We Saw the Light!

August 4, 2026

Washington Island did not disappoint in the least. From the ferry ride, that cup of morning “pick me up,” Stavkirke, and the lavender fields to Schoolhouse Beach with the smooth stones and beautiful water view, we would have loved to stay longer but we had a ferry to catch. As Becca mentioned in our last post, we had one more place to see on our way back. . . Cana Island Lighthouse near Bailey’s Harbor.

After stopping at Mariners Park at Gills Rock to make a quick sandwich, we headed to the eastern side of Door County. No ferry needed to get to this island, we simply walked about a half mile across the rocky causeway to Cana Island.

Originally built in 1869 of cream city brick, the lighthouse was clad in steel in 1902 to protect it from storm damage. It houses a Fresnel lens to concentrate and focus light into a strong, distant beam to guide ships. Originally fueled by heated lard, then kerosene, it now uses electricity.

The 89-foot-tall lighthouse has 97 steps to the gallery deck at the top, via a spiral staircase. For me, it was easy peasy. For Becca, it was a challenge.

It wasn’t the number of steps but rather the narrow, twisty, open staircase that caused her some anxiety. But she made it! And we purchased a sticker from the gift shop to prove it!

Experiencing Cana Island Lighthouse was a nice way to finish a wonderful day. The views from the top were well worth the anxious moments on the stairs. And the walk along the shoreline was priceless!

Check out our Instagram page for more photos.

---Terry

 

The Island that Kept on Amazing

August 3, 2026

The ferry ride to Washington Island was only 8 miles, I kept telling myself. Just 30 minutes. I tried not to focus on the fact that the route crosses the passage named Death’s Door. That the water was choppy. That the van was swaying back and forth. That we would have to take the ferry again to get back to the mainland.

But then we were pulling off the ramp onto the island. And I forgot all my worries and the exploration began!

Of course, our first stop was for coffee for Terry and breakfast for me, at a place called WIS-CO Washington Island Coffee. We then headed to the replica of a medieval Norwegian stave church, the Stavkirke. 

Just down the road we found another piece of heaven on earth, Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm. Imagine being surrounded by 20 acres with over 20,000 lavender plants of 14 different varieties! In the middle of peak bloom season!! I wanted to lie down in the middle of the waving purple blossoms and take a long, relaxing nap. But the island had more to share with us.

And so, we headed north towards Washington Harbor. After driving through a cemetery (the only way to get there), we arrived at Schoolhouse Beach, another amazing beach of smooth limestone stones and clear blue water! While bigger than Pebble Beach, I felt the rocks were not quite as colorful. But the view was so captivating I didn’t want to leave. I built my little stone tower and left it behind as there was a $250 fine for taking any rocks off the beach.

Quite a few families were enjoying the picnic tables, restrooms, and plentiful parking, none of which Pebble Beach had. Even a tour bus was parking as we were leaving.

It had been a wonderful trip to the island, and we promised each other we would return some day to explore it further. But there was a ferry to catch. And another place we wanted to experience that day. Which I will share with you tomorrow. 

Life on the road is certainly an adventure!

 

Breathtaking View

August 2, 2026

The third day of our trip, we slept in. . . till 7am! Surrounded by dense woods inside Peninsula State Park, our campsite was quiet and peaceful all night long.

We woke up hungry and rejuvenated, ready to explore new territory.

On the way out of the campground, we encountered the amazing 60-foot-tall Eagle Tower. It doesn’t sound that tall but situated on Eagle Bluff, this observation tower sits 253 feet above Green Bay. And the views are absolutely breathtaking!

The 100 steps to the top were not too difficult, I only had to stop once to catch my breath. There was another couple who were doing a “fitness challenge”. I lost track of how many times they went up and down the stairs. Seeing them burn so many calories reminded us of how hungry we were!

So, we quickly checked our messages since we had full cell service at that height and walked down the 850-foot accessible ramp back to the van. We drove up the road to the village of Ephraim and enjoyed a huge, delicious breakfast at the historic Old Post Office Restaurant.

After a quick walk on the pier across the street, we hunkered down in the van for an hour while a storm passed over. We explored Sister Bay to the north for a bit and then headed back towards the campground.

