A 'bad' picture of Dixie and a 'good' picture of Mike near the Aerial Lift Bridge on Lake Superior
Sunday, August 12, 2007
More from Door County, WI and on to the "Great" Lake Superior in Duluth, MN
Aug 12 Sun … Today started by watching TV church. Later, we took a drive along the island we’re on to explore some of the beaches along the way. We had to go back to Walmart in Superior to return an item we purchased yesterday. Boy, do we make a lot of trips to Walmart. After lunch, we rode the bikes into Duluth and along the paved bike path up the North shore of Lake Superior. Again, the view was spectacular all along the way. When we got back into Duluth, we stopped at The Fitger Brewhouse for a microbrew and appetizer. The service and food was excellent. Dixie even filled out a comment card to compliment the food and waitress. This evening, we’re again listening to great blues music from the Bayfront Festifal Park across the channel. The last group of the 2007 Bluesfest this evening will be Booker T & the MG’s. It should be good! Tomorrow is a move day. We travel around 100 miles to Mille Lacs Lake which is south and a bit east of Duluth. We have really enjoyed our stay in Duluth and the RV park on the water.....(this is one of our most unique parks ever! ---- the view is just spectacular)
Aug 11 Sat … We drove to the town of Superior and visited the local Walmart. Later we drove to and climbed an observation tower overlooking the city of Duluth and the Superior Bay. This has to be one of the most scenic areas of the country we have visited to date. Later, back at the motorhome, we sat outside and listened to the Bluesfest music that was playing across the channel from us. Even though the temperature is a bit above normal (so we’re told) in the mid to upper 80’s, after sundown it was very pleasant.
Aug 10 Fri … We did something today that we haven’t done very often; we boarded a scenic train for a 28 mile ride north to the town of Two Harbors. We were a little disappointed because we thought the ride would be mostly along the coast, and some of it was. It was an outstanding day and what we did see was simply beautiful. While in Two Harbors, we visited the 3M museum. This company was started by five men in Two Harbors in 1905. Today it is in over 70 countries and employees over 70,000 people.
Aug 9 Thurs … Since our RV park is only about .75 miles from town, we walked it this morning. We crossed the famous Aerial Lift Bridge (as opposed to a draw bridge) along the way. This bridge, built in 1905, “lifts” when a ship or tall sail boat must enter the channel that goes out to Lake Superior. We were about a quarter of the way across when we heard the PA announcement to clear the bridge because it was going to rise at any moment. We started running to the other side and fortunately made it before we went up with the street. I’m sure they were watching us from the control room and waited for us to clear before taking it up. From what we understand, the bridge is raised 25 – 30 times a day for shipping traffic. After that experience, we boarded a trolley for a cruise of the city. We got off at the visitors center where we purchased tickets for a six hour Friday train ride to Two Harbors, MN.
Aug 8 Wed … We started this day early, at least for us, by cranking up at about 0700. I drove to a mechanic shop in Sturgeon Bay to have them install some valve extenders on the dual tires of the motorhome. After this was done, we were on the road by 9:00 o’clock with a destination of Rice Lake, WI, about 285 miles away. When we got there, around 4:30p.m., we went to the local Walmart for groceries. Since Duluth, MN was only 105 miles away and we were through shopping by 5:30, we called ahead to the rv park and determined we could check in a day early. We then decided to continue on and arrived in Duluth around 7:30p.m. We had driven almost 400 miles; a long day for Mike behind the wheel. The park is the Lake Head Boat Basin and it’s literally on a boat dock on Lake Superior and across the channel from downtown Duluth. The view is spectacular! We’ve seen several very large tanker type ships (some over 1,000 ft in length) come and go. From the fact sheet Dixie picked up, these ships load coal, grain, taconite and general cargo. They bring in general cargo and limestone.
Aug 7 Tue … This is a laundry day and motorhome prep day for our 283 mile travel day tomorrow.
