After a good 400 plus mile journey from our last destination, Traveling Jo had to stop for some R&R and pulled into the Bad River Casino which boasts an adorable hotel as well as a casino which is about 12 miles outside of Ashland. When getting into Ashland, we must recommend stopping in the Chamber building to meet Bella and her staff. Mary is the director and Bella is a well-cared for and loving Newfoundland, they will give you a water bottle to try the Artesian Springs (Elsa tested and Elsa approved)- who knew water could taste so fresh? This is a great place to meet the locals as you are tempted to dump all of your water and refill with this incredibly fresh water. Mary explained that Ashland is a four-season town. With the wealth of knowledge gained, not necessarily absorbed, we set out to explore the town. Ashland egresses into Bayfield and both towns work together to bring the ultimate vacations.
As we walked the streets we engaged in conversations with shopkeepers as they swept their sidewalks and spoke of how long Ashland has been home to them, what they liked about the town, their favorite entertainment, their favorite activity.
The first thing one notices is all of the murals on the building, they boast the largest collection of murals which are incredulous, hosting 21 different murals. The second thing one is able to observe as you make your way through town are the stores are mostly locally owned and operated, and along with the beautifully manicured lawns that deserve to be on a golf course and the array of small boutique hotels and the brightly colored houses. (if you own one and want help renting on Lodge Lovers, contact me- If you own a short-term rental, let's get your property listed)
Ashland is situated on Chequamegon Bay which is fed from Lake Superior. This small town just hosted a Boston Marathon Qualifying run, Mayberry RFD it is not! So why would our subscribers to Lodge Lovers be interested in this anything but sleeping town? In addition to the water games and sports, the hiking trails and bike trails are paved. One can rent anything from paddleboards, Kayaks, bikes, electric bikes to boats, and boat tours. (watercraft must be seaworthy- more later on this in the article about the National Preserve).
The summer months in Ashland hosts an array of things to do and see from the Mural walks, skateboarding, tennis, golf, disc golf, biking, off roading ATV, kite flying, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, fishing and waterfalls( 9 in total), geocaching, bird watching (an Eagle flew directly over us), hunting and we would be remiss not to mention a tour of Copper Peak where one rides a 36 story chair lift to the crest of the hill and then an elevator ride up 18 stories to get to the world's largest ski jump. They host a tour called "fruit loop" which is 13 orchards with over 50 varieties of apples. There is a summer band concert series at the outdoor amphitheater. If that wasn't enough to keep an active crew busy, there are sand volleyball nets still up in October!
The wintertime months are taken seriously as well for the outdoor adventurer, some of the locally owned stores do close for the winter months, I am informed there are still plenty open for business. The activities only seem to get more challenging with colder weather. In addition to all of the summer activities, we now add into the mix- snowmobiling, snowshoe hiking, cross country skiing- ask me about the "book it challenge" (five miles across the frozen lake- yes please) and ice fishing. Look for a second article on the Nature Preserve, too much Infor for one article.
This town is ripe for a motorcycle poker run from our Christian bikers' friends who want to assist in lowering Clergy burn out. For more information contact Christine@lodgelovers.com.
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