la pointe: Last boat from Bayfield to Madeline Island on Friday night of "Biker Weekend"
- 06/22/08 07:57 AM
I found myself on the 11 p.m. trip, the last of the day, from Bayfield to La Pointe this evening.
If you were trying to determine whether or not tourism is down this year, you'd get the impression things are slow this year by riding the last ferry of the day to La Pointe on a Friday summer evening.
We left the mainland aboard the Bayfield at around 11:10 p.m., with a total of just seven vehicles on deck. Two of the vehicles had Wisconsin license plates, the remaining five (including mine) had Minnesota plates.
The Bayfield has a capacity of 26 … (0 comments)
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la pointe: Madeline Island Ferry Line forced to make tough choices due to rising fuel costs
- 06/19/08 01:35 PM
Rumor has it that the Madeline Island Ferry Line in La Pointe, Wisconsin has recently resorted to layoffs and shift changes in ferry crews in an effort to save money. Economic forces are apparently to blame, including reduced tourist traffic resulting from high gasoline prices.
An area source reported that tourist traffic is down this season and the Ferry Line has been forced to cut back multiple shifts, cancel two round-trip crossings per day and reduce its staff by several employees.
Another source mentioned that the Ferry Line crew seems to have adopted the practice of holding ferry boats at the dock longer for some trips, waiting for "stragglers" to … (0 comments)
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la pointe: Madeline Island Golf Club opens June 14th in La Pointe, Wisconsin
- 06/07/08 04:50 PM
The Madeline Island Golf Club is gearing up for its opening day, June 14.
The course, designed by world-renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., is in the process of being groomed and made ready for opening week. Resident PGA pro Jeff Obst will be available for lessons and golf clinics this season.
The course is located on Old Fort Road, across from the Madeline Island Marina and Yacht Club. You'll enjoy spectacular views of Lake Superior and the mainland from much of the course. Carts are available and there are occasional special prices and offerings which appear on the Golf Club … (4 comments)
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la pointe: Madeline Island Public Library is one of the best in Northern Wisconsin!
- 06/07/08 04:44 PM
The Madeline Island Public Library now has its own website!
The Library, situated across the street from La Pointe Town Hall, is open from 2 pm to 8 pm, Mondays & Wednesdays, and from 10 am until 5 pm, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays during summer. Saturday hours are from 10 a.m. until Noon.
The Island Library sponsors events for kids, as well as adults. The library hosts yoga and knitting classes, and there is a summer reading program for young people.
Contact the Madeline Island Public Library at 715-747-3662 for more information.
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la pointe: Madeline Island Music Camp "Chamber Music for String & Piano" session starts tomorrow in La Pointe, Wisconsin
- 06/07/08 04:14 PM
Tomorrow, June 8th, marks the opening day of the Madeline Island Music Camp's string and piano chamber music session.
The four-week chamber music program in La Pointe, Wisconsin will host the Pacifica, Arianna, Parker and Fry Street string quartets this season. String coaches and instructors come from all over the United States, including professional musicians from the University of Wisconsin, the Cleveland Institute, Oberlin conservatory, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Houston Symphony. Music Director Evelina Chao is a violist in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Each year, gifted string students ages 14 to 24 attend the well-known chamber music camp. Students are divided … (0 comments)
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la pointe: Art galleries open for the summer season in La Pointe and Bayfield, Wisconsin
- 06/07/08 12:24 PM
Summer is a time for art gallery openings on Madeline Island!
Over Memorial Day weekend, Burt & Francie's, at 117 Rittenhouse Avenue in Bayfield) hosted an art opening featuring art works by local artists, including Kelly Nelson (the owner of "Island Thyme" gift shop in La Pointe).
Across the water, in La Pointe, the La Pointe Center Art Guild and Gallery hosted a "Winter Works" opening. The exhibit is described as "an eclectic collection of mixed media" created by Island residents and summer dwellers. The exhibit will run through June 8 on Madeline Island.
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la pointe: Madeline Island Ferry Line announces trip schedule to be adjusted to conserve fuel
- 06/07/08 11:33 AM
The Madeline Island Ferry Line, in La Pointe, Wisconsin, is making an extra effort to improve fuel efficiency this summer.
The Madeline Island Ferry Line has announced "minor adjustments" in its 2008 summer schedule, aimed at conserving diesel fuel. As of Monday, June 9, the 12:00 Noon and 3 p.m. ferry trips from Bayfield and from La Pointe (on Madeline Island) are canceled.
