Yesterday might have dawned cold and misty, but we dutifully got on the road and as we crossed the border into Wisconsin just after Duluth and the day began to change. By the time we got to Bayfield, the sun came out and we began to feel better about cruising on Lake Superior. We were about to go on the ferry to Madeline island but there was no long term parking! So we went to lunch instead opposite the Apostles cruises office….. Chuck said, "What’s the 2pm cruise?" He wasn’t sure about driving out of town for our hotel and then driving back in the morning and making the 10am cruise…. So I trotted across the street and exchanged our 10am "tomorrow" tickets for 2pm "today". We then ate lunch and got on the 2pm cruise. When we cruised into the wind on Lake Superior it was windy and chilly!!! People began to put on jackets and I put on jacket and scarf!!! We cruised past the 12 Apostles (12 islands out in the bay from Bayfield,) we drove past amazing rock formations and caves and generally enjoyed almost 3 hours cruising the largest freshwater lake in the world (I think)…. Coming back into Bayfield at 5pm it was sunny and warm! We had a drink up at the Bayfield Inn overlooking the harbor, basked in the setting sun and then headed out for our hotel. Turns out the nearest place I could get Labor Day weekend was 1 1/2 hours east! When we got into Ironwood, and checked into our hotel, we both agreed we were grateful that we took the cruise already rather than try to get up and rush over to the 10am cruise on Sunday morning. As it turns out I got to go to 8am Mass at Our Lady of Peace with a wonderful priest who gave a good homily and prayed a long and beautiful Eucharistic prayer. I told him after Mass that the church is a very peaceful place; it could be that Our Lady really does protect her people and helps them to find peace. We went out to explore and found a sale at a sporting goods store… and are now going out to a restaurant that has music on the patio from 2 to 8. Ironwood is a beautiful hilly town with a ski lift for ski fying! They call this the Northland! Snow is very important to these people!!!! Have a wonderful Labor Day! God bless you.
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