We're Having a Good Time

 

    It's been a great week so far here in Door County. The weather has been much warmer than most years. While this is bad news if you are a fan of fall colours, it is good news for outdoor activities. The last two days we have been hiking in the various state parks here on the peninsula. 

   The first park we visited was Peninsula State Park. We always enjoy a walk in the woods, but there is a new attraction in the park this year. The Eagle Tower, which was torn down five years ago, was rebuilt and is open. The new tower is a nice strong structure that has a ramp so that those who are unable to climb stairs may enjoy the view from the tower. There were many people of all ages walking the ramp or taking the stairs to enjoy the lovely view from the top of the tower.

   I climbed the old tower the year I turned 40. I thought it was an adventuresome thing to so as I as have acrophobia (fear of heights). The old tower tended to sway a bit in the wind so climbing it was a scary prospect. The new tower is solidly built and does not sway at all.

   From Peninsula we went to Newport State Park. This is also a wooded area located along Lake Michigan. We found a path we had not hiked before. Along the way was a sign that said "Root Cellar". We followed the short path by the sign and found a set of stairs leading to a small door. It was a  old root cellar. The cellar looked as though it had been built into a hill, although you could see the remains of wall around it. A house must have stood there at one time. We walked through deciduous trees into an area of pine trees and then back to the deciduous trees again. When we got back to the car, we drove to parking lot number three.

   Newport is a dark sky park. What that means is that there is very little light pollution in the area which makes it perfect for  stargazing. One of the places designated for star gazing is parking lot three. We wanted to check out the area while it was still light out. Our plan was to come back after dark and look at the stars. The restaurant we planned to eat at was closed, so we went to Piggly Wiggly and got sandwiches from the deli. (They have really good sandwiches.) Then we drove to the park to watch the stars. As we drove one problem became evident. It was a full moon. A very bright full moon.  Chances are there would not be a lot of stars to see. We drove to the park anyway. There were stars, but not the vivid formations there might have been had the moon been in a different phase.

   The next day we went to Whitefish Dunes. Whitefish Dunes has a wonderful beach that we have not walked on as it's always too cold. It was above 70 degrees so I took off my shoes and walked on the soft sand. The sand was nice and soft and not hot. I walked right down to the edge of the water. The water was cold and felt good on my feet. I stayed there until a wave got too high and splashed my pants, Then I backed off. I walked along the wet sand enjoying the feel of it under my feet. 

   C was getting restless, so I walked back to the stairs that led back to the trail. I found a bench to sit on and rubbed the sand off my feet. After I got my shoes back on, C and I walked along the edge of the lake away from the beach. The landscape here is much different. Instead of a wide sand beach, there are layers of rocks along the water's edge. Over time the water has carved gullies into the rocks. There are flat dry areas of rock that some people like to sit or stand on. In some places the waters has washed under the rocks so you have to be careful. For some reason I've always liked this landscape. I like to stand of the flat rocks and look out over Lake Michigan. The water is always moving., waves crashing against the rocks. It feeds my soul to come out here.

   We left the park and found a nice spot for some lunch. There was an outdoor seating area planted with flowers that were still blooming. We enjoyed a light lunch of soup and sandwiches.

  Then we drove to the nearest mini golf course. C and I always play mini golf in Door County. The first course we played on was a new one for us. We liked  it. It is well maintained and not too difficult. I wound up hitting my ball into the water twice. I didn't have a good game, but I sure had fun.

   We drove to The Red Putter. It is a difficult course and may be the oldest course on the peninsula. Every year they have a professional minigolf tournament. They  also have a the Frostbite Open which takes place on January 1. I like to play this course, but just once I'd like to win a game.

  Today was rainy so we went shopping. There are some stores that we like and some things we wanted to buy. We've been here long enough that we can always find something to do. We are having a really good time.