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Washington Island, Wisconsin  

July 31, 2022

We took the five mile ferry ride over to Washington Island and drove up to see Little Lake and then Schoolhouse Beach. It's one of only five similar sandless beaches worldwide. Instead, the shores are lined with smooth small rocks that were glacier-polished over thousands of years and are each small geological treasures that became very popular with tourists. In fact, souvenir hunters carried off so many of the rocks that taking them is now against the law. But the highlight of our island hop was our stop at Nelsen's Hall. A loophole exploited during prohibition enabled the owner to get a pharmacist license to dispense bitters as a “stomach tonic for medicinal purposes." The hall remained open during Prohibition, making it the oldest legally continuously operated tavern in the state of Wisconsin. Today, taking shots of Angostura Bitters is a local tradition. Washington Island's population consumes more bitters than anyone else in the world. https://youtube.com/shorts/Yx_nm20zuCA?feature=share