Day 43 - Near Bristol, WI

Why, you might wonder, are we in a campground in the countryside near Bristol, WI? The answer is, we are going tomorrow to Ravinia, and this was just about the only and certainly the nearest campground. It is very nice, similar to one in Petaluma near Santa Rosa where we have stayed. The campground here is filling up as the long July 4th weekend is now beginning. Plenty of stuff for all the kids to do here: a little lake with a beach, paddle boats, a petting zoo, playground, volleyball, activity room, bingo, biking, etc.

Today we drove to Lake Geneva and explored. Many of the homes along the lake shore are dazzling and huge. There is a pathway right beside the lake around the entire lake, about 20 miles, we read. We walked on it for about an hour, and you can really see the homes. Here is one of my favorites. This one looks brand new. The landscaping was beautiful - just completed.

The town of Lake Geneva has lovely beaches and this wonderful old pavilion called The Riviera. There is lots of boating, water skiing and other water sports on the lake. It didn't seem too crowded yet, but then, the weekend is just beginning!

We decided to grill at the RV tonight, so we stopped at a Super Value not far from the campground. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the sausage case in the meat department. This really represents Wisconsin which is known for its wonderful brats! Where our good grocery stores in California might have a few locally made brats, this store had a whole case full of them!

Day 41 - Last day in Door County

We had a lovely run in Peninsula State Park. This very popular park has camping, bike/hike trails, a lighthouse and lots of forest right on Green Bay. If you are at lake level there are very few openings in the forest for views, but on the higher roads there are overlooks with good views. Our run was at lake level through the forest.

On the advice of several people, we had dinner in the evening at a Door County fish boil. The fish is the delicate whitefish. We did this at the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek with a really nice outdoor venue for watching the preparation of the fire and the boiling pot of water. Boiled potatoes are also served, and the whole thing is delicious.

Day 39 - Door County, WI

We saw the north end of the peninsula, driving to Gills Rock, and then around to the east side to see the Cana Island Lighthouse. Staffed by volunteers, this lighthouse is still working with the 5 foot tall Fresnel lens, so the tower itself is not open to the public. However, the keeper's quarters have been cared for to show how the keeper and his family would have lived. We've seen many lighthouses in our travels, and this one was an excellent example. Lake Michigan is at a very low level right now, so a view from the shoreline, normally covered by water, was possible. This view is taken from the walkway.

Day 38 - Door County, WI

We met Betty and Ron at the Ephraim Town Hall for the Sunday night community sing-a-long. What fun that was!










When we came out of the Hall, the most spectacular sunsent greeted our eyes. Here are photos of Gary and me,











and of Betty and Ron with the sunset as our background.

Day 37 - Door County, WI

We are camped near Egg Harbor in a nice campground but not on the water. We drove in to Sturgeon Bay, pictured here, to do a little shopping and had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the pretty harbor.

The high point of the day was our dinner with Betty and Ron McMurry. Betty is one of Gary's first cousins, who originally lived in Ree Heights, SD. They invited us to their charming cottage in Ephraim, WI. This cottage has been in the family for years. Betty and Ron are pictured here. After cherry wine and cheese at the cottage, we drove in to Sister Bay, WI, for a LOVELY dinner at The Inn at Kristofer's, with views of the sunset over the Bay. It was a wonderful evening and we thoroughly enjoyed being with Betty and Ron. A good friend in Santa Rosa had told us about the restaurant which lived up to all expectations. It was a little dark for a photo, however.

Day 36 - The drive along the N. shore of Lake Michigan

Another clear and beautiful day! The drive along the north shore of Lake Michigan was so lovely. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a rest area along U.S. Highway 2, which ranked among the top picnic places on our travels. The whole drive into Door County was wonderful.