The Lupines of Madeline

My formula for a perfect day is a bike ride to explore a small town. For My Lovely, the ideal start is a boat ride. Today marked the second consecutive day we enjoyed these respective pleasures.

Our destination was Madeline Island. We began with a short bike ride, pausing first for pastries at the Gourmet Garage in Bayfield before catching the ferry, setting the stage for a day of adventure.

As the largest of Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands, Madeline Island presents a compelling blend of sandy beaches, well-marked casual hiking trails, rocky overlooks, crystal-clear water, and — to My Lovely’s immense delight — abundant lupines and forget-me-nots.

Disembarking the ferry, we cycled to the state park to hike a trail through the forest and tracing the shoreline. This hike offered continuous payoff. The walk was easy, and we spent most of the day hand-in-hand, strolling beneath the trees with the lake constanty in view. Occassionaly, we emerged onto overlooks perched 20, 30, or 40 feet above the water. We stood on solid rock edges, gazing down into water so transparent we could see the bottom, listening to waves lap against the rocks as we watched birds fishing.

Then came the day’s highlight. As we stood there hand-in-hand, quietly absorbing the view, a memory surfaced—a vision, a feeling, a moment from our trip to New England. Just above a whisper, I said to My Lovely, “This reminds me of Maine.”
She all but finished my sentence. "It was my birthday,” she said.
She was right. “The sunrise that never came,” I replied. (You can find that story here on Penguins.) We shared that moment completely. I am profoundly grateful for my life with you, my sweet love. Thank you for making these memories with me.

Continuing along the point, the rocky bay gave way to a sandy beach. We paused on a boardwalk bridge to watch a man playing with his puppy several hundred yards away before venturing onto the sand. We discovered the “Madeline Library”: a collection of about sixty canoes and kayaks available for rent on the honor system. A few minutes on the beach and then we were off to the next thing.

Another short ride took us to the town park (and more lupines), then back into town for lunch and some light shopping (resulting in a pair of cute earrings).Read more