Becky’s Birthday
We gave our daughter a surprise birthday party in our “home”. It was fun because our grandkids helped decorate and did a pretty good job of not letting the cat out of the bag…
At least Becky acted surprised!
Nothing better than a good bowl of Melting Ice Cream Birthday Cake!
Omro Wisconsin
We had a great time for about two weeks at their house, and then it was time to move on. We were headed for Door County, Wisconsin. We are trying to have short driving days, to help us remember we’re retired and don’t have to do 9 hour marathon driving days. So we stopped at a campground in Omro. No frills, just long level sites and electrical hookups. Water and dump station near the office. But only $15. A great place if you are just passing through.
Door County
A small peninsula cuts from eastern Wisconsin into Lake Michigan, and creates Green Bay on its western shore. A couple of miles north of the tip of this promontory is Washington Island. The small stretch of water between the peninsula and the island looks fairly safe, but storms can arise almost instantly out of nowhere and turn it into a very treacherous channel. When French trappers arrived here in the early 1600’s, the local Indians told about how many lives had been lost in making that crossing. They gave the channel the attractive name “Porte des Morts”, or “Door of Death”. Over the years the peninsula was called the Door of Death Peninsula, and then just Door Peninsula, and now is officially Door County. We haven’t yet braved crossing the Door of Death, but we sure are impressed with how beautiful everything is here! We had loosely planned to stay maybe five days… but have extended our reservation to ten days.
It has rained a lot since we’ve arrived, but we still love it here. We’ve spent a little time riding bikes through the forest, looking at nice beaches, checking out quaint towns, shopping at huge produce markets, and eating very well! (We have made some awesome scones, and some terrific home made bread in our convection oven. Our first baking in the convection oven has turned out very well, and we are encouraged! Some have said you can’t bake in convection… WRONG!)
Last night was our 43rd anniversary! (Congrats to us!) We went out to dinner and then to an interesting theatrical venue. The Peninsula Players have been doing professional Summer Stock productions for 84 years on the shore of Green Bay! They are the longest running professional summer theater in the country.
The play was called “George Washington’s Teeth”, and I thought as part of my ongoing professional continuing education I really should see it. 😉 It was well done and fun, but the coolest part was the beautiful grounds and facility. Right on the bay, they have a lot of chairs in a lightly wooded area, and a large bonfire. I’ve never sat on a log by a lakeshore 5 minutes before curtain time before! I didn’t take any pictures there, but here is a promo of the company you might enjoy. If you don’t like it, I didn’t make it, so fine…
We are staying at the Wagon Trail Campground near the northern tip of Door County. They claim to “Specialize in Quiet Nights and Secluded Sites”. Our spot is both quiet and secluded, and absolutely gorgeous.
Many trails lead from the campsite off into the forest. Our bikes really aren’t mountain bikes, but managed these trails adequately. Absolutely beautiful!
The water is high now, so lots of docks are low in the water or under water. We’ve had a lot of rain, and sometimes a lot of wind as well.
The little towns are adorable. I plan on shooting architecture photos next week, but here’s a cute house on the highway.
We took a Trolley Tour from Egg Harbor up through the Peninsula State Park and around the old town of Ephraim. The driver/tour guide was a lot of fun, and described almost everything as the “Best in the country” or “Best in the world”. Who knows? Maybe he’s right!
