This winter, as we sat home in the midst of another snow storm, Michael and I dreamed up our third-anniversary vacation. After spending our first all the way in Jamaica (so much fun) and our second just over in Madison, we decided we’d stay closer to home but visit somewhere entirely new to us. Within an hour we booked a stay in Bayfield, Wisconsin.
Neither of us had ever been to Bayfield or anywhere near it. In fact, neither of us could remember visiting Lake Superior before, so as Great Lakes-loving folks, it seemed like a good fit. Plus, from what the Travel Wisconsin website showed us, it seemed very much like a Door County Junior with all its lighthouses and shoreline and quaint little town atmosphere.
What we found instead was, yes, lighthouses, shoreline and small-town vibes, but we found so much more there! And we absolutely loved it.
I’ll get into all the charming local haunts in another post, but I wanted to dive in right away with how downright beautiful Bayfield and the Apostle Islands are. As we cruised down the hill into the town, we saw Lake Superior and Michael and I were truly in awe. Living in and growing up near Milwaukee, we are both very familiar with Lake Michigan and how it can definitely feel closer to a sea than a lake. But, honestly, from the second we got up to the shore, there was a major difference in how different Lake Superior felt. It’s massive and dark, and while the waters are churning, there’s definitely a sense of stillness around the lake. My friend told me prior to this trip that when he visited Bayfield, he felt like something was watching him. I didn’t get those vibes precisely, but there’s definitely something unique about the atmosphere.
To fully take it all in, Michael and I snatched the last two tickets on a boat tour of the islands. It’s the only way you can see them, so we felt like this was pretty essential. You can’t go to the Apostle Islands and then not see the islands, right? This tour was incredibly fascinating to me. We got to see almost every island (there are 22 in total) and their unique landscapes – I’m talking cliffs, caves and impossibly tall pines – all the stuff I love. Being on the water was also really soul soothing. Nature-wise, I give this tour 10/10.
But, I’ll be honest, what I loved the most were the lighthouses. I’ve been interested in lighthouses since I was young so indulging in a lifelong curiosity was pretty fun. We got to see the Raspberry Island and Devils Island Lights from the boat, and I really really loved it. And I loved how Michael shares my enthusiasm for them (we’re thinking about visiting again for a special tour where you get to go inside!).
After the tour, our interest in the islands was really piqued. Right after we disembarked, we turned around and got on the ferry to Madeline Island, the biggest of the Apostle Islands (and the only one with any inhabitants). We poked around in La Pointe, the village on the island, for a little bit before we made our way over to Big Bay State Park for some hiking.
This felt a lot like Cave Point County Park (for you Door County folks), but ten times bigger and a hundred times more serene. Michael and I spent a lot of time just listening to the waves and the loons. It was a good place to meditate or at least have a few moments of introspection. But it wasn’t the only state park we were visiting on this trip.
Since we don’t make it all the north that often (or ever), Michael suggested that we take a drive to Superior and Duluth the following day. On our way there, we stopped at Amnicon Falls State Park for a hike (it’s not far outside Superior). This was a really nice way to start out our anniversary day. The second you get out of the car, you can hear the falls, and we just stood there watching for a while before moving on. It turns out that there are a lot of little falls throughout the park, so it was a lot of fun to follow the river and see them all (or at least a lot of them).
Also on this little jog, I got to see two more lighthouses – Wisconsin Point (in Superior) and Duluth Harbor North Breakwater Lights. That’s four lighthouses in one trip. Pretty darn good.
Taking in all these breathtaking views and monuments were really grounding, even though we spent much of this trip on the go. I can’t recommend Bayfield and the Apostle Islands enough!
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P.S. I’ll be back soon with some recommendations of where to eat, stay and shop!
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