4814. See the lighthouses of Door County

When planning the Door County trip, one of things Bonnie wanted to do was see the lighthouses. We happened to be up in Door County for the Door County Lighthouse Festival which happens in spring and fall. The festival included different tours you could take to see the lighthouses. We opted for a two hour boat tour. It seemed like a nice way to see the lighthouses and spend an afternoon.

We boarded the small boat in Bailey's Harbor. The boat theoretically could hold 40 or so people but they kept it to about 20 so we would be comfortable. I honestly don't know how they could fit 40 people on the boat unless we were on each other's laps. It only had seating around the perimeter of the boat which the guide assured us, it didn't matter which side of the boat we sat on, we could still see all the lighthouses.

The first set of lighthouses we saw were the Bailey Harbor Range Lights... from a good distance away. The range lights guided the boats into the harbor back in the day. If the lights aligned you had clear sailing into the harbor. If they didn't, you better get them to align or risk running across the many shoals that litter the peninsula and becoming another shipwreck.

Our captain steered us over a couple of the shipwrecks in the area and like when we kayaked many years ago, they were difficult to see. All you really saw were dark shadows that they claim to be wooden beams and hulls of ships that ran into trouble coming into Bailey's Harbor. Maybe with some good scuba gear, one might be able to identify the shipwreck. To us it looked like Lake Michigan.

Motoring right along, our guide got us as close to The Bird Cage Lighthouse as he dared without hitting those shoals and grounding (or sinking) us. The Bird Cage Lighthouse got it's name for the bird cage like structure at the top of the lighthouse where the light was house. It is need of repair and it was hard to see because it was hidden behind trees.

The last lighthouse on our tour was the Cana Island lighthouse which is world famous for it's design. The actual light is so large you can walk in it and stand up... after walking up 82+ steps to get to it. Not that I would know.. we never got off the boat. I would have loved to see this lighthouse up close and personal. I would have loved to feel the temperature difference out on the observation deck which I was told was like 15-20 cooler than in Bailey's Harbor. I guess I will have to wade out there some other day.

It was a nice boat tour if you don't mind seeing 3 lighthouses from a distance. I honestly thought I was going to get a lot closer than we did... like actually docking at them. Silly me. It is not a bad tour but I wanted more... more lighthouses.. closer to them.. a bigger boat.. something to make the $52 worth it.

1168. Take an Architecture Boat Tour in Chicago

Besides Taste of Chicago, the other thing I really wanted to do in Chicago was take an Architecture boat tour. Chicago has a diverse architecture scene and there are many different tours available to be able to get a glimpse at some of the architectural wonders of the city. We chose to take a 75 minute boat ride on the Chicago River with the Shoreline Sightseeing Company.

Shoreline offers Architecture boat tours every 30 minutes during the peak summer months. The cost was $37. Groupon offers a discount on Architecture boat tours but it doesn’t give you the company as it is done through e-vites and we didn’t want to be surprised.

The boat tour took us down the main branch of the Chicago into the North Branch, down to the South Branch and back up the main branch almost to Lake Michigan. Our tour guide was really knowledgeable. She explained the different architectural styles and architects who designed the buildings. I am not one to remember those kind of facts (the who’s who of architects or the styles of architecture) but the span of designs from the late 1800s (Post Chicago fire) to today is quite impressive.

The city planner back in the last 1800s early 1900s had a vision for the city to face the Chicago River and promenades built on either side of the river. It took over 100 years but the Chicago Riverwalk is nearly complete and some buildings do face the river.

I loved learning the history of the buildings and their designs. It was a gorgeous day for a boat ride. I want to take a walking tour to see some of the buildings up close and learn even more history. Chicago is a beautiful city with beautiful and even historic buildings. I would suggest taking some time to see them whether it’s on a boat or a walking tour or just by yourself.

#894 Go to Lake Geneva

. When we initially decided to go to Chocolate Fest in Burlington, I google-mapped Burlington and discovered that Lake Geneva was only about a half hour from Burlington. I figured that was doable and when Stacy asked what else I wanted to do, I said Lake Geneva among other things.

The plans for Lake Geneva evolved from a 2 hour boat tour to walking the Lake Path due to scheduling conflicts. Lake Geneva is a summer haven for millionaires and billionaires and has been since the late 1800s. It is a resort town and thrives on the tourists that come to gawk at the mansions along the shore of Lake Geneva. One can actually walk the around the lake all 20.1 or so miles due to an old law on the books that require the city keep up the Lake Path which literally winds through the backyards of these mansions. Stacy and I planned on walking part of this path but we actually were able to take a boat tour instead.

Lake Geneva Cruise Lines offer a variety of cruises of varying lengths around the lake. We initially were going to take the Full Lake Tour. Other tours we tossed around were the Black Point Estate Tour and the Expanded Bay Tour. There is also a mail boat tour where mail is deliver to the mansions around the lake by a mail person jumping off the front of the boat onto to the dock, delivering the mail, and jumping back on the back of the boat. My parents and cousins took this tour last year and really enjoyed it. We wanted to do this but it doesn't start until Mid-June. Later I discovered that they was a special mail boat tour on Sunday. Stacy and I ended up taking the Ice Cream Social Tour.

As we cruised around the bay and learned about some of the more famous mansions, we enjoyed a sundae for lunch. Personally I was a bit disappointed in my sundae.

This is what the picture online promised me:

This is what I got

Hershey syrup, whipped cream, a cookie, nuts if you wanted, and 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream. The website says "be served a sumptuous Breyer's ice cream sundae prepared just the way you like it." That is not how I like my sundae. I like both hot fudge and caramel, chocolate ice cream, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry. Despite not being "just the way I like it", it was still good and made a very good lunch.

After our boat tour, it was still raining. We decided to save the 3 or so block downtown shopping district for another trip and continue on with our day since we had agreed to meet Stacy's husband and in-laws for dinner at 6.

 It is a nice like tourist area but they do have a parking problem. If it wasn't raining we probably would have had to walk a lot farther than we did. It is all metered parking but they do have pay boxes instead of having to feed meters. Mainly it is street parking. I only saw 1 small parking lot near the boat docks. Even Fish Creek has more parking. 

I can now say I have been to Lake Geneva. There are still a few things I'd like to do in the area and probably will make another trip down that way. If you haven't been to Lake Geneva, I would suggest to take a trip there even if it is just to gawk at the mansions.

Just some of the mansions. I was on the wrong side of the boat.