Living full time in our motor home allows us to be Ready To Go. . .on to the next adventure!

Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco Skyline as seen from the Marin Headlands - California

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Cana Island Lighthouse–Peninsula State Park–Fish Creek Wisconsin–all in one day

our beautiful Breakfast Spot

but first, breakfast at the lovely Harbor Fish Market and Grill. . .

doesn’t sound very exciting for breakfast, does it?

but it was great. . .and the outside seating was wonderful. . .

Paths and Beaches of Cana Island

 

 

 

on to the Cana Island Lighthouse,

which is touted as the most scenic lighthouse

in Door County. . .we thought it was very pretty. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the walkways, and paths, and beaches were fun to explore. . .

Paths and Beaches of Cana IslandPaths and Beaches of Cana IslandPaths and Beaches of Cana IslandPaths and Beaches of Cana Island

 

Cana Island Lighthouse

 

 

 

 

 

with views of the lighthouse available from all angles. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cana Island Lighthouse

 

 

 

 

 

we chose to not climb to the top of the lighthouse

(an additional $4 to the $6 pp we paid to access the island)

as we knew we would be climbing the tower

at Peninsula State Park later in the day. . .

 

 

 

see more of our Cana Island experiences here. . .

 

The Eagle Tower - 75 feet high - 250 feet above the Bay - Peninsula State Park

 

 

 

 

 

next up.. .the Eagle Tower – Peninsula State Park

75 feet tall and 250 feet above the bay. . .nice!

We have really enjoyed the Fire Towers located around the peninsula. . .

 

 

 

 

 

Horseshoe Island - on the horizon - the Coast Line of Upper Michigan as seen from Peninsula State Park

a nice view from the top

way out on the horizon past Horseshoe Island,

is the shoreline of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. . .

only one short month ago, we were traveling along Hwy 2 looking out over Lake Michigan and then Green Bay toward Wisconsin. . .

On the way back down the tower, I discovered I’m not the only one with a fear of heights. . .that tower starts to sway a little as you go up, and several folks were grabbling for the handrail, saying. . .I think this is as far as I’m gonna make it. . .

I tried to encourage one guy with the same mantra I tell myself. . .hundreds of people climb this thing everyday, everything will be fine. . .it will be worth it. . .he was NOT buying my pep talk. . .LOL!

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse - Peninsula State Park



okay. . .on to the last lighthouse on this leg of our trip. . .

the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. . .built in 1868. . .

 

had I done my homework a little better,

we may have been able to see the

Chambers Island Lighthouse,

had we climbed the tower here. . .

and also. . .for you awesome hikers,

the cliffs below this lighthouse are accessible by hiking down (I forget the terminology used) but it was very clear that it was a very steep descent down to the water. . .I really, really wanted to do it, just to see the caves in the rock face. . .but alas. . .I came to my senses, and realized a steep descent, also meant a steep ascent. . .ummmm. . .yeah. . .not happening. . .

so. . .onward to our last stop of the day. . .

Fish Creek Wisconsin. . .

we’ve heard so much ooooing and ahhing over it. . .

we were just sure it must be spectacular. . .

eh. . .

it’s a tourist town. . .

lots and lots of tourist boutiques and touristy tourist shops. . .

sorry. . .so sorry. . .just doesn’t excite me. . .

we did not take a single picture. . .not a one.

 

That’s a shame isn’t it?

but. . .if you want to see some pics of the town. . .click here

 

Except for some of the hiking and exploring we would like to have done, had the weather been better, and the mosquitoes been fewer, and the fact that we missed seeing the Pottawatomie Lighthouse located over on Rock Island, we feel as though we have had a grand adventure in Door County Wisconsin, and would highly recommend it for a visit. . .maybe not a month long visit. . .

but you should at least give it a good two weeks. . .

My one piece of advice might be to stay further north on the Peninsula. . .where everything would be more easily accessible. . .

We saw some large rigs in the campground at Peninsula State Park. . .so that might be a great staging area. . .

I hope you visit, and enjoy the “Thumb of Wisconsin” as much as we have. . .

 

We leave here on Tuesday. . .and really have NOTHING scheduled or planned for the next ten days. . .

just hunker down, and lay low until the Fourth of July is done. . .and then on to the Wisconsin Dells. . .

we’ll see you there,

“til then,

Janice and Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Wequiock Falls–Green Bay Wisconsin

ahhhh. . .we were supposed to meet you next in Fish Creek. . .

but. . .it rained. . .and now it’s the weekend. . .

do you know how a popular tourist town is on the weekend?

cra-zeeeee. . .

 

so with no plans, and the larder running a little low. . .

we decided to make a trek to Green Bay. . .’bout half an hour away. . .

In my research of the area, I had seen this waterfall located at

Wequiock Falls County Park. . .

seemed like an easy little trek on our way to the store. . .

Wequiock Falls - Green Bay Wisconsin

 

 

in my reading it seemed as though there was a little hike

to get to the waterfall. . .

NOT SO. . .

the park is right off Wisconsin 57. . .

and the waterfall is right across the little footbridge. . .

