Saturday, June 30, 2018, Door County, WI, Fish Boil

Today we explored parts north from our campground near Sister Bay. We drove to the extreme north end of the peninsula (which I think might technically be an island). There we could have taken a ferry to Washington Island. Today they were having an art festival on the island and there was a wait of at least an hour, so we decided to pass on that opportunity.

The beach had a few interesting rocks, so Joani added another bagful to our collection. Most of the beach looked like white sand until you looked closely enough to notice it was really crushed shells - the gulls in the area have been working hard to put their own mark on the landscape.

I thought we encountered a lot of curves for no apparent reason in Door County, but this stretch of highway 42 (just one mile before you get to Northport) made it obvious the road crew was just having fun. I suppose the curves could be there to make you slow down and enjoy the scenery.

David guessed correctly with his second supposition...

...Jens Jenson designed the road to slow drivers and make them take in their surroundings.

We plan to see it someday in the fall when the sun is more directly overhead (no tree shadows) and all the trees will be ablaze with color.

We were told we had to experience a "fish boil" while we were in Door County. As it happened one of the best was close by at the Viking Grill in Ellison Bay.

It was hot outside and next to the fire it was much worse so we were happy to dine indoors. The boiled whitefish and red potatoes were quite tasty smothered in melted butter. The fresh cherry pie for dessert finished the meal nicely.

Friday, June 29, 2018, Cave Point County Park, Door County, WI

We continued our exploration of Door County, WI, with a trip to Cave Point County Park. Strangely, the county park, with free admission, was surrounded by Whitefish Dunes State Park that required a park pass. We just made sure we didn't stop in the state park and everything was cool.

I found Cave Point Park to be a bit unnerving. First, there were no rails to keep you from going over the edge of cliffs 20 or 30 feet above the water. Then, if you survived the fall there were few places to safely get out of the water. A pretty stiff wind created some sizable waves making it look extremely dangerous. Finally, and most troubling of all, was realizing you were usually standing above a cave or hollow where the crashing waves made huge whumping sounds. I'm sure there was really no danger, but then you start thinking sooner or later the water will triumph over the rock and the cliff will fall. 

David and I think very differently!  I have a healthy respect for the power of nature, but my mind saw unique geology and unobscured views. I never felt uneasy.

Sam was always curious about what was over the edge, so I had to keep him on a pretty short leash. 

Sam is not a water dog, but he loved drinking Lake Michigan water.

I actually took a picture of the "rock stacker" along with the sign asking people to please not stack the rocks. Joani wouldn't let me make a citizen's arrest, so I just shook my head and resolved to move along. The cairns did have some aesthetic appeal, so of course, we had to take a few pictures before we left.

Door county seemed very similar to the area north of Traverse City in Michigan - small touristy towns, wineries, and cherry groves. The cherries were easily visible from the roads and while they looked good we found they were still a month away from being ready to pick. The grove below was next door to our campground.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018, Sister Bay, Door County, WI

Today we finally made it to Wisconsin's Door County. It looked gloomy when we started (the rain we expected last night passed us by) but it cleared up as we headed north from Green Bay. We logged another 85.5 miles (87,702.5 total). I just wish Sam could learn to relax while we drive.

No, I didn't pose this. I looked down and Sam was snuggling Bumble, his favorite toy.

Our large, pull-through, full hook-up site in Hy-Land Court RV Park was nice but pricey.

After we settled in, we drove into Sister Bay and walked along North Bayshore Drive (highway 42). We spotted goats eating grass on the roof of Al Johnson's. I was just hoping they were not in the mood to jump down from the roof into my lap. 

We were told the goats are very pampered.

Walking along the main drive in Sister Bay we were impressed with the variety of beautiful and exotic flowers on display.

At the south end of our walk, we sampled a variety of delicious goat cheeses at the Door County Creamery. On the outdoor patio, they also had two cute kids that elicited an "Awwww..." from nearly every passer-by.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018, National Railroad Museum

Serendipitous - that's my word for today. Joani's plan for our stay at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay put us just a few miles from the National Railroad Museum. Even better, the museum was part of the ASTC network so our admission was covered. We started our visit in the theater where we watched a film chronicling the development of the large steam engines of the '40s and '50s with particular emphasis on the 600-ton monster known as "Big Boy."

