Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
And if you do land a legal muskie (32 inches), consider letting it go anyway.
Only 10 percent of muskies reach that legal limit, and only a small percentage live
15 years. Exact replicas can be built for show. And certainly don't eat a Moby Dick:
Old-time muskies can be laced with PCBs.
Lake Tomahawk
The
Shamrock Pub and Eatery
(7235 Bradley St., 715/277-2544) houses what is sup-
posedly the world's longest muskie and has world-view casual food. Lake Tomahawk also
hosts a semilegendary
snowshoe baseball
tournament.
Land O' Lakes
Although aptly named Land O' Lakes is technically outside the auspices of the Northern
Highland American Legion State Forest, it is pulled spiritually thataway by its own chains
of lakes linking it with its state forest brethren.
To the east is Lac Vieux Desert, the headwaters of the not-yet-toiling Wisconsin River.
To the west (actually, in full circumference) are an almost incalculable number of those
famous little pools of water lined with resorts and summer cottages, including the 17-lake,
150-mile-long Cisco Chain, the second-longest chain of lakes in Wisconsin (and a historic
route of natives and early explorers). West of Land O' Lakes along Highway B is the true
continental divide and separation point for watersheds flowing to the Mississippi, Lake Su-
perior, and Lake Michigan. A marker near Devils Lake shows the precise spot.
Crossing over into Michigan off Highway B via Highway Z, Highway 535 leads you
intothe
Sylvania Wilderness Area,
anestablished recreation areaabout21,000acreslarge
dotted with almost 40 lakes. Camping is available. While in Watersmeet, you could check
out the puzzling
mystery lights
that have been intermittently observed during the past few
decades. Go north on U.S. 45 out of Watersmeet to Paulding and then west on Robbins
Pond Road. Park anywhere and head for a hill. The freaky lights appear to wisp up and out
of the woods, where they hang for up to 15 minutes; some say they resemble a star but are
very amber-colored.
Rohr's Tours
(715/547-3321,
www.rwtcanoe.com
) offers guided wilderness tours
(hours or days), heavy on canoeing. The service maintains its own primitive campground
(and lodge) and offers complete outfitting and paddling instruction courses.
True history is at the
Gateway Lodge
(U.S. 45 and Hwy. B, 715/547-3321 or 800/
848-8058,
www.gateway-lodge.com
,
$90 studio, $100 suite), a landmark—highlighted by
