Apostle Islands Cruise

I've been asked several times just how I came up with this idea of taking this trip with as  many people as I/we could persuade to come along. (It wound up being 6 of us.) By the time those questions arose, there had been so many plans for so many destinations already that I totally spaced just how it had come about, other than finding it on the internet. Yesterday, finally, my brain clicked. It was the reminder that the Apostle Islands are a part of the National Park network.

Oh yeah. Back when I was researching everything related to spring/summer travel, we had made it a goal to hit as many national parks as feasible along the way. Somewhere I read a totally ridiculous number - I thought - about how many national parks we have. Well, perhaps they just slightly misspoke, or whatever the concept is when it is the written word.  The link contained in that tidbit listed not just parks but monuments, historically important sites, even nationally protected waterways, like the St. Croix River I've lived near to and enjoyed since about 1981. As expanded as that list was, the enormous number was correct. Parks system. Not just parks.

Among the listed locations, one that popped out was the Apostle Islands. I'd heard about them, particularly when my daughter related walking into some of the caves when Lake Superior was frozen enough to make that a safe activity. Ice? No, not for me. Big boat? You bet. I'd also stayed on Madeline Island 20-some years ago while taking the Lake Superior Circle Tour. It hadn't occurred to me it was one of those islands, and technically it isn't in the park system. The reason, our tour guide informed us yesterday, was that it was pretty well inhabited by the time the islands were bought up by the parks system, and Madeline would have been way too expensive to buy out. Let it stay private.

Steve's fishing buddy and his wife decided to join us, as well as my daughter and her husband. We four retirees traveled together, and many of the trip decisions were theirs. Like motel choice. Neither Steve nor I had ever stayed anywhere quite so pricey, but didn't quibble, knocking it off to using our covid stimulus funds and helping stimulate the tourism economy, (There is still some left in the budget even now, and we're looking at a possible fall trip, but that's a whole other thing.) My budget has never included a dinner menu that didn't put prices on it, but the weather was thunderstorms and we all were too tired to look further than the hotel after the drive up. I may not even have winced outwardly at the final bill, and other than the onion rings - not that crispy and lacking salt - the meal was delicious.

The hotel itself provided us with a room overlooking the bay in Ashland, WI, along with a marina, a well-utilized opportunity for my camera. It happens to be another one of those hotels that somehow insist that beds be too tall to just sit on, but require you to barely perch on the edge and wiggle your way in far enough that you don't fall out immediately. Is that some kind of a fad these days? Some famous interior designer's fancy bondoggle to appeal to the high status set? Not a fan.

I hope our companions liked their bed better, especially since, even having chosen the place, they got stuck with a view of the parking lot instead of the bay. Once the weather cleared, however, there was an abundance of decking and walkways from which to view it at leisure. Peggy, youngest and spryest of the bunch,  even treated herself to a late walking tour of the murals on many of the downtown buildings, pointing some out to us on our way out of town the next morning.

Don't get me started on the five pillows they provided. First, each was about the size of 2/3 of a regular pillow, more square than rectangular. Each was too soft to offer more than 47 seconds of support to your head, but too fat and unwieldy to stack for more comfortable use. In short, the primary use of a hotel, providing comfortable sleep to the weary traveler, was it's one big lack. I noted that they felt like they were filled with chunks of foam, and wondered if they were the ones from My Pillow Guy that so many people complain about. It wasn't worth checking.

Steve liked the 12' ceilings. I liked the tall windows, private enough that we never drew the drapes but had the view the whole stay. Lights at the marina docks after dark gave it a whole other feel. There was a comfy stuffed chair in front of one window. There was also an office chair in front of the desk, but the desk was low and the chair lower. Lucky I've had plenty of practice since my knee replacements at getting up from low places. I needed it.

On the plus side, the continental breakfast the next morning provided everything each of the four of us at our table could have asked, and we all had different preferences. It seems that I somehow was chosen to be the one to locate where they put the salt and pepper packets, cocoa mix, salsa cups, and those other wonderful little things that make the food taste like it should. No problem.

We were out early, traveling north to Bayfield where our cruise started. With a few extra minutes, Steve and I hit the gift shop next door to the ticket office. He got his Apostle Islands cap, and I got my Apostle Islands mug. (And a book.) After checking in at the office and told where on the dock to get our boat, we started looking for my daughter. They'd traveled independently, staying in Bayfield for two nights. Luckily I spotted them waving at us from a gazebo across the street from the ticket office, and settled on the benches inside while we waited to all come together. There is no long term parking at the dock, so again, our spryest member moved the car and hiked back.