At this time, no additional trip reductions are contemplated.
Visit the Madeline Island Ferry Line website for schedule revision details, or phone 715-747-2801.
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la pointe: June Events on Madeline Island
- 06/05/08 07:12 PM
The Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce will be hosting two special events for members in La Pointe, Wisconsin during June.
On June 10th, the Madeline Island Golf Club will host a "Chamber After Hours" party for members of the Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce and the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce. The event will run from 5 to 7pm and refreshments will be served.
On June 26th, there will be a Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce Membership Dinner at the newly-opened Lightkeeper's Lodge, located next to The Pub Restaurant in La Pointe. The Lightkeeper's Lodge is Madeline Island's newest lodging and special events facility. There will be a social hour and tours of the … (0 comments)
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la pointe: Memorial Day brings gasoline at $4.25 per gallon to Madeline Island
- 05/31/08 02:52 PM
Gasoline prices have reached the $4.25 mark on Madeline Island.
The price of 87-octane unleaded regular gasoline at the pump next to the Madeline Island Marina & Yacht Club, in La Pointe, Wisconsin, reached $4.25 over Memorial Day weekend.
Boat fuel at the Marina is expected to approach five dollars per gallon when summer arrives. It's too early to determine whether or not high prices will have a significant impact on recreational boating in the Apostle Islands region.
At the small craft marina in LaPointe, across from the Yacht Club, there are still few boats in the water. The late arrival of … (39 comments)
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la pointe: Madeline Island celebrates a cold Memorial Day
- 05/31/08 02:50 PM
Memorial Day on Madeline Island is usually a bit warmer than it was this year.
This year's celebration, at the Madeline Island Ferry Landing, was a chilly one. The outdoor temperature was in the mid-40s, with brisk winds and overcast skies.
The Madeline Island Community Choir gathered in front of Island Thyme gift shop at dockside. A veterans' group, including WWII veterans from Red Cliff and La Pointe performed a rifle salute during the ceremony. A veterans' wreath was tossed onto the water.
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la pointe: Farmer's market, Island Thyme Spring Cleaning Sale top the list of Madeline Island weekend happenings
- 05/31/08 02:49 PM
"Island Thyme" gift shop in La Pointe, Wisconsin is having a Madeline Island "Spring Cleaning Sale"!
Today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days, Island Thyme will be presenting a plant sale with Free Hand Farms of Ashland, Wisconsin. The plant sale will include potted perennials, annuals, herbs and vegetables.
Quiet Creek Farm has its own market stand, located at the corner of Le Sueur and Main Streets, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., with produce, flowers and fresh pork available for purchase.
The Madeline Island branch of Bremer Bank is now open Monday through Friday each week, from 9 a.m. until … (2 comments)
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la pointe: Building Your Company Image Around Recreation as a Focal Point
- 05/28/08 10:40 AM
One of the biggest challenges to an independent real estate company is creating a unique company image that reflects your service area and the type of business in which you specialize. Ideally, that image shoud be part of your entire marketing strategy, including print and Web marketing and even in the way your office is decorated
We started a company on Madeline Island, in La Pointe, Wisconsin (just off the south shore of Lake Superior) in 2001. Madeline Island is a recreational/second home community that is popular with summer residents and tourists from all over the country, especially the Midwest. The Island is also home to over two … (20 comments)
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la pointe: Island Store Owner Says Tourism Forecast is Sunny on Madeline Island
- 05/24/08 04:44 PM
All the market metrics in the world regarding tourism wouldn't impress me half as much as the opinion of a shopkeeper in the heart of this tourist community.
Ed and Marilyn Hartig own and operate the Island Store on Main Street in La Pointe, Wisconsin, just across the street from the Madeline Island Realty office. Ed has been selling produce, fast food, meats and cheese, at the same location for several decades.
So it's safe to say Ed has his finger on the pulse of Madeline Island's business community.
Ed tells me business is booming so far, and he anticipates a … (2 comments)
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la pointe: Madeline Island Museum Hosts Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration on June 22
- 05/24/08 09:50 AM
The Madeline Island Museum, founded in 1958, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on June 22. The celebration will include the opening of a special anniversary exhibit and a rededication ceremony
The Museum, in downtown La Pointe, Wisconsin, is operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Pioneer history buffs Leo & Bella Capser and Hamilton Ross Jr. played a major role in the creation of the Museum, with help from Island archeology hobbyist named Al Galazen.
