**please note this trip was quite a while ago, but it was unfinished so here we are.**
The best part of passing out early on vacation is getting an early start the next day. I had a lot of exploring left to do, and I wanted to drive through Door County, making stops at all the places that had been recommended to me or that I had noted for myself to check out.
The Holiday Music Motel had a continental breakfast set up in their little diner nook on the first floor, so I helped myself to some muffins and coffee. The whole hotel had a fun retro look, and I very much enjoyed sitting at the singular table in the kitchen and watching people filter in and out to grab coffee and baked goods.
Once I had my fill, I headed over to Potawatomi State Park for a brisk morning hike. I bought the out of state pass for $11 so that I could go back to Whitefish Dunes later that day too. The ranger that sold it to me recommended the Ice Age Hike, so that’s where I started.
The path ran right along the shore, halfway between the lake and the road. The majority of the lake over here was frozen over still, but the sun warmed me as I walked. Because it was still early, I didn’t run into anyone on the trail. It was so peaceful. The views of the lake popped up intermittently between the trees, creating a very picturesque scene.
After walking a ways down the path, little yellow markers led me up stone stairs to the road. The path picked up on the other side, but the terrain was very different. There were no more pine trees, just birch and ash trees that were still barren from the winter. I was planning on hiking to the old fire tower, but only got fifteen minutes into the hike before I lost my nerve. The forest was deserted and I couldn’t get the Blair With Project out of my head! There was also a bird whose call sounded like a crazy woman laughing, and that was the final straw. I hightailed it out of there and went back the way I came. Much better. I got back to the car and drove past the boat launch just to take in the view before continuing my Door County road trip towards Bailey’s Harbor.
Once there, I stopped at Cornerstone Pub for lunch, where I was one of the only patrons, so I chose a table with a view of the water. I ordered a solidly Wisconsin meal of cheese curds, seafood chowder and a New Glarus Moon Man – it was super heavy, but also super worth it.
My next stop was Island Orchard Cider in Ellison Bay, but I made a quick detour to the Ridges Sanctuary to see the view I had from the restaurant up close.
The cider house was on my list of Door County must-sees, and I was so glad I stopped in. It was very cute and the cider was delicious. I tried the tasting portions of the Lavender, Pear, Cherry, and Brut Ciders and sat outside to enjoy them. The Cherry and Lavender were the best, so I bought a large bottle of each to take home with me!
After making my cider purchase, I jumped back in the car and moved towards the Ellison Bluff Overlook. I had to turn off the main road onto a dirt one to get there, fearing for my rental car as I hit multiple potholes on the way. The view that awaited me once I parked and walked down a set of wooden stairs though was one for the books. It was the kind of view that might make you cry.. or puke.. or do whatever you had to do to not move from that spot. The small wooden path jutted out from the bluff and looked over Lake Michigan, lined on one side with pine trees and limestone cliffs.
The gradient in the water moved from a brilliant emerald green to the deepest blue; it was stunning. I didn’t want to leave that view, but I still had more to see. So I tore myself away and took the very scenic drive to Fish Creek, a town of many cute shops and restaurants.
I needed a new book for the rest of my trip, so I stopped into the Peninsula Bookman. The store was chock-full of new and used books, which made it very fun to browse through. After searching for twenty minutes or so, I landed on “The Lord of the Flies”, which I’d never read before. I walked around Fish Creek a bit, but a lot of the stores weren’t quite open for the season yet, so I made my way back toward Sturgeon Bay.
I wanted one more hike at Whitefish Dunes before dinner, and decided to walk the other way around the lake from the day before. This trail kept near to the lake, but the dunes hid most of the view. A ways down, I came to a board walk that lead to a beautiful view of the lake.
There was quite a bit of snow on this trail, which made it extra adventurous in my mind. I decided to take the trail up to “Old Baldy”, the tallest dune in the park that boasted a GREAT view from it’s observation deck. It was a long hike, and there was nobody else on the trail. All I could hear were the waves on the other side of the dunes and the occasional crow. It was actually really peaceful. Until I finally made it to Old Baldy and it was CLOSED.
