Adventures in Wisconsin

Typically, our family gathers every summer for a vacation. Usually we go to the beach -- it's a good thing we didn't this year as our normal schedule would have had us trying to go to Hatteras just around the time that Hurricane Irene hit. That would have been a wipe-out for sure.

So, to our good fortune, we didn't go to the beach this year. Instead, we took advantage of the fact that we were spending 6 months in Chicago to go up to Door County, Wisconsin -- to the little 1-street village of Fish Creek. We we joined this year by Paul & Natalia and their two girls, along with Mike & Debbie and their four boys. Brother John Blenner and his son Jeff made it up for 1/2 the week too, so it was quite a pleasant gathering.

We arrived on a Saturday and stayed in a set of condos at one end of the village (Paul & Natalia were at the other end in a hotel known as the White Gull). The rooms were pleasant with a small pool out back for everyone to swim in. The biggest flaw was that there was no flat ground -- hence our family obsession with the game of Core Hole (a/k/a "Bags") was somewhat frustrated. It is hard to throw on a hill!

That having been said, Fish Creek had much to offer. On various days we did a long 12-mile hike into the Peninsula State Park and an equally long (though somewhat less grueling) bike ride on the trail. Other grand activities included a day at the beach (where Paul, Debbie and grandson Aaron went sailing) and a day playing golf (for those who like that).

By far the highlight of the week (much of which was devoted to the arduous practice of laying about and talking) was the sunset. Fish Creek is known for its western facing beach across Lake Michigan and every evening crowds would gather to watch the sun go down into the lake. On clear days it was a beautiful sight to behold and well worth the trip.

The other highlight of the week was the food -- particularly that at the White Gull. One evening we went for a traditional Fish Boil, a cooking experience that is a pyrotechnic delight. To be honest we expected the fish served to be bland -- but it was far from that. The method of cooking created quite a firm, yet tender piece of fish meat that we just loved. Add in fresh cherry pie (Door County is known for its cherries) and the meal was great.

Equally good, if not better, was the breakfast at the white gull. Great muffins, wonderful coffee, good eggs and bacon. If breakfast is the favorite meal, this was a favorite place to have it.

Of course, the real highlights are just being together with family. Perhaps next time we can go in winter and see what it is like to do cross-country skiing.