Monthly Archives: March 2020

Not just any petting zoo, THE Farm has been around for...well, at least long enough to take this photo of my (Kimberly) mom's 1970s snapshot held over their existing sign in 2018! What will you find at The Farm? It's more than just a petting zoo, although I have to admit snuggling with baby animals is still my favorite part. There are dozens of buildings and learning opportunities to peek through, peaceful wooded trails, and a fun gift and snack shop. You can pack a lunch and hang out all day. Open 9am-5pm in the summer, it's multi-generation [...]

Giant checkers! Yes, along with the train display it's the top most oohed and aahed and "I played these when I was little" attraction in our lobby! You probably knew there were chess competitions and Rubik's Cube competitions. Did you know there are checkers competitions? In many parts of the world the game is called Draughts, so the World Draughts Federation is in charge of their rules and contests. Not to be confused with draughts, another of our favorite things to ooh and ahh about. The biggest argument in checkers stems from simple rules relating to forced jumps and how [...]

Oh pecan roll...how I do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Ok, scratch that. We'll be here all day. When I (Kimberly) moved back to Door County and started working at Rowleys Bay Resort, I wondered to myself, "Who on Earth can eat half a pound of pecan roll?!" But then I quickly learned that I have absolutely no problem putting down half a pound (or more) of pecan roll.     From our famous "pecan roll wedding!" A beautiful bride and groom used these as their wedding cake. Photos used with permission, copyright © Tandem Photography Speaking [...]

Cardamom Coffee Cake from Grandma's Swedish Bakery What is cardamom? If you're unfamiliar with cooking and baking spices, you may never have heard of it, but it's around more than you probably realize. If you've ever enjoyed a chai tea latte, you've had cardamom. Cardamom is a spice used often in Indian cooking and in baking in Scandinavian countries. It's used much the same way cinnamon is used, as you can see in the braided Cardamom Coffee Cake shown above, with sugar and generously sprinkled. It's "dry" in the same way powdered cinnamon is dry, and a lot goes a [...]

Lighthouses! There are so. Many. Lighthouses. There are MORE lighthouses in Door County than I've visited and we could talk about them all for months. You know the popular one - Cana Island. And you know about the picturesque one on the canal in Sturgeon Bay. But you may not know about a few others, that you can only get to by boat. Last year I (Kimberly) was able to visit four during the Door County Lighthouse Festival. Click on any of these to see a larger image:                Front and rear range lights on Plum Island; rear range light [...]

Rowleys Bay Resort has been repurposing since before it was Pinterest-cool, and the fireplace in our lobby is no exception. The stone for the fireplace came from the foundation of the old barn on site. The flue came from a ship called the SS Mercury, the first vessel ever to be constructed to be used on the Great Lakes as a tanker. And we have it in our lobby. As a flue. How cool is that anyway?? A big old ship scuttle hatch. It's pretty neat. If you have ever been to our resort you'll notice the rest of the [...]

Bald Eagle on ZZ When I (Kimberly) was little, I remember Bald Eagle sightings being a big deal. Anytime my dad spotted one on a road trip, he was sure to point it out. Talk about eagle eyes...most of the time I couldn't even find it. When I moved back to Door County in 2016, I started seeing them everywhere. The one shown here nearly kamikazed into the side of my truck after flying off a road kill raccoon as I passed by. The state and county have taken note of this comeback too. The DNR hosted a contest [...]

Speaking of how cameras can't do beautiful sunrises justice, this isn't just a photo of a black piece of paper. Or a dark room. I didn't forget to remove my lens cap. This is a photo taken of the clear night sky in the middle of July, and what you're not seeing, is the Milky Way. Many guests to the area are absolutely astounded that you can see more than the basic constellations without a telescope on a clear night, much less the mesmerizing shimmer of our galaxy. Those who hail from large metro areas especially have never seen the [...]

Sunrise over Gills Rock Door County is known for it's amazing sunsets. What you might not realize, because in the summer they come so early, is that you can also see quite amazing sunrises. Photos of an icy sunrise over Rowleys Bay, February 23, 2020. Click to see larger photos: The photos never do justice. By July 1st, the sun is already several degrees in the sky by 05:50 am, so you have to be quite an early riser to catch one, but whether you're watching from the pub patio, your balcony, or the fishing dock, they're [...]

There's not much to write about crocuses, other than we dearly love their emergence each spring. Best say it with pictures: Today's BINGO phrase is CROCUS(ES). If you have that on your bingo card, write 3/22 over the top of it to mark it off. Need a card? Get your card and the rules here. Getting close to a BINGO? If you get BINGO on your card you can send in a photo for a chance to win fun prizes! Submission details coming soon. Follow us on our blog, Facebook, and Instagram. Find these pins on Pinterest.