The Big Zig

Wandering, by definition, does not follow a straight line governed by a destination. This week, we started The Big Zig, the first of several for this trip, as we turned away from the Great Lakes to explore downstate Minnesota and Wisconsin for a few weeks. We will do The Big Zag when we return to Lake Michigan after our wandering down I 35 and beyond is done.

The View from the top of the Bayfield Peninsula

We began our week in Bayfield, WI, on the shores of Lake Superior at the Apostle Islands. The Apostle Islands are an archipelago where Lake Superior's waters have eroded the Bayfield peninsula's end. It includes 23 islands (only 22 are part of the National Lakeshore.) Lake Superior (like Lake Ontario) is extraordinarily deep, too deep to have been formed by glaciers. They were formed long before the Ice Ages when a rift opened in the middle of the North American Plate. There was insufficient force to cause a complete separation in the continent. It closed when magma flowed in and sealed the tear in the crust. This left a deep layer of hard, volcanic rock on the surface that withstood the glacial period. However, the waters left behind when the glaciers retreated left a large, freshwater inland sea that the early native people called gichigami, great lake, referring to both its size and central role in the history of the Ojibwe and Dakota, the who inhabited the islands 950 years ago.

 

These Ojibwe migrated from the East, and when they discovered wild rice growing in the marshes at the end of Chequamegon Bay, they made Mooningwanekaaning (now Madeline Island) their capital. They lived here for nearly 1,000 years before being forced into reservations by white settlement. At the end of the peninsula is the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, unique in having their reservation on their ancestral lands. After internal disagreements over beliefs and traditional practices, many of the original Ojibwe returned to the East, leaving the islands and Lake Superior under the Ojibwe control. The previous residents, the Eastern Dakota people (later called Sioux), were pushed to the West, but many of their creation stories are also centered on this portion of Lake Superior. This has been a place that has inspired the human spirit for 1,000s of years. The Bayfield Peninsula has been a cultural hub for millennia.

 

The Maritime Museum, located on the waterfront in Bayfield, describes the importance of the Great Lakes to the human story. From birchbark canoes to seagoing freighters, the Great Lakes have served as the route for immigration, commerce, and recreation. Here are a few photos of the display. The local volunteer at the museum was a wealth of knowledge as well.

 

Model of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Norwegian Fishing Boat

An Ice Saw used on Lake Superior

A Salvaged Wreck

Birchbark Canoe

Marlene at the helm

 

 

Twilite Fishing Boat

The peninsula's North end includes the reservation and a small community where people discovered that fishing, not farming, was their key to survival. Sand Bay sits onshore from Sand Island, a popular destination for kayakers to explore the Apostle Islands. The Ranger at the National Lakeshore was also a wealth of information about the area's history. She directed us to Beaver Hollow, a bog with a boardwalk that allowed us to get up close to the land and water. Sadly, we did not see any beaver, though there was ample evidence of their being in the area.

For hauling in the nets

The Captain's Door

An Old Fishing boat with Tarred nets

Boardwalk and Bog

Marsh Marigold

Bog Water is brown from the organic matter

 

The Archipelago

The following day, we boarded the boat, Archipelago, for a cruise of the Apostle Islands. This three-hour excursion was a delight. We saw several of the islands. They support a diverse flora and fauna, including rookeries for many bird species. One island has the largest concentration of bears of any place in North America. By the way, bears are excellent swimmers who move from island to island and to the mainland. One of the notable features of the islands is the lighthouses. These are no longer staffed by lightkeepers and are less vital than they were in times before radar and GPS. However, some, like Raspberry Island Lighthouse, are being restored by the National Park Service. All but one of the islands are open to visitors, assuming you can get there, for camping and sightseeing. The archipelago was named by a French Jesuit, and the main islands were initially named after the Apostles. But gradually, the islands acquired names relating to their Ojibwe names. For example, Evil Spirit Island became Devil's Island. Here are a few of the sights we enjoyed in the islands.

