October 3rd, 2011
Well, the wind went nuts in Door County last Thursday night. Egg Harbor Lodge was one of the fortunate ones that still had power. Our phone and internet were out but my cell phone worked so I could get my emails. There was a huge willow tree down across the street at the Ashbrooke and we lost a couple of small trees.
Myles Dannhausen, Jr. from the Peninsula Pulse newspaper took this picture of this huge downed tree in Ephraim…
There were trees down everywhere and all five Door County state parks were closed because of the damage. Fish Creek and Ephraim were completely out of power. Downtown Egg Harbor for the most part was OK but the Alpine, Shallows and The Landing weren’t so lucky… no power. The Alpine also had a wedding reception scheduled for Saturday night that had to be moved to a different location because of the outage. 106.9 The Lodge radio station wasn’t back on the air until Sunday afternoon. At Peninsula Players where “the show must go on” did in fact with the help of lanterns. The lodging places called their vacancies into the Door County Visitor Bureau to help displaced guests find a room. The YMCA was open for people to take showers as were community centers like ours in Egg Harbor for coffee, kitchen privileges and internet. Many roads were blocked and there were wires down everywhere. People posted crazy pictures on their Facebook pages. It was unbelievable. I was amazed and thankful no one was injured.
The parks will be closed until Thursday from what I have heard but for the most part everything is back to normal in Door County. This will be a storm that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Tags: cell, egg harbor lodge, kitchen privileges, Lodge, peninsula players, peninsula pulse, phone, Street, willow, willow tree
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September 26th, 2011
Fall colors… that is!
Now don’t freak out, just because your reservation in Door County doesn’t begin until the middle of October or later, don’t lose faith. The fall color here in Door County lasts for weeeeeks. Seriously. Right now there are some golds (and reds in some drought ravaged trees) so it is really just beginning, albeit very pretty. The familiar haze is in the air and I am waiting for a bright blue sky day to complement the beginnings of what should be a spectacular Door County fall foliage experience. Everyone that knows me knows I love summer… but fall is seriously a close second. And personally, I don’t think you can find a finer place to experience it than in Door County.
Egg Harbor’s Pumpkin Patch, one of the the biggest festivals in Door County is a mere two weeks away. The village already has cornstalks out and has a scarecrow contest every year. We need to assemble our scarecrow this week but first we need a theme. Any ideas? Even though our Egg Harbor Lodge exhibit consists of the most basic scarecrow every year, we seriously cannot remember how to assemble our display from year to year. But this year… I am Flip videoing the whole process so we will know exactly what to do next year. We never win but with a crew of exactly 2… what do you expect? We still think ours is great even though we are known to duplicate previous efforts. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right?
Tags: blue sky day, county fall foliage, Door County, egg harbor lodge, faith, Fall, fall folliage, freak, haze, October, pumpkin patch, scarecrow, scarecrow contest
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September 22nd, 2011
We decided to head up to “Guys on Ice”, the fall American Folklore Theatre production since we hadn’t seen it in a few years. Normally, AFT’s shows are held at the outdoor amphitheater in Peninsula State Park but last year AFT in conjunction with the Door Community Auditorium has held the fall shows in the auditorium located in Fish Creek at Gibraltar High School.
We decided to check out Gibraltar Grill since it was close to Gibraltar School and to be honest we hadn’t eaten there before. They have an outdoor bar which we decided to check out first.
The restaurant wasn’t this happening when we were there, but we welcomed the quiet and were able to score a nice spot at the outside bar. We met the owner Tom Young who was tending bar. He was talkative and we like that in a bartender. They serve just beer and wine so we checked out the libation menu and promptly ordered. Our waitress Nancy B. lives in Egg Harbor so it was nice to see her and hear about her daughter’s recent wedding. Nancy’s husband Mark’s cell phone number is on our ICOE (In Case of Emergency) list. He is/was a firefighter, plumber and jack of all trades kind of a guy.
The Gibraltar Grill is open May through October. The food and service were great so we will have to head back there again next year. I am sorry we waited so long.
We then headed up to the Auditorium to watch the show…
We remembered it was funny but hadn’t seen it in awhile… it was a riot! Too bad my favorite ice fisherman, our son Joe wasn’t there. He would have thought it was hysterical. Even if you don’t know a thing about ice fishing, you will love the show.
It was our Door County version of a dinner and movie.
The Spitfire Grill, the next fall AFT production will begin September 30 and run through October 15. We are looking forward to that as well.
So much to do… so little time!
