Garden of Lights

Last night we went to the Green Bay Botanical Garden again, this time to enjoy the Garden of Lights holiday display.  We started to hear good things about the event as soon as we arrived in Green Bay, so it was on my list of things to check out.  The display is only open on the weekends during the holiday season, so we opted for a Sunday evening with the hope that the crowds might be a bit lighter.  It was still VERY busy- we had to park at the nearby Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC, "Tech"), take a shuttle bus over to the gardens, and wait in line for about 15 minutes to buy our tickets.

Nonetheless, the Garden of Lights did not disappoint!  It took us about 40 minutes to take the slow walking tour through the gardens.  We were extra slow because Scott broke his foot last week and doesn't know how he did it!  They also had horse drawn wagon tours of the lights display, but, despite the cold and Scott's bum foot, it was much nicer to walk through to take our time and get some photos.  Many of the displays were garden-themed, including birds, dragonflies, bees, and of course flowers.  One display was weather-themed with rain and even thunder and lightning...followed by a rainbow.  The gift shop was open with warm drinks, soups, and snacks, and Santa was there too.  Obviously a number of very talented garden volunteers put in a lot of hard work to get the display up and running.  Two thumbs up!

Happy Thanksgiving

What's new in Wisconsin?  Bitter cold, snow, and the sun sets at 4:15 PM Central Time with another month to go until winter solstice (and probably nearly 5 months until spring).  We broke all kinds of records this month around here- coldest Thanksgiving in 82 years, most consecutive days of below normal temperatures in November on record, twice the average snowfall for November.  Teddy has been keeping us busy with lots of playtime and walks (although short ones due to the cold).  He has perfected the couch cuddle already and makes for a warm blanket. 

Teddy brushing up on some doggy manners (he thinks dogs on TV are real)

The State of Wisconsin only recognizes Thanksgiving Day for the holiday, so unfortunately Scott had to work earlier in the week and tomorrow (Black Friday).  Because of the limited time he had off, we decided to stay put for Thanksgiving, and given the Nor'easter that ended up rolling through yesterday, it probably was the right decision despite how much we miss our families and friends.  We hope to have a nice long Christmas break with visits in NJ and PA once Scott gets his vacation time, so please keep your fingers crossed for good weather for our first road trip from Green Bay next month (and Teddy's first ever)!

This was our second Thanksgiving in a row by ourselves.  Last year the winter weather in western PA kept us in Virginia for the holiday for the first time ever.  Anyway, I decided to make a decent attempt at Thanksgiving dinner this year even though it would just be for us, and it turned out that Scott had a coworker staying in town for the holiday, so Jordan was invited to join us.  We had crock pot turkey with cranberries, pecans, and rice, corn pudding and pumpkin pie (thanks Aunt Joanne for the recipes!), homemade applesauce from the Oneida orchard apples, and my favorite homemade bread compliments of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.   Delicious!

Everyone around here has already decorated for Christmas at least a week or two ago (the weather probably helps with that sentiment!).  The Cities of Green Bay and Appleton had their holiday parades last weekend and earlier this week, respectively.  Green Bay's was actually broadcast on TV and was pretty decent- I was impressed!  We are expecting some more snow tomorrow on top of the 4-5 inches already on the ground, so I guess I'll have to break down and get out the Christmas wreath and stockings tomorrow while I'm snowed in...if I can find them in the garage.

 

Always keeping watch out our door, just in case any dogs walk by

Welcome Teddy!

We had our first dusting of snow on the morning of November 10, and our first couple of inches on November 15.  Daytime highs have not exceeded the 20s for over a week, and will continue at least through the rest of the week with flurries predicted for most days.  The meteorologists continue to say that this is typical weather for mid-January, so I guess if we can survive this, we got this.  Nonetheless, winter is here, which means our outdoor adventures will be few and far between over the next few months.  Definitely hard to get motivated to go out in the cold, especially when it came on so quickly.  Granted, 40 is going to feel great if we ever get back up there!

