Sayner Fraternity 2008 - 7/2008


Our Photo Album: Click each thumbnail for a larger image.

This way to the Woodlands Resort in Plum Lake Township, WI.

Andrew laughed when we put on his lifevest.

Micah is rowing his heart out toward the little island.

Andrew cruising Plum Lake with Mom.

Where we landed on the little island.

Atop the little island in Plum Lake.

Jessica and Andrew on the little island in Plum Lake.

The Bezold boys and me.

On the way back to the Woodlands from the small island.

Sam is ready to go.

Paddling in 'Dad Bay' with Sam.

The boat house in the place me and Sam named 'Dad Bay' on Plum Lake.

These plants in 'Dad Bay' are very productive for bass fishing.

A mallard in 'Dad Bay.'

Karl and Micah torture a crayfish. They deserve it.

"Oh no!" screamed the s'mores.

A long and tiring day for me and the boy.

Welcome to Presque Isle, Wisconsin.

Lake Gogebic, Michigan.

Lake Superior driftwood.

Lake Superior from the water.

Union River in Michigan.

Mouth of the Union River, Michigan.

The Porcupine Mountains from the mouth of the Union River in Michigan.

The boy takes a dip in the cold waters of Gitchee Gumee.

The sun on the beach can make you tired.

My family at the Lake of the Clouds, Michigan.

River that leads through the valley floor to the Lake of the Clouds.

Lake of the Clouds, Michigan.

Aurora Lake, Wisconsin. Not as eutrified as past years.

A view from the shore of windy Lone Tree Lake.

Karl and I took a short canoe trip across Lone Tree Lake.

Scott the Voyageur after conquering Lone Tree Lake.

Heroic shot of my car on vacation.

Andrew and Karl enjoy the Oak's front lawn.

Trout Lake in Wisconsin.

Statistics:

Dates: For a week, beginning 7/26/2008

 

Home base: The Woodlands Resort, 'Oak'

Areas Explored: good ol' Northern Highlands State Forest in Wisconsin and also the Gogebic area and Porkies in Michigan

Transportation: 2000 LeSabre & Sam's LeBaron

New Frontiers: Andrew's first vacation and first time to Wisconsin and Sayner specifically. Also got to show Karl the wonders of Vilas County for the first time.

Cast: Two carloads of our brothers and sisters. Sam brought Micah and Jeff. I brought Jessica, Karl, and Andrew.

 

←2007 Sayner trip← →2009 Sayner trip→
See ALL Sayner Trips

 

Trip Notes:

This trip was planned at the very last minute, at least for Sayner's Woodlands Resort. Usually the place is booked solid for about a year or two in advance; but it seems there were some cancellations. I think it was on account of the disastrous floods of the early summer that took place in southern Wisconsin, but who's to know.

 

For my boy's first vacation, I wanted a home away from home and was not interested in camping. We rented my least favorite cottage and hoped that people would come with us to fill up the place. In the end Jessica's brothers and my sister and her friend were selected by fate to share a few days in the most beautiful forest in the world. I was excited to bring my son up to the historical vacation home of the Miller family: Sayner, Wisconsin.

 

The 'Oak' was set up nicely as usual and it felt good to pull into the Woodlands and to be welcome there since the year before, I drove in just to talk to the manager about vacancies for the next summer, and so was not so welcome.  (See the 2007 trip to Sayner.) The drive took a bit longer with baby and I was exhausted the first day. Sam arrived a bit later and we all relaxed the first day.

 

The week was good. It was full of fishing for Sam and Jeff who rented boats from Star Lake Store and fished Frank and Partridge Lake with some success. Sam felt the success was all hers, though, and claims she felt embarrassed for Jeff's lack of fishing skills on this trip. Micah seemed to have spent the week recovering from his recent trip to Hawaii and enjoyed music, merry-making, and other Micah-esque activities. Karl took the opportunity to test drive his new glasses and went out at night to look at the shooting stars, galaxies, and satellites that are impossible to see in Chicago. The weather cooperated for him. I canoed when I could, spent time keeping Andrew from crying, and built a few fires. Jessica picked up after all of us, but seemed to have a good week herself. We all love her.

 

The usual Sayner activities filled the days, except for a trip to Eagle River (always, in my opinion, a waste of time) and one into the U.P. to swim Superior and explore the Porkies a bit.

Come to the Northwoods!
Karl's & Sam's Photo Album: Click each thumbnail for a larger image. These are photos taken by our siblings. For other photos and more of Karl's great Chicago photography, see Karl's Flickr webpage.

I'm going out to Plum Lake, bound for the tiny island. (K. Bezold)

I have reached the small island on Plum Lake via canoe, not an easy task. (K. Bezold)

The clear, clean waters of Plum Lake. (K. Bezold)

We stayed in the 'Oak,' formerly the bar for the Woodlands Resort. (K. Bezold)

My family walking thorugh Plum Lake at the small island. (K. Bezold)

My favorite people at Plum Lake. (K. Bezold)

Bringing the canoe home from the small island in Plum Lake. (K. Bezold)

Sunset at the southern tip of the small state-owned island in Plum Lake. (K. Bezold)

The sun begins to set over Plum Lake. (K. Bezold)

The biggest store in the smallest town, Starlake Store. (K. Bezold)

Ruins of something at Starlake. (K. Bezold)

Home of maybe the world's greatest Chicago hot dog, only 380 miles from Chicago. (K. Bezold)

The bar in Boulder Junction that a local said is the best place for "bad bar food." (K. Bezold)

A southbound moose in Boulder Junction. (K. Bezold)

Tufts of aquatic grass on Plum Lake. (K. Bezold)

Eagle River's finest, hard at work. (K. Bezold)

Eagle River's famous Trading Post, home of the encaed albino deer and lots of mildew. (K. Bezold)

The Vilas Theater in Eagle River. (K. Bezold)

Me, my crying baby, and no bottle on the streets of Eagle River. (K. Bezold)

Canoe traffic at the Woodlands Resort. (K. Bezold)

Micah obviously can swim. (K. Bezold)
• Photos copyright 2008 by S. Plencner, J. Bezold, or K. Bezold • All other content copyright 2007 by S. Plencner •