Tags: American, american folklore theatre, Auditorium, cell phone number, fisherman joe, Folklore, gibraltar high school, gibraltar school, guy, ice, October, peninsula state park
Posted in Door County Auditorium, Door County Parks, Door County Restaurants, Egg Harbor Lodge News, School stuff, theatre | No Comments »
September 15th, 2011
It’s that time of year kids… Door County’s autumn festival season. Everyone loves a good old fall festival complete with music, food, refreshments, arts and crafts. Baileys Harbor starts it out this Saturday with Autumn Fest held in Kendall Park in downtown Baileys Harbor. Check out the details here.
Not to be left out, Sturgeon Bay will hold it’s Street Art Auction in conjunction with their Harvest Moon Festival.
There will be 4 bands and a street dance held under the full moon. Not in the festival mood? Check out one of Door County’s many state and local parks. Or if you are lucky enough to be staying at Egg Harbor Lodge, grab a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers and hang out on your balcony and enjoy the view!
Tags: art and crafts, Autumn, autumn fest, autumn festival, cheese and crackers, conjunction, Door County, egg harbor lodge, Everyone, Festival, food, harvest moon festival, Moon, music, Refreshments, Saturday, season, Street, time
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September 13th, 2011
Where did it go? Summer I mean. We had a great summer… the weather was phenomenal, the guests were happy and we were able to get out and about in Door County.
With a colder and rainier than usual Spring we were happy to get the warm weather in July and August. We didn’t have a lot of the extremely hot weather which was nice. Weather, blah, blah, blah. Let’s get to the good stuff.
Well… it didn’t start out great. I tore a tendon and after surgery and a cast for two months etc., I am back walking 5 miles… thanks Dr. Hecker and Ministry Door County Medical Center!
Nellie, Sarah, Eric, Cole and Emilie hanging out at EHL
We visited some hangouts including John Henry’s…
John Henry, Bruce and... me with a cauliflower ear
Pasta Vino with my best friend Nancy… try to ignore the grease on my shirt…
in good times...
and bad. (well... no one died!)
We went to the beach…
Adi at the Egg Harbor Beach
We checked out new haunts…
Galileo's @ Liberty Square
Tom Sawyer and Joe Sawyer The Garage @ Husby's
Parador... tapas in Egg Harbor
Mark took his Northern Door Chiefs American Legion baseball team for like the 4th time to the state baseball tournament… these are super guys between the ages 16-19… both our boys were former players.
2011 Northern Door Chiefs American Legion baseball team
Mark was inducted into the Door County Baseball Hall of Fame…
We sent our #2 son back to UW-Stevens Point for his junior year. See previous blog post from 3 years ago…
niece Annie and Joe working at Mike's Port Pub
No… he doesn’t go to Michigan State but his pal Sam, does. We still miss him when he leaves.
We went to weddings…
Ali & Michael’s at the Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor… I didn’t get a shot of them but here is a pic of my pal Mettie and her husband Darrell Lautenbach (Cornerstone Antiques and Lodging)…
Shorty & Mettie
Ed Strege (our God son) & Megan Erickson’s wedding at the Red Putter... way, way, way too much fun.
And we took in as many sunsets as we possibly could…
Goodbye summer… hello autumn! Stay tuned… there are tons of things to do in Door County in the fall!
Tags: American, american legion baseball, american legion baseball team, August, Auto, caption, cauliflower ear, county medical center, Door County, friend nancy, hot weather, July, legion baseball team, nice weather, Spring, summer, summer vacation, team, warm weather, way, Weather, weather in july, width
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September 11th, 2011
God Bless America Lyrics
by Irving Berlin
God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above;
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.
Tags: Auto, Berlin, Draft, god bless america, god bless america lyrics, home, home god, home sweet home, Land, night, Thru, white with foam
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September 10th, 2011
My friend Joe Smith, manager at Shipwrecked Brew Pub in Egg Harbor and I were on the news last night in a story about fall in Door County.
Fall in Door County? The weather is going to be great, I just know it. Don’t forget, lower rates during the week and fewer people… can’t beat that!
Tags: brew, brew pub, Door County, Egg Harbor, friend joe, joe smith, manager, News, Shipwrecked, Story
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August 26th, 2011
Yes, that’s right kids… Amy Hanten of Fox 11′s Living with Amy was in Door County last week doing segments featuring, you guessed it, Door County. She stayed at Egg Harbor Lodge along with her daughter Ireland, Producer Abbey and their camera dude (can’t remember his name). I thought Amy and I were going to do a recipe together but when she got here she was like nooo… just you. JUST ME?! I thought it wouldn’t be fit for TV but it aired on Monday and wasn’t quite as horrible as I remembered.
