All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

[Nanook]

The old saying "wild horses couldn't drag me away" applies to me and where I live when it's summer. We put up with some winters from hell up here on the tundra and I'll be damned if anything could entice me to go elsewhere once it finally gets nice out! Why would anyone put up with the weather we who live in the far north do? It's simple. It's beautiful here and it's not crowded with people like the places that have wonderful weather are! Yes, we get our yearly flock of tourists but come September when they go home it's our turn to frolic.

My new scooter came home just in time for me to be able to enjoy this late summer early fall season before I have to put it to bed for the winter and I've been going hell bent for election to get in all the time I can before the days of freezing arrive.

The transportation...

This is a 1986 250 Honda Helix scooter. It's a wildly fun bike and even has a stereo! The scooter belonged to my dad. Dad put 11,000 miles on it and I'm thinking it won't be long before I add another 11,000. This is more of a motorcycle than a scooter because of it's size, but it's got a scooter body which makes it more comfortable to ride than a motorcycle...



My travels take us along the nooks and crannies of northwestern Wisconsin and the very edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and areas in between. There is no such thing as a dull ride and I could do this for years and always find something new to see.

This day I started towards Ironwood Michigan, not really caring if I made it there or not but it gave me a direction in which to head.

Especially fun is the fall colors are starting to come out and every now and then there is a glimpse of nice color..



My first stop ended up to be a 30 mile round trip detour out of the way but as I was saying...the UP just gave me a direction to go in, never mind if I actually get there, right? I had never been to Copper Falls so I decided I wanted to go there first. The road to Mellen Wisconsin where Copper falls is, is beautiful and hilly and winds with sharp curves. This lends to a lot of interest over what could be around the next corner.

Copper Falls State Park is much bigger than I imagined so I'll have to go back and explore more of it..



There was a lot of bridges and stairs...



The second stairs here lead to a fire tower with what I'm sure are amazing vista's. I'll have to go back to climb those stairs when I'm driving my car as I don 't think it would be a good idea to do that AND put a couple hundred miles on the scooter!

[R00TS]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

Nice ride!
You got lake pics coming too?

This is nice, imagine it framed and hung at the head of a staircase
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nanook</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> </div></div>

[Nanook]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

Hi Roots! Yes, lake pics soon come. I do think I'll go back and do the stairs to the tower when fall colors arrive but I'll drive my car.

[Nanook]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

We haven't had a lot of rain so the falls are pretty quiet but I'm still glad I went to see the park.



After a little hike I decided to head back to the scooter and the road to Michigan.




I have been to Little Girls Point before, just across the border in the UP but it was during winter, and this is the first time I visited when it was still warm...



I wondered what the lodge was like but it must be private because the road was closed

[Nanook]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

There's a good size park and camping grounds at Little Girl's Point and it's not crowded...



Huge driftwood logs



A rock pickers paradise...



Lake Superior as far as the eye can see

[Nanook]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

I had spent a lot of time getting to the U.P. so I couldn't really stay that long but I was in a riding mood anyway since this was my first adventure on my new bike. I wanted to check out Superior Falls which is on the border of the U.P and Wisconsin.

The Montreal River. To the right is Wisconsin and to the left is Michigan.



Below this spot on the river is a huge dam and below the dam is Superior Falls. I hear it's best viewed in Spring and since we haven't had rain to speak of, I wasn't about to climb down this steep trail to have a look only to be possibly disappointed after half killing myself to get down there even though the terrain is much better than what Nylah overcame on her trip to Port Antonio to get to the water..



I'm sure the vistas are breathtaking but this is another one of those &quot;I want to arrive in a car&quot; when I do it things. It's a LONG ways down...





By now I knew that I'd be in trouble if I didn't aim my bike towards home and still have a little time to lollygag along the way so I headed back to Wisconsin. I had one more stop I wanted to make which would make my day complete! Yes, I took the next two pics while driving my scooter and as you can see, the big windshield is very welcome on the bike!



I had to stop at Saxon Harbor to see what it looks like during summer. This is another spot I've only seen in the dead of winter...

[Nanook]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

Saxon Harbor is one of those places I could visit again and again, just to see the changes with the seasons. The last time I was here there were ice houses on the frozen tundra





The red cliffs in the background are over by Superior Falls



I could watch this view all day



There's a little stockade like picnic spot at Saxon Harbor and this one little hut with a picnic table for when it rains



When I left Saxon Harbor I had to bee line it home in order to make it before dark. It hadn't occured to me to being clear glasses for night riding and I only had very dark sunglasses. Well, you saw my windshield! Not a good idea to ride with out eye protection and this meant high tail it home time for me!

I rode 264 miles that day!

Next part from saturday later..

[MsExced]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

Wow Nanook these are amazing,looks like postcard.

[R00TS]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

Man its beautiful up there when its beautiful up there

[Nanook]

Re: All over northwestern Wisconsin and Michigan U.P.

