Shore Bets in and Around Bayfield
Bayfield's Maritime Museum is packed with enough artifacts to keep kids entertained for an hour or so (715-779-9919 in summer or 715-779-3925 year-round; www.apostleisland.com/4.htm).
Two miles off the mainland, Madeline Island (www.madelineisland.com) features shops, a settler museum, and a campground with a beach. Take your car over on the ferry or rent bikes at Motion to Go (www.motion-to-go.com). Stop by Grampa Tony's (715-747-3911) for a kid-friendly meal on the deck.
The sandstone bluffs west of town boast spectacular caves that are best seen from a kayak. For a guided trip, we like Living Adventure, which offers kayaking tours for ages 8 and up (866-779-9503; www.livingadventure.com).
Pick up an instant picnic at Wild By Nature Market (715-779-5075).
Bay Fisheries sells reasonably priced smoked lake trout and salmon caught daily (715-779-3910).Maggie's Restaurant is a family-friendly stop for lunch or dinner (715-779-5641; www.maggies-bayfield.com).
For a touch of elegance at modest prices, try breakfast or lunch at the Old Rittenhouse Inn (715-779-5111; www.rittenhouseinn.com).
The Winfield Inn offers a flower-draped motel and a variety of cabin and home rentals (nightly room rates at the inn start at $140; cabin rentals start at $100; 715-779-3252; www.winfieldinn.com).
Reiten Boatyard boasts one-bedroom condos starting at $145 nightly and is near a beach, the town's indoor pool, and a playground (800-842-1199; www.apostleislands.com/cr.htm).
For a budget-saver in a bucolic setting, consider Bayfield's city-owned Dalrymple Campground (715-779-5712; www.cityofbayfield.com), a mile north of downtown on Highway 13. Rates are $15 per night and many of the pine-shaded sites feature million-dollar views of Lake Superior.