Aug 6 Mon … Today we drove to Fish Creek where we went to the Peninsula State Park. We took our bikes along and rode about 10 miles along the trails in the park, much of which had a view of the beautiful waters of Green Bay. At one point, we stopped to visit the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, a “historical jewel” of Door County. For 139 years this light has guided vessels as they have navigated the Strawberry Channel. After leaving the park, we drove to Northport and Gills Rock, the Northern most points of the peninsula. We elected not to take the ferry ride to Washington Island which is also part of Door County, Wisconsin.
Later, we had hoped to have lunch at Al Johnsons Swedish Restaurant (where the goats graze on the roof) but the waiting time for seating was too much. So we headed for a place called Fred and Fuzzys. This is an outdoor eatery with a beautiful view of the water. The weather was perfect; sunny and about 76 degrees. That evening, we had planned to drive a short distance from our park to a county park on the water to view the sunset. However, these plans were nixed due to heavy cloud cover.
Aug 11 Sat … We drove to the town of Superior and visited the local Walmart. Later we drove to and climbed an observation tower overlooking the city of Duluth and the Superior Bay. This has to be one of the most scenic areas of the country we have visited to date. Later, back at the motorhome, we sat outside and listened to the Bluesfest music that was playing across the channel from us. Even though the temperature is a bit above normal (so we’re told) in the mid to upper 80’s, after sundown it was very pleasant.
Aug 10 Fri … We did something today that we haven’t done very often; we boarded a scenic train for a 28 mile ride north to the town of Two Harbors. We were a little disappointed because we thought the ride would be mostly along the coast, and some of it was. It was an outstanding day and what we did see was simply beautiful. While in Two Harbors, we visited the 3M museum. This company was started by five men in Two Harbors in 1905. Today it is in over 70 countries and employees over 70,000 people.
Aug 9 Thurs … Since our RV park is only about .75 miles from town, we walked it this morning. We crossed the famous Aerial Lift Bridge (as opposed to a draw bridge) along the way. This bridge, built in 1905, “lifts” when a ship or tall sail boat must enter the channel that goes out to Lake Superior. We were about a quarter of the way across when we heard the PA announcement to clear the bridge because it was going to rise at any moment. We started running to the other side and fortunately made it before we went up with the street. I’m sure they were watching us from the control room and waited for us to clear before taking it up. From what we understand, the bridge is raised 25 – 30 times a day for shipping traffic. After that experience, we boarded a trolley for a cruise of the city. We got off at the visitors center where we purchased tickets for a six hour Friday train ride to Two Harbors, MN.
Aug 8 Wed … We started this day early, at least for us, by cranking up at about 0700. I drove to a mechanic shop in Sturgeon Bay to have them install some valve extenders on the dual tires of the motorhome. After this was done, we were on the road by 9:00 o’clock with a destination of Rice Lake, WI, about 285 miles away. When we got there, around 4:30p.m., we went to the local Walmart for groceries. Since Duluth, MN was only 105 miles away and we were through shopping by 5:30, we called ahead to the rv park and determined we could check in a day early. We then decided to continue on and arrived in Duluth around 7:30p.m. We had driven almost 400 miles; a long day for Mike behind the wheel. The park is the Lake Head Boat Basin and it’s literally on a boat dock on Lake Superior and across the channel from downtown Duluth. The view is spectacular! We’ve seen several very large tanker type ships (some over 1,000 ft in length) come and go. From the fact sheet Dixie picked up, these ships load coal, grain, taconite and general cargo. They bring in general cargo and limestone.
Aug 7 Tue … This is a laundry day and motorhome prep day for our 283 mile travel day tomorrow.
Aug 6 Mon … Today we drove to Fish Creek where we went to the Peninsula State Park. We took our bikes along and rode about 10 miles along the trails in the park, much of which had a view of the beautiful waters of Green Bay. At one point, we stopped to visit the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, a “historical jewel” of Door County. For 139 years this light has guided vessels as they have navigated the Strawberry Channel. After leaving the park, we drove to Northport and Gills Rock, the Northern most points of the peninsula. We elected not to take the ferry ride to Washington Island which is also part of Door County, Wisconsin.
