READ MORE FROM OUR APOSTLE ISLANDS FEATURE HERE.
Bayfield has made a name for itself as the artistic gateway to the Apostle Islands. And while it still flaunts galleries in spades, the town of 600 now has a fresher side, too.
In the last few years, a boutique hotel and wellness retreat center have opened, as well as an artisan coffee shop, farm-to-table restaurant, whiskey-focused distillery and more. Here’s a look at the latest.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Stay, Spa & Dine in One Spot
The St. James Hotel originally opened in 1884 when the first railroad tracks began operating in town. Gutted and abandoned for years, the Italianate building has now been reincarnated as St. James Social, a modern eight-room inn with a first-floor restaurant and Scandinavian-style rooftop sauna. Hang out on Tuesdays for pizza and vinyl night in the lounge, where walls pop with paintings by local artists and bartenders mix a mean old fashioned. Then retreat to your room to luxuriate in parachute linens.
Shop Around
Adjacent to the inn is Field Day, a tiny “passion project” opened by Nashville transplant Rachel Carpenter. She’s funneled her love for sustainability into providing an assortment of goods that includes everything from reusable paper towels to canned kombucha to natural nail polish, plus her own organic skincare line. For a wider assortment of Carpenter’s eco-conscious apothecary items, wander to her second store down the road, Good Flower Farm. Using herbs and flowers she grows herself, Carpenter creates lip balms, body creams, herbal salves, facial serums, natural bug spray and more.
Take a Coffee Break
If you enjoy the silky smooth coffee at Wonderstate Coffee, you can thank the baristas – and the company’s 100% solar-powered roastery in Viroqua. On a mission to brew coffee sustainably, Wonderstate also makes sipping more enjoyable. Its airy Bayfield cafe, one of three in the state, gleams from the sun streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. Linger if you like over a black mulberry- and raisin-infused Ethiopia Keramo. And if you’re a sucker for latte art, you’ve hit the jackpot.
Bayfield is Wisconsin’s least populous incorporated city.
Get Lost in a Book and a Play
Honest Dog Books has long invited visitors to bury their noses in the books stacked on its floor-to-ceiling shelves. Now, it immerses people in live theater, too. Last summer, owner Julie Buckles opened a back-of-the-house theater, building her own stage from plywood and installing stage lights. Along with one- and two-person shows, you can catch DJs, acoustic music, documentary screenings and author readings. There’s even a bar serving wine, hard cider and beer.
Sip and Socialize
Piece together your own whiskey flight and hunker down in the taproom at Copper Crow Distillery. The country’s first Indigenous-owned distillery was started by husband and wife Curtis and Linda Basina, both members of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. They’ve partnered with local producers to make standout craft spirits, like an apple brandy old fashioned with fruit from neighboring orchards. The outdoor terrace sets the scene for making new friends, with communal tables and cornhole games.
Retreat to Nature
For that away-from-it-all feeling, Wild Rice Retreat sits on 100 acres of forest outside of town. Burrow up in a Scandinavian-style room ranging from a super-compact “rice pod” to a treehouse suite with shared living space. The islands may be calling, but it’s hard to leave this place: The property boasts a yoga studio and sauna with a rain room and cold plunge pool, plus provides daily, locally sourced meals. Find peace with flow yoga, guided meditation or classes on encaustic painting and intentional vision boarding.
