Around the Great Lakes

Bayfield: the Gateway to the Apostle Islands

Bayfield Wisconsin acts as the gateway for kayakers to the Apostle Islands, a set of islands known as the destination for US kayakers in the Midwest. In early May, when I was there the town is sleepy, but the rest of the summer, it provides a great tourist destination for people looking to get a little taste of harbor town life.

My impression of the town is that it has either a group of people working towards a common vision or a strong set of codes that creates a tightly unified vision of what the town looks like to visitors. I did run into a little anti-vision sentiment, which is typical in tourist towns. I found an anti-kayaker sticker on a car, and a few posters demanding the harbor be given back to the people.

Only a few stores and restaurants where open, so I didn’t sample much that the town had to offer, but I did find that the coffee shop and the grocery store (IGA) were both within a short walk from the harbor. There’s a nice sand beach next to the harbor and directly behind the Trek and Trail kayaking shop to land on.

Free wi-fi is available at the coffee shop and at the library, which is just a short two block walk uphill from the harbor.

Bayfield Gallery

Tags: Apostle Islands, bayfield, gateway, WI