A great article from Explore Minnesota: 5 Ways to Do Duluth.
Duluth, MN has been a travel destination city for years. There’s so much to see and do in this Lake Superior port city. Something for the family, foodies, history buffs, and plenty of activities indoors and outdoors.
Duluth MN tall ships
Duluth is within an hours drive from many NW Wisconsin communities and the south shore of Lake Superior.
This new listing near Bayfield, Wisconsin is located on the highest point in Bayfield County. It’s also just a couple miles inland from Bayfield. Even on a hazy summer afternoon, you can see the Apostle Islands from your bedroom window. On a clear day, you can see forever—or at least to the outermost of the Apostle Islands, which happens to be named Outer Island. As the gull flies, that’s about 35 miles.
The home itself is as spectacular as the view. It’s a low-maintenance, high-efficiency, super-insulated, 3,447 sq ft retreat that’s built to last and designed for living. This home is surrounded by pines and oaks—and by lupines and other wildflowers. It’s also surrounded by deer and other wildlife. Fortunately, the huge garden—complete with raised beds, garden shed, and walkways—is completely surrounded by its very own deer-proof fence.
The home is secluded, private, and quiet—despite being just five minutes from the dining, entertainment, galleries, and other amenities of downtown Bayfield. To learn more about this exciting new listing, click here: 34785 Fire Tower Rd, Bayfield, WI.. Or, for a quick video tour, click below.
Searching for homes and cabins anywhere in NW Wisconsin is even easier and more fun with the new Property Search app. Click the link below and get started today.
Download free NW Wisconsin property search app for iPhone, iPad, Android.
With an address like Fire Tower Road, you can tell the views are probably going to be spectacular. After all, that’s where the fire tower used to be. Here’s the story… When it gets dry around here, much of our aerial surveillance is now done from small planes. Only a few of the original fire towers are still in use; most have been gone for decades. The only trace that remains is the name of the roads that led to them. Every county has at least three or four “fire tower roads,” and they all lead to the highest ground around.
Homes that have been built anywhere near the sites of these old fire towers are likely to have some of the most spectacular views you’ll find anywhere. Take, for example, this spectacular home that’s built on the highest 20 acres in Bayfield County. And since it’s just a couple miles inland from Bayfield, Wisconsin, it offers an incredible view of the surrounding countryside, Lake Superior, and the mostly-uninhabited Apostle Islands. On a clear day you can see for over 30 miles—all the way to Outer Island.
This time of the year the view from here is mostly blue sky, sky-blue waters, and unbroken forest. You’ll see one or two farm fields, plus the occasional sailbout threading its way through the Apostles. That’s about it. And I can’t wait to see the fall colors from here.
The home itself is as spectacular as the view. It’s a low-maintenance, high-efficiency, super-insulated, 3,447 sq ft retreat that’s built to last and designed for living. The lupines are still blooming, and this home is surrounded by them. It’s also surrounded by deer and other wildlife. Fortunately, the huge garden—complete with raised beds, garden shed, and walkways—is completely surrounded by its very own deer-proof fence.
The home is secluded, private, and quiet—despite being just five minutes from the dining, entertainment, galleries, and other amenities of downtown Bayfield.
To learn more about this exciting new listing, click here: 34785 Fire Tower Rd, Bayfield, WI. Or, for a quick video tour, click below.
Searching for homes and cabins anywhere in NW Wisconsin is even easier and more fun with the new Property Search app. Click the link below and get started today.
Download free NW Wisconsin property search app for iPhone, iPad, Android.
Sorry, but it’s not bragging if it’s true. I’ve just listed this spectacular home that’s built on the highest 20 acres in Bayfield County. And since it’s only a couple miles inland from Bayfield, Wisconsin, it has a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside, Lake Superior, and the mostly-uninhabited Apostle Islands. This time of the year you’ll see blue sky, sky-blue waters, and unbroken forest. You’ll see one or two farm fields, plus the occasional sailbout threading its way through the Apostles. That’s about it. On a clear day you can see for over 30 miles—all the way to Outer Island.