 

In the harbor, waiting for time to board.

Lakefront of Bayfield, WI

The Harbor

Lakefront Sculpture

Our friends came to wish us bon voyage

 

 

Heading out to Hermit Island and the Brownstone Quarries.

 

Leaving the harbor

Rocky Lakeshore

Those large blocks are Brownstone quarried on Island and sent to St Louis and beyond.

 

Heading to Basswood Island

 

A smooth day for sailing

The colors are amazing

Marlene enjoying the boat ride!

 

Heading to Manitou Island.

Marlene also enjoying the boat ride

Bear Island

An abandoned Fish camp

After dock repair, fishermen can return.

 

Heading to Devil’s Island

Devil's Island is one the edge of the archipelago.

The iconic lake caves

Devil's Island Lighthouse

These caves can reach back over 50 feet from the shoreline.

 

On to Raspberry Island.

The Fully Restored Raspberry Island Lighthouse

Lighthouse and living quarters

The Fog Horn House

 

Heading Back to the Harbor

We picked up some fresh and smoked whitefish from the lake for our last day in Bayfield. I do not remember eating whitefish before. We made a lunch of cheese, smoked fish, crackers, and veggies. The mild, firm flesh was well smoked, and we had a veritable fast. I cannot wait to try cooking the fresh whitefish on the grill. Our time on the Bayfield Peninsula was coming to an end, and it was time to do the jig south to south Minnesota.

 

We set off to I35 on Tuesday to drive to Minneapolis for the next 7 nights. We arrived at Town and Country Campground and RV Park in Savage, MN, after a pleasant 5-hour drive. Central Minnesota is beautiful, rolling countryside where the evidence of the last glacial retreat is evident. Savage is a Southern suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul is a convenient base for exploring the Twin Cities. The only real traffic we encountered was due to highway construction, and it was nothing compared to the massive tie-ups in Houston when TXDOT took over a highway.

 

Minneapolis in the distance surrounded by lakes.

The Twin Cities sit at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. This has been the site of human habitation for 10,000 years since the last glacier retreated into Canada. The Eastern Dakota People have lived here all that time. In fact, their oral history does not include a time when they migrated to this area. One of their creation stories centers on an island at the confluence. In addition to the Dakota, the region has hosted Ojibwe, Voyageurs, British Fur Traders, American Settlers, Farmers, early Scandinavian Immigrants, merchants, industrialists, and immigrants from all over the world. The most notable features are the creeks, lakes, and rivers that define the area. There is much to see and do during our brief week here.

 

Marlene Ready to take on the Mall

Our first full day was forecasted to rain, so we went to the best indoor attraction we could find, the Mall of America. This Mall is huge. In a time when enclosed malls all over the country are closing, this one is thriving. It is a four-story major shopping area surrounding an indoor amusement park that Nickelodeon runs. We rented a scooter for Marlene and set out walking the perimeter. I logged 8,000 steps with minimal backtracking. It is a typical suburban mall with the usual suspects of stores and items for sale. We did a little shopping, but we mostly window-shopped. We ate lunch at a Margaritaville Restaurant and then did more exploring. When we got to the middle, we discovered that the rides were not little kiddie rides. There were a few, but there was a three-story plume ride, a three-story rollercoaster, and rides that flung you around and bounced up and down. There was also a crayon Shop and Lego Store that were unbelievable. The latter contained a fifty-foot-long green dragon constructed entirely of Legos. It was an interesting way to spend a cloudy, windy day in the Twin Cities. Here are a few photos.

 

The head of a 50 foot dragon

20 foot tall transformer

Time for a break

Ahhhhh....

