Great Escapes 2008: Madeline Island

Tucked in the northwestern corner of Wisconsin, on Lake Superior, Madeline Island is a mere three miles from Bayfield’s shore. But when I board the ferry each year, that distance feels like quite a bit more. Barreling ahead to the town of LaPointe, outpost of voyageurs, trappers, traders, missionaries, and revelers, this yearly crossing is my straight shot to summer and the sun-drenched, waterlogged days ahead.

There’s plenty to do here–kayak, sail, boat, fish, bike, hike, run, birding, play golf and tennis, cruise to other Apostle Island shores, visit the museum, take an art class, hear a lecture or concert, and, if that’s not enough (or too much), hit one of the four bars. The real reason folks come here, however, is to do nothing: wake to the lap, lap of waves on the dock, halyards clanging on boats offshore; soak in the sunsets and count shooting stars.

Madeline Island, fourteen miles long and three miles wide, is the largest of the twenty-two islands in the Apostle chain (the early explorers counted but twelve). Known to the Ojibway as Moningwunakauning, “home of the golden-breasted woodpecker,” it was named for Chief White Crane’s daughter who took the Christian name, Madeline, when she married Michel Cadotte, a fur trader, at the turn of the eighteenth century.

Madeline’s frontier spirit thrives to this day. The island is a good four-hour drive from the Twin Cities, accessible only by ferry, boat, or plane. Don’t expect resort-type services or amenities here. The island’s two-street town of LaPointe is a pastiche of old fort charm and clapboard buildings (nineteenth-century), some restored, others quite worn. The Chamber of Commerce and Madeline Island Ferry Line is a great source of information, maps, and brochures, but then you’re on your own. Those who know her well are possessive of Madeline’s charms. My twenty-year-old son’s advice for this piece was “just don’t make it sound too good, plenty of people come already.”

Madeline’s population swings from about 250 permanent residents to 3,000 summer folk, but rarely does the place feel crowded. There’s always plenty of room on the beach for playing ball and building castles in the sand. The ferry runs regularly, and if one is full with cars and passengers, there will soon be another.

Madeline is an outpost of untouched beauty. Watch an eagle turn on the radius of a wing, kayak through sea caves, hike the cliffs, climb a lighthouse tower’s winding stairs, sail the tall waters and then watch a storm roll over the lake—ten-foot waves crashing on shore. Be warned: If you come, Madeline may stake her claim on you.

GETTING THERE It’s about 220 miles from the Twin Cities to Bayfield (about four hours), then a twenty-minute ferry ride. The Madeline Island Ferry shuttles cars, campers, bikes, and pedestrians regularly: No reservations are required; buy your ticket at the dock. Ferries run about every half-hour through the season, with prices around $25 one way for a car, plus $5 per person (no break on roundtrips). There is no public transportation on the island, though you can rent bikes and mopeds in town. 100 Main St., 715-747-2051. Peak season is July and August, though the fall colors can be glorious. The Bayfield Applefest (with attendant celebrations on the island), October 3–5, is a big draw. LEARN MORE The Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce has a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate website with more detailed information about places to stay, things to do, and scheduled activities.

Kayak tours on Madeline Island

ON THE WATER
Any sailor worth his or her salt has high regard for the lake and its violent moods. The most knowledgeable outfitter in the area is Living Adventure, just outside of Red Cliff, en route to Bayfield on Highway 13. It offers a variety of kayak tours through the Apostles with half-day, full-day, and longer excursions to sand caves, shipwrecks, and the outer islands, and customized trips may be arranged. Near LaPointe, Apostle Island Kayaks rents boats by the half-day and longer.

The sailing here is world-class. You’ll see boats from all over the country and some from across the pond docked at the marina. Sailboat charters with a captain or bare boat options can be found in Bayfield and Port Superior as well as on Madeline—plus moonlight cruises, half-day journeys to other shores, or a week cruising the Apostles.

Boat cruises leaving from Bayfield circle the Islands with narrated tours and stops at lighthouses, shipwrecks, beaches, and cranberry bogs, some half-day, some full-day, all worth exploring. It’s a quick, easy way to get the lay of the sea.

ON BEACH & LAND
Big Bay Beach, spanning Big Bay Town Park and Big Bay State Park, is a crescent of soft white sand with verdant dunes, fringed by fir forest. Capped by sandstone cliffs on either end, it’s perfect for beach sports, picnics, and long, solitary walks. Town Park, seven miles from town, is free; the state park charges an hourly or day fee. Both have camping facilities.

Closer to town, Joni’s Beach, less than a mile from the ferry, is smaller and busier; here kayakers set in and boats anchor near shore. Two miles farther out, past the marina, is Grant’s Point, with a small public beach facing Long Island, which is connected to Ashland, Wisconsin, by an isthmus visible when the water is low. A large sandbar, within swimming distance, hosts owls and eagles.

A hike along the cliffs of Big Bay State Park offers spectacular views of the other islands across the lake. Head back through Town Park–along the lagoon–home to birds, turtles, lily pads, and wildflowers. The Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve’s hikes and lectures address bird migration, wild flowers, the bogs, and edible and medicinal plants.

The Robert Trent Jones–designed Madeline Island Golf Club course is open to the public for a fee. Public tennis courts, right downtown, are almost always available.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The arts and humanities are alive and well. Madeline Island Music Camp presents chamber music concerts early in the season. The new Madeline Island School of the Arts, located in a big red barn outside of town, offers classes in photography, watercolor, and fiber arts. The LaPointe Center Art Guild and Gallery shows local artists with special openings.

Beyond its well-stocked stacks, the Madeline Island Public Library hosts lectures, films, discussions, talent shows, children’s story hour, and community gigs. Social, political, and spiritual matters are addressed by speakers at St. John’s Church.

