My wife and I are on a summer road trip truckin through western Wisconsin, The Twin Cities, and Duluth Minnesota.  We continue our trip to check out Bayfield and The Apostle Islands.  We arrive in Bayfield and booked a tour to see the Islands.  Since it’s August we pay the high season cost of 46 dollars a ticket.  Living in Wisconsin I have heard about the Islands and always wanted to see the rock formations and unique sea caves.  The previous night we had to hunker down in a hotel in Superior, due to Tornadoes and bad weather in the area.  Today’s effects from last night's storm provide angry stirred up water in Lake Superior.  We board a larger boat with a view from the top deck and take off.  Our tour guide provides humorous and informational comments over speakers throughout the boat.  There are 21 islands total that make up the Apostle Islands.  Due to the large amount of islands and the strength of storms created by Lake Superior, there is a high volume of shipwrecks that have occurred.  Unfortunately due to the mix of recent rain the water visibility of the wrecks is quite difficult to see.  

After hearing a great deal of stories and the history of the many lighthouses , I gain a greater respect for the power of Lake Superior.  Lake Superior is the largest surface body of freshwater in the world.  Lake Superior measures 482 feet deep making it the deepest of the Great Lakes. That creates really cold water temperatures.  In the winter months it can even freeze making access to the sea caves available by foot.  At some point black bears have crossed the water to the islands as well.  We were told one of the smaller islands had the highest percentage of black bears in an area.  Camping is available at many of the smaller islands and there are even shuttle services offered by boats.

We return back to Bayfield and decide to take a chance at finding a campsite on Madeline Island.  There is a ferry service that goes year round, and it is the only Island that is not part of the National Lakeshore. By the time we arrive at the island it is already dusk.  We head to the Big Bay State Park, fortunately there was one campsite still available.  Using a flashlight we set up our campsite.  This was my wife's first time ever camping so I was trying to impress her.  To my disappointment all the wood was too wet from the night before to get a fire going.  Frustrated and disappointed with no fire we crawl into our sleeping bags.         

The following day we head into La Point the only town on Madeline island and get breakfast and camping food.  We check out some of the shops.  To our dismay no one will be renting out kayaks for the next couple of days.  Due to the rain the lake is too rough and it's dangerous to go into the sea caves.  We head over for a drink at Tom's Burned Down Cafe.  This place actually did partially burned down years ago.  Apparently there's a feud with the owner and certain people in town that have repeatedly tried to close it.  You could spend an hour looking at the hand painted and drawn signs with funny quotes.  We take a seat on old car seats.  Overall it’s a positive vibe and this would not be our last time stopping by.  One of the nights live music plays and three men are dressed in kilts.

Heading back to our campsite I finally make a fire.  There are two deer wandering near the edge of our campsite in midday.  Big Bay State Park has plenty of nice boardwalks and trails with great views.  Making our way to the beach we walk as far as we can into the freezing water.  Our feet go numb quickly, but it is still refreshing.  On the way back we notice one of the trails is closed due to a protective black bear mother and her cubs.  That night I made the critical error of leaving food out when camping … During the night we were awoken by the snacking and tearing sounds of a large animal.  At this point I knew I was failing at providing a good camping experience for my wife.  As I opened up the tent I see three of the fattest racoons I have ever seen in my life.  

The following morning we drive to the other side of the park to check out Big Bay Town Park not to be confused.  Since the water on Lake Superior is too rough we go inland and rent a canoe to go in the lagoon.  The water is calm and we are the only ones out.   Lots of good animal sightings like herons and muskrats.  We spent about two hours out before returning.  The great thing about the Big Bay Town Parks rental system is it has a pay box for the rental which is based on the honor system.  We head into town to get a drink and a fresh fish fry.  Having no access to the internet and world in the last two days the news surprises us.  Due to the heaving flash flooding to the south, roads have been washed out.  A state of emergency has been issued..  Madeline Island has been empty this weekend because no one, unless you were coming west from Duluth can get in.  Our last night is spent talking around the campfire.  In reflection as much as I would recommend checking out this place I don’t think it would be as calm and peaceful as it was for us this strange summer weekend in August.