Another lovely, peaceful day. Our ride began by biking east from Sturgeon Bay to the eastern side of the peninsula and then generally following the coastline north to Bailey’s Harbor at the approximate midpoint of the ride. We broke up the ride there with a stop for gelato and then continued north along Lake Michigan for another eight miles before finally angling back west again and then to tiny Gill Harbor at the northern tip of the peninsula.
We’re staying in The LightHouse Inn for two nights, our first layover day since arriving in Minneapolis almost two weeks ago. We’re staying over an extra day so that tomorrow we can take the short ferry to Washington Island for a spin around and then return. The Lighthouse Inn is a dramatic place when you first see it - a Victorian mansion dating back to the early 1900’s; a newer wing with a Scandinavian style; and what looks like a functional lighthouse that also contains a rental unit.
Gills Rock is tiny, but a delightful place to stay. There’s an excellent restaurant two blocks away, the Shoreline, where we ate tonight. We got there about an hour after they opened and the place was packed with a half hour waiting list. Fortunately there were still a few seats at the bar so we ate there and enjoyed an outstanding meal. Unfortunately they’re only open Thursday to Sunday, so tomorrow we’ll bike five miles south to Ellison Bay for a meal.
It’s been clear most of the day, but over dinner a dark, menacing formation moved in, and by seven we watched a dramatic downpour from the comfort of our room and porch. It’s delightful - it feels like we’re camping, but with a roof over our heads.
The Lily Bay sawmill went out of business in 1893. It’s the only remnant of the village of Lily Bay, which for a time was the Lake Michigan port for Sturgeon River until the ship canal was completed.
We followed the shoreline north for the next 13 miles. Whitefish Bay, five miles to the north, is the first public beach access past Lily Bay. In between is an unbroken line of private lakeside homes.
In order to stay near the lake as long as possible we biked the unpaved path through Whitefish Dunes for a short distance. Too sandy in spots to bike comfortably, but otherwise fine.
Bruce LellmanIt's quite a sensation when a photo stirs something deep inside that screams, 'My Childhood'. This may be a mundane photo to some people but to me it is very special. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
