Appreciating the Local Flavor: Van Riper State Park, MI 9/22/2009

Plan A was to get up early and bike the island. We woke up to a rainy morning so decided to hang out for awhile in the winniemoble. After a few games of Skip-bo (where Ned kicked my butt I might add), we decided to check out the quaint town of LaPointe. If you’re not bike riding what’s the next best thing? A couple of blueberry muffins and sharing a mocha, of course! While we were hanging out in the coffee shop WISC-TV Channel 3, Madison, WI was shooting video for a feature spot on Bayfield and Madeline Island. There were about a dozen people in the coffee shop – a family playing UNO, two old codgers, another couple and us. (Good thing we aren’t in the witness protection program hanging out in some Podunk town!) After departing the ferry, we were quite pokey driving along stopping to take pictures and visiting local establishments, including a smoked fish shop. My new favorite food is brown sugar smoked whitefish - to die for!! We continued into Michigan on Highway 28 appreciating the slightly overcast cool day (mid-70’s) and admiring all the colors. The fall colors here, in the Upper Peninsula, have a lot of red, but not so much yellow or oranges. Perhaps those will come later in the season. When we pulled into our campsite, on the shores of Lake Michigamme, we were quite amused by the scary signs, fake RIP cemetery tombstones and Halloween decorations hanging from the trees. Turns out this campground will be completely sold out for the weekend. The locals camp here, decorate their individual campers and the kids trick or treat from campsite to campsite. What a hoot! We asked the ranger why they did this a month before Halloween. He stated that it’s the last chance for the local folks to enjoy the park before it gets too cold. He noted that it’s usually 30 degrees on Halloween and too cold for some of the kids. After our bike ride around the lake and through parts of the park, we were quite hungry and decided to make our dinner out of all the local food we’ve been sampling. Tonight’s fare included the smoked whitefish, a local variety of apples called “Red Free” and pears from Bayfield Apple farm, local cheese from Marquette and french bread. Note we definitely stayed with a California wine. The local “cider” wines didn’t quite do it for us. (For the record, all bread outside of California sucks – pretty bland white tasteless clouds, like bad dinner rolls. I do miss our Truckee Baguettes.) Today’s pic is of our locally procured bounty. Bon Appetite!