In other, more important news, we gained a new family member last week!  Snoopy (now known as Teddy Bear) spent almost 1 month at the Oshkosh Area Humane Society before we met him and decided to bring him home.  We think he is a Bichon Frise/Poodle mix, about 3 years old.  Teddy has been a pretty good boy already and is very affectionate and playful (so playful that I think he might be younger).  He especially likes stuffed toys, tennis balls, and his antler chew, and we have even caught him watching TV.  We don't know much about his past other than he came to OAHS as a transfer from a shelter in Milwaukee.  He already did a great job at the vet and the groomer- and has made himself at home in less than a week.  We are working on some extra manners and basic commands since he gets pretty excited.  Getting a dog was not exactly on the to-do list, but we certainly missed having a four-legged companion since arriving in Wisconsin.  We are happy that Teddy has joined us for the next leg of the journey and are looking forward to many fun adventures (and a few cold Wisconsin nights on the couch) together.

 First night home, in need of a grooming makeover

 

Tip Top Grooming Shop did a great job! Teddy was a good boy and this photo was posted on their Facebook page.

 

 Home on the couch after grooming- he can finally see!

Winds of change

As you can tell, we have been keeping busy through the fall with camping and sightseeing.  We knew that this pace would slow down once the weather turned toward winter.  Looks like that turn might be here- cold, below-normal temperatures predicted for the foreseeable future.

 The normal high temperature figure on the weather report is helpful for the newbies.

One of the troubles with blogs is that you get to read about all the fun stuff and adventures, but you don't hear about the rest.  Things like standing in line at a strange DMV, trying to pay at the grocery store with your credit card when they don't accept credit cards (apparently common), and dealing with inconsiderate apartment neighbors.  We have been lucky and have been enjoying our adventures, but 2014 hasn't been a walk in the park to say the least.  It's pretty disorienting to be a new place where everyday tasks from going to the bank to ordering pizza become an ordeal.  We are learning our way around town though, and starting to get those little quirks and nuances of living in a place that is not "home" (e.g., pronunciations, mannerisms in public).  Nonetheless, it's still tough to make new friends.  We had a nice couple living in the building across from us who were kind enough to give us local advice and invite us out for about the first month we lived in Green Bay.  Unfortunately, they ended up moving out because the sale of their house fell through.  Our apartment complex is pretty diverse and there is really high turnover, so all age groups and life stages are coming and going all the time, plus lots of little dogs since they are allowed (which makes us miss our little buddy even more).

Anyway, no major adventures last weekend.  Saturday night we visited a microbrewey in town- Badger State Brewing Company, which was a really nice atmosphere with a great beer selection including some other local microbreweries in addition to their own beers.  They are only open on Thursday-Saturday evenings, and the last time we tried to go, we arrived in the parking lot and found out they were closed for a private event.  I was laughing on the drive there because we had to turn on Lombardi Ave, go past Lambeau Field, make a right on Holmgren Way, and then make a left on Brett Farve Pass (can you tell what's important here?).

Since we are now also adjusting to the concept of darkness by 5 PM with the time change, we did two afternoon walks on the Mountain-Bay Trail totaling about 9 miles over the weekend.  In addition to getting out for sightseeing and taking advantage of decent weather, we have also been working in plenty of outdoor exercise, again preparing to spend a lot of time in a small apartment over the winter.  Plus, one has to burn off all that beer and cheese somehow!

Ken Euers Nature Area (right down the street), from a few weeks ago

Manitowoc County Lakeshore

The weather report called for an especially nice last weekend in October (déjà vu to the last weekend in September, but we'll take it!).  Highs near 60 degrees, sunny, and lows only in the mid-40s at night.  Some friends have been asking how the weather is here in Wisconsin- so far, aside from a few cold and rainy periods during the last couple of weeks, the weather has been mild and comfortable.  No hard freezes yet (I still have a potted geranium on the patio which is very much alive), and not one flurry of snow.  You will read about it when it does snow!

We booked a campsite at Point Beach State Forest, so we could be close to Lake Michigan and get in some more biking and hiking in that area.  We camped among the ancient inland dunes and almost had the tent camping area to ourselves since camp trailers were located in another section of the campground.