I was so frustrated by this sign that I marched myself right passed it and up to the observation deck anyways. I wish I could say the view was worth it.
On the way back down, the light was perfectly golden and it made the forest around me look so dang pretty. The smell of the pine trees was almost enough to make me pack my bags and move up North. All of my senses were content with the rest of the hike.
By the time I made it back to the car, I was very happy with my day but also pretty exhausted. I went back to the hotel to freshen up and then went to The Inn at Cedar Crossing for dinner. It was mediocre in service and cuisine, but I did enjoy the wine and reading my new book. Despite the so-so end to my trip, Door County was everything I wanted and more. The hiking, ciders, and cheese curds were enough to make me wish I was a permanent resident. I can’t wait to make the drive up again!
Have you explored Door County? Which Door County town is your favorite to stay in?
Every year that we make the trip Up North, it seems that I want to stay longer and longer. You can’t beat the peacefulness, the fresh air, the hours spent out on the water… I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, I can’t wait until next year.
We always start with the apple picking. We enter through the end of the orchard where we are greeted by orchard workers who direct us to the Golden Delicious apples and supply us with the bags to contain them.
The trees are always full of apples, just ready to be plucked and taken home. They have an ingenious device to pick apples on the top branches scattered throughout the orchard. It’s a something like a broom handle with a wire covered in denim, fashioned to catch the apple as you pull it from the branch. It’s like hitting the jackpot any time you can find one hidden in the neat rows of trees.
After we fill our bags with apples, we head over to the smokehouse, paying for the apples as we exit the orchard.
The smokehouse is full of delicious meats and cheeses, specifically the best deli ham I have ever tasted. There is also summer sausage, apple butter, honey, pie filling, and all sorts of assorted goodies. The brat shop is just outside the smokehouse that sells hot dogs and brats to be enjoyed with a cold cup of cider.
The donut shop is next door, with a line that stretches past the patio and into the grass. The wait for the delectable fried dough was almost an hour, but oh so worth it. They make them to order and cover them in cinnamon sugar, coconut, frosting or sprinkles.
Once we had our share of Harvest Time, we went back to my parent’s house to feast on apples, cheese and charcuterie. We parted ways at the end of the evening, all toting our bags of apples and leftovers home with us.
Until next time, Harvest Time.
They patio and small shop next to the smokehouse were dotted with batches of pumpkins, squash and gourds. I am a sucker for tiny pumpkins, so I bought one for a dollar, such a bargain.
We go to Maiden Lake in Wisconsin every year for Independence Day, it’s a family tradition (as per my previous Lakewood, WI post). This year, I drove up with my boyfriend straight from Chicago, which was a first. We left at 6:30am on Friday, stopping for coffee first and then we were on our way. It was an easy five hour jaunt up through Milwaukee, Green Bay and straight on to Lakewood. We arrived just before noon and got ready to go on the boat 
right away. It was a perfect day to go out on the lake, warm enough to make you want to jump in the water but with a perfect breeze. We cruised around for a bit and then stopped for cocktails and snacks, which were stored in the coolers. It was a perfect afternoon of lounging out on the water. After snacks, I was talked into trying to water-ski, which was a painful failure. If I didn’t get a mouthful of lake water getting pulled directly out 
of the skis, I was flying backwards with the skis pulling my legs out to the sides. I did manage to get up halfway on the skis once, but I got so excited that I flung my hands up in the air, effectively letting go of the rope. I called it quits after that and we headed back to the cabin to tie up the boat and get ready for dinner. There are a lot of great restaurants and supper clubs around Lakewood, but because of the holiday weekend and the size of our group, it’s usually easier to make dinner at home. The end result is always delicious, and enjoyed on the porch in good company. After dinner a few of us walked from the cabin to the Maiden Lake Supper Club to enjoy a drink al fresco on their deck by the lake. The Supper Club is a Maiden Lake institution and is really the only the restaurant that’s actually on the lake.
