Wandering Toes - 7/25/2017
Door County - Wisconsin
We heard about Door County years ago, and before we left Hancock and our KOA temporary home we decided that while we were in Wisconsin we would go see why everyone raves about Door County.
Trying to figure out why people say this place is beautiful is really a no brainer
We arrived in Door County and Bailey's Harbor on the 18th of this month and departed on the 23rd. It was pretty much everything I had ever heard about it. It is just awesomely beautiful with vistas that rival any of those you might see on an ocean coast. The difference? "We were on Lake Superior where the water was less salty and there aren't any
sharks " (got that quote from a Tee Shirt).
sharks " (got that quote from a Tee Shirt).
The water here is almost crystal clear. People were out in droves to swim and be with their families. It was really great.
We were on the road and exploring a lot. One of our trips took us to the Cana Island Lighthouse. This lighthouse was built on 8.7 Cana Island.
It was built in 1869 and at that time of construction was built of bricks and mortar. Due to weathering from harsh winters the lighthouse was was given a metal skin in 1902.
The lamp was originally fueled by lard, later it was fueled by kerosene, then by acetylene, and now by electricity. The lens that provides the light is a "Third Order Fresnel Lense" made in France"
The wages of the Light Keepers were rather low by today's standards
Rations were sorta meager too!
The oil house. When we poked our head into the building it still smelled faintly of kerosene. Kerosene hadn't been used at the lighthouse since 1945.
To get onto Cana Island you either have to wade through calf deep water
Or, you can opt to take a ride behind a tractor in a wagon
Told ya the water was clear
This is a picturesque place
The waves coming in were very calming. I enjoyed our short trek across the little bay to the Island
The hike up the 97 steps to the top of the lighthouse was a chore. But the crowds are limited to about 10 people up to the top at a time. So, being too crowded wasn't an issue.
There are a series of portholes in the lighthouse structure so that natural light is admitted into the tower. I took advantage of these by taking some portrait shots as we climbed up.
Once we got to the top and onto the catwalk we were able to see the original Fresnel Lens
The views from the top were awesome
The lighthouse grounds below
The lighthouse keepers office
The kitchen
Looking up at the iron clad lighthouse
