Today’s post is 1325 words, 28 photos, a 7 minute read. Enjoy
Hi everyone,
It was the last week of July when we hitched the Red Rover to the Minnie (our travel trailer) for five days of camping in northeast Wisconsin. The state campgrounds with electric hookups in Door County were full so I broadened my search to nearby counties. I found a very nice space in a Brown County campground about 15 miles north of Green Bay and about 30 minutes south of Door County. This location offered the best of both worlds — close to Green Bay and a quick drive up to some of our favorite go to places in Door County.
Bay Shore Campground
The Bay Shore Campground features 107 campsites, 90 with electric and water. Many of the sites are paved and offer shade during the host summer days. The campground is near the waters of the Bay of Green Bay and offers a boat launch for those wanting get out onto the water. There is a large picnic area and well-appointed playground for the kids. It’s a great place to stay, relax, and unwind as the sign says below.
Packers Shareholder Meeting
Our main objective for being in the area was to attend the Annual Shareholders Meeting of the Green Bay Packers. This was our second time to attend the meeting, last year was our first. We were gifted a share of the Packers by The Eldest and the Son-in-law for our 50th wedding anniversary. This share entitles us and the 525,000 other shareholders the opportunity to attend the annual meeting and purchase owner-only swag in the gift shop or online. The only thing of consequence that we get to do as a shareholder is vote on the members of the board of directors. As owners, we also get to keep the Packers in Green Bay, they are owned by the community. There is no dividend, no cash value and no increase in value to the shares. We also can’t call up the coach and yell at him for that dumb play he called a couple of Sunday’s ago. We just get to say we own a piece of a NFL team.
If you think that a meeting such as this would be boring, you’d be wrong! The meeting starts at 11:00 AM sharp with the singing of the national anthem and greetings from Packer President Mark Murphy. About 10,000 or so people were seated in Lambeau Field to hear more about our beloved Packers. The meeting ended promptly at 12:30 PM.
Here’s the agenda for the meeting. While all the reports are short and interesting, the Football Report by General Manager Brian Gutekunst attracts the most attention. He reported on the departure of Aaron Rodgers, a few boos were heard from the shareholders, and wished him well with his new team. He shared some of the highlights of the last season then went to detail about the roster for the coming season.
The other report that we find fascinating is the Community Relations Committee. We heard about all the outreach and support that is done statewide for youth and communities in need. There’s a strong commitment of board members, Packers staff, and funds to make all these things happen. Judge Zakowski ended his report with the title from the Beatles song, All You Need is Love, referring to the new starting quarterback, Jordon Love. This drew a loud and long applause from the audience.
With help from the shareholders, new video boards were installed in the stadium this year. They are huge and clear, a nice addition to the fan experience.
We enjoyed our time at the meeting, sitting the stands with other shareholders. We’ll be back next year!
Potawatomi State Park
One of our favorite parks in Door County is Potawatomi State Park. Located on the west side of the Bay of Sturgeon Bay, this park offers camping, hiking trails, picnic areas, a boat launch, and beautiful views of the Bays of Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay. The scenic drive through the dense forest is refreshing and exciting, there are lots of deer in these woods.
The photos below show the view from Ski Hill, a one time downhill ski hill staff by volunteers. The ski hill closed over 25 years ago allowing the vegetation to recapture the hill. It’s a great place to shoot sunset photos. I’ve never hiked down the trail for fear of having a heart attack on the walk up the hill! This area is also the Eastern Terminus of the 1200 mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail that winds its way through Wisconsin.
Check out Potawatomi State Park the next time you are in Door County and hike a segment of the trail.
Sidewalk sale in Sturgeon Bay
Sturgeon Bay’s annual sidewalk sale was on the schedule during our stay. The shops along Third Avenue (the downtown shopping district) had tables and tents set up on the street to display their wares. Customers checked out the clothing, shoes, books, housewares, textiles, and assorted items for sale, most at a nice discount off the regular price. There was music and food, with the deep fried cheese curd stand being one of the busiest on the street.
Take a good look at the photo below, two boys goofing off with the fish head!
I stopped by the tent that featured Door County authors. I had a nice chat with Judy DuCharme who has written several books of historical fiction, my favorite genre. I purchased a book from her, Lainey of the Door Islands, that I added to my TBR (To Be Read) stack when I returned home. I’m addicted to books, I think I could live in a library as long as there was coffee and comfortable chair.
I’ve talked to Tom Davis on a previous trip to Door County. Tom has written several books of historical fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. I read his award winning book, In the Unsettled Homeland of Dreams, a story about former slaves that settled and lived on Washington Island off the tip of Door County. It was a great story and well written. I also purchased Tom’s most recent book, The Prophecy of the Wolf, about a young Native American man who doubts his own abilities. The setting is in the 1600s on the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. I’m sure it will be a fun read.
Miller Art Museum
While in Sturgeon Bay, I made a quick stop at the Miller Art Museum to view the exhibit of photographs by my acquaintance Suzanne Rose. The exhibit, titled Blind Spot, is a collection of 27 large black and white photos of humans impact on the environment and the strength of nature. It was a beautiful exhibit, I enjoy her thoughtful and excellent work. In the photos below, there are a couple of examples of photos on exhibit.
Also on exhibit was recent work by Brigitte Kozma, a Door County artist living in Sister Bay. Her paintings were based on Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France. I liked the vibrant colors and use of light on the scenes. Another reason stop in Sturgeon Bay, see what they have on exhibit at the art museum.
Anderson Dock
On one of our drives through Door County, we stopped by the Anderson Dock in Ephraim. As we walked from the parking lot to the dock, I spotted this pelican hunting for food on this warm day. We watched for a few minutes as it made its survey of the water looking for small fish and insect for lunch.
The main purpose for our stop was to find out if the inscription we painted on the side of the Anderson Warehouse in the summer of 2022 was still there. It was! This is one place where graffiti is allowed. It goes back to the time when ships docked at the warehouse and sailors left messages for their families on the side of the building. The tradition continues. The building is now an art gallery that features the work of local artists. Another place to stop when in Door County.
That’s it for this week. Next week, I’ll take you to Elkhart, Indiana. See you then!
I almost forgot, if you missed last week’s post about traveling to State College, PA, click here.
Until next week, happy travels!
Tom