We spent this past weekend camping at Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. Door County has been one of our favorite “get away” locations for as long as I can remember. Located on the northernmost tip of a peninsula separating Lake Michigan from Green Bay, the county is composed of quaint little harbor towns filled with boutiques, bed and breakfasts, art galleries, wineries, incredible food, breathtaking views, and tons of outdoor activities.
We left Neenah right after work/school on Friday, arriving at our campsite by 6:30. We set up camp in time to enjoy the sunset.
We grabbed a bite to eat at Julie’s Park Cafe, a homey little restaurant, located just outside the main entrance of the park. I had a DC style “burger”. (dried cherries and onions, hold the cheese)…
and a black bean salad on the side. I will be recreating this little dish at home. It was DE-LISH…kind of a sweet-sour tanginess with Mexican flair. I’m salivating just thinking about it.
And, because it was a Friday evening, I felt a need to celebrate. It had been a long week.
(Perhaps the week had been long because of this…almost a full moon. And yes, I do believe in the power of full moons. I’m a teacher. I have proof.)
We woke early (definitely a sign of old age) the next morning to the sound of birds chirping, and the soft glow of dawn. Not a bad way to start the day. By 8:15, we were showered, dressed, (and might I add, sans makeup and sporting a ponytail) and on our way to eat at one of our favorite breakfast spots…The Inn at Cedar Crossing in Sturgeon Bay.
I started with some tea. (Because it makes me feel all kinds of classy. With my ponytail and no makeup, I need all the assistance I can get.)
The real reason we come, however, is because of these…morning buns. Sadly, not vegan. Happily, these are worthy enough to get my kids out of bed early on Saturday mornings. (The Hovie family has a traditional “golf” outing in Door County each summer. If we don’t get here early enough, they run out!)
I opted for roasted breakfast potatoes and fruit.
Then, on our way back to the campground, we stopped and did a little wine tasting. Door County has a plethora of orchards (tart cherry and apple), plus there are a few vineyards to boot.
We also did a little wine buying. And no, it’s not box wine. It’s wine bottles in a box.
After the wine tasting, we stopped at Door County Coffee and Tea.
Reed enjoyed a blueberry pomegranate smoothie made with blueberry tea, and I had a soy latte. I love their coffee cup sleeves!
Then we relaxed. This lasted 10 minutes. I know, because I timed myself.
We spent the rest of the day biking…
and hiking.
For dinner, we biked to the Wild Tomato. I started with Sangria.
Then, moved on to what I will call the best hummus plate ever known to man. Or woman. Which is probably more important. Being one and all. The veggies and the pita were grilled over a wood fire and served warm. Yum, yum, yum!
That would be my pizza you’re gazing upon…vegan cheese sprinkled on top of artichokes, mushrooms, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes. In hindsight, we probably should have A. not ordered an appetizer, or B. split a pizza, or C. not biked. Carrying a large pizza box back to the campsite was a bit challenging, but nothing my honey couldn’t handle. I did assure him, had he fallen, I would have dragged him off the road, but only after saving the pizza. After all, you need to adhere to the 5 second rule.
And because 2 meals a day didn’t cut it for me….a little bedtime campfire snack.
The next morning, we headed back to Julie’s because I LOVE the coffee cups. And the lattes are pretty tasty as well…lots of froth!
I had the Highland Medley (steel cut oats, barley and brown rice) topped with dried cherries, nuts, and a smidge of Reed’s maple syrup. This was incredibly satisfying. And energizing. Which was very important. (Foreshadowing alert.)
Because look what was next on the agenda. THE TOWER. I knew I needed some serious fuel. While the tower may not look that intimidating, it is. I promise. Plus, there is a monster hill we had to bike up to get to the tower. Actually it’s a never ending monster hill. You know, the kind that you think you are at the top, and then you look up and there is more hill. I would have taken a picture of said hill, but had I gotten off my bike, there was no way I would have ever gotten back on. So I didn’t. Take a picture, that is.
The look on my face is pure fear. I’m not a fan of heights to begin with. Then, throw in Reed’s comment about how he would feel better if there would be a few new boards put in place…just to make you believe that somebody is testing for structural integrity from time to time..yeah. The sight is incredible, however. Well worth the fear factor.
And some more hiking!
And more nourishment. I looked at this meal as the last supper. Reality was looming. The glass of cherry apple cider helped. A little.
And this was yet another meal I will need to create. Of course, I said that the last time I had it as well, but sadly, it never happened. A smashed chickpea sandwich!
Not bad for a weekend in early May!
