Lynn writes: Wednesday I did laundry and packed. And then on Thursday we went to Door County, where we had rented 3 adjacent units, sort of townhouses or small condos, and shared one with Beth and Dave, and the other two were for our two granddaughters and their families. Door County is that little thumb (peninsula) of Wisconsin that separates Green Bay from Lake Michigan. We just got home about two hours ago.
Our stay in Door County included several events we all were part of, some smaller group events, and some things that people did on their own. Whole group things included
breakfast at Al Johnson's, a Swedish restaurant where they have goats on the roof of the building. I didn't remember how thin Swedish pancakes are. The goats themselves don't seem to notice all the hundreds of people staring at them and taking their pictures.
a drive through Peninsula State Park, with a few stops at various points of interest. One was the nature center, where they have a display of various types of (manmade) animal poop. The guide mixed them up and asked Libby to match them with the right animals. Of course, we all had a hand in it and got it right. The guide gave Libby a certificate certifying her as an expert in scatology. We stopped at a very old lighthouse and enjoyed the scenery while some of our group had a tour. The ride culminated in a climb to the top of their newly finished Eagle Tower (https://doorcountypulse.com/finally-eagle-tower-is-back/), something that took several years to complete.
walking the trail between Cave Point County Park and Whitefish Dunes State Park. That trail is hard to walk because the ground has a huge number of tree roots and rocks and some fallen trees, all arranged to trip a person who is intent on the beautiful scenery. The wind was up, so the waves were really rough, with spray that could be felt even on top of the cliffs we were walking along. It was truly beautiful and exhilarating, and although everyone was wowed by it, it was hard on me: my fear of heights made me so scared by their bravery near the edges that I couldn't watch them. And farther one we waded in the water on the beach, having climbed stairs over the dunes.
a pizza dinner at a place that has excellent pizza, but is so popular you have to wait forever to be seated and to shout to be heard over all the other voices. We walked there; walking back after dark was tiring--it's all uphill, and it was hot, but we all made it.
our last group event: a fish boil. If you've never been to a Door County fish boil, you should go at least once. Pelletier's fish boil has 12 other things on the menu if you don't like fish. More than half our group took advantage of that, too.
The young families went off and did a lot of other things together. Beth and I went shopping together a couple of times. A smaller group of us had a wonderful time in the pool one afternoon. We had a quiet, delicious dinner with Beth and Dave.
There are so many things to do in Door County, I think you could probably keep yourselves busy for several weeks. Not all of them are for people as old as we are (such as zip lining), but excluding those things, there is a lot to keep you occupied.
Bill and I have been there many times (more than 20?), and every time we go, there is something new available. In a way that is kind of a shame. The east side of the peninsula, known as the quiet side, is starting to get more built up and not so quiet anymore. But there are what seem to be hundreds of art galleries, and I would probably enjoy going to all of them. Not this time, though--I only made it to two. We were too busy trying to keep up with the younger parts of the family. Getting there this time, some people Bill and I met in a coffee shop told us about a different road to take to get to Fish Creek (the town we stayed in), and it was new to us, as well as a beautiful and relaxing drive.
I bought myself a new leather purse and ordered a set of custom made moccasins to use as slippers. I think/hope both of these purchases might last me the rest of my life.
On our ride home, we saw two eagles: one immature landing beside the road, and one standing on the edge of a lake drinking water.
And so, on to the next week. I know it will not be as exciting, but after being away, it is always fun to get home to your own house and routines.
