Monthly Archives: August 2017

Monday, August 21—Al Johnson’s, Washington Island, and PC Junction

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Yes, the eclipse escaped us.
We have decided to leave earlier than originally planned, but still have a few remaining “leaving with no regrets” items to do/see in Door County; we used our “free” day Monday to accomplish three of those.
After reading email, the Democrat Gazette, and checking Facebook, we drove north to catch the ferry to Washington Island, stopping at Al Johnson’s on the way for breakfast. Simply said, Al Johnson’s is an authentic Swedish family owned restaurant in Sister Bay with goats grazing on the roof! Their breakfast specialty is Swedish pancakes; they were good, and reminded us of a large square crepe.
Kay in front of Al Johnson’s, Sister Bay

Goats are the attraction at Al Johnson’s, Sister Bay

Swedish pancakes, Al Johnson’s, Sister Bay
Leaving the restaurant, we continued north to catch the passenger ferry to Washington Island. Washington Island is Door County’s only year-round island community and the largest of Door County’s thirty islands with over 35 square miles and over 100 miles of roads; it lies 5 miles north of the Door County Peninsula. The highlights (for us) were the Stave Church, lavender farm, and Schoolhouse Beach. The Church of Staves (the Stavkirke) was custom built based on drawings of one built in Borgund, Norway, in 1150 AD. It was unique, and very few nails were used. The Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm was a small farm where lavender is grown, harvested, processed, and distilled for use in many lavender products. sound there and in other Door County locations. Schoolhouse Beach is made up of white, smooth stones, and is one of five beaches in the world like it; it is a part of the Niagara Escarpment.  We had originally planned to take the car and bicycles over, then decided to take just my bicycle, and finally decided to go and take the “train” tour—glad we did—it was good to see, but we wouldn’t do it again.
An old lighthouse along Death’s Door, Door County, Wisconsin

On the passenger ferry to Washington Island

Auto and passenger ferry to Washington Island

Stave Church, Washington Island

Stave Church, Washington Island

Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm, Washington Island

Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm, Washington Island

Kay on Schoolhouse Beach, Washington Island

Finally, on our way back to the coach,, we stopped at PC Junction for a late lunch. PC Junction is the No. 1 food place for kids visiting Door County. The small counter, which is made up of old doors, is where a model train delivers your food and drinks! We opted to sit upstairs away from all the noise; the food was just okay.

Sunday, August 20—Church, Recovery, and a Loud Concert

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Sunday was a day of rest and recovery. After church we hung around the coach watching the end of the Solheim Cup.  With a free afternoon, we enjoyed preparing and eating a great steak, potato, and salad dinner.
Steak, and potatoes with onions, bacon and cheese
Every Sunday evening from mid June to late August, the Peg Egan Sunset Concert Series presents a concert at the amphitheater in Egg Harbor. Tonight marks the last concert of the season, and our third, featuring Tab Benoit, a Louisiana Blues master. He is a great guitar player, singer, and song writer; however the music was extremely loud—ear piercing—in fact. We left after about two thirds of the concert was over, and upon returning to the coach could still hear the music some miles away.
Another large crowd to see Tab Benoit in Egg Harbor

Tab Benoit (left) in concert at Egg Harbor

Saturday, August 19—Ahnapee State Trail, and The Victory Farm

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One new item of the list of things to do in Door Country was to cycle the Ahnapee State Trail.  This 48-mile Rails-to-Trails trail winds south along the Ahnapee and Kewaunee rivers to Algoma, Casco, Luxemburg and Kewaunee, passing by a mixture of evergreen glades, farmland, prairies and wooded areas teeming with wildlife and native wildflowers.  While the level grade makes this trail suitable for bicyclists, the part limestone, part grass, part soil trail presented challenges and the wider tires installed last week proved to be a necessity. The trail follows the former corridor of the Ahnapee and Western Railway, which once served as an industrial link between Door, Brown, and Kewaunee Counties. I cycled from south to north in an attempt to avoid a headwind, but to no avail as the 10 mph winds seemed to strike regardless of the direction of travel. The first (lower) part of the trail was the most scenic. The Joe Pye weed adjacent to the trail attracted numerous Tiger Swallowtails and Monarchs despite the wind. The trail was crossed by dozens of county roads and farm lanes, each with a “STOP” sign! The 41+ mile ride was good, but I wouldn’t do it again.

