We hit the road last Monday, but before we got those RV wheels rolling again, there was one more place I needed to visit. Ok, maybe I didn’t need to visit, but I certainly wanted to visit Bayfield, Wisconsin. My goals were apple picking and photographing fall foliage.
It was the first week in October, and at 6:00 in the morning, it was only 27 degrees Fahrenheit outside. It was definitely cold and I was very grateful the furnace in the RV was running like a champ. When I looked outside everything was coated in a thick layer of white frost. And when I stepped outside, I could actually see my breath 🥶
Al questioned my Bayfield excursion, but I knew it would be a mostly sunny day with light winds. I had to get out and enjoy the day. The prior couple of weeks, the weather had been gloomy and depressing … typical Midwestern weather that I always hated. Thus, I was grateful for a day of sunshine and planned on taking full advantage of the nice weather.
So on a brisk fall morning, I bundled up in layers, set upon scraping the frost off the truck windshield, loaded up a picnic lunch and an extra coat, and jumped in the truck for the 90 minute drive.
Visiting Bayfield, Wisconsin
I fell in love with this captivating small American town last summer. Picturesque Bayfield, with a population of less than 500, is the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It’s located at the far northern edge of Wisconsin along the southern shores of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. The rolling hills, lush vegetation, and beautiful Lake Superior shoreline make visiting this part of northern Wisconsin well worth the out of the way drive. It’s the perfect place for me to escape everyday life and enjoy a little solitude while taking in the lovely landscape.
Blue Vista Farm
There are over a dozen orchards and fruit farms surrounding the town. My go-to orchard is the Blue Vista Farm. Considering my daughter and I had such a fun time picking blueberries here at the end of July, I was really looking forward to re-visiting and picking apples. Unfortunately, due to circumstances surrounding the 2020 pandemic, the Bayfield Apple Festival was canceled, and therefore, the owners of Blue Vista Farms decided to press their harvest of apples this season.
(To enlarge a photo in a gallery, simply click on any image.)
Oh well, not all was lost. I had a wonderful time walking around the property with my camera and then purchased some freshly pressed apple cider before heading off to my next stop. (BTW … I should’ve purchased more apple cider. It was incredibly delicious and fresh.)
Gil Larsen Nature Trail
On the north end of town, across the street from the library, is the trailhead to the Iron Bridge and Nature Trail. This was a new find for me. I absolutely loved hiking this ravine and was definitely in my happy place. It’s an out and back trail that’s less than two miles roundtrip. So it’s not a long trail but certainly worthwhile and gorgeous.
The trail meanders along a creek and passes under the historic Old Iron Bridge. The trail is a variety of wooden bridges, dirt ground, wood boardwalks, steps, and rocky creek crossings. Fortunately, my visit was during the beginning of October when the creek was merely trickling with water making the creek crossings easy-peasy. And no bugs to contend with … a huge bonus. I would imagine springtime could present a different kind of experience and challenge.
Along the way are benches for visitors to sit for a moment to admire the surroundings and take in the sights and sounds. I was thrilled to photograph the woodpecker and listen to it pecking away at a tree. The thick canopy of trees and tall earthen walls blocked much of the blue skies giving a sense of mystery to my surroundings. The cool damp air added to the unique experience.
Once I completed walking the nature trail, I decided to walk around town a little bit and eventually walked over the Old Iron Bridge. The bridge towers pretty high above the nature trail as it crosses the ravine. Looking down, it was difficult to spot the trail that I had just hiked due to the dense tree foliage. The autumn colors were vibrant and I was awed by the overall beauty.
Beyond downtown
Should you ever find yourself visiting charming Bayfield, Wisconsin, be sure to venture beyond the main street (Rittenhouse Avenue). I was undoubtedly in my happy place as I explored. I was delighted with the architecture, the tree-lined hilly streets, hiking a magical trail, and strolling the friendly quaint town. Basically, I loved the overall atmosphere and landscape that embodies this small American town in northern Wisconsin.
Bayfield is one of those places that has captured my heart. So I guess, it’s safe to say, I plan on returning next season. 🤞 “God willing and the creek don’t rise!”
Photo Challenges – Sunday Stills. This week, Terri asks us to share images of “Your Happy Place”. Whenever I’m out and about in nature with my camera, I’m in my happy place. Not only was I in my happy place this past summer, but northern Wisconsin also served as a great “Hideaway”. During our four-month stay, Al and I pretty much kept ourselves isolated either on remote private property or out in nature. Lens Artists Photo Challenge #119 – My Hideaway – alone in nature!
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minuscule blip in history.
And then there were the ducks and Coot swimming in the pond. Rumor has it, there’s even an alligator that calls this place home. Such company, I can do without. Birds yes, gators no!
It was calm at the moment, but I kept in mind, winds in excess of 40 miles per hour are common around here and gusts over 60 miles per hour aren’t unusual. Hang on Toto!
Since I was starting at the south entrance, I needed to plan my stops carefully keeping the weather and my priorities in mind. The day before, we had entered the national park via the north entrance with the RV in tow and I was able to get a quick overview.
I hadn’t been in the truck driving more than fifteen minutes when hubby called with an urgency in his voice. He informed me of a severe storm heading our way. A semi-tractor trailer had flipped over on Interstate 40 due to a wind gust just east of Flagstaff and those high winds, hail, and torrential rain were heading our way. All I managed to say to hubby before the call was dropped was, “Ok”. You can assume cell phone coverage to be spotty in this remote park in Arizona.
Hurry Ingrid was at the fore front of my mind as I continued on my quest. I wanted to touch those fossils and even though there were plenty of petrified logs where we were camped, I wanted to see a forest of them. Wood turning into stone is a rarity and takes special conditions for the process to occur. There’s only a few places in the world to find petrified wood and I was exploring one of those places.
My visit was a week before my birthday and as such a little souvenir shopping was in order. As much as I would’ve liked a nice chunk of petrified wood, the size and weight wouldn’t be conducive to life in an RV. I opted for a lovely bracelet that I found at the Rainbow Visitor Center Gift Shop.
Fortunately, the worst of the storm bypassed our immediate location, but we did endure some nasty gusting winds and torrential down pouring rain. I returned to the RV unscathed, to a relieved husband, and looking like a drenched puppy. The minute there was a break in the weather, we hooked up and rolled in the opposite direction from those threatening clouds. Hmm, where to next?
I usually don’t like winging our travels during the most popular travel months of the year (July and August), but circumstances had us doing just that.
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Our 
wheel in tow, but Al and I were in serious winging it mode and threw caution to the wind.
overnight at the Walmart in Craig, but there are signs all over posted ‘No overnight parking’. Al even confirmed with a store manager.
at the main park office for the Rifle Gap Campground where I was able to ask all my questions.
any cancellations.
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