 

 

 

 

 

Wequiock Falls - Green Bay Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

it’s falling right over a natural limestone ledge

again, part of the Niagara Escarpment. . .so cool. . .

on it’s way to Green Bay. . .

the browns you see in the water are the natural tannins

present in many of the creeks and rivers of this area. . .

 

 

 

Wequiock Falls - Green Bay Wisconsin

what a lovely little respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. . .nice!

 

Got the shopping done. . .had a great Mexican Food lunch. . .YUM! 

next time we really will see you at Fish Creek. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Washington Island Wisconsin

Our intention when we headed out to Washington Island,
located at the farthest point north on the Door County Peninsula
The Ferry Ride to Washington Isle Wisconsin
was to take the vehicle ferry ($53 for the jeep and two passengers) over to the island
and then take an additional passenger ferry ($11 each) over to Rock Island State Park,
and hike one mile to the Pottawatomie Lighthouse. . .(more pics)
The Ferry Ride to Washington Isle Wisconsin
before I continue with that story,
I must show you how we got parked on the ferry. . .
it was so full that they backed us into this last available corner.
It would have been an hour wait for the next ferry,
so we were happy to be aboard. . .
not to seem blasé’, but we use the ferry system in Texas (which is free)
quite often, as a matter of fact. . .our very first date, 40 years ago,
was to go with friends to ride the Bolivar Ferry in Galveston,
so we were fine with the entire situation. . .
(the deck hands asked if we had ever driven onto a ferry before)
Washington Isle Wisconsin
as an aside. . .this is the trolley tour you can take, if you are not inclined to bring your vehicle over. . .

back to the story. . .in our usual fashion (being horrible tourists)
we got a later start than intended. . .and discovering that the last ferry BACK
to the mainland was at 4:30. . . we needed to make a decision. . .
(the later ferry runs will start in July)
if we went to the State Park, and hiked to the lighthouse,
we would have NO time to explore Washington Island. . .hmmmm. . .
so we chose to forego the lighthouse, and simply explore the island. . .
here’s what we discovered. . .

first stop. . .The Mountain Tower
Mountain Tower - Washington Isle WisconsinMountain Tower - Washington Isle Wisconsin
a lovely little hike up the stairway to heaven,
and then another few steps to the top. . .
Rock Island as seen from Washington Isle Wisconsin
for a fairly great view of Rock Island (you can just see the tower of the current lighthouse)
and the Wisconsin Mainland across Green Bay. . .lots of marine haze though. . .
David and Janice - Mountain Tower - Washington Isle Wisconsin
a very nice Minister/Schoolteacher couple offered to take this pic. . .
they were from Green Bay, and taking a quick summer break. . .
we just meet the nicest folks out and about everywhere we go. . .
Sand Hill Cranes - Washington Isle Wisconsin
as we are driving along, we see this group of Sand Hill Cranes. . .
I’m telling Dave. . .stop, I need to take a pic. . .I’m not sure what they are, but I know they are special. . .LOL!
I later contacted Jeannie (Sparky) from Where’s Eldo, as I was sure I remembered seeing them on her blog. . .
she verified that they were indeed Sand Hill Cranes. . .I guess they like cooler summer weather too.
Schoolhouse Beach - Washington Isle Wisconsin
on to the next item on our brochure. . .Schoolhouse Beach. . .
a lovely place to enjoy our tuna salad and crackers. . .
Schoolhouse Beach - Washington Isle WisconsinSchoolhouse Beach - Washington Isle Wisconsin
an entire beach of beautiful polished limestone rocks. . .
I told Dave after taking this pic of dry rocks and wet rocks. . .
“I am intrigued by the weirdest things”. . .I think they are just beautiful,
back when my grandson and I used to do paintings on rocks,
I could certainly have used some of these beauties. . .
Schoolhouse Beach - Washington Isle Wisconsin
another beautiful view of Washington Harbor with Schoolhouse Beach on the far right end. . .
the lilacs in the foreground smelled wonderful. . .
Schoolhouse Beach - Washington Isle Wisconsin
it was growing wild all over the island. . .
the bluffs of Rock Island as seen from Washington Isle Wisconsin
we drove around searching out every vantage point to see Rock Island. . .
just sure we could at least get a glimpse of the Pottawatomie Lighthouse. . .
but this was the best we were able to do. . .just a glimpse of the tower. . . and the cliffs. . .
Washington Isle WisconsinWashington Isle Wisconsin
my favorite thing on the island. . .the Stavkirke. . .
a replica of a Norwegian House of Worship. . .
and although not historical in the sense of time,
still a very interesting architectural structure. . .

and that was about it for Washington Island. . .
in retrospect, we should have planned better,
and included Rock Island in our itinerary for the day. . .
but overall. . .it was fun day. . .spent together. . .exploring!
and we got to ride the ferry back to the mainland facing forward. . .yaaa!
Bailey's Harbor and Historical Mural
a quick stop at Bailey’s Harbor on the way home to get a pic of the
mural depicting the history of the village. . .
and by walking out to the end of the dock behind the building,
Bailey's Harbor Lighthouse
a lovely view of the Bailey’s Harbor Lighthouse. . .

see you next time at Fish Creek. . .

