Off the Editor’s Desk 7-12-2023

Summer time in Northern Wisconsin!

My favorite place to travel for a day or two is in Northern Wisconsin and last week family members and friends stayed in Hayward. On Saturday morning, along with two friends and myself we headed north out of Hayward.

We had planned to stop at the Delta Diner for noon lunch. Their website tells the story of the eating experience out in the middle of the Chequamegon National Forest, somewhere between Drummond and Iron River. “We would like to welcome you to our three unique food experiences, here in Delta, Wisconsin! Delta Diner is a throwback to the 1940s East Coast diners that dotted the roadsides; only we’ve upped the game at every level.”

Food at the diner is only one of three spots at that location that offer food and entertainment. Our plan was to arrive just before the noon hour, have lunch and then proceed north. But, as soon as the diner came into view, I could tell by the number of vehicles in the parking lot that the wait would be a long, long one.

Entering the Diner, a person taking the reservations met me and I was told that the wait would be close to two hours. We didn’t want to wait that long so we traveled to Iron River and made a lunch stop at a bar and grill called “The Other Place” where we were the only guests they had, but as we consumed our lunch the place quickly filled up.

Leaving Iron River north to Port Wing. I always love going to the marina at Port Wing, just to look at Lake Superior. It is especially beautiful in the dead of winter when the ice has been pushed onto the shore, which alone is worth the trip to Port Wing, and there is always a pile of drift wood to look at there. The big event in Port Wing during the summer is the fish boil that is held the Saturday before Labor Day. I am going to put that on my schedule.

Leaving Port Wing and traveling on Highway 13 through Herbster and Cornucopia, both located on the shores of the big lake, offers stunning sea caves to towering waterfalls. Wisconsin is home to some breathing taking natural wonders this side of the Mississippi. But, the best view is entering Bayfield from the north and seeing the lake and Madeline Island. We did not stop at Bayfield, as the streets were full of visitors, which is usually the way things are in this northern Wisconsin city of 584 people. With only 584 people it is the smallest city in the state.

Traveling south on 13 into Washburn and into Ashland you could look for some of the areas waterfalls including Copper Falls at Mellen. That’s a must for your trip planning. Ashland, which is the largest city, next to Superior in Northern Wisconsin, is where you can spend some time looking at the great views of the lake. In my younger years, we would travel to Ashland early in the spring to fish, with nets, for smelt and the sun was coming up as we found our way back home.

But, if you would like to visit a casino, there are several along the route. So, you can enjoy a couple of days in northern Wisconsin.Thanks for reading!     ~Carlton