It’s Lake Time in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan
A Colorado friend from my music days lives in Minneapolis. When I mentioned to Julie we would be passing through the Land of 10,000 Lakes, she invited us to visit her and musician-husband Dale Menton at their rustic summer cabin on Woman Lake in northern MN. It’s one of a four-lake chain that also includes – get this – Child Lake, Girl Lake, and Little Woman Lake. To add to the curiously adorable names, not far away are Man Lake, Baby Lake, Kid Lake and Little Boy Lake. Woman Lake is believed to have been named to commemorate Ojibwe women who were killed in a battle against the Sioux. But it’s unclear if the other names are related to this presumption.
Woman Lake is renowned for its fishing opportunities, particularly for walleye, but it also has healthy populations of northern pike, perch, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and muskellunge. Walleye fishing is boosted by the fact that Woman Lake is one of the few remaining naturally reproducing walleye lakes in Minnesota. The lake has excellent water clarity, which can make fishing for light-sensitive fish like walleye challenging during the daytime.
Wherever there isn’t water, there is forest. Quaking aspen are the most common tree but plenty other species grow here. The autumn color change wasn’t evident yet but would likely be stunning. We spent the days cruising the lake in their pontoon boat, checking out the Labor Day weekend craft market and stopping here and there to throw a fishing line into the water. Julie and Dale caught plenty of smalls that weren’t worth keeping for dinner. Instead we went out to Patrick’s Fine Dining (reminding me of a typical supper club so common in my youth) for a walleye dinner…fresh and delicious! Evenings we spent in the hefty knotty pine porch swing observing sunsets on the lake then playing card games into the wee hours.
We were on our way to Wisconsin’s Northwoods for a few days with my cousins. The Northwoods feel spacious, secluded, and stunning. Here we began seeing little signs of autumn. As a child I would spend summer vacations in Door County but this time the destination was Lake Roberts, near the small town of Wabeno. Cousin Carol and Mike have a year-round home there and they invited her sisters, Mary Pat and Suzanne (& Tony), also cousins from Green Bay, to join us. We had tons of fun reminiscing and playing games. Laughter prevailed every minute of our stay. Mike took us for a lake cruise on his pontoon boat and cooked up a fish fry of little bluegills which he caught previously. It was tough to leave all the good feelings behind.
Continuing further east, our route ran between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The cousins had suggested we stay in St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan due to its proximity to Mackinac Island (pronounced like the city, Mackinaw). We had no hotel booking but given it was now after Labor Day, we thought it would be a cinch to find a spot for 3 nights. Not quite…the Mackinac Bridge Annual Antique Tractor Crossing + Show was on this weekend. The unique festival usually features 300 tractors and drivers parading across the 5-mile bridge that connects the Upper and Lower Peninsula. Enthusiasts from afar bring meticulously restored tractors, showcasing vintage models that highlight agricultural history. The 3-1/2 hour parade was worth a gawk while we had our coffee and continued on to Harbor Springs, a posh village I remember visiting in 1976.
We took a ferry to Mackinac Island one gorgeous sunny day. It’s a unique and captivating destination known for its timeless charm and a refreshing absence of modern motor vehicles. Instead of cars, the island embraces a slower pace of life, relying on horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and walking to get around. This environment, a tradition established in 1898, is a key element of the island’s charm and its well-preserved Victorian-era atmosphere. We rented bikes and rode the 8-mile path that hugs Lake Michigan. A fun summer day!
Our route from Winnipeg, MB to St Ignace, MI, via Woman Lake, MN
