Egg Harbor is a delightful village in Door County, Wisconsin.  Population 201!

The village has an eclectic range of shops and restaurants all of which are individually owned and managed which makes such a welcome treat from living in Texas where everything is part of a chain and many of the chains are similar!

Here there is the Pink Bakery, specializing is baked goods – cheesecakes, cupcakes, artisan breads and cappuccinos; a Made in Britain shop – yes, you guessed it, selling everything from Walkers Shortbread, English Mustard, an array of “Keep Calm” merchandise and Cadbury chocolates; Fat Louie olive oil and wine shop; Grumpy’s ice-cream parlour; a few art galleries; a couple of boutiques and some antique shops and that’s about it. You have now toured the high street of Egg Harbor!

On the way out-of-town is an Orchards Market selling everything you could conceivably think of that can be made from or include cherries! An array of Wisconsin’s finest Cherry Cheddars, cherry donuts, cherry jams, preserves, salsas, cherry pie, ice-cream, jars of whole cherries, chopped cherries, blackcherry chipotle dip, cherry BBQ sauce and so much more! These Wisconsites will put cherries in just about anything they can find!

Pretty Egg Harbor marina. We have had storms for the last two days but it’s due to be sunny today!

Locally made wind chimes adorn the park overlooking the harbour.

In Door County, cherry orchards line the road sides almost like wallpaper. Limbs bend under the weight of the beautiful red fruit that’s visible from the car.

The county’s temperate climate and the unlikelihood of late frosts due to the lake effect from Green Bay and Lake Michigan, has led to the growth of the cherry industry. The cherry trees thrive in the shallow soil which is only a few feet deep and which sits on top of bedrock providing natural drainage and inhibiting the effect of root rot.

Early growers experimented with different cherry varieties and found the greatest success with the tart Montmorency variety. Today, approximately seven million pounds of cherries are produced annually!

Cherry Fun Facts:

• The world record for spitting a cherry pit is 93 feet, 6 1⁄2 inches set by Brian Krause at the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship in Michigan in 2004!
• Cherry trees are a member of the rose family.
• They may help relieve the pain of gout by lowering uric acid thereby reducing inflammation.
• One serving of frozen tart cherries provides 25 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.
• Tart cherries contain melatonin, a hormone secreted by the brain that regulates the sleep cycle.

Gone are the days when 12-15,000 hand pickers would migrate to Door County for the harvest. Today, a mechanical harvester shakes 7,000 cherries off an average tree in about seven seconds and can shake 60-100 trees an hour! Shaking a tree shortens the average lifespan by about 15 years, but new trees are continually planted to keep production at peak levels.

In the fall of 1848, Captain Justice Bailey discovered the harbor that was to bear his name as he searched for a safe mooring during a violent storm on Lake Michigan. The storm was so severe that he risked entering an uncharted harbor but luckily, he found it to be of sufficient depth. He remained overnight, and decided to explore the next day where he found an abundance of limestone and timber, and he took back samples to his employer, Milwaukee businessman, Alanson Sweet. Mr. Sweet envisioned great business opportunities for the new area and sent a crew of men to harvest timber and stone and build a pier. They also began to carve a road to the other side of the peninsula that is known today as County Road F.

Some twelve million people live along Lake Michigan’s shores, mainly in the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. The economy of many communities in northern Michigan and Door County, Wisconsin is supported by tourism, with large seasonal populations attracted by the beauty and recreational opportunities offered by Lake Michigan. Seasonal residents often have summer homes along the waterfront and return home for the winter.

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the US – the other four Great Lakes are shared by the US and Canada. 

The word “Michigan” originally referred to the lake itself, and is believed to have come from the Ojibwa tribe word “mishigami” meaning Great Water.

We are now in Door County which is located on a peninsular in Wisconsin with Green Bay on one side and Lake Michigan on the other. It is one of our favourite destinations in the US, and a place we have visited many times. It also happens to be one of the nation’s premier vacation destinations. With 250 miles of shoreline, five state parks and 10 lighthouses, it boasts more of each of these than any other county in the country.

Within Door County, there are several different towns each with their own distinct character. Our favourite is a place called Fish Creek, a small, very pretty town with its own harbour where they are moored some seriously gorgeous boats. A few years ago, we became so enamoured with Fish Creek that we met with a realtor and looked at some properties in the area. Pictured below is the apartment which we originally viewed which was in a great location but it had a somewhat quirky inside including an elevator – for three floors!

There is Egg Harbor, where our RV park is located. It is a small, quaint town which we have only visited once before, until now, and which we will explore further tomorrow.

