An Afternoon In The Town Of Bayfield

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, my sister Susan and I, along with her dog Blackberry, took a road trip last week, and spent a morning visiting Herbster, Wisconsin and environs, where I own 40 acres of impregnable wilderness. Afterwards, we drove to the nearby town of Bayfield, which sits on a hillside overlooking Lake Superior, and resembles a small New England village. Bayfield is pretty upscale, and popular with artists. Much of it is the same as it was when we last visited there 55 years ago, but I am pretty sure that the old Bayfield Inn, which I believe I remember from back then, has been replaced by a modern structure, the rooftop patio of which can be seen in the background in the photograph on the left. The old building was a beautiful 19th century hotel, and I hate to say it, but the new one kind of detracts from the Victorian atmosphere of the town.

On the other hand, the best parts of Bayfield are the old homes on the hillside overlooking Lake Superior and the downtown area. It is a beautiful community, very pleasant in the summer months, but pretty nippy in the winter. Bayfield is the jumping off point for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and you can take a ferry to Madeline Island (the largest of the Apostles) from downtown. My father Nelson, mother Mary, and Susan and I did just that years ago. As I recall, the island looked no different from the shoreline on the mainland, and so this time, we decided to skip it. Years ago, you used to be able to drive your car across the ice to that island during the winter, but with climate change, I would suggest checking with the locals before trying it.

What a joy it would be to live in one of those houses on the hillside, such as the two in the photograph on the left. The one on the corner has a sign in the front yard saying it is not for sale. However, my sister told me the house seems to be leaning a bit to the left, and if we rang the bell and pointed this out, he or she might change their mind about selling. Or simply call the police.

The official population of Bayfield, as of 2016, was 475, which to me seems pretty low, considering all the houses in the town. That makes me think a lot of these places are probably occupied just during the summer months. Of course, with global warming, Bayfield might one day be one of the few places in the U.S. with livable temperatures. And my 40 acres south of Herbster, now just landlocked forest, might be a prime spot for a subdivision. I could be rich if I live another 75 years or so.

Make no mistake - Bayfield is a great place to visit and hang out, and so I am not surprised that the cost of housing is outrageously expensive. Even staying at a hotel here is pricey. I checked rates at the Bayfield Inn, and they wanted $250 a night to stay there. And so, as it got later in the day, Susan and I and Blackberry headed back to Duluth and the Motel 6, located near the port, where the rates are fairly affordable, and you don't have to take out a reverse mortgage to take a vacation. We will definitely come back to Bayfield one of these days, and, in the meantime, if one of us wins the lottery, maybe we can afford to stay at the Bayfield Inn for a night or two. But certainly not three.