The home itself is as spectacular as the view. It’s a low-maintenance, high-efficiency, super-insulated, 3447 sq ft retreat that’s built to last and designed for living. The lupines are still blooming, and this home is surrounded by them. It’s also surrounded by deer and other wildlife. Fortunately, the huge garden—complete with raised beds, garden shed, and walkways—is completely surrounded by its very own deer-proof fence.
The home is secluded, private, and quiet—despite being just five minutes from the dining, entertainment, galleries, and other amenities of downtown Bayfield. To learn more about this exciting new listing, click here. Or, for a quick video tour, click below.
More details: 34785 Fire Tower Rd, Bayfield, WI.
Searching for homes and cabins anywhere in NW Wisconsin is even easier and more fun with the new Property Search app. Click the link below and get started today.
Download free NW Wisconsin property search app for iPhone, iPad, Android.
While visiting one of my listings on Lake Superior’s Madeline Island last summer, I noticed a type of dock that’s different from anything in my neighborhood. We’re on a smaller inland lake where most people use either floating docks or pipe docks.
So they won’t be destroyed by ice, inland lake docks are usually removed every winter and then put back out in the spring. Some are on wheels so they can be rolled in and out of the lake in just a few minutes. In contrast, many of the docks on Lake Superior are massive, permanent crib docks filled with granite boulders. They’re not going anywhere.
In his book The Dock Manual, Max Burns describes four types of docks: pipe, floating, permanent, and specialty (cantilever and specialty). (If you’re thinking of purchasing, building, or repairing a dock, I highly recommend this book from Story Press; it’s pretty much the definitive guide.)
Which type of dock is right for you? It depends on the lake, the shoreline terrain, the depth of water, the current, and how much the water level fluctuates. Here’s the short version: for shallow water, a firm lakebed, and water levels that don’t fluctuate much, a pipe dock is usually the best choice. For deeper water and fluctuating water levels, go with a floating dock.
If you’re on on, say, Lake Superior, you’ll be dealing with a firm lakebed, constant water levels, and big waves from which you’d like to shelter your boat. That makes a crib dock the best choice. You’ll want to orient it so it provides maximum protection from waves being created by the prevailing winds.
For more details on choosing and building the dock that’s right for you, check out The Dock Manual.
If you are planning to buy a lake home or cabin this year, check out my current lakeshore listings in NW Wisconsin at www.JeanHedren.com.
Bayfield and Madeline Island might be a fun destination for your next vacation—or even just a weekend getaway.
Located in Lake Superior just off Wisconsin’s North Coast, Madeline Island is a popular tourist destination. The largest of the 22 Apostle Islands, it’s 14 miles long and 3 miles wide. It’s the only one of the islands with commercial development or permanent habitations.
You’ll be on the island’s rugged northern shore, a quiet, secluded part of the island that’s rarely seen by tourists. Most visitors tend to spend their time in the area in and around La Pointe. Other popular attractions are Big Bay State Park and Big Bay Town Park. Both are on the south side if the island; they share the same 1 ¼ mile sandy beach, and offer camping, swimming, hiking, and paddling.
On the island, you’ll find a wide range of entertainment and dining options. Other attractions include shopping and galleries, walking tours, boat tours and fishing charters, hiking trails, a historical museum, an equestrian facility, and canoe, kayak, bike, or moped rentals.
Over on the mainland, Bayfield is home to dozens more galleries, shops, and restaurants. You’ll also want to check out the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua and the Isle Vista Casino. The Bayfield area is home to over a dozen orchards and berry farms; come October, you’ll want to get in on the Bayfield Apple Festival.
To learn more about Madeline Island, you can visit the Chamber of Commerce website at www.madelineisland.com. From there, you’ll find links to the Madeline Island Ferry Line, the Apostle Islands National Seashore, local restaurants and galleries, and various other attractions. To learn more about Bayfield, visit www.bayfield.org.
