9/14/23 - 9/20/23
258 Miles
We couldn't have had a better day to cross Lake Michigan from Harbor Springs, MI to Sturgeon Bay, WI. Beautiful blue skies and calm seas made for a lovely crossing to Wisconsin, the motherland for Captain Walt. Our first stop was Center Point Marina, a gorgeous marina with abundant amenities and the ideal location to both the adorable town of Sturgeon Bay and the gateway to the famous Door County, affectionately known as "the Cape Cod of the Midwest"
Center Point Marina
The pool at Center Point, you would have thought we were in the Caribbean!
Large, open gorgeous docks!
Sturgeon Bay has a fantastic walkable waterfront on both sides of the bridge.
Sturgeon Bay downtown is thriving with locally owned restaurants and bars.
I had to do it! Fishing is king in Sturgeon Bay - hence the silly fish head!
Every cute coastal town has a fabulous kitchen store, Sturgeon Bay is no exception. They have LITERALLY everything you would want for a kitchen or a gift for someone who likes to cook or bake. We had great fun with the ladies who run Cornucopia Kitchen Shop !
Great Lakes maritime history, commerce and culture.
Tug boat living
Door County is a string of villages, one cuter than the next. Each with the own unique character, all with breweries, wineries, restaurants and shopping. Its hard to pick a favorite! Originally we had planned to travel town by town through Door County via Coast however, with our delay in Ontario earlier in the trip we were feeling crunched for time so we traveled by car from Egg Harbor to Ephraim. As is with the Great Loop Adventure one must improvise
Egg Harbor's Cupola Collective housed
in the historic Cupola House is a collection of hip gift vendors.
Daughters and Co is a "stuff to drink" shop
And a "stuff to eat" shop - creative and delicious.
In my opinion Fish Creek is where Door County gets the east coast comparison. If you have ever been to Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard, Fish Creek is for sure a sister city!
I absolutely fell in love with Sister Golden, a collection of artists and artisan goods.
The plants - I swoon over them still.
If I had to pick a favorite it was sweet Ephraim. Nestled close to the shore of Lake Michigan with a deep Norwegian history Ephraim feels like time stopped and we should all take a moment to enjoy it. Our first stop was the Anderson Dock at the center of town. Originally the center of commerce for the area, sailors arriving in Ephraim painted the name of their ship and the date on the side of the building as a way to mark their visit. Now an art gallery, in the same tradition as over a century before, visitors can make their mark with a signature or image.
I was so excited to experience an old fashion mid west Fish Boil! Fish boiling was brought to the door county peninsula in the late 1800s by Scandinavian immigrants who needed an economical way to feed large groups of workers. As tourism picked up in the door county villages the fish boil became a beloved local traditon.
Where there is a fish bowl there is beer...really there is beer anywhere in Wisconsin!
The boil over is quite dramatic, no worries they are professionals :)
Walt coaxing me back towards the crowd after I quietly stepped away from the fire!
It's all in the preparation!
Captain Walt pretty happy with his feast.
White fish from the bay, perfectly seasoned. Incredibly fresh and local!
The pièce de résistance ... cherry pie with homemade vanilla ice cream!
Sheboygan dubbed by the surf crowd as the "Malibu of the Midwest" hmmmm I'm not sure I understand that one, BUT we had a lot of fun in our short 24 hours here! We made a quick stop in Sheboygan due to weather and lucky for us enjoyed some yacht club reciprocity with the Sheboygan Yacht Club. It was a festive Saturday night at the club with many celebrations happening in the different banquet rooms. Sitting at the bar, we made great friends with the young bartender who claimed he made THE BEST Brandy Old Fashion in the world! A tall claim we had to take him up on it!
John the bartender offering up his rendition of THE BEST Old Fashion in the world!
A short 32 miles south to Port Washington on this day of travel was a wild and rough ride, another testament to the wild and unpredictable nature of Lake Michigan. We were thrilled to be tucked safely in the harbor for a few days while the wind and seas settled down. Port Washington is charming with lovely downtown, abundant nature trails and a rich history.
The nature trails were a quick 5 minute walk from the marina.
Milo was very happy!
Port Washington has both the waterfront along with a scenic walkway.
Historic Lighthouse
Gratitude for being able to get off the boat with Milo and enjoy such abundant nature within a quick walk from the marina!
Walks and more walks.
Port Washington harbor at night
Kenosha was our final destination before we took a little break and waited out the Chicago locks opening. With Leg 1 complete we traveled a total miles of 1,356 nm (nautical miles) since we left our Vermont home port on August 1, 2023. Just north of Chicago, Kenosha is a bedroom community to the city. There is a ton to do in Kenosha with excellent walking paths, a thriving downtown with restaurants, bars and clubs, a vibrant museum campus and of course the easy access to Lake Michigan is great for all types of water activities. We enjoyed them all!
Kenosha Waterfront
Retro Municipal Transit
The Supper Club culture is alive and well at the Hobnob in Racine, Wisconsin. Wisconsin supper clubs aren't just restaurants, they're a lifestyle.
It's all about slow food enjoyed with people you love and a
Wisconsin Old Fashioned, of course!
Perfectly preserved 1950s vibe.
Come hungry and enjoy a long, multi course meal.
A Brandy Alexander ice cream sundae,
rich and creamy and really completely over the top!
Next up Leg 2 - the Midwest rivers. Milo and Aimee will take a pause, while Captain Walt entertain a brother adventure and later on his sailing buddies!
All our best from the vessel COAST , Captain Walt and crew Aimee and Milo
