Plein air painter Neil Sherman first told me the name of The Tombolo. He heard it from painter Howard Sivertson. I can imagine Howard walking the beach in his red suspenders to paint the spot. The Tombolo is one of three iconic north shore islands on Lake Superior in Minnesota. The most famous is Hollow Rock in Grand Portage. The least famous is The Rock in Hovland. The Tombolo falls somewhere in between. Sometimes the island is connected to shore via a tombolo and sometimes open water prevents access. It changes with the seasons and with the waves. It is my favorite place to photograph and I visit it many times during the winter to see its different moods.

tom·bo·lo
ˈtämbəˌlō
noun
noun: tombolo; plural noun: tombolos
a bar of sand or shingle joining an island to the mainland.

“Every island to a child is a treasure island.”

– P.D. James, The Lighthouse

Download the tear sheet: The Tombolo