Madeline Island

My quick trip home included a stay on Madeline Island which is a ferry ride away from Bayfield, Wisconsin. 

Little did our peer group know that it was going to be "Biker Weekend" while we there.  Life never fails to deliver small bonuses.  Can you imagine how cool we felt, shakily steering rental mopeds around an island invaded with Harleys?

One of the bikers said it in a nutshell, "It's dorks gone wild!"

Now that is just too funny to even get offended. 

Ever the worrier, I spent most of the weekend surveying and assessing our situation.  I'm not scared of bikers, my uncle was the President of a big motor club for years.  Those guys were great to us as kids and let us climb all over their bikes and never once yelled about fingerprinting up their chrome. 

But as a group of women on a remote island, I was a little nervous wondering if we were among "weekend" type of bikers or if we were among "we've all earned these matching patches by killing someone to get into the gang" type of bikers. 

Mostly, my inner voice was saying "stay cool, stay cool, don't trip" whenever I'd walk past a long row of perfectly parked machines praying that I didn't bump into anything sending off a chain reaction of crashing motorcycles.

Such a contrast to the last time us gals got together and stayed at Mountain Lake Resort which is where Dirty Dancing was filmed.  You couldn't imagine a polar-opposite clientele from the married couples pretending to be Baby and Johnny.  When "Baby Got Back" came over the speakers during intermission, we took over the dance floor nervously joking, "wow, I guess we're not at Mountain Lake anymore!" 

But you know what?  Besides a couple of random creepo-s, (which are everywhere in the world) it was an awesome time.  Most of the guys were total gentlemen.  And when the band busted into Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Child" I felt like I gained a lot of respect with my signature move:

Well I stand up next to a mountain... (stand with legs firmly planted apart, left hand on hip)

and I chop it down with the edge of my hand... (raise right arm and slash the air with chopping motions)

You've got to be bouncing a bit to the heavy beat of those first scratchy chords.  You will get SO much respect from other Jimi fans who know the lyrics. Please tuck this away if you ever find yourself in a sticky situation.  It could save your life sometime.

Anyway, what I really wanted to mention about this whole place is my discovery of the Madeline Island School of the Arts. (Take a moment to check out the link).  Doesn't this place looks phenomenal??  I'd really like to get back there someday for a writing or painting class.

But probably not during biker week.

Here's some Jimi for you.  C'mon try out the move, you know you want to!

  

Comments

[Sarah]

you always make me smile :)

I'm off to a rock festival this weekend, and I will be praying for one of the between set DJs to play Voodoo Child so I can wow the assembled crowd (who will be mainly approx one third my age) with my (well, your) move :)

[TJ]

Sarah, be careful with this move, it's a major crowd-pleaser! I forgot to mention that you need to shake your head just enough to give your hair some movement, but not SO much to look like a head banger. Good luck! Take pictures...

[robin]

oh my gosh TJ what a fun girl you are! Giving the phrase "brave girl" deeper meaning...

[Rebecca]

I'm pretty sure we'd rather see video of YOU doing air guitar to Voodoo Child. I'll be waiting... ;0)

[Chris]

This is so funny!
I know just what you mean.

And isn't life an adventure..?

[Veronika]

I think you should video that move and share it here so that we can be absolutely sure that we're doing it right :D

[TJ]

Yeah ladies - I'm a freaky ninja when this song comes on! But sadly, I think it would be a mistake to make a you-tube video of this... the move is just too powerful, and should only be used for the betterment of mankind.

Plus, if I ever want future employment, it's probably best that my claim to fame is not some of my signature dance moves. That would be totally unfair to gain employment based on my dance skills and not my life skills.