The lineup at the dock was huge. The company currently had two tour boats, the first of which was pretty filled by the bus of seniors which disgorged them while we were working through accumulating our group members. By the time we got to the line, 3/4 of our boat's customers were waiting ahead of us. I simply asked the man checking whether we were waiting on the right boat what we needed to do when one of us simple had to sit down rather than stand in line for however long. (Steve of course.) He simply pointed us to the head of the line for priority boarding, A couple of other people were sitting there in (company provided) wheelchairs already, and we were indeed boarded almost immediately. Of course, not before I managed to take a few shots around the marina. The one of the bow of our boat showed very clearly its double hulls. Somehow I always pictured a catamaran as the size of large canoe or small sailboat with something buoyant connected alongside, not the double-decker 150 person capacity boat we were boarding.

I had planned to sit up top, and arranged to meet our party there other than Steve's fishing buddy who also wouldn't be climbing the stairs. I wanted a view without shooting through dirty windows. But we found two things as we boarded with total choice of seating on the lower deck. First, most of the windows were opened on their front half allowing glass-free shooting, and second, there was an aisle with extra space ahead of its seats so we could easily get in and out to move around without disturbing everybody else in the row. We sat there. At least when we were sitting. 

Steph and Ben were topside, full up when they got there except for center seats immediately behind the captain's cabin, with little view for shooting. Since the sky was pretty white from all the Canadian fire smoke, Ben resigned himself to not bothering too much anyway. He wouldn't get the pictures he wanted. Perhaps anther time. Being low, with mostly open windows to shoot through, even if I had to go full zoom to get what was offered through the openings, I wasn't getting much sky in my shots anyway. Not likely to be back, I took advantage of what was. (Steve teased be afterward that I must have taken 500 shots. Nope, just something under 300, before culling. Those other 200 were already on the SD card. I always figure shoot a lot, find a few you love if you're lucky. Ain't digital great?) Steve shot from his window seat and chatted with his buddy. We wives wandered around, depending on what offered itself to view from which side and who was or wasn't crowded there trying to do the same thing, occasionally returning to our row. And it was our row. While the top deck was packed, fewer folks sat below, so we had the row to ourselves.

Our cruise was accompanied by an information monologue, packed with tidbits and stories. Mostly I listened for what was coming up, assessing how likely I was to want to relocate ahead of time. I had asked the fellow tending the beverage counter whether all the pictures were going to be on the port side of the boat, as we were sitting starboard. He reassured me that for the "interesting" parts, they would swing the boat around so there would be a good view out both sides. Reassured for Steve, planted as he was, I continued to roam after I got back to the seat to pass on the information.

So what were the best parts? Well, the company of course, and the comfort of the boat itself. I shot the rocks along the island shores, seabirds perched on a warning "island" declaring shallow water depth, a couple of lighthouses and their accompanying buildings as we passed. We passed groups of kayakers as our guide noted they require lots of rescue calls on this lake, several tall masted sailboats, some anchored, some underway, even a few cabin cruisers. We had eagles pointed out to us, both parents sitting away from the nest and two eaglets still on it, all visible from the boat. Still, my favorite of all was Devil's Island, full of caves carved out by centuries of wave action against the rocks. While I haven't taken an exact count, I know my shutter finger was working steadily the whole time we passed, before and after swinging around for both sides to view them. I'd made sure to pop in a fresh battery once I knew Devil's Island was next.

Back at the dock, first boarded became last off, as we decided we could wait rather than fight the crowd. A spare wheel chair was left, and I asked if it was reserved for anybody in particular. Hearing it was available, I garnered Steve a ride back up the long ramp to the company office, along with a pusher.

Once again we needed to collect everybody and decide on where to have lunch. Steph recommended the building across the street from the gazebo as well as, from the other direction, from the cruise company. They have a long outer deck with large umbrellas and tables which can each seat six. Our waiting time was half an hour, since we were at the tail end of the cruise customers. The weather was pleasant, the gazebo comfortable enough, and the timing perfect to gather our group together again.

The menu was quite varied. Our cruise guide had refused to offer recommendations regarding places, but commented on possible menu choices we might like. Whitefish was the most available, with some lake trout as well. The most unique we might find was whitefish livers. After he endorsed them, and they appeared on our menus, Ben actually ordered some for an appetizer, hoping we might try them with him. Steve gamely had one, said it was OK. We all noted he didn't ask for a second one however. I found an intriguing appetizer, fitting my appetite, still satisfied hours later from breakfast: a naan pizza. Don't mistake it for anything Italian in flavor. It resembles pizza only in that the naan is cut into 4 wedges with various items piled on top. I wanted my menu back again so I could remember all the toppings, but alas. Anyway, there was smoked trout, a rich dark sauce - did that say maple? - caramelized onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, and generous blue cheese. Possibly more. Something lightly balsamic? I was in love after the first bite, and highly recommend it for anybody to try. 

The restaurant name? Well, it's the large red and grey building on the corner across from the gazebo on one side and Apostle Island Cruises on the other, all at the head of the dock. It's almost worth driving back up there to order some to go so I can get their name. As well as the get-more-to-go part. Heck, it's only 4 hours. Each way. Yummmmmmmmmm....