Mile “0”, Kewaunee Trailhead, Ahnapee State Trail

One of many farms along Ahnapee State Trail

Beautiful red barn, with horse in doorway, Ahnapee State Trail

Only tunnel along Ahnapee State Trail

Joe Pye weed, Ahnapee State Trail

Kewaunee River, Ahnapee State Trail

The most developed trailhead, Ahnapee StateTrail

Another beautiful farm, Ahnapee State Trail

Apples on and along the Ahnapee State Trail

Ahnapee State Trail


After returning to the coach, for a quick shower, we saw The Victory Farm at Northern Sky Theater in Peninsula SP. Written, produced, and performed by the Northern Sky Theater company, the play is about life and relationships one summer on a cherry orchard owned and operated by a war widow and her daughter during WW II, using German POWs to pick cherries. The play was quite good.

Thursday and Friday, August 17-18—Rain, Golf, and a Fish Fry

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Rain was forecast for Thursday, and though cloudy and overcast all day, the rain never materialized. We stayed in most of the day, nevertheless, but did venture out in the afternoon to hit a couple of buckets of balls at the driving range and play the 6-hole Peninsula SP Short Course. Once again, the Short Course was a hoot.
Friday was another recovery day from playing golf on Wednesday, and walking with a push cart.We hung around the coach all day, but ate fish at The Orchards grill; Kay had walleye and I had cod.  The meal was quite good. 
Sorry, no photos.

Tuesday and Wednesday, August 15-16—Golf

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After the long cycle ride yesterday, this morning was used to recover. We lolled around all morning, and at lunch left for Ephraim to get our rain check for last night’s performance of Doctor, Doctor. After exchanging our old tickets, we arrived at Peninsula SP Golf Course for a 2 PM tee time. It is such a nice golf course, and at $33 per round, including cart, it can’t be beat. Kay started like gang busters before settling in to tough putting conditions. I had a mediocre game at best. We scarfed down Mexican food at a local restaurant after playing, and before calling it a night.
Yours truly at Peninsula SP Golf Course (Note the Green Bay in the background)
Our August “home” backs up to The Orchards golf course, a public golf course in Egg Harbor. Greens fees are a bit less expensive after 12:30 PM, and I was able to get a tee time for 1:10 PM. Kay had a cut/color appointment for 2 PM; she dropped me off in time to practice a bit, but after loading the walking cart and checking in, the starter said I could go immediately. With no warm up, the first two shots off the tee were horrible, but I settled down after a couple of holes and really enjoyed the course. It is perhaps the highest quality course I’ve played, and if one can stay on the fairway, there is no bad lie as the fairways are like carpet. The greens were rocket fast, maybe even faster than Desoto and Magellan, despite being bent grass. I was tired and sore after walking 18 holes, but the red draught beer was cold and filling; Kay joined me on the club patio for a beer before we returned home, awaiting the heavy rain which had been forecasted. 
Hole #11 at The Orchards Golf Course (our RV is on the other side of the tree line, far right)

Another beautiful hole at The Orchards Golf Course

Long par 5, Hole #18, after drive (The Orchards Golf Course)

Monday, August 14—Cycling and Doctor, Doctor

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It’s still cool here in Door County with high temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s. After a quiet morning, Kay drove us to Rowley’s Bay, stopping at a bakery for cookies—carb loading—for cycling north central Door County.  The bicycle was unloaded, we said our goodbyes, and she returned to the RV resort via auto while I opted to cycle several of the county roads, zigzagging back to the resort. It proved to be a great day for cycling the 27+ miles with a lack of traffic on the gently rolling roads with great views around every corner. 
Door County farm near Rowley’s Bay

An old swing at an old school, Door County, Wisconsin

More playground equipment at an old school, Door County, Wisconsin

An old slide at an old school, Door County, Wisconsin

Bailey’s Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin

Much of “interior” Door County looks like this farm

Wildflowers along Door County roads are incredible, with orchards in the background
The Northern Sky Theater in Peninsula State Park was presenting the play Doctor, Doctor, and we had tickets for this evening’s late performance. The Northern Sky Theater uses local actors, and is an open air theater; in Wisconsin that means mosquitos and getting wet if it rains. We had tickets for the play, and sprayed a heavy coating of insect repellent that worked to keep from getting bitten, but they were hovering around to the extent that they looked like a fleet of airplanes. Regretfully, the insect repellent did not keep the rain away, and the play was called with only a few minutes left because of heavy rain.