My stalker friend Bruce Hill from the Lull-Abi Inn of Egg Harbor took these pics. As for my recipe Grilled Lemon Chicken… it was good if I do say so myself. Here is the recipe…
GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN
¼ cup good olive oil
3 T minced garlic (about 9 cloves)
½ cup or so dry white wine
1 T grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (no substitutes)
1 ½ t. dried oregano (in the summer I use fresh but use more)
1 t minced fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 bone-in skin on chicken breasts cut in half
1 lemon
Light the grill and using indirect heat (or in the oven at 400 degrees). Charcoal works best.
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the garlic and cook for just a minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9×12 foil baking pan.
Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin sides up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.
Depending on the size of the chicken breasts cook between 45 to an hour. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the breasts are fully cooked. If they don’t look brown enough remove the pan and place chicken breasts skin side down on the hot part of the grill for just a couple minutes. If using the oven, place under broiler for a the same. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.
I like Amy… she is a great cook and is really a sweet person. She has a blog The Cooking Mom where she did recent blogs about Lautenbach’s Orchard Country and Casey’s BBQ and Smokehouse. Amy also has a cookbook The Cooking Mom with tons of great recipes… You can pick it up at Main Street Market.
No... Sarah is not an Amazon... Amy is short.
Polly Helm from Door County Nature Works was on the same show as me with decorating tips for the bedroom. On today’s show, she did a segment on the Mission Grille with a Lobster Bisque that looked phenomenal. I know they filmed quite a few places which is a bonus for Door County…thanks Amy and crew and remember, you are always welcome in Door County!
Tags: Auto, chicken, chicken breasts, cook, cup, dry white wine, egg harbor lodge, grated lemon zest, grilled lemon chicken, recipe, wine
Posted in Door County Restaurants, Egg Harbor Happenings, Egg Harbor Lodge News | 1 Comment »
August 25th, 2011
It is a two bedroom /two bathroom suite (1200 sq. ft.) It is perfect for two couples or 4 adults. There is a fireplace and a whirlpool. It has the most unbelievable view of the water with its 50 ft. balcony. It runs 350.00 per night (250.00 for 2) and is probably one of the best values in Door County considering the view, the spaciousness and its furnishings. I am not bragging… that’s a fact. I am sticking with my two night minimum for the suite. The weekend looks warm and nice… perfect for a perfect couple Ed and Megan Strege who are celebrating their wedding this weekend here in Door County. Best wishes you two!
Tags: annual pumpkin, bathroom, bathroom suite, Cancellation, EHL, Patch, perfect couple, Stonehearth, strege, Suite, two couples, unbelievable view, water
Posted in Egg Harbor Lodge News | No Comments »
August 17th, 2011
Our annual Door County road trip took us to none other than… Washington Island. Bill and Kathy were up and they hadn’t been to the Island in years so we headed up to Gill’s Rock. First stop? The Shoreline Restaurant for lunch. I had the whitefish chowder and a smoked whitefish wrap…yum! Bill and Kathy had chowder and split the Jamaican jerk whitefish sandwich and Mark had the crab melt. All were excellent… so was the view.
Gill's Rock near the Shoreline Restaurant
Then off to Northport to catch the ferry. With minimal wait Bill drove the car on the ferry and we all got out and went to the upper deck.
The weather was beautiful and the ride was smooth. Once on the island Mark and Bill wanted to check out the ostrich farm. Not sure why but any type of zoo atmosphere makes me homesick. I always feel bad for the animals, although the ostrichs and other animals including a bear seemed to be well taken care of.
Next stop, Nelson’s Hall to renew our Bitter’s Club membership. Bill and Kathy were new to the experience of a shot of bitters… Kathy wanted to sip hers and the bartender promptly told her it probably wasn’t a good idea.
And after we knocked back the shot… we got this…
Then we toured the island some more. Washington Island has a couple of really nice beaches but we didn’t bring suits. Then we decided to stop at Sailor’s Pub which is on the water and looked great…closed. They didn’t open until 5 pm. So we head back to the ferry dock because we noticed a tiki looking bar. We walked in the guy was like “We closed at 2:30″. What? Sooo, we went to the KK FISKE Restaurant and Granary. They had outside seating and…
a tale of two lawyers
Fresh Lawyers. We ordered up a basket and guess what? Those bottoms feeders were damn good! We decided to head back to the mainland after that. We stopped at one of my favorite places Fred and Fuzzy’s and then back to the metropolis of Egg Harbor and ate at Trio which is always good. A perfect day was had by all.
Tags: caption, Door County, Egg Harbor, Gill, island time, jamaican jerk, ostrich farm, road, shoreline restaurant, smoked whitefish, whitefish, width, wrap, yum
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