Madeline Island Day Tripping

[Nanook]

The City of La Pointe Wisconsin AKA Madeline Island would be the farthest north place you could be in the Cheesy state. I have read that La Point resident's don't even think they are part of the United States...a nation unto themselves and now that I have been there, I can see it. It's an awesome place about 14 miles long and 3 miles wide and a 20 minute ferry ride from awesome the town of Bayfield. I had a great afternoon there yesterday wandering around with Rosebud the Dobergirl.

A few Maddie Island factiods...

Estimated population in July 2006: 281 (+14.2% change)

Males: 134

Females: 112

Races in La Pointe:

* White Non-Hispanic (94.7%)
* American Indian (4.1%)
* Two or more races (2.8%)


Elevation: 610 feet

Land area: 77.6 square miles.
Population density: 4 people per square mile

(very low).

And best of all...

According to our research there were no registered sex offenders living in this city in early 2007.



I pulled into the Ferry yard less than 10 minutes before the ferry left so I didn't need to sit around and waste time waiting.
Rosebud the Dobergirl didn't love the vibration of the motor against the steel so I sent her back to the car while I hung out on the deck.



The first place we went was to the city park to the beach. We walked in the water...Hey Stone Soup crew, the water is warm enough for swimming now! We picked rocks, and had a great time. Rosebud was a big hit, everyone loved her. It was a good thing I gave her a bath before we left, she got lots of pets and was silky smooth feeling, lol.



A lot of the terrain around the island is beachy sand, but not all of it, there are the big rocks too. How many shades of BLUE do you see here??

[Seveen]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

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[Nanook]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

There is a beautiful river that empties into the freshwater sea right at the park. The water is crystal clear and the bottom sandy. This guy was bathing...

Was he a native or a tourist? Hard to discern...



There is a beautiful vista whee it seemed people loved to stop and photograph each other, the old "I was there" photos. Last year a pedestal was donated and built here by a Madeline Island couple for the picture taking! Of course, you know what that means! Yes, I had to stop and take Rosebud's photo!

As I was taking the photo a crowd gathered. I should have mentioned earlier that Rosebud was wearing her working service dog vest which is probably why she drew so much attention. When I finished taking Rosie's picture a man that had stopped by asked if i wanted a photo of me with my girl and of course I obliged! you get to see this one though! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]



There was a guy in a canoe down below doing some fishing, what a serene spot down there!

[Nanook]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

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Hi Sevvie! You woulda loved it there!!!

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/breakdance.gif[/img]

[R00TS]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nanook</div><div class="ubbcode-body">


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Great photo Nanook!
Do they drive acrost the ice with their cars in the winter there?

[Kojak and Lucky]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

So nice [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[loops]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: R00TS</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nanook</div><div class="ubbcode-body">


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Great photo Nanook!
Do they drive acrost the ice with their cars in the winter there? </div></div>

agreed...that's a nice shot! they drive on the ice here rootsie...but "those people" are taking their chances doing it....and YES, I've done it...many times.

[Nanook]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

Hey Rootise and K & L!

Yes we drive on the ice in winter here. The ferry will go until the ice is too thick to go through, and then they break out the Windsled!






then once the ice is thick enough then they mark out an ice road to drive out to the island. I have driven on lots of lakes but only on Lake Superior once. There is just something a bit scary about it all! But I plan to do it next winter to the island!

[Nanook]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

Hi loopsie! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wavey.gif[/img]

Let's go to the old Indian Cemetery for a peek k?

[Nanook]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping



So as not to make you squint to read the sign, this part of it explains the little houses in the Indian Cemetery, which sits right on the shore near Main Street and the Marina.

The white man's style of house was adopted as a grave cover by the Christianized Ojibway in his custom of protecting both the dead and the food left for the dead. The food gave sustenence for the 4-day journey to the hearafter as well as something for the spirit to leave for friends, relatives, and the poor.




I took a few other photos of the cemetery, but after some of the things that went on last fall while I was wandering around an old graveyard in Bayfield, I am not going to chance that again! Before I took any photos I made an offering to sacred Earth, a traditional Ojibwa custom. It does not matter how small an offering is, as long as you part with something. I placed one of my beautiful quarts rocks from the other side of the island at the gate.

The Cemetery has a spectacular view of powerful Gitchee Gummi but it also has this view. If I were to win the lottery or become insanely wealthy some day, the first thing I would do would be to move to Maddie island and buy me one of these and hire me a captain Ron! Or a Turtledude or something! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/breakdance.gif[/img]

Anyone want to go check out the famed Tom's burned down bar with me? What a hoot it is!!!

[Jah_Mamma]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

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Did you go swimming?

[R00TS]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

Wow this deal is cool..love to ride it
They[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scareyuh.gif[/img](not me ever) drive on it here too, mostly
islanders. They use their old Christmas trees to mark the trail [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif[/img]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nanook</div><div class="ubbcode-body">


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[Nanook]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

Hey Jah_Mamma! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wavey.gif[/img] I can't wait till you get back from Greece!!!

Rootsie, the trail is marked with X-mas trees but when I compressed the picture the trees were lost. We loose so much when they are compressed, egads, they look so much better full resolution! I would love to hear about Islands near you! Are they renegade?

So anyway, I'm in the middle of getting ready for this hot spell coming, have my kitchen torn apart and half of every other room. Then when it gets hot I can sit with feet up and stay cool! Hmm..speaking of hot and work, it must be time for a cool refreshing something to drink! Might as well go to Tom's Burned Down cafe!

[swedishrasta]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

((((Nanook)))))
What a gorgeous place. More and more I am convinced that I settled in the wrong state...lol.

Please share some more. The winter pics sure brought back some of memories.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Rosebud is one pretty pooch.

[Nanook]

Re: Madeline Island Day Tripping

(((Swedie))) I feel for you where you are. I couldn't even imagine it for a visit. sigh

I just wrote one whole post and the whole thing disappeared. Operator error! I have to wait a bit before I can write it again my paws are getting sore! [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crybaby.gif[/img]

little more...