On Friday evening, we set up camp and took a ride a few miles south along the Lake into Manitowoc (pronounced MAN EH TOE WOK) to check out a microbrewery called Courthouse Pub for dinner.  Of course, we had the typical Friday night fare in Wisconsin- fish fry dinner (lightly breaded perch or walleye filets, coleslaw [switching back to the Northern vernacular], rye bread, and some form of potato [i.e., baked, fries, salad]).  Even though I have never been crazy about fish or seafood, the perch fish fry is really good every once in awhile- and Scott loves it so much he would probably eat it every Wednesday and Friday night.

On Saturday, we biked the Rawley Point Bike Trail again into Two Rivers and back (12 mi round trip), which was the flatlanders' mountain bike route we had completed in reverse early in September.  The trail was not very crowded for a nice day, but things were slow going at times since a boy scout group was doing trail maintenance in several spots.  After returning to the campsite for lunch, we hiked a good portion of the Point Beach segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail within the State Forest and found a secret beach well away from the campground area.  Scott introduced me to mountain pies for dinner- including pepperoni pizza pies for the main course and apple pies for dessert.  So good!

On Sunday, we packed up camp and drove back into Two Rivers.  From there, we biked the Mariners Trail to Manitowoc (11 mi round trip), which is a paved multi-use trail right along Lake Michigan.  In Manitowoc, we saw the SS Badger car ferry arriving at the dock from Ludington, Michigan, found the lighthouse (which we stopped at briefly on the return trip), and visited the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.  The museum did not disappoint- it focused on ship and boat building and the fishing industry in the Lake, both of which are a big part of the local history.  Interestingly enough, Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built 28 submarines for use in WWII, and we were able to tour the USS Cobia submarine on site (not built in Manitowoc, but acquired and restored for the museum).  After the return bike ride, we grabbed some excellent sandwiches at the Gull's Nest Lounge inside the Lighthouse Inn before the 45 min drive back to Green Bay.

 

 S.S. Badger Lake Michigan car ferry arriving in Manitowoc from Ludington, Michigan

 USS Cobia WWII Submarine

 Manitowoc Light

Bonus:  Sunrise on Point Beach overlooking Lake Michigan was awesome.

 

“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”- Henry David Thoreau (Walden)

A lighthouse, a brewery, and a state park

Grassy Island Lighthouse Tour (located at the Green Bay Yachting Club)

The Grassy Island Range Lights were built in 1872 on a small island about 1 mile from the City of Green Bay to aid ship navigation as they entered port.  They would have been located a few hundred feet apart to allow entering ships to light up the two range lights upon arrival.  When the lighthouses were about to be torn down due to disrepair in the 1960s, the Green Bay Yachting Club relocated the lights to their marina on the mainland.  A group of Yachting Club members restored the lights and have maintained them ever since.  They are normally not open to the public (the Fresnel lenses are replicas, so they are ornamental and not operational), so the Yachting Club open house was the best time to check them out.  Plus, it's pretty cool to say one was hanging out at the Yachting Club.

Grassy Point rear range light (slightly taller than the front range)

Stillmank Brewery

We have been spending a lot of time outdoors over the last few weeks and (surprisingly) still haven't visited all the microbreweries in Green Bay, especially since many taproom have very limited hours.  We had a chance to visit Stillmank, a new brewery, for a tasting and an impromptu tour when we joined what appeared to be some kind of club gathering (homebrew organization?).  The brewmaster has been producing the infamous Wisco Disco for several years down in Milwaukee, but just opened Stillmank and began production in Green Bay in April.  The beer was good and the tour was really interesting- he actually elects to can instead of bottle beer- not due to the expense (he claims it's actually cheaper to bottle), but rather the desire for an airtight seal, longer shelf life, and cleaner taste.  The brewmaster, a WI native, sources nearly all of his ingredients and packaging materials from Wisconsin.

 

High Cliff State Park

High Cliff has been on our to-do list since it's pretty close by (about 30 mi away) and on Lake Winnebago.  Lake Winnebago is an "inland" glacial lake (i.e., not one of the Great Lakes), but is in fact the largest lake contained within a single US state (about 30 miles long by 10 miles wide) and visible from space.  Winnebago is the name given to a Native American tribe (they call themselves the Ho-Chunk) that historically inhabited the area, meaning "people of the filthy water"- apparently associated with the fishy smell during summer.  Lake Winnebago drains into the Fox River, which is one of the few rivers in the world that flows north (another: our New River in Virginia), into Green Bay.

