Fri, 6/25/10

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: A nice day today. We drove over to Newport State Park—actually it’s a wilderness area—and hiked one of the trails there. We hiked along this rugged bluff for a while. Most of the trail was along the lake shore. Very pretty. We checked out two backpacking sites along this trail. When we backpacked there seven years ago we had a site way down the other end of the park on pretty Europe Lake. Saw the Northern Lights for the first time. Back home, stopping on the way to pick up some more strawberries. Washed and cut those up and then freshened up a little. Headed to Fish Creek for dinner at Summertime Restaurant and then on to the Peninsula Players production of Heroes. This was a really funny play about three WWI vets in a veterans’ home in France who plan to run away. The theater itself is in a beautiful garden in a grove of cedars right on the lake shore. At intermission they build this huge bonfire. They just redid the theater four years ago. They’re celebrating their 75th year and are America’s oldest resident summer theater. A very impressive venue.

View of the lake from the theater grounds

Thu, 6/24/10

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: A mixed bag weather-wise this morning. The sun would be out for a while and then the clouds would roll in. That scenario was repeated most of the day. Didn’t really matter though because we were headed to the Strawberry Festival in Sister Bay. It was put on by one of the churches in Sister Bay. Besides strawberry shortcake, there were baked goods and a mini flea market. We each enjoyed a huge strawberry shortcake with biscuits, ice cream, strawberries, and whipped cream. A huge portion. We got talking to a guy at our table who shares a cottage south of Sister Bay with the rest of his sisters and brothers that was passed down through the years. Think he said it’s a log building that dates back to the 1880s. After our shortcake we browsed the baked goods table. I got some home made ginger snaps and Mike got a mini loaf of cranberry/orange bread. Just what we need. Stopped at the Sister Bay library before heading home and spent a couple of hours in there on the computer. Watched the last of season 2 of The Sopranos. Season 3 will be coming via Netflix.

Wed, 6/23/10

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Awoke to the pitter patter of rain drops this morning. Rained off and on all morning. Played around on the keyboard for a while. Showing no signs of clearing, we watched a couple more episodes of The Sopranos and then a movie with Billy Bob Thornton, “One False Move”. Pretty good thriller. After the movie the sun came out and we walked over to Rowley’s Pub on Rowley’s Bay for a couple of cocktails. Tried the trail first but that was a bog, so we backtracked and took the road. Sat out on the Pub’s patio and sipped our drinks. Across the road from the Pub is a pretty view of the lake and a small marina—only one boat in there at the moment. It was nice just watching the white pelicans on the lake and feeling the warm sun on us. After an hour or so we started seeing some ugly looking clouds coming in from the west, so we headed back. Took a different trail this time which was pretty dry. After dinner we were watching something on PBS and started getting severe storm warnings. When they started including Door County we put the awning up and headed over to the clubhouse. There were several other people in there as well—nothing like a good storm to bring people together. It did rain very hard but no high winds thankfully. We went back to our site around 8:30. Mid-70s today.

Church of the Attonement--Fish Creek

Local artist painting the church

Tue, 6/22/10

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: This morning started out cloudy, so I got the cleaning out of the way. Then sat outside reading for a while. Mike headed over to the office for something and I decided to go for a walk since it had cleared off and turned into a beautiful day. I walked part of the trail that we hiked a few days ago. Was wishing I had changed into shorts before heading out because it was getting pretty warm in my sweats and a sweatshirt. Got back and changed into shorts and got engrossed in the book I was reading. We headed to Bailey’s Harbor around 4:30 for dinner at the steakhouse there. Had a great meal and watched the kite boarders out on the lake. Back home and watched two more episodes of The Sopranos. 80 today.

Bailey's Harbor Range Light

These two buildings are in a straight line about 950 feet apart.   They each had a light in the tower.  Back in the 1800s, when a ship lined up these two lights they knew they were in Bailey's Harbor

Mon, 6/21/10

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Another fantastic morning. After our morning ablutions we headed to Sister Bay to do the laundry, pick up some groceries and hit the library and return the Sopranos first season. We were lucky that the second season was there and so I took that out. Took advantage of the library wi-fi and went through our e-mail and some other things. Back home, put stuff away and relaxed.

On the trail at the Ridges Sanctuary

Sun, 6/20/10

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Another beautiful morning. After having breakfast at the Viking Grill we explored around some more. Stopped at Ellison Bluff and checked out the beautiful view of the lake and islands from the top of this bluff. Hiked the trail there through this beautiful forest. Then we drove up to Gils Rock and Northport at the tip of the peninsula with views of the Porte des Morte channel and the lighthouses in the channel. Then on to pretty little Europe Lake. Lots of beautiful homes around the lake shore. Back home and watched the final Soprano’s episode of season one. 75 today—sunny and nice.

Pretty wild flowers

View of Ellison Bluff and Green Bay

Road between Gils Rock and Northport--talk about a windy country road!

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Another beautiful morning. Clouds started rolling in shortly after noon. We hung out all day and then went into Ephraim around 5:00 to check out the Fyr Bal (fear ball) Festival. Checked out the llamas and alpacas and walked around for a while and then went to the Town Hall and had a fish boil dinner—our first. We sat with a couple who have a place up here on the lake just north of Sister Bay that’s been in the family for generations. He’s Scandinavian, she’s Scandinavian and German. They cook the fish in these big pots outside. The potatoes and onions go in first and then the fish get put in last. They serve it with cole slaw and bread and ladle melted butter over the fish and the potatoes. Tasted really good…very different. The only bad thing was the bones. You had to be pretty careful. Back home and watched more episodes of the Soprano’s.

Fish boil in progress

One of many pyres on the lake shore ready to light

Wanted to take this little guy home