And, Bailey’s Harbor, which is a keen favourite of ours with the Cornerstone Pub and Restaurant being of particular interest and a location where we have spent many an idle hour! Here you can gorge on pan-fried Perch or deep-fried Walleye, two of the local catches which are wonderful. I seem to remember, but I will need to check, that at one time long, long before this place was a pub, that it was a funeral home! I don’t think that I’m making this up, it is just something sufficiently quirky to stick in my grey cells! No doubt we will visit soon and I will need to re-read the newspaper cuttings on the wall!

We looked at the far right apartment in this block in Fish Creek which overlooks the harbour where some rather large boats are moored.

Construction of the present Wisconsin state capitol, the third in Madison, began in late 1906 and was completed in 1917 at a cost of $7.25 million. As there was an immediate need to house state government employees, the construction of the new building was extended over several years and emphasized building one wing at a time.

The building was constructed of 43 types of stone from six countries and eight states. The exterior stone is Bethel white granite from Vermont, making the exterior dome, I believe, the largest granite dome in the world!

From 1988 to 2002 the capitol underwent a major renovation and restoration project costing $158.8 million. The project was performed wing by wing, the same as the original construction of the capitol, with the aim of converting the capitol into a modern working building, while restoring and preserving its original 1917 appearance.

Remodeling projects of the 1960s and ‘70s had introduced features out of character with the architecture of the building, such as dropped ceilings, movable partitions and fluorescent light fixtures, and many original decorative stencils were painted over. The restoration project returned public spaces to their original appearance. Original decorative stencils were repaired or recreated; gold leaf was replaced or restored, and the exterior granite was cleaned and repaired by workers who rappelled down from the dome. The renovation plan also included integrating modern technology into the original architecture – electrical, mechanical (such as plumbing and heating), and communications systems were upgraded; asbestos was removed, and air conditioning was added.

 

The inside of the capitol is as magnificent as the outside as Mike and I enjoyed first-hand as we wandered through its corridors. The floors, walls and columns are constructed of American marble, granite and limestone. I am unsure where the interior lights are from, but they are stunning and the facials of the elevators mirror something from an art deco museum!

Madison sits on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona. The city is home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an establishment with a 2016 enrollment of over 43,000 students attending facilities covering almost 1,000 acres across the city.

With two main lakes and a large population of young people, it is only natural that the city exudes an outdoor style of life which is good for a large part of the year and the remainder of the calendar, the state’s inhabitants are digging out snow!

Sitting between two lakes, you can see from the architecture that the city has morphed from a water dependent, industrial producer to a trendy, hip-hop, craft brew, farm-to-table, happening kind of city. There is a really good network of cycling lanes which are multi-tasking as running and dog-walking trails!

The lakes are simply gorgeous and we take the opportunity to give Poppy some much needed fresh air and new smells by walking her around part of lake Monona. Folks are out in kayaks, speed boats, cycling, running, and dog-walking! An initial comment I would have for Madison is that if you don’t’ have a dog then likely you should borrow one to ensure you don’t feel like an outsider!

We stop for lunch at the Next Door brewing company where Poppy just can’t help herself and order an appetizer of deep-fried cheese curds using one of their beers for the batter, served with a home-made ranch dressing! Oh boy, gorgeous!

After lunch, we head to the Wisconsin Brewing Company where Pat McCurdy is performing. Candid moment: I have never heard of Pat McCurdy and didn’t know any of the songs he was performing!

The brewing company sits within a business park, where there is a lovely lake and landscaped gardens with outdoor seating. It is packed to the gills with folks, families and dogs of every kind you can imagine. Seriously, I have never seen so many dogs in my life!

Poppy ready to enjoy her deep-fried cheese curds!

A former industrial plant over-looking Lake Menona being converted into something more fitting for modern-day Madison.

We drove into Madison today, Wisconsin’s state capitol, and visited the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Wow, what a wonderful and most unexpected visit …. the gardens are spectacular!

Within the Botanical Gardens is a beautiful pavilion which was a gift from the Thai Government and is only one of four located outside of Thailand. The gift was approved by Thailand’s royal family and the pavilion bears the Royal seal of the Thai Crown.

The pavilion was originally built in Thailand, then disassembled and packed in shipping crates which traveled seven weeks by sea to the US, then by rail to Chicago, and finally to Madison by truck. Nine Thai artisans traveled to Madison and spent three weeks re-assembling the structure.

Amazingly, the pavilion can withstand the winter weather of Wisconsin with no protection because it is constructed of plantation-grown teak and weather-resistant ceramic roof tiles. The pavilion features gold leaf etchings, a lacquer finish, and intricate decoration, however, the gold leaf is unable to withstand the oils from the human hand and so you are no longer able to touch it.

