Welcome to Door County's quick and happy read. In addition to this week's front page articles found below, we invite you to enjoy over 600 stories from all past issues of the magazine, contained in our archives. Use the search fields below to find what you're interested in.
Vintage Postcard, Sturgeon Bay Lifesaving Station.
Crews
on the Great Lakes stations consisted of a keeper and eight surfmen.
The surfmen were ranked based on their experience and ability, with the
number one surfman being the most senior; he filled in for the keeper
when he was away from the station. These positions also indicated where
they sat in the boat as it went out to rescue and which side of the
beach apparatus they stood (odd on the left, even on the right).
The station ran in an organized and efficient manner, with frequent
visits from USLSS inspectors to assure perfection. One of the keeper’s
responsibilities was training the crew.
Peninsula State Park has gone to the birds. The park teamed up with the Village of
Ephraim to earn Bird City recognition. It’s the first time a Wisconsin
state park has done so.
The Bird City status recognizes the importance of Peninsula and
Ephraim as a migration corridor, as Wisconsin Great Birding Trail
destinations, and as places attractive to eco-tourists.
"The people who fought to establish Peninsula knew it was an
irreplaceable landscape," said Peninsula Naturalist Kathleen Harris, who
worked on the Bird City application with the Ephraim Business Council's
Tourism Administrator Rachel Willems and Ephraim Trustee Steve Sauter.
"Some of those people were Ephraim residents and along the way they set
aside wonderful gems in their own village."
Here's a new verse that generated from observing Winnie and
Toby on their morning walk. With the winds swirling about, they have a
different world to explore as the deposits of leaves grow and
redistribute themselves from place to place. Walks are all about
sniffing and fun for them. I enjoy the walks as much as they do. I get
to laugh, and that's a great start to my day.
LEAVES
Leaves are blowing all around.
They're on the trees, then on the ground.
It only makes a quiet sound
When leaves are blowing all around.
The last of the trilliums are in bloom, and morel season is coming to an end. Gaywings, wood anemone, large-flowered trillium, yellow violets, and wood violets are now in bloom at Potawatomi, and wild columbine and Canada mayflowers should be blooming next week.
I've been slacking for the past several weeks, probably much to everyone's relief ... A week and a half ago I purchased a mobile home near my mom's home. Between my two jobs and working a bit here and there on my house, I've had very little time to sit and think of silly stuff to write about my favorite subjects, Winnie and Toby.
This morning, while en route to our corner destination and back, it hit me like a ton of bricks and then I had to write it down. I didn't have time before work so it had to wait till after. I had almost forgotten my intention to create another journal entry for the dogs, and then I stood face to face with my computer and it immediately flooded my head. While I still have my email up and running, I thought I'd share. Lucky lucky you.
Ice is out of the harbor, open water
teal colored, its whitecap lace shining.
Only one mound of snow
remains in my lane,
the black squirrel is getting frisky,
and Reuben's tulips are rising.
Cranes and crows and gulls
trumpet awake! awake!
It's easy to make your backyard a haven for migrating birds.
(c) iStockPhoto
Are you thrilled by the sight of wildlife in its natural environment? If so, you don't need to travel for the experience. With a little effort, your own backyard can become a stopover for some of North America's most colorful wildlife.
Fall and spring are migratory season in America as flocks of birds migrate between hemispheres. Like any weary traveler, these natives look for places to rest and refuel. Welcoming them to your yard is a way to protect our natural heritage and enjoy their beauty at the same time.
Door
County boasts five state parks (as well as eighteen county parks and
countless local parks) filled with hiking/biking trails, lighthouses,
wildlife, and many more things for your family to explore. You can
picnic, fish, golf and swim. If you prefer to vacation during our winter
months, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and snowmobiling
are also available. With vehicle admission at $5 daily for Wisconsin
residents and $10 daily for non-residents, the state parks are a very
affordable form of entertainment and exercise. (To make this adventure
even more affordable, you can park in downtown fish creek and walk in to
Peninsula State Park.) For more information: Newport (920) 854-2500;
Peninsula (920) 868-3258; Potawatomi (920) 746-2890; Rock Island (920)
847-2235; Whitefish Dunes (920) 823-2400.
It's that time of year - the temperatures are getting warmer, the sun seems to shine brighter, and the last day of school is inching closer. Summer is just around the corner! And with summer, comes vacation.
Perhaps this year, a trip to Disney World is out of the question. Perhaps the idea of spending a couple hundred bucks for a night or two at a hotel is a tad too much. Perhaps you're struggling to put together a plan for your family this summer. Perhaps you want a romantic getaway with your sweetie.
Washington Island is a special place. But many Door County visitors miss it completely, perhaps due to time limitations or simply since it is off the beaten path. It is a bit of a hike to get all the way to the northern end of the Peninsula. Then, unless you have your own nautical transportation, you'll take either the car ferry or the passenger ferry across to the island from Gills Rock or Northport.
So why is this small, rural place so special? You'll find out if you visit. Maybe it's the quietness and slower pace. Maybe it's the people. Maybe it's a lot of factors that make the island unique.
Hands clasped, softly we walk the bed of cedar, a new wind out of the north, stop to watch a diving loon, admire rocks at land's edge awash in teal and cobalt blues, snakes--two of them--faded brown, an Indian paintbrush swaying in orange. Now overhead the whisper of wings--
Nick and his family lived here in the lighthouse for a whole week!
Hi, my name is Nick. My family and I stayed in the Potawatomie Lighthouse on Rock Island this summer. This is what it was like.
First we took the car ferry to Washington Island. One thing you should know about Washington Island is that everyone waves at you. Next we took another smaller ferry over to Rock Island. Once we got to the island we loaded our gear onto the DNR's four wheeler and rode to the lighthouse along a small dirt path. This was a highlight of the trip!
Updated constantly ... What's going on in Door County
Welcome to DoorCountyTravelersJournal.com!
If you are looking for interesting places to visit and things to do, you're in the right place. This online magazine features articles that help you get the most out of your vacation in Wisconsin's magical Door Peninsula. Get useful visitor information and be sure to check out our Kids Edition to find places that children like to go. The opinions and recommendations herein are solely those of our contributing writers. Event information subject to change without notice.
We also publish articles of interest to local residents. Submissions and story ideas are welcome.
