A circle navigation of Wisconsin in 10 days. We broke it down to 4 planned stops along the way. Did not go exactly as planned, but that is part of the adventure. And what an adventure it was!
First stop- Door County
We stayed at a very nice camp ground with all the amenities. A glamper paradise up near Rowley's Bay wich is on the east side of the peninsula. We took a ferry to Washington Island for the day. Here we made the mistake of not calling ahead for bike or scooter rental. A little frustrating, but lunch and a beer while you wait for bikes to return helped. Plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, and beaches to explore. A nice day trip. If you are like us and appreciate a sunset over the water and a good meal. Make the short trip to Ellison Bay on the west side. Well worth the 20 minute drive.
Unscheduled pitstop.
A potty pit stop on a side road lead us to our next destination. An older man had wandered across our path and asked if we needed help. So we asked about a good place to camp for the night. He told us we needed to go to his favorite spot to camp from his child hood. Tamarack springs. This is when we lost cell phone and wi/fi coverage. Time to break out the road atlas. I would also advise investing in a Northern Wisconsin atlas and field guide. A lot more details than your regular atlas. Down several dirt roads and into the wilderness we go. We found the camp ground and set up camp up on top of a hill in time to see the sunset over a forest of evergreens and a stream running through. I am not much for fishing, but he had told us this was a good spot to trout fishing. Glad we made camp here, the sunset was amazing.
Porcupine State Park
On our way to Porcupine Mt. we see a sign for Bond Falls and decide to stop. Well worth the extra stop. One of the more beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen. After a short hike up the falls we get back on the road and make it to Porcupine Mt. We did not spend as much time here as we had hoped. After several wrong turns and much frustration, we decide to make camp for the night on a national forest road. Drove down an 8 mile dirt road that came to a dead end. When we got out of the truck to set up camp we see a fresh bear print in the mud the size of my hand. A little scary. Very exciting. We became little kids looking out the windows of the camper in hopes of seeing that bear. We never did, but we had fun looking. The next morning after a surprisingly restful sleep, we hit the road again.
Ashland WI.
A good size town on the shores of Lake Superior. We fiend a Walmart and resupply. We manage to get the last spot at the camp ground on the lake that evening and decide to walk in to town . See the shops and have a good dinner. We were wrong. It is August 2020 and coved has made this town very sad. Stores are closed, Restaurants closed, and no one in the streets. Very sad. Next morning we move on.
Bayfield/Apostle Island
Got lucky and found a camp sight overlooking Lake Superior. This town reminds me a lot of Door county. A cute little down town with coffee shop, book store, little boutique, and good food. The Fruit Loop.- A driving excursion to the many orchards and wineries surrounding the area.This place was alive and happening. We stayed a couple days . A lot to see and do.
Apostle Islands/Madeline Island.
We had learned our lesson from our last island excursion. We left the camper at the camp ground and drove onto the ferry, much better. This was a cool little island. We went hiking and took in the sites. Had a beer at Toms Burned Down Cafe & talked to some locals. What do you do when your bar burns down? Well, Tom puts up a circus tent and calls it a cafe. What a unique place. An island of hippies and millionaires, or so we were told. Between Bayfield and all the islands to explore we could have stayed much longer. We will be back. Unfortunately we were running out of time and need to be heading back south.
Chippewa Falls- Last stop.
Home of Leinenkugels brewing. A fun stop. Drink some good beer and back to Illinois we go. We are out of time. So much more to see. So much we missed. till next time Wisconsin. Feel free to let us know of other locations we need to stop and see on our next trip.