Rain fell overnight and the wind kicked up, bringing the wave height along with it. We bounced and rolled in our slip, but it didn't keep me awake. Chased out some spiders and hosed off the decks to start the day, quickly determining this would be a jeans and jacket kind of day. There was no second-guessing our decision to wait for this weather to calm down before heading back out into Lake Michigan. We had heard that the ferry from Manitowac to Luddington did not run late last night because of 12-foot seas on Lake Michigan.
We picked up the rental car around 10:30 and set out to explore the Door County peninsula. We headed up the west side along Route 42, stopping at Egg Harbor to walk around the marina and park. The sign post at the marina is well-known locally and the perfect photo spot. Following lunch we continued to the northern-most point of mainland, passing through the famous stretch of curvy road, and ending up at the Washington Island Ferry dock.
We watched the ferry fight the rollers coming in and then hopped back in the car, heading south along the Lake Michigan side on Route 57. The buildings and farms were classic Americana with markets, wineries, distilleries, general stores, and flags. We made a detour to the Cana Island Lighthouse. Google maps planned our route right up to the lighthouse. The end of the road we encountered, suggested that we'd need a Plan B. There were many cars in the visitor parking lot so we backed up and joined the small crowd of folks waiting on the road. Then we saw it ... a small lawn tractor pulling a trailer across the water. The above-average water height of Lake Michigan combined with the wind-driven waves had conspired to flood the "roadway" to the lighthouse. We were reassured that the tractor and trailer method was "normal" so we climbed in and headed across the water before we could second-guess our decision.
There was a wait to climb the 97 steps to the top of the light so we walked the grounds and watched the waves of Lake Michigan breaking on the rocks. The exterior of the lighthouse tower is clad in steel plates to protect it from the crashing and splashing water.
Our group was called and up the spiral staircase we went. For being a cloudy day, the view from the top was still worth the climb. After a few circles around the balcony in gusty winds, we headed down and loaded back into the trailer for another trip across the land bridge. We again passed through farm country. A sign out front of the farm below indicated it was a supplier for Land O Lakes. Wisconsin is know as America's Dairyland.
Many barns featured the classic quilt square adornment. One that stood out just for being different created a peace symbol out of wheel rims. Acres and acres of cherry trees lined the roads coming and going. The orchard below was being irrigated. Most locals were hoping this storm system would bring more rain. One last notable sight along the way were the rooftop-grazing goats atop Al Johnson's Swedish restaurant in Sister Bay. This is quite the busy tourist attraction and no parking spaces were to be found. I settled for a picture through the windshield and a visit to their website for a view from the Goat Cams. In case you're intrigued and want to see it for yourself, check it out at this link. Words cannot do it justice.
Before heading back to the marina, we stopped at a Walmart Supercenter and happily reprovisioned with our favorite brands at price levels we were longing for while in Canada. We loaded everything into a dock cart and wheeled it down to Crossroads as we tried to avoid the waves splashing over the floating dock. The wind is still whipping, we're still bouncing in the slip, and its chilly outside. We will be here again tomorrow and take the rental car to Lambeau Field for a 1:00 tour ... and whatever else we can squeeze in.
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