Any Dopers know the area?
My son will be attending jazz camp at Indianhead Arts & Ed Center, so my younger son and I will be staying somewhere nearby for the week. Then, after picking him up (it ends July 5, I think), we’ll meander our way back to Indiana, doing some sightseeing on en route.
I’ve never been to WI, and am looking at the www.wisconsin.com site right now, but of course local folks always know the best places to stay, eat, etc.
We’ll be keeping it as inexpensive as possible, I think–I’d rather have more time and fewer expensive meals.
Thanks for any info…feel free to email me privately if you’d like.
Saaaay. I wonder how expensive it is to rent a small RV? That might be worth looking into, as I’d like to visit some parks, etc, but I’m a weenie about camping.
I’ve never been there, you’re kind of in the middle of nowhere. Spooner may be the biggest city in the vicinity, but that’s not saying much. You’ll be there during tourist season too, so you probably will see more Chicagoans (with all due respect :)) than Wisconsinites.
Food won’t be expensive, don’t worry. Lodging may be, because of the area, check around though, I may be wrong. you can stay in Spooner, or anywhere around there, traffic will be light. There’s more canoes than cars around there.
There’s a million lakes up there, if you fish you’ll be in heaven. And I hope you’re not a vegetarian. Don’t miss the friday fish fry for dinner though. All the bars and restaurants have them. Mmmm…fish fry.
The boys like to fish, and I like to EAT fish, so we’re good there. I’m all for canoeing and hanging out by water, too.
Actually, my 13yo and I will have most of a week to go wherever we want–we won’t be stuck at Shell Lake, if I can find other places to visit–while the older one is at clinic. Then, we’ll have another week to make it back home to Indiana.
It looks like there are some nice state and national parks we might visit.
Heck, I’m happy walking in the woods and nosing through junk stores, so I’m pretty easy to please.
I’ve been as close to there as Hayward, which will be about 35 miles northeast of your location. Hayward has the world’s largest artificial Pike, a building designed in the shape of the Northern Pike. You can go inside the pike, and buy stuff, I think, and you can go out through the pikes mouth, because the lower jaw of the pike contains a little balcony for the tourists.
I was there nearly 20 years ago, to attend a pow wow. I remember the Pike, and I remember that three of us stumbled unknowingly into a strip club somewhere around there while we were trying to find our hotel. That’s about all I remember of that trip.
There’s an (general aviation)airport there, and I planned flying there, but due to time constraints didn’t. They do allow camping on field, but they might get suspicious if you don’t have a plane…
I live fairly close to Shell Lake, but I really haven’t spent much time up in that area. I am fairly sure there is a lot of touristy stuf to do up there as the area does get a lot of visitors in the summer. IIRC, there is a bunch of Al Capone stuff in Hayward, and plenty of antique/junk shops.
You could always spend a day in the Duluth/Superior area, that is always fun. And on the way back home, the Wisconsin Dells area is a hit with kids.
Or go on a duck ride in the Dells. Ducks are amphibious vehicles (left over from WWII, IIRC), and they drive on trails and on the Wisconsin River. You’ll see some really pretty scenery. That’s what made the Dells a vacation destination before the waterparks.
As a former Spoonerite, I can say there isn’t really all that much in the area. Definiatly you want to go to Duluth/Superior. Or better yet, stay away from the area entirely.
You are too far north to commute back and forth to the Dells with your other son. Be warned - your youngest son might consider having to hang out there a week as some form of punishment for an unknown crime.
If you aren’t too worried about jealousy issues between the kids, I’d plop the one down in Shell Lake, and head back down to the Dells.
My brilliant thought for the trip back, is to head northeast and go OVER Lake Michigan back down into Indiana. I haven’t done this, but it’s something I’ve thought about doing for years and never found the right trip to try it on. So you’ll need to find another navigation source if you like the idea.