In Fuller Hall, we viewed the photography of David Plowden and a model of General Motor's Aerotrain. 

In the main exhibit hall, Lenfestey Center, we were face to face with several beautifully restored locomotives including the Dwight D. Eisenhower, below.

Big Boy was truly impressive with its articulated chassis, 32 drive wheels, and 4 high-pressure steam pistons. The 4-8-8-4 configuration was able to pull 5 and a half miles of fully loaded boxcars on level track. The 14 wheel tender held 25,000 gallons of water and 32 tons of coal - enough to pull 3,600 tons from Ogden, UT to Echo, UT (55 mountainous miles).

Big Boy ran with a four-man crew. With 79 different controls in the cab, they had their work cut out for them. While spacious the cab was always hot - they ran with vents and windows open even in winter. It was just miserable traversing tunnels where the cab temperature could reach 180F and the air was choked with smoke This was definitely not a glamorous job - happy to say I was the other kind of engineer!

When you visit the museum you get a ticket to ride the train around the facility. It was an old diesel locomotive pulling an open-air platform car with a conductor providing commentary on the museum's history and collection.

We even learned something about the Hobo culture and the symbols they used to let fellow travelers know about opportunities or dangers ahead.

In the McCormick Train Pavilion, we found Aerotrain #2. Only three were built and they were never a commercial success. They could not compete with the freedom people found on the open roads in their personal automobiles. 

GM missed the mark with this one. They built it super light to increase speed, but the reduced weight meant a bumpy ride. The underpowered engine meant it never performed at expected speeds. Trying to get people to give up their cars has always been a boondoggle.

The volunteers at the museum have plenty of restoration work lined up to keep them busy.

Monday, June 25, 2018, Oneida Casino, Green Bay, WI

Our move today was a bit longer than it had to be at 184.5 miles (87,617.0 total,) because I wanted to fill our propane tank. It was probably only an extra 10 miles or less, but we could not chance running out of propane since it was the only thing keeping our food cold. Maybe I forgot to mention the controller board on the refrigerator died, so it no longer operates on shore power. We were using propane faster than usual since all of our cooking lately had been on the stove while we were dry camping and, of course, we had been using the furnace when overnight lows were in the 40's.

Our drive took us to the Oneida Casino in Green Bay, WI. They have RV parking along a little used back roadway for $15/night which includes 30 amp power (I found later that sites 1 and 2 had 50 amp service). 

Being back in civilization, we almost immediately made a trip to Costco where we replenished the essentials - butter, pecans, Tequila and Gin!

We had signed up for the Player's Club and received $10 each in free play. So later in the evening, we visited the casino. It's always a challenge to divine which machine is in a generous mood. Of course, there is absolutely no way to determine such a thing, but between the two of us (mostly, Joani) we won enough to pay for our two-night stay!

We do not enjoy gambling with our own money, but gambling with free play money is a blast.

Sunday, June 24, 2018, Kitch-iti-kipi Springs

We invited our new friends, Bill and Darlene, along on a day trip to Big Spring near Manistique on the north shore of Lake Michigan. The drive was longer than I had expected because Google maps routed us on the "paved" roads. I was not paying attention when I looked at the map earlier.

We had planned on stopping for lunch somewhere along the way. Joani found a highly rated bar/restaurant in the middle of nowhere - seriously there was nothing but trees for miles and then suddenly a clearing where the Jack Pine Lodge stood. The ratings did not steer us wrong - the food was very good.

After eating too much we headed for the Big Spring in Palms Book State Park also known as Kitch-iti-kipi. I remember thinking that there could have been a few more signs to reassure me we were on the right track. Joani managed to keep me on course and when we reached the park there were plenty of people who had made the same trip.

The springs were the kind of blue that makes you say "Wow!"

The water is deceptively clear. It is 40 feet to the floor of the spring where 10,000 gallons per minute flow from fissures in the limestone and sand bottom.

Operation of the raft is completely manual and depends on volunteers to move the raft away from and back to the dock.

Bill took a turn at the wheel and when he handed it off to me I quickly realized it was a lot more work than watching the fish swimming around - I graciously allowed someone to take their turn and I returned to being a tourist.

We are guessing that the Perch were about 24" long.

Along the trail from the spring, I had to take a few "artsy" flora shots. I don't know why I find the birch bark so fascinating.