The Niagara Escarpment (the same rock formation creating Niagara Falls in New York) runs west through the Great Lakes Region to High Cliff State Park.  The escarpment (a.k.a. "the ledge") is visible from the interstate and has elicited a few exclamations from our vehicles of:  "Cool, mountains!  Well, sort of..."  Historically, the park itself was a rock quarry owned and operated by Western Lime and Cement Company and was later turned over to the State of Wisconsin.  In addition to the quarry, remnants of the lime kiln operation, last used in 1956, remain visible on the site.

 Scaling "the ledge"

 Remnants of the Western Lime and Cement Company operation

High Cliff is unique in that it also contains a series of burial mounds built by the nomadic tribes inhabiting the region 1,000-1,500 years ago.  The mounds, carefully constructed in the spring after thaw, were formed into the likenesses of revered animals (e.g., panther, bison) and sited on cliffs overlooking water, making High Cliff a prime location which may have been used for this purpose for hundreds of years.

A panther mound behind and to the left of the sign

We hiked portions of the Lime Kiln Trail, Red Bird Trail (named after the Chief of the Winnebago), Indian Mound Trail, and the Butterfly Pond Trail.  We also climbed to the top of another viewing tower to overlook the north end of Lake Winnebago and the Cities of Oshkosh, Neenah, Appleton, Menasha, and Kaukauna off in the distance to the north and west.  With the leaves pretty close to peak and the temperature in the upper 50s, it was a nice afternoon to be outside.

View from the tower- north end of Lake Winnebago

Chain O' Lakes

The weather was expected to be in the mid-upper 50s (seasonal), so we made a last-minute decision to go camping for just Saturday night.  Scott heard about the Chain O' Lakes region from a co-worker, which is located about 1 hour southeast of Green Bay, near the town of Waupaca (pronounced WAW PACK AH).  The area has 22 connected lakes that are very popular for canoeing and kayaking since you can navigate the whole "chain" of lakes without needing to portage.  We were a little late for the high boating season, but decided to camp at Hartman Creek State Park for a night and do some hiking.  First stop was Red Mill Country Gift Shop for a view of the covered bridge and Chapel in the Woods.

We had no problem getting a perfect walk-up site at Hartman Creek State Park right on Allen Lake (just west of the official Chain O' Lakes) among the pines with a beautiful view of the fall color and the lake.  We spent Saturday afternoon hiking around some of the lakes in the park and then enjoying the view and cooking dinner (turkey dogs and baked potatoes) on the fire.  It got down into the 30s at night, but not quite freezing.  I never sleep that well while camping because I am always half-listening to the night sounds.  This time, my insomnia paid off- at least one barred owl and at least two great-horned owls near our campsite!  The next morning, we hiked a segment of the Ice Age Trail that lies within the park.  The day warmed up nicely and the leaves were definitely close to peak.  After packing up the campsite, we took one more short hike further east on the Chain O' Lakes at Pope Lake Natural Area.  Then, we were off via Appleton on the return trip for a stop at the Appleton Beer Factory for brews and dinner.

 

 

Fun fact: In case Chain O' Lakes reminded you of another similarly named place....Land O' Lakes is a real town in northern Wisconsin.  Mind blown.

Mountain lion(s) sighted in WI

This just in- a mountain lion (aka cougar, catamount, puma, Nittany Lion) was photographed on a trail camera (and confirmed by the Department of Natural Resources) in two separate incidents in Lincoln and Marinette Counties over the summer (check out the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article for details).  Given the relatively short distance and timeline, these two images could have been of the same individual.  Although mountain lions have not maintained a breeding population in Wisconsin since the early 1900s, it is not unusual for young males to disperse the 800+ miles from the healthy population of cats in the Black Hills in western South Dakota.  The sighting location up in Marinette County is only about 40-50 mi north of Green Bay...

Here, kitty kitty!