The Thai Garden surrounding the Pavilion emulates a lush, tropical garden with Wisconsin-hardy plants. Ornamental grasses, some reaching up to 12 feet tall, and several hardy bamboos are essential in creating a tropical look. Large-leafed shrubs and trees are pruned to give them the look of plants in a typical Thai garden.

The pavilion is crafted without nails or screws.

The Thai Garden is connected to the central gardens by a 155-foot arched, ornamental bridge that spans Starkweather Creek which leads into Lake Mendota.

 

Today we traveled from Chebanse, Illinois to Milton, Wisconsin, some 200 miles. For the most part, we stayed off the interstate highways and journeyed along secondary roads which are far more interesting and you get to see so much more of the countryside – it’s totally flat with mile after mile of corn fields!

And here we are in Wisconsin, cheese country! Cheese is the state’s history, its pride, its self-deprecating, sometimes goofy, cheesehead approach to life! Wisconsin is the largest cheese producing state in the US delivering over 2.9 billion pounds of cheese annually!

One of the fun things to buy here are cheese curds. Cheese curds are an essential product of the cheese making process and before cheeses like cheddar are formed into blocks or wheels and aged, they start out as curds. Fresh cheese curds have a slightly rubbery texture and squeak when you eat them because the elastic protein strands in the curds rub against the enamel of your teeth and create a squeak! This characteristic sound is a sign of its freshness and after some twelve hours or so, the curds will begin to lose their squeak which can be restored with a few seconds in the microwave oven!

Mike and I are very fond of Wisconsin and have been here many times. A long time ago, we looked at buying a second home in a place called “Door County” where we will head too in a few days. Door County has a wonderful climate, beautiful scenery, magnificent sunsets, great fishing, fantastic art galleries and interesting restaurants!

Cheeseheads! Throwback to 2011. From left: Bob Skrzypczak, Uncle Mike and Mike. Cheesehead is an American term for a person from Wisconsin or for a fan of the Green Bay Packers NFL football team, the arch rivals of the Chicago Bears!

 

George Halas McCaskey (pictured left wearing orange jersey), is one of 13 grandchildren, and namesake, of George Halas, the founder and patriarch of the Chicago Bears. Today he serves as the chairman of the board of directors.

 

 

Ryan Pace (pictured right in white jersey), general manager and responsible for the day-to-day operations of the team.

 

 

John Fox, pictured wearing polo shirt, head coach who joined the team in 2015. Fox is only one of a few head coaches to lead two different teams to Super Bowl appearances. He is pictured here Jonathan Anderson, Line Backer.

 

 

 

Quarter-backs (wearing orange jerseys) Mike Glennon (#8) and Mark Sanchez (#6).

 

 

 

 

 

We left Springfield on August 1 and traveled some 170 miles to Chebanse, Illinois to attend the Chicago Bears Training Camp! Mike was born in Chicago, is a die-hard Bears fan, and attending the camp is a bucket list item for him!

We get into town and immediately head to Bourbonnais and the Olivet Nazarene University where the training camp is taking place as Mike is excited beyond all measure and wants to check it out.

After walking the campus, we head to the Brickhouse Brewery and Restaurant down the road for a quick beer en route home. Well, I thought Mike would hyperventilate when John Fox, the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Ryan Pace, the general manager wander into the restaurant, ask for a table at the back and disappear out of sight!

Today, we are up early and off to Bourbonnais to meet with Ron & Shari Krywanio, my brother –and sister-in-law and Uncle Mike, Mike’s friend from high school, our regular travel companion, and likely one of the nicest people on the planet!

Uncle Mike has obtained VIP tickets for us which gives us access to a hospitality area, good seating and bottled water, an important element as the temperature is soaring.

The training camp is certainly a sight to behold; 90 players on the field being directed to test different plays by the coaching staff; every 15 minutes or so, a horn blows and everyone moves to a different place – it looks like organized chaos but they all seem to know what they are doing; TV cameras and the media line the edge of the pitch; a young man sitting behind gives me the run-down on every player I ask about and their position on the team; his Dad does just as well in answering my inane questions of why the players are doing what they are doing!

It is all rather exciting, and for over two hours Mike sits with the binoculars glued to his eyes, his player notes on his lap, and barely utters word. He is in seventh heaven and it’s fun to see his enjoyment!

The Krywanio-Bears: front row, from left, Mike and his brother Ron. Back row, from left, Uncle Mike and Shari Krywanio.

From left, Mitch Trubisky & me! Mr. Trubisky was this year’s number two pick in the National Football League draft (out of 500 players) and has joined the Chicago Bears as a quarter-back. It is highly anticipated that he will be a rising star!