Saturday, January 8, 2011

RV Travel Fun In Wisconsin

By Marley Martinerin


Wisconsin has many things to do that are off the beaten path. Starting with Iron County, this county is full of waterfalls and natural wonders. Hurley, is the county seat, and is only a stones throw away from the Michigan border. Superior Falls, which is approximately a ninety foot fall, sits right on the border and some say that a better view would be from the Michigan side, but since you are in that area, why not take a peek.
Heading west out of Hurley is Route 77, and scattered north off of the road is one will find more waterfalls. When you reach the town of Mellen, take Route 13N to 169N and soon you will find the Copper Falls State Park, there is RV parking available, and there waterfalls to visit, trails to walk, old stone buildings to see, along with what nature has to offer. Just north of Mellon, where Route 13 heads north, there is a road called Government Road that will eventually end up in Odanah. If you love rock formations, there is one that can be found close to Odanah, called Miners Castle. This can be a quick stop along the way as you are heading for Odanah, where a gambling casino is located if you want to try your luck.
Route 2, heading west will take you into Ashland, which is full of things to see and do. It is located on the edge of Lake Superior, and one can find many adventures from architectural, history, culture and more, hidden within a few miles radius. Theaters are located throughout the Ashland area if one would want to see a show, Prentice Park is a home to swans, for those who love swans, and Ore Dock is a large dock used at one time for shipping iron-ore to other places. The dock is next to Kreher Park if you a place to park the RV. From Ashland to Bayfield there are lots of attractions that take place, check with local tour guides for the latest updates.
Route 13, runs parallel to Lake Superior and if you take that heading towards Bayfield, there are more great things to see. Bayfield area has everything from ghost tours, a casino, Houghton Point Falls, museums, historical homes and just north of Bayfield is a place called Ice Caves. If you love caves and the outdoors, this is a must see. Be prepared to walk, its close to a two mile walk and is located off of Meyers Beach.
Other great places to see in Wisconsin are Timm's Hill, located in Ogema, which is the highest point in Wisconsin. The shores of Lake Michigan all the way up to Washington Island are full of scenic wonders and scattered with lighthouses. The big cities of Milwaukee and Green Bay, along with a few others, always have historical sites and things to do. But if one is in Wisconsin, the shorelines are a must see, along with the beautiful waterfalls the state has to offer. Anytime one is in a county, find out what local festivities are taking place, you may find something you never anticipated
Marley Martinerin is a regular contributor to a number of sites and writes articles about such topics as the shimano nexus, and the monark bicycle.

1 comment:

Nan said...

No mention of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (www.nps.gov/apis)? No reference to taking the ferry to Madeline Island? How can anyone drive along the south shore of Lake Superior and not notice either of those?

The "ice caves," incidentally are really only visible from the water -- when you're on the trail you're walking above them, and, although you can catch glimpses, you don't really see much. If you're a not kayaker or a boater, the best way to see caves carved into sandstone is to take one of the Apostle Islands cruises on a tour boat that gives a person a good view of the shoreline.

There is a campground that falls within the boundaries of Apostle Islands NL at Little Sand Bay (right at the tip of the Bayfield peninsula) that does allow RVs. It's operated by the town of Russell; as of the last time I was there (2002) sites were primtive (no electricity or sewer), but there is a comfort station with flush toilets.