Avani the cougar at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Green Bay

Nittany Lion in its native habitat

Keeper of the fire

Last weekend was our first cold weekend (daytime highs in the 40s) combined with on-and-off rain.  By Sunday, the rain had let up, so we were looking to get out and were deciding on a state park to visit for a hike.  We ended up back up on lower Door County, near Sturgeon Bay.  To keep up with the lighthouse theme, we stopped by the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Light and the North Pierhead Light.  Both are located on active US Coast Guard property with no public access, so the visit consisted of a quick look at the lighthouses from the public pier and a view of the shipping canal.  The wind chill was really cooking on Lake Michigan so we didn't stay long. 

North Pierhead Light (red brick!)

Ship Canal Light (canal entrance to the left)

We then visited Potawatomi State Park (pronounced POT AH WAT OH ME) back on the bayside- the locals' state park as we learned in the camp store.  Definitely a lot less fanfare than Peninsula where we camped recently!  We had a nice, quiet hike on a section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, which concluded at the eastern terminus and another 75 ft. viewing tower for some scenic views of Green Bay (gotta climb towers instead of mountains here in WI).  The Ice Age Trail is a 1,000 mile trail through Wisconsin traversing glacial history running from Door County over to St. Croix Falls in northwestern WI (see a map here). Despite the clouds and the slight breeze, it was a nice walk in the woods and the bayside was definitely warmer and less windy than the lakeshore.  We saw some red-breasted mergansers, kingfishers, double-crested cormorants, and a hairy woodpecker.  We also learned that there is some public hunting access at the park for deer season and the campground is open year-round.  The park was very quiet- a stark contrast from our camping adventure in 70 degree weather just about one week ago. 

View from the tower

Bayshore along the Ice Age Trail

Potowatomi is the name of a Native American tribe that historically inhabited eastern Wisconsin.  The tribe called themselves "BO-DE-WAD-ME" which means "keeper of the fire."  Unfortunately, the term was mispronounced and eventually written as Potawatomi.  In addition to the state park, Potawatomi is the name of a ritzy casino in Milwaukee.

Peninsula & Whitefish

Last weekend was a fluke and I knew it as soon as I saw the weather report.  Beautiful, sunny, high of 80 degrees, low of 50...on the last weekend of September?  Plus, I had been down and out with a cold just about all week and needed to get out.  So we had to go camping and take advantage!

We were able to book a campsite online at the first state park in Wisconsin and the most popular camping destination- Peninsula State Park on the bayside of Door County peninsula. Despite our few trips up to Door, we had not had the opportunity to see any of the state parks.  WI state parks are fee sites managed by the Department of Natural Resources- you can pay a $7 daily fee upon arrival or purchase an annual vehicle sticker for $25 that allows access into most of the state parks.  The annual pass is on the calendar year, so we decided to buy one anyway despite only having 3 months to use it.  Can't afford not to, right?!

We headed up to Door after Scott finished with work on Friday.  We got there right at dusk to set up camp and start our campfire.  Saturday was spent on our bikes- we rode the Sunset Trail (one of those flatlander mountain bike trails) for about 10 miles, visited and toured the Eagle Point Lighthouse, rode up the most horrendous hill I have seen in Wisconsin to take in the view of Green Bay at Eagle Panorama and climb the Eagle Tower (a 76 ft. observation deck on top of Eagle Bluff), and after dinner we rode our bikes with headlamps at night to view the lighthouse in action.  The weather was great and it stayed pretty mild through the night.

 

Eagle Point Lighthouse

 

On the Sunset Bike Trail 

On Sunday, we had a nice morning hike on the 2-mi loop Eagle Trail to check out the huge bluffs and the crystal clear bayshore.  I am pretty sure we flushed an owl during the hike, although I didn't catch a clear enough view to identify it.  The trail was marked as "difficult," but you never know what that might mean in the flatlands.  The trail WAS pretty difficult with a descent to the bayshore and return up the bluff and then some, yet I was glad to have the opportunity to work my mountain legs before they turn to jelly.  After breaking down camp and loading up the truck, we walked around some of the shops in the village of Fish Creek for awhile and stopped at some farm stands on the return drive for unpasteurized apple cider (we did not find any).  Next was lunch at Shipwrecked Pub in Egg Harbor where I was promptly stung by a yellow jacket on the patio (and handled it like a champ, I might add).  The Packers game was on TV during lunch-  a big deal this weekend since they were playing the Chicago Bears and a lot of the tourists in Door are from the Chicago area (Packers won!).

