Kathy And Rob Visit Door County Wisconsin

We go with them vicariously...   

10/16/2016 - The Adventure Begins With Our Arrival In Wisconsin (Page One)

Kathy and Rob visited their friends for a couple of days before taking off to visit Door County for their adventure. Door County is on a peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, in the state of Wisconsin. 2,400 square miles of forest and water.

Door County takes its name from a dangerous sea passage where the waters of Green Bay join those of Lake Michigan—early French explorers named it the Porte des Morts, or Death's Door.

Wisconsin's rivers and streams, if laid end-to-end, would stretch for 26,767 miles, which is almost 2,000 miles more than the circumference of the earth.

It's known for its long shoreline and many parks. Peninsula State Park on Green Bay is home to sheltered Nicolet Beach, with its calm waters. On Lake Michigan, Newport State Park is a wilderness park crisscrossed with trails. Potawatomi State Park, in Sturgeon Bay, is fringed by limestone cliffs.

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Door county is a peninsula of about 2,370 square miles

Did You Know? - Door County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,785. Its county seat is Sturgeon Bay.

The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1861. It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. The dangerous passage, which is now scattered with shipwrecks, was known to early French explorers and local Native Americans.

Door County is on a peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, in the state of Wisconsin. It's known for its long shoreline and many parks. Peninsula State Park on Green Bay is home to sheltered Nicolet Beach, with its calm waters. On Lake Michigan, Newport State Park is a wilderness park crisscrossed with trails. Potawatomi State Park, in Sturgeon Bay, is fringed by limestone cliffs.
Area: 2,370 mi²
Founded: 1851
Population: 27,896 (2013)

Wisconsin's Door County has five state parks and 250 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan.

Visiting Friends Before The Road Trip Through Door County

  Visiting Doors County October 2016
They arrived at Judy's Home and see the memorial tree they planted in 2005

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Trees are fairly common in Wisconsin... The neighbors trees were beautiful

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Two days later, the sky was blue and the trees were magnificent!

10/18/2016 - Driving Through Door County Via Manitowok Coast

Did You Know? - Manitowoc and Two Rivers: Thirty miles of pristine coastline. Thirteen beaches. A seven-mile trail that parallels the lake, connecting the cities of Manitowoc and Two Rivers.

Twin rivers that meet at a sandy point extending into Lake Michigan. A coastal destination with a deep maritime history. A place where clean breezes off the lake keep summers cool and turn the fall season into an explosion of color, and where winter works its magic.


Took most of the day to drive two hours as we had to stop and see the sights!

Did You Know This About Manitowoc And Two Rivers?

SPUTNIK IV was launched at Balkanur, USSR, May 14, 1960.  Several years later SPUTNIK IV began a slow plunge to Earth. At 4:30 am CST, on September 5, 1962, a piece, 20 cm by 8 cm, landed on the center line of North 8th Street in front of the Rahr-West Art Museum (look for the brass ring in the street).

The Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company holds the unique distinction of being the only inland shipyard to build submarines. The first ship, the USS PETO, was launched sideways into the river, and then proceeded under its own power out into Lake Michigan where its equipment was tested and fine-tuned. On April 30, 1942, the PETO was the first submarine launched in Great Lakes history and became the first of a total of 28 submarines subsequently built at Manitowoc Shipbuilding. The USS RASHER operated in the Pacific Theater and sunk the second largest amount of enemy tonnage of any U.S. submarine during the war.

Two Rivers is the Home of the Ice Cream Sundae! In 1881 George Hallauer asked the soda fountain owner, Ed Berner, to top a dish of ice cream with a chocolate sauce that was, until then, only used for ice cream sodas. The concoction was only served on Sundays until one day a ten-year-old girl insisted upon having a dish of ice cream with chocolate sauce on top, saying "pretend it's Sunday!" After that, topped ice cream was served daily and became known as the ice cream sundae.