Sunday, August 13—A Very Busy Sunday

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The small Calvary United Methodist Church meets at 10:30 AM on Sundays, and this Sunday the sermon was on the history of home churches—interesting—as we had seen some of the places the minister referenced in Capernaum in Israel.
After lunch, golf at Stonehedge Golf Course was on the schedule.  Stonehedge is a 2100 yard 9 hole course, perfect practicing. The greens are very small, and most are elevated; consequently, it’s difficult for the ball to stop after a long chip or pitch! There are 2 par 3’s and 7 par 4’s, and the best part is that one can play as much as one wants after 3 PM for $12, if they walk and provide their own cart. With Kay’s upper calf injury, she opted to rent a cart and ride, but I walked and we both had fun.

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After golf, the Ruthie Foster Band performed at the outdoor stage in Egg Harbor. Ms. Foster is blues and folk music singer-songwriter. With roots in the South, she mixes a wide array of genres from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin. She was AWESOME, and the crowd of over 2500 clapped, danced, and yelled enthusiastically. Her bass player has won 2 Grammys himself, and the drummer was no slouch either! If you get a chance, go online and listen to some of her music—Ruthie Foster.
As we entered the concert area 45 minutes early, Egg Harbor, WI

Ruthie Foster singin’ the blues, Egg Harbor, WI

Huge crowd at Ruthie Foster concert, Egg Harbor, WI 

Ruthie Foster singin’ the blues, Egg Harbor, WI

Friday and Saturday, August 11-12—The Sunset Trail and “Go Pack Go”

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Wisconsin has great cycling opportunities, and Door County, in particular, offers great rides on trails and county roads. Unfortunately, one needs different bicycles for different types of trails/roads, and the TREK FX 7.6 I brought has road tires, NOT meant for gravel trails. A tire change had been considered for almost a year now, and with a bicycle shop nearby, 32mm tires (about 1.25 inches) and tubes were installed to replace the 25mm tires (about 1 inch). While the width difference is small, it made a huge positive impact on riding, yielding a softer ride and “plowing” through sand/mud. So, Sunset Trail, here I come. The Sunset Trail, lined by a fern-floored cedar and maple forest, generally hugs the shoreline of the Green Bay at one of Wisconsin’s largest state parks, Peninsula State Park. Passing through a marsh near one end and a beach on the other, this fine gravel trail is quite popular, with hoards of cyclists coming and going, though still peaceful enough because of its location. By combining the trail and some roadways in the park, I managed to ride 20+ miles before meeting up with Kay—cycling is great!
Nicolet Beach, along the Sunset Trail, Peninsula SP, Door County, WI

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, along the Sunset Trail, Peninsula SP, Door County, WI

Marsh along the Sunset Trail, Peninsula SP, Door County, WI

Cliffside along the Sunset Trail, Peninsula SP, Door County, WI
Weekends in Door County tend to be packed with people, and especially now that schools is drawing near. This provided a great opportunity for us to visit the city of Green Bay, home of the Packers, and shop at Costco.We arrived at Lambeau Field just before lunch, hoping to do a tour of the stadium immediately—not in Green Bay. With an hour to kill, we toured the Packer Hall of Fame, then joined others for a 2-hour tour of the stadium. Having been to Razorback Stadium—comparable—we were not as awed as most, though the stadium is revered by Packer fans near and far.  Packer merchandise, particularly jerseys, was selling like hotcakes. Guess we’ll have to root for the Packers now.

Costco was not far away; we filled up with $2.22/gal gasoline, and some few groceries, and were back to Egg Harbor before dark.

Green Bay Packers stadium

Kay and I overlooking Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers Stadium

Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers Stadium

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Wednesday and Thursday, August 9-10—Sightseeing and Music

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Our 2013 visit to Door County was brief, offering only a taste of things to see and do. North central Door County proved to be quite scenic during a road trip Wednesday, offering plenty of rural countryside, old barns and silos, houses left to ruin, and an old school with familiar playground equipment. The road tour also proved to be a good reconnaissance trip for a future bicycle ride.

