summer

Visiting The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Camping On Madeline Island

Visiting Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Camping On Madeline Island

The Apostle Islands National Lake Shore and Madeline Island were the second stop on my Wisconsin Michigan road trip. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is located on Lake Superior off the shore of Bayfield, Wisconsin. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore contains 12 miles of mainland coastline and is made up of 21 different islands. 

Arriving in Bayfield, Wisconsin

Stopping In Bayfield, Wisconsin

Bayfield, Wisconsin is the last town before getting to the Apostle Islands. It is known as the gateway to Apostle Islands since all Apostle Island tours and ferries to the islands leave from Bayfield. When we arrived in Bayfield we decided to do some grocery shopping before going over to Madeline Island. There was only one grocery store in Bayfield and it was very small with a very limited selection of items. I would recommend doing your shopping in a bigger town before heading up to Bayfield.

Getting To Madeline Island

While visiting the Apostle Islands we decided to camp on Madeline Island for the night.  We took the Madeline Island Ferry from Bayfield to get to the island. It was about a 20-minute ride and we were able to take the car with us. The ferry only costs $14 per person round trip and an extra $25 round trip to bring the car. The ferry comes every 30 minutes during the summer time so it is very convenient.  

Camping On Madeline Island

After arriving on Madeline Island we drove to our campsite so we could set up before exploring the island. We camped at Big Bay Town Park which was about a 10-minute drive from where the ferry dropped us off. Our campsite was very wooded and private which I liked. However, it was a far walk from the bathrooms so we had to drive to them. Of course, we had to set up the tent in our dresses. After setting up our campsite we walked to the beach area to enjoy the view and take some photos. The water was very cold and there were lots of rocks so it hurt my feet to walk in the water. There was also a lot of biting flies so we didn't stay for very long. We went in July so I am not sure if the flies are bad all of the time, but there were a lot of them.

Setting up our tent on Madeline Island in our dresses!
With the wildflowers on Madeline Island
The beach on Madeline Island

Exploring Madeline Island

After checking out the beach we decided to spend the rest of the evening exploring the downtown area of Madeline Island. We went into all of the cute gift shops and local stores. After visiting all of the stores we decided to have dinner at Beach Club. This restaurant was right next to all of the docks on Lake Superior. It was nice being able to enjoy the lake while eating my dinner. We sat at the outdoor tables next to the water but it eventually got cold and we moved our food inside. The food was good and reasonably priced. After dinner, we got ice cream at Grampa Tony’s and used the free wifi. The ice cream was good and they had lots of flavors to choose from.

Having dinner at the Beach Club restaurant on Madeline Island
The marina on Madeline Island

Touring The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

The next morning we took a boat tour of the Apostle Islands. Before leaving the Island we all got cute Madeline Island shirts at the Dockside Gifts. We went on the classic grand tour with Apostle Islands Cruises. I really enjoyed this tour because I got to see and learn the history of each island. I sat in the top row of the boat and was able to see everything very well. It was very cold out on the water though so make sure you wear a jacket during the tour. After our tour of the Apostle Islands, we stopped at a cute little coffee shop in Bayfield called Big Water Coffee Roasters. I had one of their seasonal lattes and it was pretty good.

Have you been to Madeline Island?

Have you ever been to Madeline Island or the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore before? If you have, what are your favorite things to do there? Is there anything you would recommend if I were to go back to  Madeline Island? 

What to read about the rest of my road trip?

You can read about the first stop of my road trip in Devil's Lake State Park here. I will be posting about my third stop in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and my fourth stop in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore soon!

A Day At Devil’s Lake State Park

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Visiting Devil’s Lake State Park

In July 2017 I went on a road trip around Michigan and Wisconsin. This was my first time ever visiting Wisconsin! During this trip, I visited Devil's Lake State Park, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, and Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. The first stop of the trip was at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Even though I only stayed for one night I was able to see a lot of things, and have a lot of fun while I was there.

My fist time visiting Wisconsin! I took a picture with the Wisconsin sign.

Stopping At The Wisconsin Dells

Before arriving at the campground, my group decided to have dinner in the Wisconsin Dells. The Dells are about 30 minutes past the Devil's Lake campground. We chose to have dinner at Monk’s Bar and Grill and walked around all the shops on the main street while we waited for our table. Monk’s is a casual family restaurant with good burgers at an affordable price. Of course, we had to try some Wisconsin cheese curds while we were in Wisconsin and those were good too. Since we only got to spend a few hours in the Dells, I hope to go back there in the future.

Arriving At Devil’s Lake State Park Campground

After having a late dinner in the Dells we drove back to our campsite. Our campsite was on a grassy hill and short walk to the bathroom and shower area. We got to the campsite just as it was getting dark and of course, we could not find our flashlight, luckily the people in the campsite next to us helped us put up our tent just before a big storm arrived. Less than 5 minutes after our tent was set up a huge thunder and lightning storm arrived. It was pouring rain and eventually even large hail! We decided to use this time to stop at the local Walmart to buy a few things we had forgot to bring with us. After a scary drive back to the campsite (it was raining and hailing so hard we could not see out the window), we waited in our car until about 1:30 am before the storm had stopped and we could sleep in the tent.

