Whenever we mentioned going to Wisconsin, people told us to be sure to get to Door County. We planned on staying here for 4 nights, but after only one, we extended our stay for a week.
Door County is at the end of the peninsula known as the “thumb” of Wisconsin, which protrudes into lake Michigan with Green Bay on the westside. It is quite rural with quaint small towns dotting both shorelines. Although the population is small, there are many good restaurants, shops and lodging options. It is also an area that produces tart and sweet cherries, which happen to be in season right now. You can buy anything cherry in Door County.
Bob and I set up at a nice campground in Egg Harbor, on the Green Bay side of the peninsula. It was a lovely spot in the trees, which kept us cool on the sunny warm days. We also encountered an evening of severe storms and we were prepared to run for the office if the tornado siren went off. It didn’t, but we pulled the slides in for the night anyway.
We couldn’t get Wifi at our campsite, so most days we went to various coffee houses for Bob’s latte and to check our email. Wine tasting is also a pastime here that we didn’t miss, but most of the wines are fruit based and sweet. We did find two nice red blends that we liked. Several days we rode our bikes on a ten-mile loop in Peninsula State Park and spent some time at the many small but scenic beaches on the lake. The water is very clear and fairly warm on the bayside (72+), but only about 62 degrees on the open Lake Michigan side of the peninsula.
One evening we took in a performance at an outdoor theater of “Cheeseheads, the Musical”. Bob and I both loved it! It was a really fun play based loosely on a true story about a group of workers in a cheese factory who won the lotto. We also did a few leisure activities together for the first time – bowling and miniature golf.
Door County has a unique meal called the Fish Boil. It starts with a huge caldron on an open fire outside. A wire basket filled with potatoes and onions goes into it, and on top of that another basket with large hunks of local whitefish. When the food is almost done, they throw kerosene on the fire creating a huge flair up and the water boils over the top. The boil show was fun and the fish dinner was great.
Our final night in Egg Harbor, we were treated to a free concert in the park by Loudon Wainwright III. That was a name from the past that we barely remembered, but he was FANTASTIC. What a funny, talented songwriter and musician. We loved every minute of his performance and will see him again if the opportunity comes up.
This is a very special area of the Wisconsin and definitely worth a trip if you’re in the vicinity. Next stop - Minneapolis, to visit my family and attend my 40th High School Reunion! – Cheeseheads, the Reunion?
No comments:
Post a Comment