Packing it in to Green Bay

There comes a point in bicycle nomadry when all the steps to getting on the road become second nature, and each of us knows what we need to do, and the best way to get it done. This is what it felt like the morning we left Sister Bay. Breakfast was not served until 8:00, so we got packed and loaded the bikes before breakfast. We were actually on the road the earliest yet, even with the late breakfast. Sometimes it takes us almost two hours to load and balance the bikes, fill the water bottles with ice and Gatorade, put air in the tires, and strap on the stray item we always forget to pack.

We retraced our journey to Ephraim, a bit more slowly with fully loaded bikes. Once in Ephraim, we headed to Peninsula State Park. It was beautiful! Huge old growth trees and views of Green Bay from the bluffs. We could look across the bay and see the restaurant where we had the fish boil the night before. We climbed a lookout tower, and went to the lighthouse before leaving the park and continuing our journey.

The park itself was quite hilly, but not nearly as hilly as the roads after the park. The hills provided fabulous views of the countryside or lake, depending on where we were. But they made for slow going! With 110 lbs. to haul up a hill, you have to be in granny gear and still may only reach 5 mph.

We enjoyed lunch in Egg Harbor (whitefish again!), and then continued our journey back to Sturgeon Bay. This time we were on the bay side of the peninsula, not the lake side. It’s hard to say which one is more beautiful. The animals are fantastic…..we have seen black squirrels, wild turkeys, deer, and the ubiquitous seagulls. (Lake Gulls?)

We camped at Potawatomi State Park. It was right on the bay. We only had to hike a few steps to be right on the water. We had very noisy teenagers again next to us, but thankfully they settled down at a reasonable time.

We awoke the next morning to a beautiful sunrise over Green Bay. A great way to start the day! When we got out of the tent, we saw that a raccoon had helped himself to some of our provisions. Grrrr. We ate breakfast, broke camp and were on our way to Green Bay.

This was a hard day. It wasn’t quite as hilly, but there were enough, and we had headwinds the whole day. The route gave us many glimpses of Green Bay. The water did indeed appear green!

Once we arrived in Green Bay, we contacted Dave and Barb, our Trail Angels from Kohler-Andrae State Park. We wanted to take them to dinner to repay their kindness. Turns out Dave had had a foot surgery just the day prior, so he couldn’t join us, but Barb was able to make it~YAY! We enjoyed so much getting to know her a bit and learn about her family.

Wednesday Cycling: 47 miles

Hiking: 4 miles

Thursday Cycling: 47 miles

Hiking: 4.5 miles.