Log Ride in the mall

Nicholodeonland

Knight and faithful steed

Columbus and crew

Rescue Helicopter

TMNT to the rescue

A vertical drop on the rollercoaster

 

Historic Fort Snellings

Our next bit of exploring took us to Fort Snelling, a reconstruction of an early 19^th-century fort above the confluence of the rivers. The primary purpose of the Fort was to project American influence over this part of the Louisiana Purchase to dissuade the British from getting too comfortable trading with the Dakota. The Fort was more of a strategic political base than a military bastion. Zebulon Pike, one of the first Americans in the area, took it upon himself to negotiate a treaty with the Dakota. Unfortunately, he had no authority to do so, and the treaty languished in Congress for over a decade before it was finally ratified long after it had lost any impact. The closest supply point for the Fort was St. Louis, a six-week journey away. Therefore, the Fort became self-contained and provided a base for people moving into the area.

 

Dred and Harriet Scott

In the 1830s, a military officer brought his family and an enslaved person named Dred Scott to serve at the Fort. Mr. Scott married another enslaved person, and they served in the Hospital Kitchen. At the same time, their owner received wages for their service. Dred and Harriet Scott petitioned for their freedom when the owner died, a common practice. They fought the legal challenges, even after their new owners moved them to Missouri. After over a decade, the Supreme Court ruled against them, declaring that they were neither citizens of the US nor able to sue for their freedom. This ruling became a significant reason the North became more committed to ending slavery and fueling the fires that led to the Civil War.

 

Meanwhile, the Dakota wanted to work with their new neighbors, but the friction built up as settlers claimed more and more land. Promise after promise was made and broken by the US Government. In the 1860s, during the Civil War, the Dakota staged an uprising, and the Federal Troops took over the Dakota lands. Many of the Dakota were shut up in a concentration camp at the Fort before being forcibly relocated to the Dakotas.

 

Over the next 80 years, Fort Snelling developed into a major military installation growing far beyond their perch over the confluence. Here are a few pictures from our afternoon at the Fort.

 

The Defensive Roundhouse complete with protest tags

The old barracks

Parade Ground

The Suttler

merchandise for enlisted and officers alike

The Schoolhouse next to the Magazine where the gunpowder was stored.

The Magazine

Accomodations in the early 20th century.

Early accomodations for 12 soldiers

The Hospital Kitchen where Dred and Harriet Scott lived

Site of ancient stone workers from 9,000 years ago.

The Magazine Interior

The Roundhouse, Oldest of the buildings at the fort.

level one

level two

Upper Level

Marlene made it to the top!

 

Minnehaha Falls

After a stop for some Ethiopian food in St Paul, we headed to Minnehaha Falls. The area in and around the Twin Cities is composed of a brittle crust over softer rock. Like the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Creek has eroded the layers beneath the falls and has worked its way back several miles from where it began at the end of the glacial period. Today, it sits in the center of Minnehaha Regional Park, which includes other features like the "Song of Hiawatha Garden", Longfellow Gardens, and the Statue of Hiawatha. The falls themselves are much larger than I expected. We could only explore a little of the park because the stairs to the trail along the creek were very long and steep. Here are a few shots from the park well above the Minnehaha Creek.

 

The "Song of Hiawatha Garden"

 

As wanderers, we enjoy our zigs and zags. And this zig has just begun. We have a few more days here in Savage before heading south to Rochester, where we hope to visit the Mayo Clinic museum. Then, we are back on the road to The Wisconsin Dells for a week. I'm not sure what we will see, but with health, weather, and time allowing, we will wander around enough to make this zig worthwhile. I'm glad you are along for the ride.

 

Travel well, my friends!

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note about pictures. FB has made it increasingly difficult to post photos from our travels. It is very frustrating to spend 30 minutes selecting and adding captions to pictures only to have FB freeze up and not be able to post them. I will keep trying from time to time, but I will always upload my shots to my Flickr account (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobdees/). I will continue to share many of my favorite pictures here on the blog, along with commentary and descriptions that I hope prove helpful and entertaining. In short, I cannot rely on FB, and I suggest you subscribe to the blog or check Flickr regularly to see the pictures from our travels. If you want to share them with others, send them a link to the blog (https:/bobswanderlusting.blogspot.com/)or my Flickr account. Again, thanks for following along.

RLD