This Summer, Take A Wisconsin Vacation On A Floating Villa On Lake Superior
By Ben Jones|Published April 12, 2022
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Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
While Wisconsin has scores of lodging options that welcome travelers, there are a few places that are simply one of a kind. On the shores of Lake Superior, a remarkable floating villa welcomes guests, and the accommodations are just as unusual as the location. Read on to see why you need to plan a stay on the Griffin.
The Griffin may live on a Great Lake, but it’s a functioning riverboat that’s driven by paddle wheels. It’s modeled after historic Mississippi steamboats.
The boat was built in 1959, designed to capture the over-the-top elegance and grandeur of old steam vessels. Its current owners have been working to restore the boat to 1800s glory.
The boat’s location is also one-of-a-kind. It’s docked at the Northern Pacific Ore Dock, a massive structure that was built more than a century ago to help load high grade ore that was mined nearby.
The structure is massive; it’s nearly 1,900-feet long and it stands 80-feet tall. While it was in operation for decades, eventually the dock was decommissioned and an approach track was scrapped.
The Griffin is not a luxury experience – it’s more like camping, as water and electricity availability is limited. There’s no toilet, just a portable toilet outside. Everything on the boat, including the beds, is small – it’s a boat!
There’s a lot to do on the Griffin – some people swim, fish, or kayak off the boat and it’s possible to enjoy a driftwood campfire on shore. Learn more about the this floating villa on Lake Superior at the Airbnb website. If you enjoy unusual stays, here’s a vacation rental that was crafted from an old shipping container.
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