The Getaway......

petehowell · #1 07-03-2010, 08:31 PM

No baseball.....No Soccer.....No graduation parties....

Nice weather......Full tanks.... and a destination.....

20 years ago, 2 kids from Iowa State got hitched and began life together with a trip to Door County, up in Wisconsin. It was close, cheap and a great time. Hard to believe living in Minne we never went back. We changed that today. Up at 7am for an 8am departure, we picked up flight following out of Anoka and headed east, 090.

Here is the secret to 20 happy years, I fly, she sleeps. No arguments.

Cool and smooth up at 7500, 2hrs later, the farms and forests turned into water and islands!

Across the strait from Menominee, MI, we found the Fish Creek airport with a 20Kt direct cross wind. Wife said the landing was good.....I'm just sayin'.

The airport has a greeter! She offered us free bikes, the airport van, or her personal car to go into town, Wow! There is a $6 tie down fee, but the place is well kept and very friendly.

We had Julie's Cafe come out to pick us up, as we were planning on the cherry stuffed french toast for brunch. No disappointment here:

We left 9erPH with some company and headed into town. Eat at Julie's. Good people here, fair prices and big chair, too.

Walked the marina. Serious money here. Little dogs, big boats....

Rented Scooters - 'nuff said.

Great views from the bluffs in Peninsula State Park....

Rain was headed for Minne, so we had a quick dinner and the good people at Julie's drove us back the airport. Here is Chambers Island on the climbout:

Andi finished the day as she started. Everyone was happy!

Door County - Fish Creek airport. Our best day trip yet!

Ironflight · #2 07-03-2010, 08:48 PM

Beautiful pics, as usual Pete - looks like a great place to go! I never went there in the years I grew up in Minnesota. Amazing how we ignore our backyards....

Oh, if you want to ride scooters in Doug's posse, you've got to get the right color!

rodeomanny · #3 07-04-2010, 11:50 AM

As usual, great pictures and great narrative. Look forward to your posts.
Manny
El Paso

rglick · #4 07-05-2010, 08:16 AM

Pete, You found one of the best kept secrets in our area and I hope more of you get a chance to visit Ephraim-Gibraltar. My wife and I joined "Friends of Ephraim" (http://www.friendsofephraimgibraltarairport.com/) a few years ago when the Airport was in jeopardy of being shut down do to lack of involvement from the community. It's only $12 a year which includes the use of new bikes and a Mini Van along with many fly-ins. But just about any local establishment like Julie's will be happy to come pick you up and deliver you back when you are ready. Once your in Fish Creek or Sister Bay there are many shops and Restaurants. Make sure you stop at the office and pick up Friends of Ephraim stickers to place on your Money spent and the Receipts you leave at the establishments. This is how we show the community we are using the Airport to get to them.

The airport is very much back and as Pete shows, is a very nice facility with a new self serve pump. Like Paul says, we often ignore our backyards but Door County is not one of them we ignore. We visit at least twice a Month during the Summer and much more in the Fall. You know what I'm talking about if you are from the Midwest. We equate Door County to a New England feel.

If your coming to Oshkosh this year, take a day and fly up to 3D2, you wont be sorry. Last year we introduced two new friends we met during OSH to Fish Creek and I'm pretty sure they had a good time (Doug).

If your interested this year, let us know and we can hook up and show you what God's Country is all about.

Bill Dicus · #5 07-05-2010, 08:51 AM

Nice pics, Pete. Isn't it pretty there? We just got back from our cottage on Clark Lake and biking the "quiet side." The Friends of Ephraim-Gibralter have done a wonderful job of improving facilities at 3D2. We fly there fairly frequently in our Lance and hope to see you two there in the future. Next time stay overnight and try dinner at the Whistling Swan in Fish Creek. Happy 20th!

Sid Lambert · #6 07-05-2010, 09:13 AM

We ventured up to Door County one year during Oshkosh. I heard is was beautiful but I was blown away. I can't say enough about how nice the area is. Plus, it may have been the only time I have ever been cold during the daylight hours in August. I nice break from the Georgia heat.

Great pics Pete. Wish it were closer for me to go again.

WayneWagner · #7 07-05-2010, 09:43 AM

Nice message...brings back memories. When I lived in the Chicago area years ago, Door Co. was a nice trip. The Ephraim-Fish County airport has had its growing pains...glad to see it is hanging it there well. I have always thought it would be a great addition for many guys to add to their Oshkosh trip, especially a little treat for wives who endure several days at Airventure to accommodate their husbands. Generally Door Co. is nice and cool, lots of neat shops, scenery aplenty, signiture "fish boils" at restaurants (and other various places like churches and VFW posts) and all of this is reasonably close to Oshkosh. Be advised, the water in the bay is refreshingly cool for swimming. I don't know if Ray's Cherry Hut is still there south of Fish Creek on Hwy. 42, but you can get 5 or 10 pound buckets of frozen cherries (pitted and sweetened...can be thawed and refrozen repeatedly). When I used to be flying by, I'd make a (somewhat) low pass over Ray's and one of the kids there would bring a couple of buckets of cherries over to the airport (by prior arrangement of course)!

DanH · #8 07-05-2010, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rglick

Make sure you stop at the office and pick up Friends of Ephraim stickers to place on your Money spent and the Receipts you leave at the establishments. This is how we show the community we are using the Airport to get to them.

What a marvelous idea! Sure seems like something local airport support folks might consider adopting all around the country.

I've not heard of it before....it is common? And what do the stickers look like?

rglick · #9 07-05-2010, 04:09 PM

Hi Dan,

In our travels to other Airports we have never seen this before but thought it was a great idea. From talking to a few owners in Fish Creek like Julie's, it has left a very good impression and we have seen the stickers pop up on bills at other stores.

Cheers!

apkp777 · #10 07-05-2010, 04:35 PM

We LOVE Door County. Fish Creek is on our short list of destinations. 133nm from home! Great pics. Pennisula State Park is right there and is a great place for hiking. We stay in Ephraim and walk everywhere.