 

Eagle Bluff

 

Bay view from Eagle Trail

  

View from Eagle Terrace

After lunch, we had one more stop on the return trip- Whitefish Dunes State Park.  I wanted to check out the dunes, since I have heard they are pretty awesome along the shores of Upper Peninsula and Lower Michigan.  Whitefish has the largest dunes on western shore of Lake Michigan, not to mention the site of a number of prehistoric Native American settlements.  We hiked the 3 mi loop to climb the (whopping) 100 feet to the top of Old Baldy, the largest dune in the park.  I was thinking of traditional sand dunes before we arrived (i.e., grasses and sedges), but it was really neat to walk through the now-forested dunes and still see all that sand.  The return trip was a walk along the beach, and the water wasn't even that cold.

 

View from the top of Old Baldy

So where does Door Peninsula get its name you ask?  From the treacherous strait connecting Green Bay to Lake Michigan that has been peppered with shipwrecks for centuries.  The Native Americans and early French explorers knew the danger of the passage between the mainland and Washington Island.  The French called it Porte des Morts Passage, meaning "Way to the Door of the Dead," or simply, "Death's Door."  So cheerful!

The leaves aren't quite at peak yet, so there is still a lot to come for fall color.  Regardless, it was a great adventure weekend out at Death's Door!

Fall festivals

Wisconsinites love their festivals. I learned that there are all kinds of festivals that go on just about every weekend all year long, celebrating cherries to apples to beer to wine to harvest to summer solstice, Oktoberfest....the list goes on.  Not to mention the ice sculpture festival and plenty of winter fests right through the dead of winter!  Last weekend we had a Saturday packed with fall festivals.


Oneida Big Apple Fest 2014

You may have read a little about the Oneida Nation in one of my previous posts.  The reservation is right in town, really, and it makes for a diverse and interesting experience.  The Oneida were not the Native Americans that historically inhabited this region, but settled here later due to the similar climate and soils to their native upstate New York.  When on the Oneida Nation, you often see street signs and signs for government buildings in both languages.  I have learned that there are 3 clans within the Oneida Nation- the bear, turtle, and wolf.

The Oneida Nation Apple Orchard is located right on the edge of town with over 20 varieties of apples for the picking as well as other produce and homemade canned goods.  On September 20, they had their annual festival with a farmers market, music, horsemanship demonstrations, apple pie baking contest, petting zoo, and tours of some restored Oneida log cabin homes.  The weather report was not great for the day, but the rain held off and we had fun picking 23 pounds of apples, mostly Cortland and Macintosh varieties!  Plans are in the making for a fresh batch of apple butter and Mom's apple crisp.

 

Rails & Ales Brewfest- National Railroad Museum

After researching some popular attractions in the area online, I found out about the National Railroad Museum.  As a transportation and travel enthusiast, I was definitely interested in checking it out.  Once we saw Rails & Ales Brewfest on the calendar, we knew we couldn't miss it.

Rails & Ales is the annual fundraising event for the Museum.  They invite local beer, wine, and food vendors to set up amongst the trains in the museum.  The admission fee afforded unlimited tastings and access to the raffle prizes and silent auction.  Scott got to try a number of new micobreweries in the surrounding area, so he was pretty happy with the set up (and the unlimited nature of the tastings!).  I primarily stayed with wines for the evening since there were plenty of new wineries to try, although I did sample a couple of the fruity beers.  There was a delicious bread vendor that I may or may not have visited several times, as well as some pizza, chicken kabobs, and jambalaya.

I was surprised to find that the trains are not kept behind railings and glass, but rather you can climb up inside most of them.  We saw several massive steam engines and some sleeper and dining cars, many of which were from the 1930s-50s.  Definitely a cool evening to be in the presence of some really awesome trains and some delicious adult beverages.

 

 

The Dwight D. Eisenhower steamer from Europe

 Union Pacific Big Boy Steam Locomotive #4017

Spoiler alert for next weekend's adventure: campsite reserved at Penninsula State Park in Door County!