Door County Getaway

Yesterday evening, Jim and I returned from a short but restful three-day getaway to Door County.  We spent two nights at the beautiful and historic Blacksmith Inn on the Shore in Baileys Harbor while spending our days shopping, eating and drinking, hiking, and relaxing. 
Before arriving at the Blacksmith Inn, Jim and I stopped in for a tasting at Stone's Throw Winery.  With a bottle of the winery's Riesling in tow, we drove on to the Blacksmith Inn in Bailey's Harbor.  Cozy and romantic, the Inn was the perfect place for us to unwind.  The room itself was beautiful and bigger than I had expected it to be.  In warmer weather, we would have enjoyed our balcony with a view of the water.  When we weren't out and about, Jim and I passed our time reading in front of the fireplace or watching a movie while munching on some of the Inn's freshly popped popcorn and indulging in some of the hot apple cider that was available each afternoon and evening.

On Friday, Jim and I headed to Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek for a frigid picnic lunch and a short hike.  It was cold and windy, but Jim and I still managed to enjoy our time in the park.  Most of the leaves were off of the trees and quite a few trees had fallen in last week's heavy winds, but the park was beautiful nonetheless. 

On Friday night, Jim and I went on a haunted pub crawl.  Our trolley driver, dressed as "Brother Todd", navigated the dark and eerie roads to take us from one haunted bar to the next, treating us to scary ghost stories about the area along the way.  We visited the Alpine Resort, where a ghost of a former employee haunts the halls, and Shipwrecked, a brew pub situated over underground caves that were once used by Al Capone to harbor and distribute liquor.  We heard more spooky stories at the Blue Ox in Bailey's Harbor and at the Coyote Roadhouse just outside of Bailey's Harbor.  What may have been the scariest part of the night, however, was just how out of control the rest of the people in our group were!  And go figure - the craziest people were a group of older women, most of whom were teachers! 

Jim and I left Door County on Saturday afternoon, but we had the chance to enjoy lunch and some shopping in Fish Creek before we hit the road to return home.  

You can view the pictures from our trip here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065382&id=1113893992&l=b78e337e16