Restored schoolhouse with old playground equipment (like we used), upper Door County

Old house left in ruins, rural upper Door County

Wrapping up the road tour brought us to Fish Creek for their free afternoon jazz concert put on by Birch Creek Music Performance Center. The music only served to whet our appetite for more jazz!
Beach at Fish Creek, Door County, WI

Birch Creek Ambassadors, Fish Creek, Door County, WI

Fish Creek beach and bay, Door County, WI
As has been stated several times in the last few days, it has rained almost everyday since we arrived. Thursday was no exception as it rained all day, providing an opportunity to catch up on email, blogging, photo editing, reading, and cooking. Kay made a great corn chowder using fresh corn from Door County. We’ve eaten corn on the cob several times here, and it is undoubtedly the sweetest corn either of us has ever eaten!

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Having had a taste of Birch Creek jazz, we attended a concert at the Performance Center Thursday evening, listening to a student group outside before the “big” show, then were awed by the Birch Creek Lab Band, and finally heard the Birch Creek Faculty Jazz Orchestra. The faculty group was undoubtedly the best jazz band I’ve ever heard—many of the faculty have played with the really big names in jazz—awesome is insufficient.
Pre-concert performance, Birch Creek Performance Center, Door County, WI

Pre-concert performance, Birch Creek Performance Center, Door County, WI

Concert “Barn” in background, Birch Creek Performance Center, Door County, WI

Monday and Tuesday, August 7-8—All About Golf, with Some Theater Thrown In

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After breakfast on Monday, a tee time was made for later in the day at Peninsula SP Golf Course. Kay cleaned the interior of the motorhome and I cleaned the inside of the car and tidied up outside to keep our site from looking too junky. With a 3 PM tee time, we arrived early. The starter added a father and son to the tee time, and neither had played golf in 4 years; needless to say, it was slow going. Kay handled the scattered shots and slow play much better than I, and ended up with a decent score for 18 holes. I realized after 8 holes that I was chicken-winging during the swing, resulting in some not so good shots. After straightened out the error, things got better. We arrived back at the RV park/campground, ate sandwiches, and had an early evening.
Practicing putting, Peninsula SP Golf Course

One of the beautiful holes, Peninsula SP Golf Course

Long, steep par 3, Peninsula SP Golf Course

The Green Bay as seen from one of the tee boxes, Peninsula SP Golf Course

Kay making another excellent chip, Peninsula SP Golf Course
A north-to-south bicycle ride from Egg Harbor to Sturgeon Bay followed by a shopping trip to Walmart was planned for Tuesday, but with 10+ mph wind from the SSW, the ride plan was abandoned. Instead, we had a big late breakfast, and drove the route to Sturgeon Bay; this proved to be a good idea as it was discovered that a south-to-north route was preferable as the prevailing wind would be at one’s back, and the route is generally more downhill! Walmarts are the same everywhere, mostly, and after surviving the shopping experience, we drove back to Egg Harbor, and I walked and played two 9-hole rounds at Stonehenge Golf Course where I was joined on the 6th hole by Wisconsin Slim—he was NOT a good playing partner. With two par 3s and the remainder holes par 4s, the fairways were relatively narrow and straight with very small, elevated greens which made it virtually impossible to stop a chip or pitch shot without rolling over the edge. And, the greens were the most lush I’ve ever played on, like thick carpet, and the ball rolled straight and true if a bit slow.
Carved wooden statue, Stonehedge Golf Course, Egg Harbor, WI

Wisconsin Slim approaching my ball, Stonehedge Golf Course, Egg Harbor, WI
After a sandwich/wrap, we drove to the Peninsula Players theater to see the Broadway musical, Bridges of Madison County—it was fantastic, and as good as any off-Broadway show we’ve seen. The whole experience was great, as we waited beforehand on the shores of Green Bay (of Lake Michigan) watching the sunset while enjoying an adult beverage. The Peninsula Players is America’s oldest resident summer theater, having been in existence for the past 79 years. The new stage house, which opened in the summer of 2006, has a full fly tower, a grass roof, cushioned seats, and solid walls that can be raised and lowered based on weather conditions. The new theater also has a radiant heated floor that allows performances well into October. We were impressed!

Peninsula Players Theater

Watching the sunset over the Green Bay before the play, Peninsula Players Theater
Setting sun as seen from Peninsula Players Theater shoreline

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