Today I attended the Wisconsin CRS Chapter luncheon at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Center, in Green Bay. The CRS luncheon was part of the event schedule for WRA's "Designation Week" which opened yesterday and continues through Friday, February 5.
2009 CRS Wisconsin Chapter members (left to right), Chapter President Pat Dollins, Eric Kodner, Jo Baldridge
Close to fifty Wisconsin CRS Chapter members attended today's networking luncheon, chaired by President Pat Dollins. Following the event, I spent a pleasant couple of hours staffing the CRS booth at the Convention Center, along with Pat Dollins and Jo Baldridge.
And this evening, our CRS Chapter hosted a hospitality suite at the Radisson, with a guest list that included CRS instructors Chuck Bode and LeRoy Houser, as well as 2008 WRA Chairman Mike Spranger.
The Council of Residential Specialists will be hosting their 2009 National "Sell-a-bration" in San Francisco, February 5-7.
According to information provided by some friends (and verified on the Web), the ice caves at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are now open and accessible.
Park rangers have reportedly cored the ice between the caves and Meyers Beach, and have found the ice thick enough to accomodate tourist traffic.
The ice caves are awesome and beautiful! You'll need a parking permit or 2009 seasonal pass in order to bring your vehicle into the Meyers Beach lot. You can call the Visitor Center at (715) 779-3398 x399 to verify if the lot is open for parking and to obtain price information.
Bring a camera or two and dress warmly..it can be extremely cold this time of year in the Apostle Islands! You'll have to walk approximately a mile across the frozen beach and lake ice to reach the Mawikwe caves.
I guarantee it's worth the trip and the effort.
Here's an update on the current condition of the ice road between Bayfield, Wisconsin and Madeline Island.
According to the ice road "Hotline", the road was plowed last Thursday. I'm told the ice is now safe for cars and light trucks and the ice thickness will increase now that some of the snow has been removed from the ice surface.
Accumulating snow may have the effect of insulating the ice from the cold air above it, slowing the increase in ice thickness. The folks who maintain the ice road make an effort to keep the ice plowed once it has grown thick enough to support vehicles.
I plan to drive the ice road this coming week and I plan to upload a Flip video of that trip!
I spoke with my friend Steve McHugh (owner of the new Bell Street Gallery) around Noon today and he informed me that the "ice road" between Bayfield, Wisconsin and Madeline Island opened this morning.
Steve said the ice road is currently open to "cars and light trucks".
Aft view of the windsled "Ice Angel IV" near Madeline Island
A midday call to the Windsled Transportation Hotline (715-747-5400) didn't announce the ice road opening, but the recorded message is supposed to be updated later today.
I'd strongly suggest re-checking the Windsled Hotline number before you schedule a trip across the ice in your vehicle. You may also want to call Arnie Nelson (Nelson Construction in LaPointe) at 715-747-3300.
Winter has arrived in a big way on Madeline Island.
Approach to the ice road on Madeline Island
On New Year's Day, the Madeline Island Ferry Line made its last trip before freeze-up, slogging through the slushy passageway which threaded through the forming ice between Bayfield and La Pointe, Wisconsin. The much-anticipated ice road is now forming across the two miles of Lake Superior that connects the mainland with the Island. And Islanders are thrilled about it. They see the ice road as a bonus, something that saves them from the expense of ferry (and windsled) fees.
Within the past few days, the Island has received over a foot of snow. And over the New Year's holiday, nighttime temperatures were as low as -10 F. Now, shrouded in white, Madeline Island is settling into its winter routine.
Until this season's ice road oficially opens, Islanders will be choosing between snowmobiles and the windsled for transportation options. But this year's transition between ferry service and the ice road could be one of the shortest in recent memory.
One of my Islander friends told me he's predicting that the ice road will be in by the tenth of January. A few others are saying it will be more like mid-month, but that is still considerably earlier than last year when it took nearly until the middle of February for the ice road to open to cars and light trucks.
Stay tuned and we'll keep you up-to-date on the opening of the 2009 ice road!
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Madeline Island Real Estate in the Apostle Islands region. We serve the Lake Superior south shore area, including Bayfield, Ashland & Douglas counties.
Madeline Island Realty has established itself as a leading seller of exceptional properties in the Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior, including prime lakeshore property and the finest Madeline Island real estate. We are a member of the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS and our listings appear on NorthstarMLS of Minnesota and Wisconsin. We are proud to be able to point to our many "first" achievements in the Ashland and Bayfield County area.
We strongly believe that a real estate agent's education should not end with merely earning a license. We encourage our agents to pursue nationally-recognized designations and certifications over and above the minimum education requirements. Broker Eric Kodner became the Island's first CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) in 2004, its first e-PRO (Certification for Internet Proficiency) in 2005 and its first ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative) in 2007. We strive to offer innovative marketing and the same high standard of practice that our buyers from major metropolitan areas have come to expect where they live and work.
Broker Eric Kodner has earned the Certified Luxury Homes Marketing Specialist designation from the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.
Madeline Island Realty (http://www.madelineislandrealty.com/) and its Minnesota affiliate, Wayzata Lakes Realty (http://www.wayzatalakesrealty.com/), offer luxury waterfront and island properties, estate homes and vacant lakeshore properties. Our relationship with LuxuryRealEstate.com and the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing provides us with a unique opportunity to network with other luxury property agents across the United States and abroad. Broker Eric Kodner CRS, ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS teaches real estate courses at the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS (MAAR) and was a featured guest speaker at the 2005 Wisconsin REALTORS Association (WRA) Convention.
Madeline Island Realty is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com broker network and appears in the current edition of "Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate".
http://www.merchantcircle.com/MadelineIslandRealEstate.
Long considered a best-kept secret by well-to-do summer residents from Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and the Upper Midwest, Madeline Island has become a popular summer destination and a haven for sailors and boaters, private aircraft owners and families seeking the utmost second home experience in the north central United States.
Madeline Island is a naturally-gated community, separated from the mainland by a distance of over two miles. The Island is accessible year-round by car ferry, windsled or ice road.
Your investment in a waterfront second home or lot on Madeline Island offers multiple benefits. In addition to the constantly-increasing value of lakeshore, your Madeline Island Real Estate investment stands out among recreational property investments because of the increasing popularity of islands as an ideal recreational retreat.
For details on luxury property investment opportunities on Madeline Island, visit our Luxury Properties website, at http://www.luxurylakeshore.com/. And please also visit our Island office in LaPointe, located at 809 Main Street. We'll be looking forward to your visit!
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