When it comes to large, deep, and cold lakes, nothing can quite compare with Lake Superior. Around here, we sometimes just call it “the big lake.” As in… “Yesterday we took a charter boat out on the big lake. Today I think I’ll just cast a few times from the end of our dock.”
The Lake Superior experience isn’t for everyone. Most people who live on the big lake tend to admire the scenery more than they actually get out on the water. To spend much time out on the lake you’ll need to either be a serious sea kayaker, or else have a large boat and a convenient spot to moor it.
Because there’s such a limited number of homes or building sites on Superior, prices can be a little higher. The good news, however, many homes have been priced to reflect the current market conditions. That means there are exceptional bargains on homes in all price ranges.
If you’re planning a weekend getaway, you’ll be driving a bit farther from the Twin Cities or Chicago. If you have your own plane, of course, then that’s less of a problem. You’ll find convenient airports in Ashland, Madeline Island, and elsewhere; see airnav.com for details.
And speaking of Madeline Island… If you’re willing to contend with the distance, the ferries, and some slightly higher prices, then it just may be the ultimate getaway. Out on the island, things are different. If you’ve been there for a visit and loved it… Then maybe it’s time to come back for good.
Here’s an exceptional value on Madeline Island: 3 BR luxury home on 10+ acres overlooking the big lake.
Maybe you’re thinking of checking out the island on your next vacation or weekend getaway. The first question, of course, is how are you going to get there???
For most of the year, the island can be reached by a ferry that travels between Bayfield and La Pointe; the ferry accepts vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The trip is about 2.6 miles; ferries run several times a day, with the schedule varying by season.
During most years, this part of Lake Superior freezes for a few months in late winter; it’s then possible to drive across on what’s known as “the Madeline Island ice road.” During transitional periods, residents make the trip in a special “ice sled” that can safely cross thin ice and open water.
By road, Bayfield is about an hour and a half from Duluth, four hours from Minneapolis, six hours from Madison, and eight hours from Chicago.
It’s much easier, of course, to reach Madeline Island by air; the Town of La Pointe maintains a public airport with two 3,000 ft. runways. For location, detailed runway information, and instrument approach procedures, visit www.airnav.com.
Finally, if you’ll be arriving by boat, Madeline Island is easy to reach from anywhere in the Great Lakes. Transient docking is available at the Madeline Island Yacht Club.
I’m currently listing a luxury lake home on the north shore of Lake Superior’s Madeline Island. But even if you’re not looking for that sort of lake experience, Madeline Island is a great place to visit on your next vacation—or even just for a weekend getaway.
When you go, you’ll find that the Madeline Island Ferry makes getting there part of the fun. The Madeline Island Ferry Line operates four ferries, the Motor Vessel (MV) Bayfield, MV Madeline, MV Island Queen, and MV Nichevo. They take cars, bicycles, and pedestrians between Bayfield and La Pointe. The view is spectacular; this is one of those times when the journey is as enjoyable as the destination.
The trip takes about 25 minutes; the schedule varies by season. On busy summer weekends, ferries depart every few minutes. On a weekday in the off season, you may need to wait an hour or so. If you do, you’ll have to sit and look at the water while listening to the wind, the waves, and the gulls. The last time that happened, I had a book with just in case. Somehow, I never quite got around to opening it.
Loading is first-come, first serve. The only exception is for dump trucks, large construction equipment, and other oversized vehicles; they may need to wait for the next ferry. (And yes, if you live on Madeline Island you can expect to pay a little more for furniture and appliance deliveries.)
Madeline island has a school that educates children through 5th grade. Middle and high school-age children attend school in Bayfield; for them, the ferry is their school bus. For those who live on the Island and work in Bayfield, the ferry is a routine part of their daily commute. Still, I don’t think I’d mind a commute like that.
Bayfield to La Pointe