Next Stop: Apostle Islands

Yesterday, I shared that I hope to spend Monday and half of Tuesday of next week photographing and traveling through Minnesota’s North Shore. The latter half to Tuesday and early Wednesday will comprise my second destination—Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands.

Located at the northern most tip of Wisconsin, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a land of pine and hemlock; eagle and bear. It is the ancestral home of the Ojibwe people with the nation's finest collection of historic lighthouses and newest wilderness area. The 12-mile mainland unit and 21 islands include more than 154 miles of shoreline, a paradise for campers, boaters, and kayakers.

As come across the border into Wisconsin, I plan on stopping at Amnicon State Park and check out the Amincon Falls, a series of small waterfalls in the state park. I will then proceed up to the Apostle Island from the West, first stopping at the Lakeshore Trail on Meyers Beach hopefully making my way to some sea caves. I must say that I have never seen a sea cave, so this could be a really cool experience. From there I will work may around the uppermost tip of Apostle Islands, stopping at Sandy Bay and the city of Bayfield. After sunset, I will hop onto a ferry which will take me to Madeline Island, the largest of the 21 islands, where I will be camping at Big Bay State Park. On the Island, I hope to be able to catch a few good shots at night over the water. According to the lunar schedule, the moon should be 74% visible, making night shots quite nice.

Wednesday morning, I hope to rise to catch the sunrise and eventually make my way back down to my final shooting destination—Chequamegon Bay. After that, I have about a 19 hour drive back to Louisville. That will be fun.

In all, I hope to capture three lighthouses, six waterfalls, sea caves, sunrise and sunsets over Lake Superior, wildlife, and the culture of the North Shore and Apostle Islands. That’s a tall order for 48 hours of camping and photographing, but hopefully it can be done. For more information on the Apostle Islands, check out:

National Geographic: Apostle Islands National Park Service: Apostle Islands Wikipedia: Apostle Islands Wikipedia: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Wikipedia: Apostle Islands Lighthouses View of the Apostle Islands Bayfield Chamber of Commerce Bayfield & Madeline Island