Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: A beautiful, warm, sunny morning—full of promise. They just finished picking strawberries up here, so we headed to a market near us and bought a couple of pints. Then drove down through Sister Bay and Ephraim. The Fyr Bal (fear ball) Festival is on this weekend in Ephraim. Think it’s Scandinavian for bon fire. It’s a festival that celebrates the coming of summer. All the cottages along the lake shore were putting together big pyres for the festivities tonight. They’re going to have Scandinavian dancing, a pet parade, and a big fish boil tonight with fireworks to follow. Hope the weather holds for them. Drove some of the back roads for a while and then back home and sat outside in the sun reading for a while. A perfect summer day today—low 80s, blue skies, and gentle breezes.

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: This morning dawned bright and sunny. And last night the stars and moon were incredible. After having breakfast at the Viking Grill, decided to drive to Sturgeon Bay and get some things we need at Walgreens and then check out the lighthouse at the entrance of the Sturgeon Bay Canal. Walgreens didn’t take long at all and then we headed over the draw bridge to the canal and followed the Coast Guard signs until the road dead-ended at the breakfront and Coast Guard Station. Took some pictures and then back to Sturgeon Bay along another WI Rustic Road that started right at the Coast Guard Station and followed a beautiful forest along the shore of Lake Michigan. Some beautiful homes along there, although you could see mostly drives into the thick foliage. We did see a doe and very young fawn cross the road. Drove around old-town Sturgeon Bay a little bit and then headed back on Rt. B which goes up the Green Bay side of the peninsula. Stopped at Egg Harbor and I had an ice cream and Mike had a soda and then we continued on, stopping at another roadside stand/market. Didn’t buy anything but sampled all the goodies in there. Also stopped at the Water Street Gallery in Ephraim to see our favorite artist, Fredrick Briedenhagen, but he wasn’t there today. I have several of his prints, and Mike bought me one of his original oils for Christmas a few years ago.

Tiger Lily--Ridges Sanctuary

Fly-eating Pitcher Plant--Ridges Sanctuary

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Cloudy this morning. We had a fire and sat around reading and watching the couple in the site next to us as they packed up to leave. The clouds broke up and the sun came out so we went back to The Ridges Sanctuary and hiked some of the beautiful trails in there. Forests of cedars, pines, firs and birches interspersed with wetlands—they called them swales. Very pretty and lots of wild flowers—some rare. On the way back we stopped at one of the little roadside markets and bought some chocolate covered cherries and some other things. Back home and watched part of the first season of the Sopranos I borrowed from the Sister Bay library. Probably mid-70s today.

At anchor in the bay at Fish Creek

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Started raining at about 2:00 a.m. this morning and rained all night. Stopped finally around 8:00 but remained cool and cloudy. We bought a documentary about the Door County lighthouses when we were here seven years ago. Decided to watch that again. There are more lighthouses in Door County than in any other county in the U.S. There are approximately 250 miles of rocky shoreline on the peninsula dotted with shoals, reefs, and cliffs and the passage at the tip of the peninsula (just north of where we’re staying) was called Porte des Mort by the French (door of death). Hence, the name Door County. The car ferry we take over to Washington Island goes across “death’s door”. We don’t do it in bad weather. I doubt that it made it out of the 50s today.

Old Barn on Old StagecoachRoad

Beautiful Swan out on the Lake

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: A grey morning. Decided to do a big breakfast this morning. Eggs, sausage, and biscuits. Hadn’t done one in a while and the biscuits weren’t that great. But it was good. After that we just hung around reading outside. Got the keyboard out and played that for a while and then headed for Bailey’s Harbor for dinner at the steakhouse that Mindy and Jerry own who also own the Blue Ox across the street.. Had a great dinner—filet and baked potato.. And a guy proposed to his date who were dining in the atrium. I had never been in a restaurant where someone was proposed to. He actually got down on one knee. I asked Mike why he didn’t do that. But I probably proposed to him. We bought them drinks to celebrate the occasion and wished them well. Had way too much to drink ourselves. Back home and watched another episode of “The War”, a PBS series of WWII by Ken Burns. Took several Excedrins to offset any hangover. Hopefully they will work. We’re planning to get together with Mindy and Jerry on their day off.

Yellow Lady Slipper

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Decided to drive over to the Ridges Sanctuary at Bailey’s Harbor today. It’s turning into a beautiful day. While Mike was in the shower I went over to the office to take care of some computer stuff. Had a great signal for a change. Their wi-fi isn’t as good as the library. Set out around noon and we missed the turnoff for the Ridges but ended up at the Toft Natural Area which is on Rustic Road 39. Wisconsin has over 70 Rustic Roads which can be paved, gravel, sand, or just a couple of ruts. They go through some really beautiful natural areas. This one started out paved and turned into gravel. Then we parked and walked on an unofficial trail out to this beautiful lake shore with absolutely no signs of humanoids anywhere. We walked out on these flat rocks to the lake shore. We had a good view of Cana Island Lighthouse from this vantage point. It was just us, the gulls, some geese, and a couple of white pelicans. These flat rocks go out into the lake quite a ways before it drops off. We didn’t have water shoes on, so we didn’t venture out there. After enjoying this beautiful vista we headed back to take the trail back to the truck—and we couldn’t find the trail. There was a cairn where the trail came out of the woods, but we couldn’t find that either. We walked back and forth along the forest line several times before Mike finally found it. Thought we were going to have to call for help. Fortunately I had my cell phone with me. On the way back we found the turnoff for The Ridges which is also on a Rustic Road. We’ll go back there another day to hike some of the trails there. Stopped at the Blue Ox on the way back for a drink. Then back home. When we got back we had no water because one of our water connections apparently blew and we were spewing water and someone shut it off. So Mike had to head to the hardware store to get a new connection. 73 today and mostly sunny.

Cana Island Lighthouse off in the distance

This looks like sand--but it's all shells

Remote area of Lake Michigan

Wagon Trail Resort, Ellison Bay, WI: Drove down the peninsula to check out Clark Lake. When we were in Colorado last summer, we met a guy from Columbia, MO, who has a place there. A cute little lake. On the way back we stopped at Bailey’s Harbor and had lunch at the Blue Ox. The people that own the Blue Ox and the steak house across the street also winter in the Keys. They manage a café in Sunset Key. We will have to get together with them this winter. Headed back after lunch and stopped at the Swedish bakery at Rowley’s Bay and bought a couple of turnovers and a Door Co. cherry pie. Mike drove back and I opted to walk back, taking a little trail through the beautiful woods. When I got back we decided to hike one of the other trails out of the park down to the Mink River Preserve. A pretty hike through a forest of firs birches and cedars sprinkled with lots of wild flowers. Back home and decided to watch the other DVD we borrowed from the office—“The 4th Floor”, a horror flick.

 

Barns of Door County