The 13th Apostle

TOP: Bob trying out this new thing called "bicycling". He never did seem to get the hang of it

2nd: Although Kathy was DYING to get out kayaking in this surf, we boys wimped out and elected to bike today

3rd: Lumpy lounging by the seashore. The veranda from our hotel on Lake Superior...very nice, indeed...

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Today we drove up from Duluth to the Apostle Islands. They are about 20 islands off the MN/WI coast in Lake Superior, a very bucolic scene indeed. We get here just as the ferry was pulling up (ferry goes mainland to the biggest island only), and they begin loading a 40 FOOT MOTORHOME onto the 41 foot ferry. I'm thinking, man, this baby is going down with the ship, but the expertly load it, and we see it making its way out to the island safely.

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We stopped into the visitor's welcome center to get some maps and such. They actually had a flyer warning about the "swimming bears attacking kayakers". Apparently the black bears swim island to island hunting fish, and they sometimes mistake a kayaker for a big fish. I would just crap my pants if I was kayaking along and a bear came up next to me. I can't imagine...

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The weather was too rough to go out today, so we opted to bike over on the biggest island. We told kathy we'd do a nice little 10 mile jaunt....35 miles of 20+mph winds, 85 degree sun, and no waterstops later we pulled back into town. Man, was she ever happy for the workout! Bob had a flat that became an engineering nightmare...he had to figure out if it was the tensile strength of the tube that went wrong, or perhaps a tortional stress on a spoke, or maybe just A FREAKIN' STONE HE RAN OVER. Took about 30 minutes to change that tube while we were eaten alive by mosquitos passing themselves off as birds...huge mosquitos...dinosaur-like mosquitos. Then, as we're riding along a bit later, I look back and he's on the ground (pix above to document!). Now, THAT was funny. Kathy yelled "SPRINT" and took off. Later Bob pulled a sprint of his own, winning the climb to the top of the island landfill...he was so proud.

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We got back to town, stopped in a local coffee shop to get lunch, and the owner just pulled up a chair and spent an hour chatting with us. Lovely gal, she moved here from her diary farm 20 years ago to be "around people". No, really...and she stays here all winter with the other dozen or so nutbags who winter here. She said it wasn't too bad, only about 2 months that they can't leave the island...when the lake is freezing (before they can skidoo over on the ice) and when it is melting (when you fall in and the kayak-eating bears get you). Otherwise, it's a fun spot. OK, we believe you. Damned good sandwiches though at her place.

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DAY 2: We went out this morning to rent some kayaks. We go into the kayak rental shop, and ask what tours they have. The gal goes into a long monologue about what a great tour they have that goes over to the island caves, blah, blah, blah. We say, Ok, let's do it. "Oh" she says, "that tour left about an hour ago". OK, so we'll just rent some boats and go paddle by ourselves. She says that we have to go through a safetly instruction before they can rent us the boats. Ok, no big deal, let's do it. "Oh" she says "the only guy who does the safety instruction is leading that tour that left an hour ago". OK, so kayaking is out.

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We go over to the sailing rental shop down the street. The guy inside tells me about a great sail that they have, we shouldn't miss it. I say OK, let's book it. "Oh" he says, it doesn't start until the end of june...we don't actually sail yet".

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At this point I'm ready to put a bullet in my head....so, we go out riding again instead of kayaking. But, it LOOKED like a really nice place to kayak....except for the bears.

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"Ya gotta ask the right question" Lumpy out