When my husband said he wanted to visit all fifty states, I was one thousand percent on board. So, I sat down and started my usual Googling to plan an epic Midwest road trip. Before long, I discovered the charming and vibrant city of Bayfield, Wisconsin, a sparkling little gem on Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The Bayfield Inn was at its very center. It was decided: This is where we would stay.
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First Impressions of Bayfield, Wisconsin
It’s difficult to miss The Bayfield Inn upon arrival to… Bayfield, Wisconsin. At the corner of South First Street and Rittenhouse Avenue, the hotel sits right on the water by the city dock. The Inn’s backyard, with park benches and a gazebo, is the city’s Memorial Park. Across the street, you’ll find a local coffee shop and other small businesses. Ample parking is available on-site.
As soon as I walked in, I was pleased to note the Covid-19 measures the hotel had taken to ensure the cleanliness of the property and the safety of its guests. Social distancing was encouraged. Staff were separated by plexiglass dividers and wore face masks. There were even clearly marked containers separating disinfected pens from used pens at the front desk. Our early check-in was quick and pleasant.
Our time at The Bayfield Inn would end up being one of our most comfortable stays the whole trip.
Rooms at The Bayfield Inn
The first-floor queen room was bright, spacious, and overlooked Memorial Park and Lake Superior. Taking in the view, I immediately envisioned myself watching the sun rise over the water, coffee in hand. I turn to confirm the room has a coffee maker and all my necessary fixings. It does.
The room came equipped with a spacious desk area (for the husband to check in on work), a side chair and ottoman (where I usually set up shop), and a large TV (with HBO). The remote control was a Clean Remote, which just further solidified my sense that The Bayfield Inn was conscientious about increased sanitation.
Minus a menu, the room was—thankfully—devoid of the usual marketing pieces you find stashed all over the place. I’m a little OCD and usually end up collecting all those papers and stuffing them in a drawer somewhere. They’re just messy and get in my way. Not to mention how wasteful it is.
The bathroom was pristine and a variety of toiletries were available. One of my favorite new hotel toiletries, by the way, is make-up wipes, which of course, The Bayfield Inn offered. (I always feel a little bad leaving black eye liner streaks all over white towels.)
Other in-room amenities included:
| • Complimentary Wi-Fi | • 300 thread-count sheets |
| • 50+ HD television channels | • Iron and ironing board |
| • Mini fridge | • Electric car charging station |
Dining at The Bayfield Inn
Now, there’s no shortage of places to eat in this little city. The Bayfield Inn itself has three different dining and lounge spaces, two of which are currently open and operating. (Half capacity, face masks required.)
The Deck
The Deck is Bayfield’s only rooftop venue, serving cocktails and lunch fare from 11 am–4 pm. And, while I’m now a fan of The Deck in general, I’m really partial to the live webcam mounted on top of it. (So fun!)
I enjoyed a Wisconsin ale called New Glarus Spotted Cow and the tuna croissant lunch special. The hubs ordered the Applefest Burger and a cucumber Vodka lemonade.
To say he was pleased with both would be an understatement. The half-pound burger was stacked with bacon, cheddar, bourbon BBQ, and local apple butter, all stacked on a pretzel bun. And, while he’d never been a fan of Vodka before, the cucumber lemonade has since changed his mind.
Lakeside Dining Room
After exploring town a bit more, the #AdventurePartnerForLife and I decided to grab an early dinner at The Bayfield Inn’s Lakeside Dining Room.
Having devoured lunch, my other half wasn’t super hungry, so he went with a small, but standard Wisconsin classic—the cheese curds. I was not at all disappointed with my choice of Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. And a glass of Pinot Grigio, of course.
The Lakeside Dining Room treated us so well, we came back for a tasty breakfast the next morning.
Things To Do In Bayfield, Wisconsin
While the food and service were great at Lakeside, the best part may have been the concert in Memorial Park’s gazebo… just outside the dining room window. The Concerts By The Lake are held every Tuesday at 7 pm, sponsored by local businesses for your enjoyment. And we had great seats.
Eventually, we wrapped up dinner and grabbed some ice cream across the street. We watched the concert as the sun set over the lake. And I truly couldn’t think of any better way to finish off our big day in Bayfield.
Now, there’s no shortage of things to do in this happy little Wisconsin city. And listed below are just a few.
| • Sail in the Apostle Islands | • Rent bikes |
| • Kayak some sea caves | • Wine & cider tasting |
| • Hike Big Ravine Trail | • Go to a brewery |
| • Visit Meyer’s Beach | • Go berry picking |
| • Go golfing | • Visit the Farmer’s Market |
A Recommendation for The Bayfield Inn
My only regret in Bayfield, Wisconsin is that I didn’t have more time there. And I’d gladly stay at The Bayfield Inn again and again. The location was perfect, the staff was friendly, the premises was clean, and we had everything we needed right on-site.
The Bayfield Inn seemed to put more time and effort into ensuring increased distancing and sanitation measures in the midst of a global pandemic than any other hotel we stayed at on our road trip. And we stayed at six different hotels, in multiple states. Because they’re taking the measures so seriously, it appeared they took my comfort—and health—as a guest seriously. For this, I couldn’t be more appreciative.
This itty bitty city on the Apostle Islands lakeshore was one of my favorite destinations of our entire Midwest road trip. And The Bayfield Inn made certain it would be.
Contact Information
| The Bayfield Inn 20 Rittenhouse Avenue Bayfield, WI 54814 | W: www.bayfieldinn.com P: 715-779-3363 E: info@thebayfieldinn.com |
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