‘til then,
Janice and Dave

another great blog about the Bailey’s Harbor Mural




Info about Rock Island State Park and the Pottawatomie Lighthouse

Goats on the Roof. . .really?–Sister BayWisconsin

Goats on the roof - Al Johnson's Restaurant - Sister's Harbor Wisconsin

 

well I never. . .I mean. . .really?

when Ann, whom I’ve made friends with from RVillage told us to be sure and see the goats on the roof at Sister Bay, I was just absolutely sure she must be joking. . .really!

But no. . .it’s true. . .

at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant right on Main St there are really goats on the roof. . .and all us tourists are standing on the sidewalk, cameras in hand, taking pics of goats on the roof. . .

What a fabulous marketing ploy. . .’cause guess what?  After we stopped to see the goats on the roof, we went inside to try the Swedish Meatballs. . .

LOVED IT!Goats on the roof - Al Johnson's Restaurant - Sister's Harbor Wisconsin

Does it get much funnier than this?

There’s even a GOAT CAM. . .so you can see the action live. . .

The goats report for duty at 9AM and are returned to the farm at 6PM. . .and yes. . .sometimes the goats fall off the roof. . .I read lots of stories about the whole process. . .’cause as you know. . .I’m fascinated by everything. . .and always want to know the WHYS. . .

more great web images of goats on the roof

                                                                                             you really, really gotta go see this one!

 

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Egg Harbor Wisconsin’s - Eggstravaganza

Egg Harbor Marina
The Egg Harbor Marina is just beautiful. . .
Egg Harbor Marina
and the park above the marine. . .a lovely place. . .
but, unless you are “tourist shop” shopper,
I can’t tell you that there’s a whole lot else to do in Egg Harbor Wisconsin. . .
HOWEVER. . .
the thing they did have going on for them was the
wow. . .what a fabulous marketing gimmick to get
folks out and about in the village. . .
Copper Connection #25 - My favorite Artistic PieceJourney into Sunset #32 - my favorite mosaic
Transformation #46Egg-xploration #12
we had more fun wandering around
exploring all the artist renditions of eggs,
and exploring corner’s of the village
we would never have wandered to otherwise. . .


I must give the Egg Harbor Visitor Center
high marks for this winning idea. . .
Screaming Turtle #37 - favorite whimsical
I hafta show you my very favorite one.. .the Screaming Turtle. . .what a riot!

and if you must see the other 49. . .well. . .here’s the album. . .LOL!


Not only did we spend three hours exploring all
the nooks and crannies of Egg Harbor,
but we also had two meals in Egg Harbor,
not something we do very often. . .
so we shared a chicken salad with dried cherries
sandwich at MacReady Artisan Breads. . .yummy,
and then we worked up such an appetite
wandering up and down and around. . .
that we worked our way back to
Chopper welcomed us to Casey's BBQ
where we were welcomed by their mascot “Chopper”. . .how cute is he?
Signboard - The History of Egg Harbor




and just in case you’re wondering how on earth
Egg Harbor got it’s name. . .
place your cursor on this pic, and enlarge it. . .
it’s an interesting tale for sure




another wonderful day in Door County. . .

We’ll see you next time at Sister’s Harbor. . .

‘til then
Janice and Dave


More fabulous Blog Posts About Egg Harbor

the rest of the Egg Harbor pics:














Sunday, June 15, 2014

A Father’s Day Excursion–Lakeshore Drive–Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin

Knowing how busy Father’s Day weekend in
major tourist area would probably be. . .
our intention had been to stay in, and avoid all the crowds. . .
North Pier Head Canal and Harbor Light - Rough surf on Lake Michigan - Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin
but then Dave read about a Norther coming in over Lake Michigan,
with four to seven foot swells, and small craft advisories in effect,
we decided that we could go drive Lakeshore Drive along Lake Michigan
as this would keep us on the south side of the ship channel,
and not up into the main tourist area. . .we didn’t see anything
nearly that large, although later, much later in the evening,
the wind pick up tremendously, and it may have gotten much more exciting. . .Fox as viewed on Lake Shore Drive - Lake Michigan
still a lovely drive. . .we saw this fox,
but by the time I got the camera up, this was the only shot I could get. . .
White Pelicans on Lake Michigan
a squadron of American White Pelicans. . .
you may recall me writing about the White Pelicans on Fort Parker Lake in Texas,
so we loved seeing them again on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.
path to the beach - Lake Michigan
a pretty little path to the beach. . .
only there was no beach with the surf up. . .
North Pierhead Canal and Harbor Light - Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin
the North Pier Headlight. . .
Sturgeon Bay Canal Light - Sturgeon Bay Coast Guard Station - Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin
and a view of the Sturgeon Bay Canal Light up over the dunes. . .

all in all. . .a lovely day, and a lovely drive. . .
and then back home to fix Dave
his favorite meal for Father’s Day. . .Steak and Potatoes!


see you next time at Egg Harbor. . .

‘til then,
Janice and Dave