Lakeside Afternoon in Door County

One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of stunning flowers that nature gives us.

Recently, we spent the day in Bailey's Harbor, and I couldn't stop snapping photos of all the pretty flowers on our walk around town.

I think it's important to slow down and recognize the beauty around us because often times we are in such a rush to get from point A to point B, that we miss the special things around us, like all those beautiful blooms.

So that's exactly what we set out to do, on a random Monday in July.  We each took vacation days from work and had a wonderful, slow day together.

The day started with breakfast at Scaturos, then we stopped to slip our toes in the sand at a new-to-us beach, followed by a little wondering around Cave Point County Park, and the day ended with a stroll up and down the side walks of Bailey's Harbor.

More snapshots from our day, below:

Of course, we had to sample some fudge & candy!

It's always a fun time in beautiful Door County!

Corn Maze

You know that disappointing feeling you get when you spend a lot of time carefully curating the most perfect Christmas present for a child, only to find that when they open it – they like the box more than the actual contents inside the box?

Yeah. That was our corn maze experience a few weeks ago.

I had planned the most perfect fall Saturday.  I called my sister & said I needed to kidnap her kids -- that Zac & I were taking them to a corn maze (because it’s on my fall bucket list, after all).  We will get lunch, we eat will ice cream, we will have a super fun time navigating through the maze… and it will be perfect.

She didn’t tell her kids all week what we had planned on doing, she just told them Auntie KK & Uncle Zac were taking them on an “adventure”.

For the record, they are 5 and 2½ years old -- they don’t really know what an adventure is, but they were excited for it.  And I was too.

They arrived at our house mid-morning; car seats were fastened in my car, water bottles were filled, and walking shoes were on.  We loaded up the kids & hit the road.

“I hope we’re going to Bay Beach.” says Elena.  “Actually, I hope we’re going to feed the ducks.”

“We’re going to do something totally new – something you’ve never done before!” I said.

“Where is it?  Is it going to take long to get there?  Are there bathrooms there?” Elena asked.

“It’s in Door County & will take about 45 minutes” I explained... “And yes, there are bathrooms there...”  <-- this kid worries about the most random things.

…10 minutes later…

“Are we there yet?”

  

We arrived at Schopf’s Hill Top Dairy, which looks straight out of a child’s story book.  Pumpkins lined the adorable barn themed store-front, Adirondack chairs were scattered about the play area, so that parents can watch as children climb around the play sets, & there was even an area to feed some farm animals.

We didn't waste any time purchasing our tickets for the corn maze & began our "adventure" right away.

Roughly ten minutes in, Kane got sick of walking.

When we got done with the brown maze, I asked if the kids wanted to do the red maze next, and they all but started crying,  "Nooooo!!  Don't make us do another one!  I'm hot. I'm hungry. I wanna play!"

So we listened to the kids & found the exit.  Elena was never more happy...

They had more fun playing on the tractors & play sets than navigating through the maze.  Guess they are still a bit young to enjoy it.  I had a blast, though :)

It was after 12:30 and we were all hungry, so we ordered a pizza & some rootbeer & had a picnic outside.

 After lunch, we fed a few farm animals...

Kane would spend the rest of his life on a tractor, if you'd let him.

At the end of the afternoon, we decided that we couldn't leave without a sweet treat first....

And then we got to watch them milk the cows, which was neat.

So lesson learned... playground > corn maze.   Now we know :)

I'm still so glad that we kidnapped them for the day.  Life gets so busy, and I don't see them near as often as I wish I did.  I love spending time with them; they make my heart so full!

Girl's Day: Door County

Because my mom is impossible to buy for (when she wants something, she just goes & buys it), we often times opt to spend the day with her versus buying her gifts for special occasions.  As was the case for this past Mother's Day.  We wrote in her card for Mother's Day to keep Saturday, June 6th open & to wear comfy shoes... that her present was a surprise (she's hates surprises...)

We picked mom up & headed north, to Door County.  There's a plethora of things to do in Door County, and we really didn't have an agenda.  We first stopped in Sturgeon Bay, at the farmer's market, to sample some Renard's cheeses & peruse the handmade goods from the street vendors.  Then we walked through the shops that line Third Avenue, viewing unique clothing, gifts, & art, while taking in the aromas of coffee & candy shops.

We couldn't walk by without sampling some fudge -- the butter-finger was amazing!

Next, we went to Egg Harbor for lunch at The Bistro Bar & Grille & had ginormous club sandwiches the size of our heads.  It was a beautiful day in Door County -- not too hot, not too cold, with a little breeze, so we were able to sit outside while we enjoyed our lunch & drinks.


P.S.  Their strawberry-lemonade is SO good!



















































After strolling around Egg Harbor for a bit, we went further north & stopped in Fish Creek for an obligatory photo on the oversized purple adirondack chair at Julie's Park Cafe & Hotel.

*cell phone photo

We got a couple crazy looks when we all hopped up there & busted out my selfie stick, but we just laughed & had a wonderful time!

Our next stop was Ephraim.  One of my favorite spots in Ephraim is The Hardy Gallery building.  To be honest, I've never actually gone inside, because I can't get past how cool the outside looks.  It's fun to photograph & makes a wonderful backdrop, if you're lucky enough to get there without crowds.  I love reading all the names & messages that people have painted in the past.  We counted at least 4 wedding proposals & I'm sure there are a lot more!

*cell phone photo

We couldn't leave Ephraim without ice cream from Wilson's.  None of us were hungry, but like I said, you can't go all the way up to Ephraim without stopping at Wilson's!

We each got 1 scoop, which FYI, is really like 4 scoops, so consider sharing.  I had butter pecan, my sister & mom got Mackinac Island Fudge.   We sat on the bench across the street that overlooks the bay & watched tourists paddle board & kayak.

To end the day, we stopped at the Wood Orchard Market on our way back down the peninsula, and we were so glad that we did.  They have the cutest mix of gifts & local eats & treats for a reasonable price.  I definitely recommend stopping there if you're in the area, especially if you have kids.  They have some fun outdoor play activities for the kiddos to play with & doodle on while you shop.

It was a wonderful girl's day -- we made memories that I will treasure forever & it was better than any tangible gift that we could have given her.  Happy Mother's Day to the best mom & friend... you are so loved!

You can read about our last girl's day here.