The next morning was hot and sunny! We were only staying at Devil’s Lake for the one night so we quickly packed our tent and then went to McDonald's for a quick breakfast and to use the free wifi. After our breakfast and doing our hair in the parking lot (Yes I did my hair in the McDonalds parking lot!) we were ready to start our day!

The Trails at Devil’s Lake

Before going hiking we stopped at the visitors center to get a copy of the trail map and pick the best hiking trail. Devils Lake State Park has 29 miles of trails! You can view the trail descriptions here.  We chose to go on the East Bluff trail since it considered an easier trail that was only 1.7 miles long. Along the trail, we got to see lots of great views of Devil’s Lake from above. At some point during our hike we lost the trail, but after being lost for an hour we found it. During our hike, we also saw the devil's doorway rock formation. At the end of our hike, we decided to take the potholes trail to get back down to the bottom. The potholes trail is 0.3 miles long and was very steep with lots of stairs. If you are interested in a challenging trail I would recommend it. We walked along the railroad tracks next to the lake to get back to the beach area. Even though we got lost on the trail and the hike ended up taking us 4 hours instead of 1 ½  hours we still had a great time and took lots of great photos! While I was hiking I used my Adidas drawstring bag to carry my water and other essentials. You can find one like it on Amazon here.

Enjoying the beach at Devil's Lake State Park

The Beach Area At Devil’s Lake State Park

Since our hike took longer than expected when did not have time to go swimming like we had planned. Even though we did not have time for swimming we still wanted to check out the lake and beach area. Devil’s Lake is a 360-acre lake that is surrounded by 500-foot bluffs. Next to the beach area, there was a nice gift shop and restaurant. The beach also had free wifi! There were lots of people swimming and out kayaking on the lake. Even though the beach area was kinda small it did not feel crowded. We got our feet in the water and took some fun pictures in the lake before leaving for our next destination of the trip.

If I Had More Time At Devil’s Lake State Park

Since we only stayed at Devil’s Lake for one night there are still lots of things there I would like to do. If had an extra day at Devil’s I would have loved to hike the other trails and have time to go swimming in the lake. I would also have liked to go kayaking.

Visit Devil's Lake State Park!

Have you ever been to Devil’s Lake? If you have what are your favorite things to do there. I would love to hear about your experiences in Devil’s Lake. If you haven’t been to Devil’s Lake I highly recommend that you go there this summer. I had a great time spending the day at Devil’s Lake. Devil’s lake is perfect for anyone looking for a place with great hiking trails and a nice lake to swim in. I hope I have the chance to visit Devil’s Lake again soon.

A Local’s Guide To Tulip Time

Visiting Holland During Tulip Time

Tulip Time is a really fun time to visit Holland, Michigan.  It takes place from the 1st to 2nd weekend of May every year. There are so many fun things to do during Tulip Time that I decided that I create a whole post about it. You should also download the Tulip Time app for information about the time and location of all the different activities happening each day.

With a tree in the tulip fields

Tulip Gardens

Veldheer Tulip Gardens has thousands of tulips and hundreds of different types of tulips. While walking through the gardens each type of tulip is marked with a number so you can some if you like them. Outside the garden there is a place to buy tulip bulbs and other souvenirs.

The Wooden Shoe Factory

The wooden shoe factory is also right next to the tulip gardens. At the wooden shoe factory you can buy wooden shoes and other dutch themed souvenirs.

Windmill Island

Another great place to visit is Windmill Island Gardens. At windmill island you can view the tulips, shop, and tour a working windmill. This is a great place to go for a walk and take photos.

Dutch Village

If you are traveling with children a fun place to visit is Neil’s Dutch Village. At the dutch village there are farm animals, small rides, and shops. You can also learn to dutch dance, watch a wooden shoe carving demonstration, and many other things.

A photo of the dutch dancers during Tulip Time

Dutch Dance

If you come during the week of tulip time one thing you must do is watch the dutch dance. Dutch dance is every night at 7 pm around centennial park in downtown Holland. The dance lasts 15 minutes and is performed by local high schools and community members. If you get to centennial park early take time the watch kinderdance at 6:30 pm. This is a 5 minute dutch dance routine and singing done by local elementary school children.

Food

One my favorite things to do during tulip time is eat the food. There is a large variety of food trucks during tulip time and they are spread out all over downtown Holland. My favorite thing to get is deep fried marshmallows.

Carnival

The entire week of tulip time there is also a carnival.  There are rides for children and adults inside the carnival. There are also lots of food trucks and carnival games inside.

In front of the food booths during Tulip Time
A float from the Tulip Time parade

Parades

During the week on tulip time there are 3 parades. These parades are on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The parade on Thursday is known as the kinder-parade since all of the local elementary schools participate is this parade. The Saturday parade is the largest parade and has bands from all over Michigan. Make sure to get to the parade early to avoid traffic and find good parking.

Anytime Activites

Even though I mentioned Dutch Village, Windmill Island, and the tulip gardens as tulip time activities, they can be done any time. From my experience, the best time to visit these places are the week before tulip time. All the tulips are still there but you can avoid the crowds that occur during the week of tulip time.

One of the floats in the Tulip Time parade

Have You Ever Been To Tulip Time?

I would love to hear about you experience at tulip time or your visit to Holland. Comment below with your experiences!

More Information On Holland

For more things to do in Holland check out my post about 10 things to do in Holland here. If you have any questions about Holland, feel free comment or message me. I would be happy to answer any of your questions.