The Madeline Island Birthday Flight

Birthdays are supposed to be celebrated.

For me, New Year is a chance to reflect on all that happened in the world in the last year, but it's not really about just me. Remembering another successful trip around the sun on my behalf acknowledges my small achievement and gives me pause to think about all that has happened to me personally in the last year. Favorite bits, lessons learned, things I'd do again and things I certainly would not.

On July 19th, 2014 I turned 40. I know, right? Those first 20 years took an eternity to tick by, but the last 20... they seem to have disappeared in the blink of an eye. It's like my grandmother used to say, "as you get older, time passes quicker".  I don't remember her being wrong about much.

Every year I take my birthday off. I like to celebrate me.  This year, I asked Mark if we could celebrate together in northern Wisconsin at the cabin on Nice Lake. We decided to include a flight to Lake Superior and over the Apostle Islands. Great idea!

It was an unhurried start to the day. Sleep in, breakfast, bird watching... lazily check the weather forecast and current conditions in Hayward, WI (where Bonanza N303B had been tied down since the 17th).

Wind: 200@something not alarming. Essentially straight down Runway 20.

Mark took off and I sat right seat, armed with my camera.  We flew north about 50 miles to the very tip of Wisconsin then strayed a few miles from shore as we peered out into what looked like ocean. Great lake indeed.

Zipping around, taking in the islands, their lighthouses and secluded beaches was a highlight of mine. We landed on Madeline Island with the wind pretty much the same as in Hayward, on Runway 22.

 Madeline Island... Supposedly at the peak of it's summer tourist season.  Harboring a lively but small population of year round folks, vacation home owners and renters, and visitors for the day or the weekend.  Nope, they didn't appear to have flown in!  Major Gilbert Field was quiet. So quiet. A couple of aircraft tied down and no signs of life in the air, on the runway (except us of course), or at the FBO.

We mentally prepared ourselves for the 1.5 mile jaunt down the main road from the airport into town and headed in the approximate direction. Pilots are chatty, friendly people and it was all of 2 minutes before we stopped to admire a beautiful A36 in it's open hanger and ended up in conversation with owner, Mitch.

And 15 minutes later Mitch took pity on us and we became his appreciative hitchhikers.  That stroke of luck put us in town fairly quickly and more importantly, with recommendations on where to eat - and what to eat!

Fish tacos at the Beach Club with a view of the outbound ferry to Bayfield across the way. Not to shabby.

"Town" was a quick exploration. Getting the scoop on the real estate market from a local agent was eye opening and then we self-toured the plentiful art galleries.  Did we stop for ice cream? Don't we always?  (Mark is a Wisconsin boy, I'm a kiwi girl. We brake for dairy!)

We walked off that ice cream, taking pictures of wild flowers and funky for sale signs all the way to the airport. I flew us back from Madeline Island.

My first "over the water" flight. My first 10 mile final, straight in to Hayward.
A spectacular day.

------

Real Estate Blog: www.SilverFernHomes.com

I provide the latest real estate market information, straight forward advice and the highest standards of service. If you refer your friends and family to me, I promise to make you proud, to exceed expectations and never give you a moments doubt that it was the right thing to do for them.

Monument Valley at Sunrise is just the Beginning!

5:30 AM never feels great when the alarm goes off.  The struggle to get up and moving is only balanced by the promise of adventure in the sky.  Motivation is gathered from anticipation ... of beautiful colors, glorious silhouettes and photos to remember it by.

Mark and I had a plan.  Wheels up by 6 AM at Page would put us at Monument Valley right around sunrise at 6:30 AM.  We had seen where Monument Valley was in relation to Kalenta Airport and flew in the general direction needed.  Both of us figuring that the iconic rock formations would be pretty obvious as we got closer.  And they were.

Right on schedule, N303B and the first rays of sun arrived at Monument Valley simultaneously.
Stunning!  We took turns flying and shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the day wasn't over yet.  We refueled with breakfast back at the Best Western, taking particular pride in our waffle expertise, then took some time out to organize pictures.  The sleepiness of the early rise had not yet caught up... Or perhaps it was that we were excited about the next event.  

We were picked up 10 minutes late.  At 1:10 PM the truck roared into the parking lot.  After climbing into the back and seating ourselves on the bench seat next to some German tourists, we buckled up.  One seat belt per two people!  I wondered if we really even needed a seat belt... until our Navajo guide and driver left the main road and proceeded to fly down a sandy river bed.  Dust filled the air and our lungs.  We bounced up and down, restrained thank goodness, by the seat belt built for two.

Shortly thereafter, we arrived at what can only be described as "the end of the road" - the place where the the river bed, at times 75 feet wide, became just 3 feet wide and entered the Upper Antelope (slot) Canyon.  There were a half a dozen other vehicles already here.

Entering the slot canyon

And in we went.  

Our guide was an expert in her field.  With all the stories and history the Navajo people have to offer, she herded the 6 of us inside.  Every so often stopping to show us what would make a great photograph, giving us camera-specific advice and pointing out shapes and shadows with their respective Navajo names.  Some of the shapes were only recognizable when viewed as photographs!

"The Heart"

"The Bear"

"Monument Valley"

As beautiful as I thought this canyon tour was, apparently the best time to visit is when the sun is directly overhead.  Midday, middle of summer.  At this time the tour is famous for the "beam of light" that reaches the sandy floor of the canyon.

Like any place that narrows to little more than a shoulder width, there are rules that make it possible for multiple groups to visit at the same time.  Its a one-way photo tour.  On the way through there are plenty of opportunities to stop and photograph.

At the end of the canyon our guide took out her musical pipe and played for us.  Sweet traditional Navajo melodies played on a rock, in the sun.

On the way back, its a non-stop walk, with reminders to be respectful of the people who are on the photography leg of their tour.

Antelope Canyon, located in Navajo Nation, is magical place.  I would go back.... In fact, lower Antelope Canyon still calls, so I guess I will be back!