The next morning brought yet another ridiculously early morning departure. We left the boat at the campground and made our way up to Bayfield to catch the morning ferry to Madeline Island. We wanted to ebike the island three weeks ago when we were up here, but the weather was a bit unpredictable. This time we were right in the middle of a bubble of high pressure that promised sun and warmth for the whole week - perfect for exploring Madeline Island.
The ferry between Bayfield and La Point, the only town on the island, took 20 minutes. It cost $16 per person and $7.50 per bike. (A car would have cost $27). La Point is a fun, funky little town, with a marina, some bike and scooter rentals, a couple of restaurants, art galleries, a crazy place jammed full of junk art, and our favorite, a food truck. We split a delicious gyro from the truck.
Madeline Island has a good 30 miles of paved roads. Our asses were still sore from our motorbike ride so we limited our ride to 18 miles. We made up for that paltry bike ride by hiking 8.62 miles, according to our GPS app. We ebiked to Big Bay State Park, featuring a terrific half-moon sand beach, rock cliffs, sand dunes, a big lagoon, and miles of boardwalk trails.
The day’s efforts left us with sores, asses, legs, and backs, but thoroughly happy. Back at Bayfield, a delightfully talented Celtic band was performing in an open-sided gazebo, practically on the Lake Superior shore. The moanful Irish ballades were perfect for putting the evening to rest. We drove back to the campground and immediately crashed.
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