The Museum is located on Colonel Woods Avenue, just a short distance from the Madeline Island Ferry landing. Tickets are $7.00 ($3.50 for ages 5 to 17), with senior citizens and … (2 comments)
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la pointe: Great Places to Dine on Madeline Island This Summer - My Recommendations
- 05/21/08 09:53 AM
If you've never been to Madeline Island before, you'll hear plenty of opinions from newspaper travel columnists and websites about what to see and enjoy. Here's my personal list of places to eat and relax while you're visiting the Island.
Restaurants - You've got choices on Madeline Island when it comes to dining. If you're looking for casual dining or lunch in the town of La Pointe, stop at the Beach Club or Grandpa Tony's, both on Main Street, close to the ferry landing. The Beach Club offers alfresco dining on the patio and plenty of indoor seating. Grampa Tony's offers items like pizza, … (4 comments)
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la pointe: Madeline Island Airport Information for Visiting Private Pilots
- 05/19/08 04:07 PM
For anyone who is a private aircraft owner visiting the Apostle Islands area of Lake Superior, here's some useful information about the Madeline Island Airport in La Pointe, Wisconsin:
The FAA Identifier for the Madeline Island Airport is 4R5 The Madeline Island Airport is a public airport, owned and operated by the Town of La Pointe, Wisconsin. There is a 3000 foot hard surface runway, seventy-five feet wide, asphalt surface, with medium-intensity runway lights There are two runways with nonprecision runway markings The airport is run by manager Michael Dalzell (who replaced Brian Murphy as airport manager at the end of 2006) - The … (0 comments)
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la pointe: Madeline Island Businesses Opening as Spring Unfolds
- 05/12/08 04:54 PM
Despite the slow arrival of spring, Madeline Island businesses are opening and tourist traffic is beginning to pick up!
Here are a few of the La Pointe business openings scheduled for the month of May:
Bremer Bank - Open May 13, 20 & 23, from 9am to 2pm. Beginning May 27, the bank will be open Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm.
Island Carvers - Currently open, Saturday, 1 to 4pm. Beginning May 15, Thursday through Saturday, from 11 am until 4pm. Open May 22-26, from 11-4pm. Beginning May 27, Monday through Saturday, from 11- 4 pm.
The Island Grocery Store on Main Street (across the … (11 comments)
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la pointe: Bayfield and Iron River, Wisconsin to be Featured in Upcoming Episodes of PBS "Venture North" Series
- 04/29/08 12:53 PM
The PBS Venture North series is described as an "essential guide to life and adventure at the tip of Lake Superior". And the popular series on public television plans to feature the Wisconsin towns of Bayfield and Iron River in upcoming episodes.
The episode featuring Bayfield will air on May 22 and will replay on May 25. That segment will highlight Good Earth Gardens in Bayfield, which supplies flowers and vegetables to well-known area restaurants, including Lotta's Lakeside Cafe in La Pointe, on lovely Madeline Island.
The Iron River feature will be part of the June 12th program, which will rebroadcast on … (0 comments)
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la pointe: Gardening on Madeline Island Can Be a Challenge, But It's Worth The Effort
- 04/29/08 05:01 AM
One of my clients asked me about the feasibility of having a vegetable garden, with maybe a few flowers, on Madeline Island.
I could write a book on the subject. Maybe I should.
The good news is, La Pointe Township is in USDA Hardiness Zone 5. That means you'll have a longer growing season than nearby Hayward, Wisconsin. The reason for the isolated Zone 5 classification is the moderating influence of being surrounded by Lake Superior. Once the water warms up in spring and summer, it holds thermal energy and the prevailing winds from the west and south cause a … (0 comments)
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la pointe: Aftermath of Lake Superior Storm Friday Leaves Trees Down in Washburn, Wisconsin
- 04/13/08 05:57 AM
My friend (and ActiveRain member) Mike Arnao called me today to fill me in on the aftermath of the west Lake Superior storm which finally ended yesterday.
Mike told me that mature pines and hardwoods were down in Washburn, Wisconsin. In some cases, trees were snapped off by high winds. Street signs were down as well and debris from the windstorm was strewn around parts of town.
Madeline Island and the mainland town of Mellen received the most snow. Both locales received fifteen inches of wet, heavy snow during the course of the storm.
The Madeline Island Ferry Line shut down Friday for … (2 comments)
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I found myself on the 11 p.m. trip, the last of the day, from Bayfield to La Pointe this evening.
;)
;)
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