I was up in Door County (specifically Sister Bay, WI) for a few days and had limited internet access.

For those who aren't familiar with it, Door County is the Wisconsin peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. If you think of the state as being sort of shaped like a mitten, it's the "thumb" of the mitten. It was settled by Scandinavians in the 1800s and there's lots of interesting history there. Mostly a vacation/tourist destination, it's sometimes called the Cape Cod of the Midwest.

Mr WTG and I have been going there since the mid-1980s and have had a vacation place since the early 90s. We've decided to sell our home up there and I was interviewing real estate agents. We have loved having our Door County retreat but feel that it's time to simplify our lives, and one way to do that is to sell the place that's five hours away and that we aren't using nearly as much as we used to. Bittersweet is the best way to describe it.

Thought I'd file a brief trip report. I didn't have much time to do touristy stuff because I was trying to clear out and stage the home as much as possible in addition to meeting with realtors. I did manage to take a few pics when I went into town for meals and I can steal some from other sources. Just don't be expecting a Steve Miller/jon-nyc level of travelogue.

There's an "event" of some sort or another each weekend on the peninsula during the tourist season, and this weekend was no exception.

There was a ribbon cutting on Friday at the newly expanded Piggly Wiggly in town and the Sister Bay Lions Club had Brat and Burger fest out in the parking lot.



There's a Swedish restaurant in town called Al Johnson's that has some old Swedish log buildings with sod roofs. The restaurant is one of my favorites for breakfast; love the Swedish pancakes and lingonberries. The main attraction though is the goats up on the roof.



Read more about Al Johnson's here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/p...s-swedish-restaurant

Every year they have the Roofing of the Goats Parade. That was happening this past weekend:





The day before the parade I spotted these guys across the street from Al's:





And with the advance of technology, Al's also offers a Goat Cam:

http://www.aljohnsons.com/goat-cam/

I had dinner one night at the Sister Bay Bowl. Fabulous fried lake perch and the best hash browns I've ever tasted. The spuds were super-thin and fried in butter (nothing else will do; this is Wisconsin) to an exquisitely crispy golden brown. I didn't take a pic of my plate, but here's the version with a baked potato:



I went early(the place is a zoo much after 6) and the league bowling hadn't gotten underway yet. The lanes are automated now, but way back when there were people doing the pin setting.



For car aficionados there's always something to see. Like this vintage beauty I saw on Friday afternoon:





Signs of the times, across the street from each other. Catering to both liberal and conservative visitors...





Anyway, that's all I've got...I'm still unpacking all the carp I hauled down and I've got the lawn to mow. I'll post this week's LOLcritters a little later today.

Love Wisconsin. Used to spend summers working in the far north, Minocqua area. Mr Jodi always talks about wanting a cabin somewhere, but the last thing *I* want is dealing a second home again. ! Money better spent renting a place when you want to stay in a cabin and fish.

I forgot to mention the Goat Drop Contest (don't worry, no goats are harmed - they do the dropping):

quote:

All goats are invited to participate in the parade! (please leash or harness goats) Goat costumes, Viking hats, and other creative endeavors are encouraged.

Returning this year is the Goat Drop Contest. Help support the Northern Door Food Pantry and have some fun as well. With a purchase of a goat drop sticker, you will be entered in to win a Leinenkugels’s kayak from Husby’s and Flanigan’s Distributing, a VIP tour and private tasting for 10 people from 3 Sheeps Brewing Co., $100 gift card from Al Johnson’s, or a Lunch and Farm Tour from Door County Creamery. Stickers will be placed on the street along the parade route. To win, a Goat must make a deposit on your sticker during the Goat parade. All proceeds will go to the Northern Door Food Pantry at the Sister Bay Baptist Church. Stickers will be available for purchase at the parade, or if you can’t attend you can still join in on the fun and purchase your stickers online. You do not need to be present to win! Buy your stickers HERE.

quote:

Bittersweet is the best way to describe it.

I can imagine! Good luck getting everything done, I know it'll be a lot of work!

quote:

Goat Drop Contest... To win, a Goat must make a deposit on your sticker during the Goat parade.

I've never been to that part of Wisconsin, but it looks like fun!

OK, But if we don’t see the lolcritters by the end of the day, we’re going to have to talk about docking your pay…

Doug -

There's a whole 'nother side of Door County for people who want to hike, bike, kayak, etc. Five state parks with gorgeous views of the water. The water on the Green Bay (west) side of the peninsula is quieter. It takes a more experienced boater to head out on the Lake Michigan (east) side. Lake Michigan acts more like an ocean in many respects and can be quite treacherous.

Geologists love it, too. Door County is part of the Niagara Escarpment, so the shoreline is quite interesting.

https://www.doorcounty.com/exp...c-attractions/parks/

Cave Point:






Newport State Park:





There are eleven lighthouses; the Door County Lighthouse Festival was this past weekend.






https://doorcountypulse.com/outdoor/lighthouses/

And for people who like theater and music there's Birch Creek Music Festival,



https://birchcreek.org/tickets/

Peninsula Players,



https://www.peninsulaplayers.com/2019-season/

and the Door Community Auditorium.



http://dcauditorium.org/dca-events/

The ukelele dude will be there this year: http://dcauditorium.org/dca-event/jake-shimabukuro-2/

(thread hijack - I heard Leon Redbone there many years ago; he was great. I was most saddened to hear that he passed away last week at age 69. Dementia.)

Anyway, it is a great place for getting away, with something to appeal to just about everyone!

edit: One thing that Door County *isn't* good for is gardening. You need a pickax rather than a shovel in order to dig out all the small rocks left behind by ancient glaciers.

Looks like a wonderful place to vacation!

what?!? no fish boil???

We did a whole string of Door County vacations when the kids were younger. Everything from quiet beaches, to bustling tourist spots, or forest trails are just a short drive away. Spent lots of time on a sailboard and flipping Hobie cats in the bay!