Wisconsin

 My college roommate told us that she had memories of spending summers in Door County, WI, and it was worth a visit. We're pretty glad she recommended it. Coming down from Michigan, our first stop in Wisconsin is the North Bay Shore Recreation area in Oconto on the west side of Green Bay (the bay not the city).  

Once again we are lucky to be within sight of the water (Green Bay). 

We take a few days to explore the area but then head around to the east side of Green Bay to Door County. We're staying in Baileys Harbor. The town is pretty small, and we are able to walk to restaurants for meals. There's plenty of outdoor seating, and the weather is beautiful.  

We even bicycle out to the Baileys Harbor Fish Company to procure Whitefish, a popular fish for the ubiquitous Friday night fish fry. Unfortunately, no pictures to share of Tom's BBQ fish masterpiece. 

Baileys Harbor is a convenient base for exploring the upper end of the Door County peninsula. We drove up the west side of the peninsula (lots of cute, touristy towns) to Gills Rock.

 That's where the Washington Island ferry crosses the Porte des Mortes (Death's Door), the strait between the Door peninsula and Washington Island that gives Door County its name. 

Although the name comes from a tale of the battle between indigenous peoples, the winds when we were there convinced me that it was the winds and waves that made the straits treacherous. 

 

We head south a few miles to Sturgeon Bay to extend our stay in the area. The visit to Renard's Cheese was a find...and, yes, we finally get our cheese curds.