July 31, 2015. Door County to St. Ignace, MI.

 

 

 

July 31, 2015.  Door County to St. Ignace, MI.  We are in Straits State Park, St. Ignace, Michigan, tonight.  We left Peninsula State Park about 8:00 AM and arrived here at 4:00 PM.  It was a beautiful day for a drive with puffy white clouds against a pure blue sky. 

We purchased cheese curds at Renard's Cheese, another of our regular stops.  Of course, Renard is my mother's maiden name.  They pronounce it differently, however.  My maternal grandparents called themselves Ren'-ard.  The cheese guys call themselves Ren-ard', with the emphasis on the second syllable.  That's kinda an uppity pronunciation, don't you think?

Our travels took us through Green Bay, home of the Green Bay Packers.  I snapped a shot of Lambeau Field in the distance.  It appears to be one of the tallest structures in Green Bay.  It certainly is the best known and most visited.  

We have stayed in this campground several times before.  You have seen other pictures of the bridge, "Big Mac", one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. 

The plan is to visit Mackinac Island tomorrow and Sunday.  The weather forecast calls for rain Sunday, so we'll see.  I may have to eat enough fudge tomorrow to last two days. 

July 30, 2015. Part II, Cottage Row Revisited.

July 30, 2015.  Part II, Cottage Row Revisited.  Yesterday, we biked from the park to Cottage Row.  Total distance is probably 10-12 miles, round trip.  The ride takes us past Not Licked Yet, a custard place with ducks who swim in Fish Creek, beg food and sleep with their heads tucked under their wings.  I didn't feed them, except for the custard that melted before I could eat it.  It isn't good to feed them.  They grow dependent and forget how to fend for themselves.  When the tourists leave, they won't know how to forage.  That's not good. 

Some of the scenes along Cottage Row you have seen before.  With the expectation that you've forgotten them, I have included them again.  Cottage Row is lined with impressive homes, old and new, which look out on the bay.  Rock fences from the last century mark the road.  It is usually quiet and secluded.  Usually, I say, because we are usually here in May.  In July, there were walkers, joggers, bikers, carers (that's "car" with an "er" on it.) and other distractions.  It is still worth the ride, it just isn't secluded this season. 

We had lunch at Juniper's, one of our regular haunts.  I have included a picture of our meals.  I thought about giving a cash reward to the person who correctly guesses whose plate is whose.  But, it was too easy.  Even  Bob would get that one right. 

Last night, we went to a spot on the bay where we could watch the sunset.  Blonde-lady-with-goofy-husband was there.  She wanted advice on our favorite travel locations.  As we answered her questions, the sun set.  And, that's why you don't have a picture of the sun setting over the bay.

The next entry will be from St. Ignace, Michigan, across the straits from Mackinac Island.  I see more blogs in your future.  I see fudge in mine. 

July 30, 2015. Colorful Door County.

 

 
 

July 30, 2015.  Colorful Door County.  These pictures were taken two days ago.  They have been sitting on my computer waiting for an Internet signal.  They have been barking at me to let them out but this is the first chance I have had to do that.  Good.  The barking was beginning to annoy me. 

It is another beautiful day on the peninsula.  The temperature is in the low 80s, the humidity is low and the breeze washes across the land from the Green Bay. The sky is marked by a few white, puffy clouds.  It is another good day in Door County.

There are four different campgrounds here in the park.  We have been trying to move our campsite to one in which there is a better Internet signal  The best location is in Weborg campground.  Transfers from one site to another is allowed daily at 10:00 AM, depending upon availability.  We have been the first name on the list of transfer wannabees the past three days.  We have developed deep and lasting friendships with other campers waiting in line.  There is James, from Green Bay who has a long-standing interest in WWII history.  There is blonde-lady-with-goofy-husband from Madison.  One of her husband's earlier wives was married to Michael Feldman, host of a Saturday morning program on NPR.  Then there are a host of others whose identity changes from day to day.  Today, I said a sad goodbye to our new friends.  We will move to Michigan tomorrow where new, deep and lasting friendships await.

I will double up on blog entries today to try catch up.  Because I have another to write, this one will end here.  Bye, now.  

 

July 28, 2015. Door County Wisconsin, Still.

July 28, 2015.  Door County Wisconsin, Still.  The weather is warm and so is the water in Lake Michigan.  We see bikers in swimsuits looking for the nearest dip in the lake.  In fact, we see bikers everywhere.

I went to the restroom this morning for a rest.  Both stalls were occupied, so I did the gentlemanly thing and retreated to a bench outside.  While I was waiting, two boys on bikes rode up and went inside.  Two men came out.  I assumed they were the ones occupying the stalls, so I entered again.  The two stalls were again occupied, this time by the boys on bikes.  I gave up and left.  I'll rest later.

We have no plans for the day.  The absence of an Internet signal at the campsite continues to interfere with regular publication of the blog.  I am again in a parking lot near the school I published from yesterday.  It is a little frustrating for me and it affects my inspiration for these tomes.  Well, "tome" over-glorifies what I do.  I should refer to them as "strips".  Although, there has been a noticeable lack of comedy in them so far.  I'll try to do better.  And, I would do better if I just had a reliable Internet signal.  I wouldn't feel so rushed to publish. Fiddle.