Greets ms Exced and Roots! Thanks you both and yes...there is a reason why I stay and put up with the harsh winters. Just about the time I seriously start to question my sanity for remaining here, along comes summer and ahhhhhhh....sanity saved. Besides, I do love winter too. See my name there.

[Nanook]

Dedicated in memory of my good friend Uncle Sam

For you Sam...

Saturday's travels started out on a melancholy note. This whole scooter riding thing started in Jamaica and is a mere continuation of my lust for adventures where I explore nooks and crannies of places. It's just way more fun on a bike than arriving by a car for me. It was that way in Jamaica and it's the same way here. During my sometimes days long scooter adventures crisscrossing the island I always traveled with my good friend Uncle Sam and those were the best times of all of my Jamaica trips. Heck...some of those trips were a highlight of my life. We never had a plan when we left Little Bay. Not about what day we'd come back or where we'd go, we just went and stopped wherever. I travel the same way still but damn if I don't always end up home same day but that's life with animals!

Anyway, this day is dedicated to the memory of Sam who was taken from us way to early in his life one year ago this coming Wednesday.

The impending date of the anniversary of Sam and his girlfriends disappearance is looming near and has pretty much been on my mind for awhile. I can't believe it's been a year already but I know in my heart that it will always seem like yesterday when I heard the news.

This days ride was pretty much something I had to do so it was a good thing I had the best possible weather for it. As I left home and headed down the blacktop I smiled and said &quot;this one's for you Sam&quot;, and I shed a tear or two. Ok, I even had to stop and wipe my eyes once and even wondered if I could continue but it was time to cowgirl up and go on the ride.

I wondered if Sam heard me and about a minute later a Jack Radics tune played on my IPod. I took that as a sign that Sam heard me and was along for the ride. Jack Radics and Sam were good friends and of the hundreds of tunes that could have played, that one came on. We used to sing it on our Jamaica scooter trips as we'd roll along the Jamaican countryside.

I had my Ipod with me as places I was going there would be no radio reception!

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[Nanook]

Re: Dedicated in memory of my good friend Uncle Sam

This time I headed along the Lake Superior Circle Tour route until I made it to Herbster which is about half way to Bayfield. At Herbster I headed into the Chequamegon-Nicollet National Forest for an amazingly beautiful ride. I ran out of pavement and since I had never been there before wasn't really sure how far it was back to solid road and didn't stop a whole lot but this spot intrigued me. I imagined an old farm house in the yard with people enjoying beautiful mountain vista's year round.



This was a high elevation already and I imagined what it might be like to live here in winter. These people had a beautiful farm but they also had an airstrip!





I'd want a plane if I lived here too! There was literally miles in between residences, with a few seasonal cabins dotting the roadside here and there...



It was a beautiful ride but I was ready to be back to pavement. Of course, with pavement comes civilization as we know it.

[Nanook]

Re: Dedicated in memory of my good friend Uncle Sam

The reward for the miles of dirt road was many miles of brand spanking new blacktop over rolling hills and curvy terrain through the National Forest.





I came across this old vendor truck outside of Washburn and I recognized it right away. I've seen it on Madeline Island at Tom's Burned Down Bar. The truck is fully equipped and probably a steal at $5,000.00. I could see me touring around in it with my glass and beads and torch with a little trailer behind it for sleeping.



For the heck of it I headed up to mount Ashwabay...



But nuttin was going on up there. The Big Top Chautauqua tent was already down and stuff was just sitting around waiting to be assembled for a ski lift.

I headed to Friendly Vally to the beach next and back to the shore..

[Nanook]

Re: Dedicated in memory of my good friend Uncle Sam

I'd never been to Friendly Valley before and the beach was kind of narrow but it was nice still. There were a few people making a last ditch effort to catch some rays...



There was someone trying to learn to wind surf. She was having some problems but maybe it wa due to not much wind.



It's possible that the lack of a breeze was her problem but she dumped quite a bit. You need a wet suit for this activity on Lake Superior this time of year!



I arrived in Bayfield to see a whole lot of other people had the same idea today as I did to go there so I didn't really stick around. The scarecrow contest is in full swing but I'll go enjoy it during the week when there aren't so many people.

I did take a couple of scarecrow pics though before I headed out of town...



Maybe this be me sometime in the future!



Anyway, as I was saying...Bayfield was too busy for my liking and I have another trip planned there next week or so and decided to head to quieter shores...

[Nanook]

Re: Dedicated in memory of my good friend Uncle Sam

Earlier I toyed with going to Madeline Island and left the possibility open until I headed inland to the National Forest. Well, the whole of this area is National Forest and National Lakeshore and sometimes it's hard to decide where to go. You know... no matter where you go, there you are kind of thing. Anyway, I decided to wait to go to Madeline Island when I can take Rosebud &amp; Paris so I stopped by a small marina and campground where I can still visit the islands from land. Every time I see them I get a feeling really can't explain...



Crystal clear waters of Gitchee Gummi



And off towards home I went. My next and last stop was in Herbster down by the beach for a last look at the lake before I headed inland towards home...