Daytripping: Door County

As my departure date draws near, I find myself thinking more about spending time with those around me that I'm really going to miss when I leave. It goes without saying that one of these people is my mother. I spend a lot of time with her, not just because she's been awesome enough to let me live (almost!) rent-free to save for school, but she's just an awesome la-day. And she's my mom. Obviously. Like I said, it goes without saying. ;)

She shares similar taste in food and therefore restaurants, and also a similar philosophy when it comes to travel and day trips. We both love our cameras and don't hesitate to veer off the road (sorry, other drivers!) when a photo-op presents itself unexpected. We're also both keen to drive waaaay out of our way to chase cool storm clouds (like this one time), find cool restaurants, or see neat exhibitions, be it art or festival or music. We always want to try the more interesting things on restaurant menus (and can sometimes get carried away, just a wee bit, but really... isn't it always worth it?). She has good taste, so she never wants to go into shops that I think are stupid -- just saying. So, she's pretty much an ideal person to take day trips with.

One thing we had to cross off the Before-Kate-Leaves List is a day trip to Door County. It's a summertime place to go -- nothing is really properly open until June, and August is a fantastic time to go up there because Door County's famous cherries are ripe and ready for the eating/cooking/baking! But there are also plenty of other things to do and places to stop along the way, so we spent a few hours poking around our usual haunts like The Cookery in Fish Creek (pictured above), and visited some places that we'd passed a million times before but never actually stopped, like Wilson's Ice Cream in old-timey Ephraim.

At The Cookery, I've always had a grilled salmon sandwich, and decided to switch it up this time and tried the pulled pork. Verdict: amazing. Also, I sprung for a 22oz. bottle of Crispin Artisanal Reserve apple cider made with organic honey. Let me just say, I'm a fan of hard cider, and this was just brilliant.  I'm going to have to try to find Crispin somewhere else a little more... local. ;)

Ephraim boasts a really amazing bay and a bit more of a beachy-boardwalk feel. A few more art galleries and artist studios are prominent in the shopping areas, and it's also known for Wilson's, which has been around for basically... ever. And yet I had never been there. As you drive along the main route through town, the view looks like the photo above the whole way. Lake Michigan at its summer finest.



I spied on an old couple being really cute. And then we found these flowers outside:



What are those? They look like strings of felt. Or necklaces. Weird necklaces. Or something. I don't even know. Anyone know what they're called?

It was an absolutely goooorgeous day, and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. So thoroughly that we had double-dessert (and felt somewhat sick afterward) and were properly exhausted when we arrived back home in the evening. It was certainly nice to spend that much more time with my mom before I take off in only three weeks' time.

How the summer has simply disappeared...

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 22

The local ice cream joint

Arguably one of the best things about summer: ice cream! I've been indulging more this summer than usual, and while the choices are many, the closest and most enjoyable has always been (and may always be) our local soft-serve spot! Dick's Drive-In has been an institution in our little city for decades. Built in 1954, it's been going strong, open in the summers and serving burgers, onion rings, malts, and that sort of all-American classic drive-in fare since then.

It just wouldn't be summer without it. And I've been taking full advantage especially since I won't see it for a while! ;)

Although nine times out of ten we go for ice cream, their burgers are quite good in that drive-in sort of way. The onion rings are the standard in my opinion. Paired with a chocolate malt... okay. I'm trying really hard not to get up and drive there right now.

It was opened by Dick and Donna Sternhagen in 1954. It's owned by someone else now, but they ran the place for over 40 years. It's still very much the same; the posters for ice cream sandwiches and twinkle cones are the same, faded, outmoded advertisements that were on the walls when I was a little kid, and they'll probably be there forever. It's still open from March 1 through November, when the lot is typically taken over by the Kiwanis for their annual Christmas tree lot.

The two black and white photos are via the Wisconsin Historical Society. Since those photos were taken, the drive-in has removed the absolutely amazing 50s/60s geometric lamps you can see in the window. I would have killed to have one of those in my kitchen...

My order of choice is a dish of chocolate ice cream with extra sprinkles. Just can't get enough of those sprinkles. ;) It's a sickness, it must be!




Days to Edinburgh move-in: 34