5019. Go to Washington Island

 The hubby and I have been trying to go to Washington Island for more than a decade... longer than we've been married. I had a chance to go a few years ago with my cousins but opted to do Breakfast on the Farm with Stacy instead. 

Finally this year, we actually made plans to make a day trip to Washington Island. Due to the hubby's schedule, we planned for the first Saturday in October. Being October we were never sure what the weather was going to be like but it turned out to be a nice day for a day trip.

In order to get to Washington Island, which is on the very tip of Door County, you need to take a ferry. Since it was October, the Washington Island Ferry ran to the Island at the top of every hour. They started loading about 15 minutes before. The hubby, wisely, said we should take the 10 AM ferry and we got to the ferry dock by 9:30. We were about 3rd car in line. You pay for your fare ($14/adult, $27 for the car) at the building prior to boarding. It is a round trip fare. 

When we got on the ferry, we initially planned on staying in the car for the 30 minute journey across Death's Door but we were facing backwards. We went topside and had a great view of Plum Island and Washington Island as we came in. Despite a slightly chilly morning, it was a fairly calm ride across Death's Door. I was worried about being seasick, but never had an issue.

In case you haven't realized it now, I am a very detailed trip planner and had our day on Washington Island planned out with a route that would take us to all the best spots without much back tracking. Yes, the island is not that big but I hate backtracking.

This is the route we took around the island.

Stop 1: THE BASEBALL FIELD

This was not on my original plan. The hubby informed me while we were waiting on the ferry he wanted to see the baseball field. 

The baseball field is not much to look at. I've seen better fields. Every Sunday in Summer the Door County Baseball League has a game on Washington Island. For an umpire, I guess seeing this field was a big deal. Too me, it doesn't even look like a good place to watch a game. The hubby now wants to ump a game here.

Stop 2: JACOBSEN MUSEUM 

The Jacobsen Museum is a small museum housed in Jens Jacobson's original vertical log cabin. It houses treasures from the area. There is an extensive collection of arrowheads that the hubby love. It may be a small business but it is definitely a must see. The docent gives a great history of Jens, the buildings, and the museum. The grounds are full of interesting finds as well.

Stop 3: SCHOOLHOUSE BEACH

If I was with anyone else than the hubby, we would actually spend more time than a few minutes at this natural stone beach. It is a unique beach of smooth round rocks. There is no sand just rocks and it is must see/do when on Washington Island. We literally walked to the water, snapped a few pictures, and I built a small cairn. The hubby wasn't too impressed that we were going to a beach. I would have loved to walk down the beach and take some time to relax but the is not the hubby's thing... Maybe if we come back for a baseball game. I go to the beach, he does baseball.

Stop 4: WASHINGTON ISLAND FARM MUSEUM

This collection of 9 restored farm buildings along with various farm machinery is history of farming on  Washington Island. It is a self-guided tour through the various buildings. There is a small cabin, blacksmith shop, several barns, and horseshoe pits. Plus there are some sheep. I really enjoyed this stop. I enjoy a glimpse of the old farming days. There are a ton of great artifacts. Definitely worth checking out.

Stop 5: STAVKIRKE CHURCH

This replica of an old Norwegian Church that was build in the middle ages. It is a vertical post church. The Stavkirke Church on Washington Island was dedicated in 1995 so only 26 years old but still very impressive. There is also a prayer path. This was one of my favorite places on the island mainly because of the unique architecture. The hubby was even impressed.

Stop 6: Lunch at Nelson's Hall.

We had lunch at Nelson's Hall so I could become a member of the Bitters Club. The food was good. We managed to catch a little bit of the badger game as well. The women's bathroom had individual bathrooms with private doors. The hall was built in 1899 and survived prohibition by serving a tonic called bitters to cure stomach issues. The food was good and the shot was bitters was not as bad I feared.

Stop 7: MOUNTAIN PARK & LOOKOUT TOWER

I was not 100% sure on this one. I thought it might be closed because it needed to repaired but I wanted to see. It was indeed closed because it was not safe to climb. The park did look great for explore but the hubby is not one for exploring. So hopefully one day I will get back to Washington Island (hopefully it doesn't take another 42 years) so I can climb this tower. From what I can tell the climb doesn't look too bad and the hubby might have been able to handle it.

Stop 8: JACKSON HARBOR MARITIME MUSEUM

We never actually found the museum. We got to the general vicinity which is near the ferry dock to Rock Island.  The Jackson Harbor Maritime Museum is a former fishing village that includes refurbished buildings with artifacts from the commercial fishing past, photographs and videos on local maritime history. We saw the Historic Fsiherman's Cottage. Maybe that is the only building that is currently refurbished. Again hopefully I get back to check out more. 

Stop 9: FAIR ISLE BOOKS

The hubby asked if there was anything else and I was like there is a bookstore. He said let's check out it. The hubby always complains about my book collection but he was game for us checking out the bookstore. It was a cute little shop that if we weren't looking for it, we would not have found it. It is tucked in a little "strip mall" next to the Post Office. The owner was very helpful and gave me some suggestions. I was planning on only buying one book but ended up with two books and new shirt. The hubby was like get both. Okay, no need to twist my arm.

Stop 10: The ALBATROSS

We have decided to stop for ice cream at the Albatross, a drive in near the ferry dock. It was busy but they had no concern with a speed of their service. They literally walked away from the window with a line at least 5 deep to wait for the ice cream machine to make more ice cream. Luckily we were not in a hurry but I am not a very patient person so the slow service kind of drove me crazy. They had soft-serve and then a couple flavors of Cedar Crest. I had a cup of chocolate Cedar Crest and the hubby had vanilla. They both came with eyeballs. 

We got to the ferry dock in time to make the next ferry. It was just another calm ride back to the mainland. 

We did not do the lavender farm because neither of likes the smell of lavender. I would recommend checking it out since everyone says it is a must see. Other than the lavender farm, we hit just about everything on the island. 

It was a great day trip. Sure we were on the island for less than four hours but that was the right amount of time for us. Most people spend the entire day on the island. They bike, hike, and explore. That is not the hubby. I really enjoyed our trip. It was not rushed and we saw everything. 

If you have never been up to Washington Island, it is a must do if we are in Door County at least once. The crossing of Death's Door alone could be an adventure. Check it out sometime and enjoy life on the island for a day.