Wow...I'm afraid this is going to be a bit of a long post...but stick with me for a glimpse at what is, in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful places in the country. (yes, one of...I know there are many--aren't we lucky??)So...
Once Upon a Time...there were three girls.
We'll call them Sarah, Kristen and Steph.
These girls (ok, these 30-somethings) decided it was high time they left the cities they lived in, commutes they despised and all semblances of corporate life, for the great woods of the north, where they all secretly wish they lived, selling pottery and swimming daily.
Upon leaving the blackberries, high-heels and other indicators of real life, the girls set out to explore the magical forests of Copper Falls State Park.
The found softly flowing rivers...
that quickly morphed into mystic waterfalls....
The girls climbed over huge boulders...
(formed millions of years ago by slowly drying lava--see?
one of our heroines read the signs so diligently placed by the Wisconsin DNR)
...high above the waterfalls...
To see first-hand the wonders of nature.
And to try to channel Ansel Adams. Better luck next time.
It was time for the girls to move on with their adventures when one girl tried to knee the other off the edge of the cliff. Ok, that didn't really happen, but doesn't it kind of look like it in this photo?
After concluding their adventures among the cliffs of Copper Falls, the girls decided to move on to the next set of waterfalls.
However, the evil logarithms at google almost thwarted their adventures by sending them in the wrong direction.
(...um...note the Corn Field)
But the girls figured it out and eventually found Morgan Falls, which they didn't take any pictures of since the falls were dry. The adventurous girls then gave up on waterfalls and headed for the magical land of
Bayfield, Wisconsin.
Upon arrival, the girls set up a tent. A familiar practice to Miss Kristen, but an utterly foreign concept to her Marriot Silver Elite level friend.
Nonetheless, a beautiful dwelling was built by the girl from Wisconsin and all three sleeping beauties didn't so much as feel a pea (or root) under their super-plush-and-very-fancy Cabela's air mattresses (thanks, KZ!!!)
The next morning they awoke to a crisp, cool morning in the beautiful Lake-side town of Bayfield...
...where the girl who lives in Kansas couldn't stop putting her feet in the clear, crisp and
frigid waters of Lake Superior...
...and also couldn't seem to stop taking photos of sailboats.
The Norwegians (well, the Norwegian and the mutt) encountered a good-luck troll which they figured they should take a photo with to bring good fortune on the icy lake.
After some exploring in the sweet town full of ice-cream shops and old fishing boats...
...the girls headed to
Madeline Island for shopping and relaxing on the beach.
The next morning brought the most exciting adventure of all...sea kayaking on beautiful Lake Superior!
After a quick training on how to efficiently exit the kayak you're strapped into in the unfortunate event you flip your watercraft into the 45 degree water in 4-foot waves in a thunderstorm, the brave and courageous girls set out across the glassy lake through the
Apostle Islands...
Where they kayaked through towering sea caves...
(cute hat, Stephie!)
And past the
Sand Island lighthouse...
To the lovely and remote campground on Sand Island, where the girls parked the Kayaks for the night...
...And made new friends over scrumptious whitefish and s'mores.
The morning on Sand Island broke with a beauty the girls will never forget...
And they set off on the final day of the trip,
most thankful for the pristine beauty by which they were surrounded...
...the good friends they were able to spend time with...
...and the fact they never did need to use the "get out of the lake and back into your kayak" technique they learned.
