Right Place, Wrong Time
Words by Dalene Heck / Photography by Pete Heck
We are caught in the middle.
On one side, the remaining vestiges of fall – crunchy brown leaves still visible on the ground, a warm autumn sun that survives to regularly bring temperatures above freezing.
On the other, winter teases us. The closest lake is solid ice, but not quite thick enough to walk on. We get excited by piles of snow that begin to accrue, only to have them disappear days later.
We are in between seasons, and it is curbing our options for activities. We can’t kayak, but we also can’t snowshoe.
We waited to take a road trip to nearby Bayfield – friends suggested that it would be best seen under a fresh cover of white. Anxious for a change of scenery, we went anyways.
A launching point for the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior, these sorts of seasonal pictures have been teasing us:
Looks amazing, right? Too bad we couldn’t do either.
Kayaks are no longer available, and the ice caves won’t be accessible until well after we are gone in January. And while the tiny town itself still has some services open, these sorts of signs also greeted us during our quick exploration:
Normally, we would be thrilled at the sight of empty beaches and revel in being left alone for silent relaxation. But instead, we were just filled with longing for what we were missing out on.
We’ve been known to give second chances every so often. Bayfield will have to be one of them.
As I have said numerous times before, your part of the world is beautiful!! Hope you get to enjoy a bit more as the season wears on. Have a fantastic day 🙂
There’s got to be lots of places to go hiking in that area!
There is! We were trying to find one (were directed in two different directions to two different people as to its starting point), and then realized we wouldn’t get very far as we didn’t have much daylight left. So, instead, we enjoyed photographing the sunset on the lake! Pictures of that to come another time. 🙂
You’ll just have to come back! I’ve not been up to Bayfield but I hear it’s beautiful.
We already have plans to get up there again in the early new year for a very fun activity! (Assuming the snow sticks around at some point!)
That’s how I felt my first August in Europe. Everything was seemingly closed. As you said, you just have reason to go back!
The only thing is…we are sadly running out of time…
The beauty of that for me – it feels like it’s ALL mine!
True! And most times, that’s exactly how we would feel. But we so badly wanted to go kayaking or walking to ice caves, and will not get to do either. 🙁
I feel your pain. I visited Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia a few years ago, just before tourist season started. There were quite a few places I wanted to visit that weren’t open yet. Just makes for a good excuse to go back and visit again.
Every time I’ve been out on the East Coast, it’s been the WRONG time to visit PEI (knowing that everything would be totally closed). Definitely want to get there at some point.
Reminds me of the time I arrived all the way up in Dawson City, Yukon, 15 mins before it closed for the season.
Oh crap! That is some bad timing. 🙁
Wow, this is like poetry. Those were the times when the nature also asks us to give them a break, as preparation for the next season’s really hectic schedule. I love the photos btw. 🙂
I suppose nature deserves a break. I guess I am okay with that. 🙂
Now i know when not to go there. Thanks 🙂
I really do hope that if you two make it back to Wisconsin that you give Bayfield another chance! I love Bayfield so much, it’s such a fun, quirky, little town, and if I could, I’d go all the time!
Andy and I actually have been told to go back up there because one of the bartenders in Vieques is originally from Bayfield, and she told us to come and see her at Maggie’s. I love an excuse to go! 🙂
We do have plans to head up there in the new year, just need to keep our fingers crossed that there will be enough snow for our “activity”! 🙂