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.