There is always a wait to enjoy their large portioned, comfort foods and seating in the bar and on the deck is always limited. Luckily, we were able to get a table and enjoy the sun setting over the lake. On our walk back, we admired the other cabins along the lake. Some were 
newly built, and some maintained their rustic charm. My favorite had a small red box on a post with the title Maiden Lake Library on it out front. Its front window displayed an array of books, with take one leave one written under the shelves. We came home to a giant bonfire behind the house primed and ready for s’mores making. It was a perfect ending to our first day at the lake. The next day was July 4th, and I woke up early to paddle-board before the bigger boats came out. It is the most peaceful thing to be out in the middle of the perfectly-still lake on the paddle-board. After I got my fill of inner peace, we started our Independence Day celebrations early with a huge breakfast. The best part of 
lake life is that everything revolves around when we can get out on the boat. While half of us cleaned up from breakfast, the rest of our group readied the boats to take them out for the day. We set shortly after, split between two boats. I tried to ski again, and this time I was finally successful! I got up for a while and was satisfied enough to quit while I was ahead. The boats met up to anchor and so we could swim and sip cocktails in the sunshine. When we docked for the day, my boyfriend and I went to the grocery store for burger fixins and then drove down the road to Sweet Memories, an amazing candy store in Lakewood. 
contestants did not disappoint. There were Minions, Pirates, Winnie the Pooh, and even Snow White and her seven buddies showed up for the occasion. The next holiday festivity was our annual trip to the best ice cream stop in the Midwest, Northern D’Lites. They have delicious soft serve in an ever changing cycle of flavors and all the usual suspects as far 
as frozen treats go. It’s a humble pick-up window surrounded by picnic tables, complete with friendly staff and a long line of customers. After our collective sweet tooth was satiated, we drove off to find parking for the fireworks show, which we watched in the back of my uncle’s pick-up truck. The fireworks display is always great, and this year it was the same. However, the 
next day, we were assured by one of the grocery store clerks at True Value that this year was a little lean because next year is the town’s centennial, which they will go all out for. Our last day at the Cabin, my boyfriend and I spent the morning Kayaking to one of the beautiful inlets on the south side of Maiden Lake. Our whole crew had one last spin around the lake in the speed boats and one last swim before we put away all of the boating gear, took the boats out of the water, and closed up the cabin. It’s always sad leaving, but hopefully we’ll be back sooner rather than later. On our way home, my boyfriend and I stopped at two vastly different but equally important Wisconsin landmarks. The first was Bagley Rapids in Mountain, WI and the second was Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, WI. Bagley Rapids is a beautiful park and campground in the Nicolet National Forest.
We had to drive down a very narrow, dirt road to get to the parking lot, which was very small and perhaps the wrong parking lot. However, we finally made it down to the rapids, which we heard before they came into view. It was a gorgeous scene. We were able to take a walk along the side of the rapids before we had to get back to the car and continue on home. We drove for another three hours before reaching Kenosha, the location of the famous Mars Cheese Castle.
I’ve passed it many times without exiting the highway to visit, but this time we exited route 94 and pulled into the parking lot of the castle. It is a mecca of cheese, sausage and condiments. It is also one of the last stops on the highway to pick up some New Glarus beer, which is only available in Wisconsin and so delicious. I have to say, it was pretty expensive compared to other stops ($3 extra for a 6-pack of Spotted Cow). We purchased some cheese, sausage and beer regardless of the price and stopped in the restaurant for a bite to eat before finishing the drive to Chicago. We both had bratwursts, which were very good, but the service was slow and without a smile. The rest of the drive went smoothly, and soon we were home safe and sound. Before long, I was asleep, dreaming of being back at the lake.
rebeccawanderlusting 