Duluth and Bayfield

Yeah, I am back already!

I'll hit the pavement for a walk in a while, so I am enjoying my morning vegging out in front of the screen here.  I watch less and less TV all the time.  I just don't need the noise so much. (I wrote this in the morning, I went for the walk!)

Last week, I had the chance to make 2 day trips:  one to Duluth for a dog show and one to Bayfield for a supposed berry picking venture that turned into a glorious touristy day, that oh, yeah, btw, we also picked up some strawberries!  YAY

Love that face- Great Dane

My friend, the Mad-Science Teacher, Laurie, loves dogs.  I love dogs too, but she has a passion for them and so she sort of accidentally invited me (and our friend Adam, a fabulous English teacher at our school- fellow vegetarian and fitness enthusiast) along to a dog show she and a friend were going to last Saturday.  I think she was shocked when I said yes to her joking "Do  you want to go?" tweet.  I sort of dig watching the Westminster dog show on Thanksgiving Day so seeing such a thing in person is kind of cool!  AND there was one of our former students showing a dog that day as well, so that was extra cool.

Former student Kayla Kozak with her top female Water Spaniel

 Alright, let's admit it: I will use any excuse to get to Lake Superior with my camera and shoot photos on the Lake.  There.  But I did really love seeing all those doggies, oh my.  It was a hoot to actually pet all those different breeds that you really only see on TV, and then to see multiple copies of some of those breeds was sort of visually astonishing.  Lol.  It was a fabulous day!

French bulldog (?)

AWWWWW

A Mastiff- the hugest dog I have EVER seen: 220 pounds

Cant remember what it was- but oh so adorable

HAHAHAHAHA- so ugly its cute

Poodle getting zhuzhed

Bichon I believe

A Corgi

Sheep dog

We also had some REALLY great food and of course that is an underlying theme to these side trips we make.  Good coffee, good food and a big old bonus is that Laurie likes to research and find THE most cool and vegetarian friendly places that we can possibly find.  Oh and there have been a couple of goodies!!!  And then there was the Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream, but we won't mention that.  NOR will we mention the Margarita we had at the Mexican Restaurant........  (yummmmmm)

On the drawbridge in Duluth

Lighthouse

Drawbridge

Ashland Marina

OF COURSE we walked down by the lakefront and I got a few shots during the dog show.  I can only stand around so long and then I have to walk- so we did.  Laurie's friend couldn't really walk too far in that heat and humidity, so she stayed back at the DECC while Adam and I went for a jaunt.  I am glad that later in the week when we hit Bayfield Laurie was with us on our adventure.

The Bayfield trip was on one of the hottest days of the year so far.  Yet, it certainly didn't feel that way - really. Tuesday was the best day rainwise for us to go there, and we didn't realize it was going to be THAT warm.....  We drove up through Ashland- where of course they indulged me with a photo shoot opportunity, and then we stopped at a place called Coco's in Washburn.  I want to live within walking distance of that place.  I could eat there for the rest of my life.  The food is sublime and the coffee makes me swoon.  We had breakfast- I had a pesto breakfast sandwich- pesto and tomatoes with 2 fried eggs on focaccia bread with Bayfield strawberries.  I really want to go back at lunch time and have the curried lentils -- seriously soon.

Prentice Park by the lake

Marina in Bayfield

Anyway, after breakfast we drove up to Bayfield and went on the ferry to Madeline Island.  Oh my goodness, that is an awesome place!  First I love boat rides and to ride on the top shelf of that ferry was great!  AND that charming little (well, big) island was so much fun.  I think next time we are a. taking our swim suits and b. renting a scooter so we can fully enjoy the island.  And there was this place that was closed at the time, though it said they open at 11- very odd, eclectic and I am dying to go there!!  Tom's burned down cafe!!  We plan to try again!

After returning to the mainland, we stopped by the Bayfield Inn for margaritas on the deck and then went up to the strawberry fields to reserve some prepicked strawberries.  At 91 degrees we were NOT picking our own.  After lunch, we scooped up the berries, drove through Ashland and stopped yet again for a cold drink (non alcohol of course) and headed home.

View from the Bayfield Inn deck

I had the bestest traveling companions for these journeys, and you know blueberry and raspberry season is almost upon us!  So another trip "might" be in order-- or 2 trips.  Because I need that curry in Washburn......  and there are some book stores......  and pottery places.......  and more restaurants.....  oh well, you get the picture!

That water felt so great!

Such a great traveling companion (one is not pictured!!)

View from the Ferry 

 What a fantastic way to spend time during my summer vacation.  My sister is coming up in a week, I wonder what adventures we can find during this awesome summer!

And that will be a joy!