Wisconsin
Explore Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Program No. 12512RJ
Discover the Apostle Islands’ many charms as you enjoy local culture, see a presentation on shipwrecks, learn about the region’s ecology and hear tales of early settlers.
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
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While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
5 days
4 nights
What's Included
11 meals (
4B, 4L, 3D
)
9 expert-led lectures
6 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
4 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Meals:
D
Stay:
Bayfield Inn
Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Check-in Starts : 3:00 p.m. After you check in with the Inn and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to check in with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 4:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach [or bus] unless noted otherwise. We will have meals at the inn unless otherwise specified. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the inn.
Evening:
Tonight we will hear a lecture from the director of the Indigenous Cultures Center on the Native Americans in the Apostle Islands area. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Bayfield Area History, National Lakeshore History
Location:
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Bayfield Inn
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile throughout the day
Breakfast:
In the inn’s meeting room with a gorgeous view of the public pier on Lake Superior, Madeline Island, and the sunrise.
Morning:
A retired National Park Service historian will join us at the hotel to present the history of the Apostle Islands and the Bayfield area including the early encounters between Native Americans, explorers, missionaries, and fur trappers. After a short break, we’ll gather for a second lecture, this time on the construction of the famed Apostle Islands lighthouses.
Lunch:
At the inn, we’ll have a light lunch.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will get an introduction of the National Lakeshore, and hear about the various types of natural life found in the Apostle Islands. There are many significant aspects to the Apostle Islands, but one thing that makes them important is that the islands are shaped and isolated by Lake Superior, and they sustain rare communities, habitats, and species of plants and animals… everything from A to Z. This presentation provides an overview of the Apostle Islands' natural resources. We then will discover the wonders of the various sea caves around the lakeshore. The rest of the afternoon will be free for independent exploration of this quaint lakeside town, or an optional walk up to the historic Iron Bridge.
Dinner:
At the inn.
Evening:
Tonight we will watch the documentary film Bad River, which chronicles the the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty and the preservation of Lake Superior.
Day
3
Apostle Islands Study Cruise
Location:
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Bayfield Inn
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile throughout the day; sidewalks and flat terrain. Getting on/off a boat; ride is about 2.5 hours. Periods of standing up to 1 hour at the Coast Guard Station.
Breakfast:
At the inn.
Morning:
We will begin with a short walk to the nearby dock where we will set out on a study cruise narrated by the captain of the boat. As we see historic lighthouses and get close-up views of the sea caves, we will learn about their history, legendary shipwrecks that happened in the area, and that native marine wildlife. Twenty-two islands make up the Apostle Islands, and it is host to one of the four National Lakeshores in the United States.
Lunch:
At the inn, we’ll have a light lunch.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will make our way on foot to the Bayfield Heritage Museum for a private experience. Next we will walk to the U.S Coast Guard Station for a short tour before heading to the Bayfield Maritime Museum to learn about fishing, ships, and other important aspects of the lakeshore through stories and articfacts.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Day
4
Madeline Island
Location:
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Bayfield Inn
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile throughout the day; periods of standing up to 1 hour each. Getting on/off the ferry; ride is about 1/2 hour. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 30 miles roundtrip; approximately 2 hours.
Breakfast:
Inn buffet.
Morning:
We will transfer via motorcoach to take the ferry to Madeline Island and, once on the island, we will visit the Madeline Island Museum for a presentation on the fur trade given by a local expert. The rustic museum, an amalgamation of several different structures, includes the only remaining building from the American Fur Company. It tells the story of the Ojibwe people who lived in this area for centuries, and exhibits explorer and fur trade artifacts. From there, we will head out on foot to Big Bay City Park where we will walk along the pristine sandy barrier beach.
Lunch:
At Big Bay City Park, we will have boxed lunches.
Afternoon:
On a narrated field trip by motorcoach around the island, we will learn from a local expert about the renowned extreme winter weather in this area of Wisconsin on Lake Superior. We’ll talk about how the folks who live here get along when it’s so cold, and how they enjoy the mild summers. As we go, we’ll make various stops including visits to an artisan shop and a church. We’ll then catch the ferry and return to the inn.
Dinner:
At the inn. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends.
Evening:
We’ll then have a special presentation at the inn given by a local expert about “The House That Sank.” A comical story stemming from a can-do attitude in the very cold winter of 1977, “The House That Sank” received attention from everyone – including the LA Times and folk singers alike – after it (and the truck hauling it) broke through the ice on the way across Lake Superior. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
5
Program Concludes
Location:
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Meals:
B,L
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the inn.
Morning:
Our final session of the program will wrap up with two short lectures on the ways in which the people of the Apostle Islands and surrounding region made their living in the challenging Lake Superior environment – fishing, logging, farming, and more – followed by a closer examination of women’s lives on the islands.
Lunch:
Before departure, we will have boxed lunches available to take with us. This concludes our program.
Afternoon:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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