Later, we had hoped to have lunch at Al Johnsons Swedish Restaurant (where the goats graze on the roof) but the waiting time for seating was too much. So we headed for a place called Fred and Fuzzys. This is an outdoor eatery with a beautiful view of the water. The weather was perfect; sunny and about 76 degrees. That evening, we had planned to drive a short distance from our park to a county park on the water to view the sunset. However, these plans were nixed due to heavy cloud cover.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
The Michigan U.P and the Door Peninsula, WI
Aug 5 Sun … We started our day by attending one of the many Lutheran churches in the area. From there we attended an in-water Boat Show in Sturgeon Bay. It’s a very overcast, drizzling day so we will most likely stay close to home for the remainder of the day.
Aug 4 Sat … We drove around the upper part of Door County today seeing the towns of Bailey’s Harbor, Ephraim, Sister Bay and Jacksonport. There were many folks out and about today because of the beautiful weather (temps around 78 and sunny) and some festival/craft shows going on. From a distance, we watched a sailing regatta group as they returned to port. In Sister Bay, saw goats grazing on the top of the AL Johnsons Swedish Restaurant. Needless to say, they draw quite a crowd. In Jacksonport we went to a "fish boil" where the fish is cooked outdoors in a large pot over a wood flame. When the fish was just about done, the "Boil Master" throws kerosene on the flame and causes the water cooking the fish to boil over. The fatty fish oil is boiled off and the fish, and new potatoes and onions, is removed and served. It was topped off with fresh Door County cherry pie. The meal was simply delicious.
Aug 3 Fri … Today we moved to the Harbor Village RV park in Carlsville, about a 24 mile drive north. After setting up, we drove to Fish Creek and stopped at a place where you could sample flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars (a very busy place). Later, we visited the Door Peninsula Winery and went on a short tour of their wine making facility. We then sampled (of course) several of the many wines they brew, many which are fruit varieties. After that we had a glass in adjoining wine bar.
Aug 2 Thurs … We had lunch in Sturgeon Bay at a park with a beautiful view of the bay water. We then drove to the Coast Guard station where we saw two lighthouses. Our last stop was Renards Cheese where we sampled some and bought some famous Wisconsin cheese.
Aug 1 Wed … We packed a lunch today and drove to the Potawatomi State park near the town of Sturgeon Bay. We hiked about 3 miles over steep slopes and rugged limestone cliffs along the shoreline of Sturgeon Bay. We climbed a 75 foot observation tower that rises above the forest giving a awesome panoramic view of the area. To have lunch, we decided to drive a short distance to Cave Point county park across the peninsula on the rocky bank of Lake Michigan. After lunch, we walked along the waters edge and then took our hiking boots off and cooled our feet in the 74 degree water. We then drove a short distance to the Whitefish Dunes, another state park a few miles away. Although this park is said to have the best beach in Wisconsin, we decided not to stay because of the extreme heat of the day. While driving back into Sturgeon Bay, we stopped at a dairy farm and watched cows being milked. They’re milked 2 to 3 times a day and produce up to 10 gallons of milk per cow. Truly amazing!! Of course, we had to have some of their ice cream they were serving in the store.
Jul 31 Tue … Went to the casino for breakfast and got on the road at 10am. Today we drove about 140 miles to the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. We made a stop at the Wisconsin Visitors Center in Marinette and arrived at Quietwoods South campground in Brussels at 2p. It is HOT (90’s) so we spent the afternoon inside. We will be at this park until Friday when we will move a little further up into Door County near Sturgeon Bay, WI.