But then we took a turn down a rough gravel road and came upon Pebble Beach. I felt like I was in heaven!! Instead of a sand beach, this was a beach of smooth, rounded limestone pebbles! At first, they all appeared white, but the colors were beautifully muted.

I could have stayed all day touching and admiring each and every rock. And I really wanted to take one home with me. But the sign said there is a $300 fine for doing so. So, I stacked and photographed them.

We went “home” and had another lovely night’s sleep in the cool woods of Wisconsin.

Which was good because the next day was jam packed with adventure! More on that tomorrow.

 

 Unexpected Awakening

August 1, 2026

Yes, I grew up on a farm so I shouldn’t have been surprised. But I was anyway. On our farm we only had cows and cats, not chickens. And certainly not roosters. . . that crowed in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!

We were jolted out of a deep sleep to a robust “cock-a-doodle-doo” or two just outside the van window in the wee hours of our second day of our trip north. But we were so tired, we fell back asleep quickly. But then around 5am he started again and didn’t quit.

And so, we rubbed our sleepy eyes, grabbed a drink out of the fridge and hit the road again.

It was a foggy morning, and we didn’t have much of a signal on our phones. But we soon found a highway and after a few hours we were ready for breakfast.

We found ourselves in the gorgeous historic town of Port Washington, Wisconsin, home to 13,000 residents. We stopped at an interesting old multi-level building which housed Java Dock Café and ate a quick bite and got Terry some strong coffee.

Heading north out of town we noticed an extremely large construction site and wondered what it was going to be. Of course, I checked google and found out a huge data center was being built there. This made me very sad that such a beautiful town was going to have such a large eyesore right next to it.

A bit further up the road, since we were in the area, we agreed we had to stop at Lambeau Field. Terry wanted to put his Chiefs shirt on for the photos, but he refrained LOL!

And a couple of hours later we arrived at Peninsula State Park, which was to be our home base for the next 3 days. We had some time to kill before we could check-in to our campsite, so we visited Eagle Bluff Light House, built in 1868, which is inside the park. We were a little disappointed by its lack of height and the fact that visitors are not allowed to go to the top of it. But it felt good to stretch our legs after the long drive.

We then checked out Nicolet Bay Beach, which was packed with lots of interesting families, enjoying the bright sunny day. And when we saw the food trucks next to the parking lot, we decided we had to try their huge brats with kraut and spicy mustard. Delish!

After a hot steamy shower at the shower house (there was very little ventilation, unfortunately), we found our spacious wooded campsite and parked. Exhausted, we were asleep by 8:30.

We were amazed by what we found just up the road the next morning! Tune in tomorrow to find out what it was!

 

Escaping the Heat

July 31, 2026

While the heat wave was brewing out west, Terry and I decided to “get outta Dodge”. I don’t tolerate heat very well and heck, Terry always wants to travel! Plus, BART had just gotten a couple of upgrades, and we wanted to try them out (more on that later).

After watching some informative YouTube videos—thank you LoveNesters! —we decided to head north. We threw some clothes and food in the van, and I checked the radar and traffic and we hit the road.

There were some showers and accidents on my screen for the latter part of our first day’s driving, but Terry was sure that all would be clear by the time we reached that point. And, of course, he was right.

One of the things we do when we drive anywhere is to check off the state license plates we see on the road. Terry’s rules are that the plate must be on a passenger vehicle (no tractor trailers, etc.) and that we both have to see the plate. Bonus points are awarded if the plate is from outside the US.

So, we’re driving along, headed north on I-55 in Illinois when Terry points out a Mexican plate from Puebla. Bonus Points! He then admits he doesn’t know what part of Mexico that is. Google Queen that I am quickly inform him that it’s just east southeast of Mexico City. And then I notice that’s the region I actually visited on a mission trip I took with my church about 10 years ago! What a coincidence!

A few hours later, we arrived at our resting place for the night. . . an alpaca farm near Belvidere, Illinois. The site is one of several Harvest Host locations we have used as we travel. But they had more than alpacas! Pictured above is me with their kissing llama!

Life on the road is certainly an adventure!

Follow Us to find out what happened in the middle of the night!

And check out our Instagram page for more photos of our journey!

 This morning's gathering. . .

Terry likes to pick up the "perfect" ones.

I prefer any that have a different color or texture--the ones that really catch my eye 😉

 Psalm 113:3, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!"