history of the 22 different islands and some of their more colorful inhabitants, as well as the Great Lakes shipping industry. There was plenty to see: dramatic cliffs, brownstone and basswood quarries, an historic fishing camp. The highlight was the sea caves and lighthouse on Devil’s Island.
We were back in port by 7:00. By then we were plenty hungry and thirsty, so we headed back to Morty’s Pub. Ended up parking ourselves at the bar and staying there until after midnight, enjoying drinks and the best fried pickle spears we’ve had since leaving Vancouver. We played some trivia, watched the Brewers game, and chatted up another couple visiting from Minnesota. Good times.
Speaking of Minnesota, that was our destination on Saturday. After grabbing breakfast at Manypenny Bistro in Bayfield, we drove through Superior and Duluth to Highway 61, aka the North Shore Scenic Drive. I have a thing for lighthouses and wanted to check out Split Rock, generally regarded as one of the most picturesque lighthouses in the U.S. It’s easy to see why:
Split Rock is 2.5 hours from Bayfield, and we had a dinner reservation for 6 p.m., so we didn’t have a ton of time to explore Minnesota’s North Shore. But it’s gorgeous up there, and we will definitely be back.
On the way back, we stopped by Spirit Room in Superior’s historic former City Hall for a craft cocktail. My blackberry basil Old Fashioned was superb.
Sadly, we only had time for one, as our restaurant in Washburn was still an hour away and the clock was ticking. Prime rib waits for no man.
We were way too full for dessert, but that’s why they invented to-go containers. I enjoyed a slice of blueberry cheesecake in the room later before we crashed for the night. It had been a very busy day!
Sunday morning, I walked from the motel to downtown, a short 10-minute stroll. Grabbed an iced coffee and wandered around for a bit before heading back. Fog had rolled in overnight, lending the bay a moody and slightly eerie ambience.
After breakfast – we enjoyed Manypenny Bistro so much the first morning, we ate there again the next day – our last stop in town was Hoop’s Fish Market for some smoked salmon and the house specialty, a Lake Superior whitefish spread.
Then it was time to begin the long trek home. I wasn’t particularly relishing another six hours in the car: we spent a lot of time driving over the weekend. But we also got to see and do a lot of fun things – the perfect way to celebrate 12 years of adventure as husband and wife – so it was totally worth it.
Mark My Words 
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