Day 12 - Madeline Island, biking and bears

Today was a biking adventure.  We rode about 1.5 miles to town, all downhill.  Went to waterfront and bought tickets for us and our bikes for the ferry to Madeline Island.  This is the largest of the Apostle Islands, occupied year round, ferry takes 20 minutes, with 3 ferries you don't have to wait long for the next one:

Arrived at La Pointe.  Checked map and picked a six mile bike trail to Big Bay State Park:

Very flat, trail is along road but almost zero traffic.  Went into park and took a short hike along the eastern shore:

Then planned our route back to La Pointe.  Decided on a longer route along north side of island.  About half way back in a wooded area a small black bear ambled across the road in front of us.  Probably adolescent.  I wanted to stop and take his picture.  Diane said heck no, and she used the zoom feature on her ebike to vacate the area.  So no picture.  : (

Checked out lunch options in La Pointe, decided we had better places in Bayfield.  So back on the ferry we go.  Ended up at Pickled Herring, we ate there with Borres on Sunday.  I decided this was my last chance for Whitefish livers:

Delicious.  Light rain during long uphill ride back to trailer, then rained even heavier after we got back.  We had timed our bike ride just right.  By 4:00 our naps are done and the rain is gone.  Rest of day will be used cooking dinner and running errands to prepare for our long trip home tomorrow.  

After errands we decided to check out the brewery right by the campground.  They have a great hazy IPA:

We plan to take 1.5 days for the over 12 hour drive, probably staying at a Walmart overnight.  

I've been checking Evansville weather, 97 degrees and muggy, versus upper 70s here.  Bummer.