Door County 2011

(This has taken me 2 days to put together. )

Last week we took the girls to Door County for a family vacation. Chris and I had been there before without kids, and initially we were unsure how much "KID" stuff we could find to do. We were smart enough to know that strolling through little shops and tasting different wines would not be on the agenda. Luckily one of my best friends has a family home there, and she offered many suggestions. We found so much to do that we're already thinking about what to do next time!

During the first hour of the 3 1/2 drive, I found myself laughing at the funny things the girls were saying. I grabbed Chris' iPad (which was loaded with maps) and started jotting notes from the girls. I'll share those stories with you here and you'll get a taste of what our trip was like! As we were driving, Katherine and Abby fell sleep, but Maggie was taking it all in. We drove up the scenic route - along Highway 42. When Lake Michigan came into view, I said to Maggie,"That's the same Lake we can see near our house, and near Gram's." She pondered for a moment and then I heard her say, almost to herself, "It's HUGE! I mean, I can swim across the whole pool, but probably not that whole Lake!"

Once Katherine and Abby woke up, Maggie and Katherine discussed why Maggie never slept. She tried to tell Katherine she wasn't able to fall asleep, and Katherine replied "This is how you sleep: you close your eyes." Oh, if only it was so simple!

We took this picture in the chair to compare to the other pictures we have of the girls in similar chairs from years past. Parental mistake - telling them we were going to get ice cream, but then asking them to be happy for a picture. They only wanted ice cream. Also, it may or may not be true that these chairs were in a private area clearly marked with a "No Trespassing, Private Property" sign. Hard to explain that one to girls with extensive vocabulary skills!

We did get the ice cream as promised. And then offered the extra bonus of eating the ice cream in a park with a free concert. What we didn't expect was RAIN! At the first few drops we moved toward the car, stopping under some large trees to finish eating. Then it started pouring and we made a run for the car. Katherine held my hand and said "I think we should skip, because I love to skip when I am outdoors, and since it is raining, I think we should skip fast!"

On Tuesday we set out to discover Peninsula State Park. It was gorgeous. Everywhere we looked there was something incredible to see. We had thought about renting bikes - but knowing we'd have to pull at least 1 if not 2 (or 3?) of our children, we decided to put that on the list of activities to try when they are older (independent biker older!) Instead we drove through, stopping at every chance to get out and explore. We climbed a look-out tower, toured a light house, and played on the beach.
I'm pretty sure it was Katherine who declared "This is the funnest trip to Door County EVER!" She didn't care that is was only the second day of her first trip! Abby was so exhausted by the park that she fell asleep mid sentence on the way back to our hotel.

Our hotel was great. We had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, plenty of living space, a private deck, and both indoor and outdoor pools and playgrounds. Sitting on the deck was quite a treat - whether enjoying a glass of (boxed) wine with Chris, or listening to the girls have deep thoughts. Maggie sighed happily one evening, "It's so peaceful here" And Katherine announced on our first morning "I wrote a poem! A nature poem!"

'Everywhere you go, and everything you do, Nature is around you'

Deep thoughts, great memories!

On Wednesday morning we set of to see the Cana Island Lighthouse. What an incredible experience. The picture above was taken on the walk to the island. Because of the lower water levels in Lake Michigan, you actually walk across this rocky path to get to the island. We explored all around - going down to the rocky shoreline, taking with the girls about why it is important to have lighthouses, and imagining the life of the keeper and his family.

The tower has 97 steps up a narrow spiral staircase. Abby didn't meet the height requirement, so Chris and I took turns with the other 2 girls. First Katherine and I went up. We were the first group of the day, so we had Dave the lighthouse guy give us an in-depth history lesson about the lighthouse. I was a bit pre-occupied making sure neither of us would miss a step. But I do remember him saying that the tower walls are 5 feet thick, and have a layer of steel wrapped around the outside. He claims to have been there during 70mph winds and the building didn't move a bit. He also told us that before electricity, the keeper's job involved bringing oil up the tower every 2 hours, around the clock. He explained that was why the railing on the steps is not original. A person climbing the tower would carry a lamp in one hand to see where he was going, and the oil in the other hand. No need for a railing if your hands are full!

We were grateful for the railing and clung to it while on the steps. Once we were at the top we were able to enjoy the stunning views.

Do you see Dave the lighthouse guy behind Chris and Maggie? Interesting man, for sure!

After lunch we stopped at our only real restaurant 'bust' of the week. A family friendly train-themed place that was not all it was advertised to be. But no worries, our next stop was Simon Creek Winery. We were too early for the official tour, but we wandered through the vines on our own. Maggie loved it. Abby enjoyed looking at the grapes, and perhaps trying to eat a few. Katherine was not pleased with anything there. She might tell you that it was the worst part of the whole trip.

But, her crabbiness led to perhaps the funniest moment of the trip. Back at the hotel, when she was still complaining about the winery, Chris tried to reason with her.

"Katherine, you like grapes, and you like farms. A winery is just a farm for grapes. A grape farm."

"Well, I DO like grapes, and farms. I guess I like a grape farm, but not a winery."

Then she thought for a minute before offering;

"I like Ham, so, I think I would like a Ham-ery!"

Oh I laughed so hard at her clever little mind!

2 happy pictures of bedtime - you'd never know the struggles! Maggie and Katherine shared a queen bed and Abby slept in a nest of blankets on the floor. So, every night we'd have Abby, enjoying her freedom, coming out to the living area multiple times before she'd finally fall asleep. One night it was a steady stream of "Hew-wo Momma! My [ear] hurts!" (insert various body parts) Eventually she would give up and fall asleep, but it wasn't easy. The other struggle was the bed sharing. There was one night that Katherine felt it was her duty as the younger sister to sneak her leg over to Maggie's side of the bed as much as she could. Thinking back to my own days as the younger sister sharing a bed (in NYC 1986) I pulled out my best PopPop trick and put a pillow between them and told them they had to stay on their own sides of the pillow. An hour later we found them cuddled next to each other in the photo above. Oh the drama!

We were lucky to spend our last afternoon with our good friends Phil and Stephanie and their kids Sarah and Ryan. It was Stephanie's birthday, and they live just an hour away in Green Bay - so they came up and showed us their favorite thing to do in Door County - Cave Point County Park We all enjoyed climbing down to the Lake Michigan shore and exploring the rocky shoreline. The rocks were quite slippery which made walking tricky. And on the dry shore, instead of sand you walk on crushed seashells - which also makes for tricky walking! But the views were incredible. The water is very shallow so the kids had fun walking along, feeling the waves, and looking for treasures. After the park, we found dinner in Egg Harbor. We coudl hear the sounds of a free Jazz Concert in a park nearby, so we went to enjoy that. The kids only wanted ice cream. We found that as well, and everyone enjoyed, though some more than others. Katherine was so completely covered in chocolate ice cream that strangers were stopping us on the street to comment about what a mess she was! (The stains DID come out of her shirt!) Abby continued her begging - standing in front of anyone with ice cream shouting "ICE CREAM" and pointing in her mouth. We had a wonderful night!
The next morning we took one more trip to the Hotel pools before packing up to head home. the girls declared over and over "This was the best vacation ever!" When I asked specifically if it was better than Disney, Maggie replied, "Well, Disney had rides, but Door County was just great!"

3 1/2 hours later we were home sweet home. As we pulled into our driveway, the girls said, "Door County was a blast, but Franklin is better, because it's HOME!"