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Lake Michigan is quite beautiful in October

Did You Know? - Wisconsin visitors and residents enjoy the state's 7,446 streams and rivers. End-to-end they'd stretch 26,767 miles. That is more than enough to circle the globe at the equator.

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Time for a walk!

Visiting Doors County October 2016  

Did You Know? - Mariners Train consists of six-miles, of paved lake shore trail joining Manitowoc and Two Rivers. This 10 year old trail is designed for bicyclists, walkers, joggers and roller bladers, and includes gardens, sculptures, telescopes, parking turn outs, restroom facilities, picnic areas, and the Flora and Fauna of the lake shore. Also you can visit lighthouses, restaurants, motels and gift shops along the way. Trail and beach access available at parking areas and connects with Rawley Point Trail at Neshotah Beach in Two Rivers.

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Eyes to the sea

Visiting Doors County October 2016
The surface is easy on the feet

Visiting Doors County October 2016
In-line skates are perfect

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Flowers dot the landscape

Visiting Doors County October 2016
October means the trees are about to shed

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Where is the leaf blower when you need it?

Next Stop - Egg Harbor

Distance from Manitowoc, WI to Egg Harbor, WI. 68.5932 mi Straight Distance. 76.6 mi Driving Distance. 1 hour 35 mins Estimated Driving Time

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Sturgeon Bay, which is the Seat of Door County, lies 15 miles to the South Southwest. If you could walk a straight line from Egg Harbor to Sturgeon Bay, with an average speed of 2.2 miles per hour, it would take most of a day to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles per hour would take four to five hours.


A wonderful spot in the middle of no where!

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Do NOT blink as you dive by!

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Population 201

Did You Know? - There are many conflicting stories about the name Egg Harbor. Some say it was named after a nest of eggs found on the shore by Door County's first settler. Others say it received its name because seagulls nested along the shore and one could gather a basket of eggs from their nests.

A more appealing story is told in the Door County Advocate of April 26, 1862. The story indicates that three or four Mackinac boats left Green Bay to deliver furs to the trading post on Mackinac Island. The boats stopped at the yet unnamed harbor to rest for the night. While rowing ashore there was a race to see who would reach the shore first. Food from the mess baskets was thrown at the leading boat and food quickly returned. First, hard tack was the missile of choice, but soon eggs flew through the air. When the boats reached the shore, the battle continued until the eggs were gone. Everyone enjoyed the fun and the story of the battle which was often repeated by the voyagers. The harbor was then identified as Egg Harbor.

Egg Harbor was the tenth organized town in Door County and was established on July 9, 1861. A portion of the town organized its own government and boundaries and incorporated as a separate governmental unit in August, 1964. The incorporated area is today known as the Village of Egg Harbor.

The first settlers in Egg Harbor were Jacob and Levi Thorp who purchased land and began lumbering operations. Their efforts included building a pier to ship their product. Levi eventually bought Jacob out and branched the operation to include farming and orchards. He built the impressive Cupola House in 1871. Ownership subsequently moved to C.A. Speaker and then to the Cady family. The Cupola House is one of the Village landmarks located on Highway 42 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

French Canadian families began arriving around 1865. Charles and Delia LaRouche played an important part in organizing the first Catholic Church.

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Fall colors are just spectacular!

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Amazing rock formations

Did You Know? - Karst topography is a landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves.

It has also been documented for weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions.

Subterranean drainage may limit surface water with few to no rivers or lakes. However, in regions where the dissolved bedrock is covered (perhaps by debris) or confined by one or more superimposed non-soluble rock strata, distinctive karst surface developments might be totally missing.

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Wonderful signage reveals the secrets

Visiting Doors County October 2016
We are in the heart of Door County now!

Visiting Doors County October 2016

Visiting Doors County October 2016
The park was at its peak!

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Super view of Green Bay

Visiting Doors County October 2016
You need a leaf rake and 100 years!