Jul 30 Mon … We hit the road around 830a. When we got to the Mackinac Bridge there was a high wind warning for trucks and RV’s so we were slowed down to 20 mph. This one high and long bridge! We then turned onto highway 2 where the first 50 miles followed Lake Michigan. We stopped for lunch near the water. We arrived at the Chip-In Island Casino around 2p where we stopped for the night in their rv park. In the evening we went to a Talent Show for country singer’s that was being held in the showroom. This was the finalist show which was sponsored by a local radio station. We watched 17 performers that were narrowed down to 5. Those 5 sang another song and the top 3 were selected. It was like American Idol on a “Country Music night”. The talent was all good and we enjoyed it very much. After the show we had to put a little money in the ‘machines’…luckily Mike made what Dixie lost!
Aug 4 Sat … We drove around the upper part of Door County today seeing the towns of Bailey’s Harbor, Ephraim, Sister Bay and Jacksonport. There were many folks out and about today because of the beautiful weather (temps around 78 and sunny) and some festival/craft shows going on. From a distance, we watched a sailing regatta group as they returned to port. In Sister Bay, saw goats grazing on the top of the AL Johnsons Swedish Restaurant. Needless to say, they draw quite a crowd. In Jacksonport we went to a "fish boil" where the fish is cooked outdoors in a large pot over a wood flame. When the fish was just about done, the "Boil Master" throws kerosene on the flame and causes the water cooking the fish to boil over. The fatty fish oil is boiled off and the fish, and new potatoes and onions, is removed and served. It was topped off with fresh Door County cherry pie. The meal was simply delicious.
Aug 3 Fri … Today we moved to the Harbor Village RV park in Carlsville, about a 24 mile drive north. After setting up, we drove to Fish Creek and stopped at a place where you could sample flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars (a very busy place). Later, we visited the Door Peninsula Winery and went on a short tour of their wine making facility. We then sampled (of course) several of the many wines they brew, many which are fruit varieties. After that we had a glass in adjoining wine bar.
Aug 2 Thurs … We had lunch in Sturgeon Bay at a park with a beautiful view of the bay water. We then drove to the Coast Guard station where we saw two lighthouses. Our last stop was Renards Cheese where we sampled some and bought some famous Wisconsin cheese.
Aug 1 Wed … We packed a lunch today and drove to the Potawatomi State park near the town of Sturgeon Bay. We hiked about 3 miles over steep slopes and rugged limestone cliffs along the shoreline of Sturgeon Bay. We climbed a 75 foot observation tower that rises above the forest giving a awesome panoramic view of the area. To have lunch, we decided to drive a short distance to Cave Point county park across the peninsula on the rocky bank of Lake Michigan. After lunch, we walked along the waters edge and then took our hiking boots off and cooled our feet in the 74 degree water. We then drove a short distance to the Whitefish Dunes, another state park a few miles away. Although this park is said to have the best beach in Wisconsin, we decided not to stay because of the extreme heat of the day. While driving back into Sturgeon Bay, we stopped at a dairy farm and watched cows being milked. They’re milked 2 to 3 times a day and produce up to 10 gallons of milk per cow. Truly amazing!! Of course, we had to have some of their ice cream they were serving in the store.
Jul 31 Tue … Went to the casino for breakfast and got on the road at 10am. Today we drove about 140 miles to the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. We made a stop at the Wisconsin Visitors Center in Marinette and arrived at Quietwoods South campground in Brussels at 2p. It is HOT (90’s) so we spent the afternoon inside. We will be at this park until Friday when we will move a little further up into Door County near Sturgeon Bay, WI.
Jul 30 Mon … We hit the road around 830a. When we got to the Mackinac Bridge there was a high wind warning for trucks and RV’s so we were slowed down to 20 mph. This one high and long bridge! We then turned onto highway 2 where the first 50 miles followed Lake Michigan. We stopped for lunch near the water. We arrived at the Chip-In Island Casino around 2p where we stopped for the night in their rv park. In the evening we went to a Talent Show for country singer’s that was being held in the showroom. This was the finalist show which was sponsored by a local radio station. We watched 17 performers that were narrowed down to 5. Those 5 sang another song and the top 3 were selected. It was like American Idol on a “Country Music night”. The talent was all good and we enjoyed it very much. After the show we had to put a little money in the ‘machines’…luckily Mike made what Dixie lost!
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