The best entertainment, though, is just outside Bayfield. Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua is the huge blue tent at the base of Mount Ashwabay ski area. This year’s headliners include Willie Nelson and Greg Brown; throughout the summer, Big Top’s Lost Nation String Band presents variety shows based on area history (Keeper of the Light; Riding the Wind). To get to the tent, catch the shuttle bus from the ferry.

In town, Tom’s Burned Down Café, to some an eyesore, to others, a landmark–its roof razed by an arson fire a decade back–hosts bands under its canvas top. Political slogans and tie-dye-era poetry bedeck the walls. Still, “something is happening here.”

HISTORY
Start with the Madeline Island Museum–housed in the only remaining American Fur Company building–which includes an old barn, village jail, and sailor’s home. It’s loaded with artifacts of native Ojibway, voyageurs, trappers, fur traders, missionaries, lighthouse keepers, and summer folk.

Lakeview School (circa 1905), just up the road, is an interpretive site near the library (1872). The Indian Burial Ground, past the marina, is easy to miss. Some 2,000 to 4,000 Ojibway lived here before the voyageurs arrived in the 1600s and their story of ravage and displacement is recounted in the museum.

Enjoy the island’s scenic trails

Take the self-guided walking tour, available right at the ferry office, or the Madeline Island Bus Tour, a two-hour narrated ride round the island’s beautiful beaches, sandstone formations, scenic trails, and historic landmarks. Tour guides are conversant in history and ecology, the nature of the lake, ghost stories, shipwreck tales, and terrific gossip about island characters, dead and alive.

FOOD & DRINK
Lotta’s is an island bistro serving nice wines and local fare–whitefish, walleye, game, vegetables, and berries in season. White-tablecloth casual, big-city prices, reservations are suggested in high season. The Pub draws yachtsmen and sailors who tie up to the marina next door–the steak and martini set. The Beach Club, right off the ferry dock, has the best views and the best fried whitefish sandwiches around. Just across the street, Grandpa Tony’s offers pizza, subs, and ice cream. Behind that, The Bell Street Tavern, a cavernous dining space and busy bar with pretty good food (fish and steaks), is the most reasonable in town. Its real draw is the bar with TVs that get all sporting events, from German soccer matches to NCAA lacrosse. Buy a beer, and you can watch them here. Mission Hill Coffee House serves lattes, breakfast treats, and sandwiches and soups, plus gourmet gifts and wine are sold at its shop next door.

Provisions are pricey, and those staying a week or more stock up on the mainland. Seeking local organic vegetables? Check out the farmers’ market, right behind Maggies, on Saturdays or North Wind Organic Farm, both in Bayfield. Last year, an organic farmer set up a stand near the ferry on Thursday mornings (most of the time). Bets are he’ll return again this year. At either of the two groceries in town–Island Store and Lori’s Store–you can find most staples: alcoholic beverages, picnic supplies, breakfast fare, and the rest, as well as smoked meat and fish. Island carries fresh meat (cut to order) and deli fare, plus house-cooked barbecue ribs and rotisserie chicken. Heads up: If you want The New York Times, place an order here a week ahead.

LODGING
At Big Bay Town Park, camping is available on a first-come first-served basis with pit toilets, but no running water. At Big Bay State Park (reservations are recommended), you’ll find electric sites, shower facilities, and interpretative programs.

Cottages, condos, inns, and hotels provide lodging throughout the island. All are posted on the Chamber of Commerce website. Know that prices vary and many accommodations are private homes–some lovely, others dodgy. Before you book, be sure to talk to the owner or agent and ask to see photos of interiors (shots solely of sunsets and sailboats are a dead giveaway). The price goes up with proximity to the lake and town. Also, be clear as to how far from the ferry you’re willing to go. The north end is remote (a good fifteen miles out)–for some too far away, for others just right. The Inn on Madeline Island, adjacent to the marina, has the most inventory (cottages, condominiums, hotel rooms) and is perhaps the best place to start. Brittany Cottages, up the road, is a waterfront estate with five cottages, beach access, and a main lodge.

RESOURCES Food & Drink Bayfield Farmers’ Market The Beach Club, 715-747-3955 The Bell Street Tavern, 715-747-2700 Grandpa Tony’s, Main St., 715-747-3911 Lori’s Store, 284 Middle Rd., 715-747-5200 Lotta’s Lakeside Café, 715-747-2033 Island Store, 804 Main St., 715-747-6635 Mission Hill Coffee House, 105 Lakeview Pl. North Wind Organic Farm, 715-779-3254 The Pub Restaurant and Wine Bar, 715-747-6322 Arts & Venues Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, 888-244-8368 La Pointe Center Art Guild and Gallery, Lakeview Pl., 715-747-3321 Madeline Island Museum, 715-747-2415 Madeline Island Music Camp, 715-747-6045 Madeline Island Public Library, 715-747-3662 Madeline Island School of the Arts, 715-747-2054 Tom’s Burned Down Café, 715-747-6100 Recreation Apostle Islands Cruise Service, 800-323-7619 Apostle Island Kayaks, 715-747-3636 Apostle Island Yacht Charters, 800-821-3480 Bog Lake Outfitters, 715-747-2685 Living Adventure, 866-779-9503 Madeline Island Bus Tours, 100 Main St., 715-747-2051 Madeline Island Golf Club, 498 Old Fort Rd., 715-747-3212 Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve Motion to Go, 715-747-6585 Lodging Big Bay State Park, 715-747-6425 Big Bay Town Park, 715-747-2801 Brittany Cottages, 715-747-5023 The Inn on Madeline Island, 800-822-6315 Madeline Island Vacations, 888-747-2388