Visiting Doors County October 2016
The sun shimmers on the lake

Visiting Doors County October 2016

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Plenty of breeze off the lake!

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Interesting

Fish Creek Wisconsin Here We Come


It is a seven mile or 12 minute trip through the
forest between Egg Harbor and Fish Creek


Welcome to Fish Creek

Did You Know? - Fish Creek is an unincorporated community located in Door County, Wisconsin, United States, within the town of Gibraltar and is located on Highway 42 along Green Bay.

The first settler of Fish Creek was Increase Claflin and his family circa 1844, but the village founder is considered to be entrepreneur Asa Thorp. Loggers and fishermen started settling in Fish Creek in 1853.

Thorp owned much of the area's land by that year, and built Fish Creek's first dock in 1855. Fish Creek's oldest unchanged residence, the Alexander Noble House, was built in 1874 and today is on the National Register of Historic Places. By 1900, summer tourists were frequently visiting the village, and Fish Creek became a resort community.

Visiting Doors County October 2016

Fish Creek is also adjacent to Peninsula State Park, and its main entrance is in the village. The park has a cream city brick lighthouse built in 1866. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is fully restored, furnished with fine antiques, as it looked in the 19th Century, and is open daily for tours in the summer months.

Door County also holds the title of the "county with more lighthouses than any other in the country". The great advantage of the almost 4,000-acre (16 km2) park is that it is the main view from Fish Creek Harbor.

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Good place to stay the night

Visiting Doors County October 2016
The sky was beautiful and the water was smooth

Visiting Doors County October 2016
The leaves begin to turn

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Parks dot the entire area

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Too cold for a swim!

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Plenty of walking

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Fish Creek is an unincorporated part of Gibraltar

Did You Know? - 1.16 acre park adjacent to the Fish Creek dock. Public rest rooms are available at the dock house & across the street from the park in the Gibraltar Town Hall. The grassy square has benches in the sun & shade for visitors to relax & watch the boats in the harbor. Fishing is allowed at the Fish Creek Municipal Dock. Pet friendly.

Visiting Doors County October 2016

Did You Know? - Gibraltar is a town in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated communities of Fish Creek and Juddville are located in the town.

Time To Rest For The Evening But We Visited Ephraim First


Ephraim village city limits (according to the USGS)

Did You Know? - The village was founded in 1853 by the Reverend Andreas Iverson as a Moravian religious community. The steeples of the Ephraim Moravian Church and the Free Evangelical Lutheran Church-Bethania Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation are the landmarks of the village as seen from Eagle Harbor. The home of Reverend Iverson, as well as the Anderson Store, the Anderson Barn and History Center, the Pioneer Schoolhouse and the Goodletson log cabin are preserved by the Ephraim Historical Foundation and open to visitors as museums. The Ephraim Historical Foundation also offers walking tours of the village.

Since its founding, the village prohibited alcohol sales or manufacture within the village; it was, until 2016, the only dry municipality in the state of Wisconsin. There have been two referenda concerning the sale of liquor within the village, in 1934 and 1992. Both times the citizenry voted decisively to keep the village dry (with majorities of 59% and 74%, respectively).

On April 5, 2016, village residents voted on two separate referenda to allow beer and/or wine sales within the village, both of which passed by 56% and 68% majorities.

Six Miles North To Sister Bay And A Well Deserved Nights Rest


A short but delightful ride

Visiting Doors County October 2016
The Pine Grove Resort
10081 N Water St
Sister Bay, Wisconsin


A perfect setting to rest for the night

Visiting Doors County October 2016
Our hotel was right on the water

Did You Know? - Pine Grove's waterfront resort and private shoreline area with a 40 foot pier, gazebo and small beach area offer the best sunset viewing in Door County. As you watch the sailboats glide across the sapphire blue waters, the refreshing breeze will whisper into your room. Watch the breathtaking sunsets, feel the tranquility and serenity of the evening.


Page 2 - Sister Bay Wisconsin Visit Continues