New Years Eve Party
It’s been nearly a month since the turn of the New Year, and I just realized I had never processed a series of photos I took at Stone’s Throw Winery in Door County, Wisconsin during their New Year’s Eve Party. So before January turns to February and thoughts of Spring begin to take hold, I’ll share these winery photos.
It was a brisk day outside, but plenty of warmth was inside the winery. I do believe everyone who was on the Door that weekend made a point of stopping in for a wine tasting. I admit I’m not the wine drinker in the family, but Sherpa is a huge fan of Stone’s Throw.
Angelique and Primitivo
Sherpa loves all the wines, but he especially loves the Primitivo. I toasted the New Year with a sparkling white wine with a hint of almond – yum! – called Angelique. It’s a cozy place to visit if you are anywhere near the area, and one of my favorite stops on the peninsula.
Beach and Lake Michigan Beyond
The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination. ~Ward Elliot Hour
This quotation is so true. When I look out from my window, I mostly see my neighborhood dressed in winter’s white, and rather a worn white it is this far into the season. I find I turn inward and let my imagination soar. I imagine beyond what I can see, and take myself on many pleasant trips as I write.
Heading to the Northern Tip of Door County
When you reach the northern tip of Door County, which is also the northeastern tip of Wisconsin, there is a ferry crossing. On the ferry, you can cross the channel called Death’s Doorway to Washington Island, one of the more remote places in the Midwest.
This is the road leading from Gills Rock to the ferry. In this age when all roads are made straight, no matter the cost or reason, it’s unusual to see a road with such character.
Ridges Sanctuary, Baileys Harbor Wisconsin
Looks like an old school house, but it’s not a school house. It’s a light house.
The Upper Range Light is one of two range lights on the Ridges Sanctuary property in Door County. Built in 1869 at a cost of $6,000, they were state of the art beacons for ships traveling the upper parts of Lake Michigan in the late 19th Century.
Snow, Not White Sand!
The Lake Michigan beach at Bailey’s Harbor on the very northern part of Wisconsin is hidden in winter by a heavy covering of snow, and rows and rows of snow fences.
Sure, some of the tropical parts of the world have pure white sand beaches, but this beach’s white stuff is of the frosty variety.
Door County is Famous for its Cherries
Door County is famous for its cherries. Orchards have been planted throughout the county since the 1800s. Lake Michigan and Green Bay keep the weather conditions ideal for both the cultivation of cherries and apple – warm days, cool night. Perfect.
Door County has nearly 2,000 acres of cherry orchards and another 500 acres of apple orchards – 1/10th of the land in Door County is planted with fruit trees. The air is filled with the blossoms’ fragrance in the spring and the harvests fill farm stands with luscious fruit from August through October.
In winter, the orchards make great subjects for photographs. Love those red tinged trees in the drifted snow.
Early Winter Ice Formations
We decided to stop at Cave Point County Park before we ended our long week-end in Door County and headed south back to Madison and the end of a long and busy holiday season. We have never been to Door County in the winter, and so I’d never had the opportunity to see the legendary ice formations on these limestone cliffs overhanging Lake Michigan. Pounded by the frigid northern waters, I can imagine these icy formations are only beginning to form. Imagine what another eight weeks or so of below freezing winter temperatures will do to these cliffs. I am already considering a return trip in March if the weather stays cold – a rather safe bet in this locale.
I won’t discuss (too much) how I didn’t really get the photograph I wanted, mostly because my Sherpa kept grabbing at my pack and pulling me away from the edge of the cliff. I want to make it clear for the record – at no time was I dangerously close to the edge and I always made sure I had good footing. Even I am not foolish enough to tempt fate on these high ledges. Nor did the icy waters below didn’t appear too inviting for an unplanned swim. But Sherpa has a decided fear of heights – a fear we do not share – and so he was quite vocal about his opposition to my photo plans.
We hadn’t planned on an extended stop, and with the winds already blustery and the temperatures dropping, I agreed this probably wasn’t the right time for a prolonged photo shoot. We weren’t really adequately dressed, plus we had a five hour drive home ahead of us, and we’d been taking photos non-stop for three days. Neither of us wanted to push our endurance before the drive home.
I look at the photographs I did get, and think how spectacular these icy cliffs might become given a couple more months of below freezing weather and the relentless pounding from Lake Michigan’s surf.
Yes, indeed! Another weekend trip to Door County in March is beginning to sound like a great plan.
Eagle Harbor
We’d been traveling and taking photographs in Door County since sunrise and just before sunset I called it quits. With the temps close to zero, taking photographs can get me bone tired – I think it’s all the jumping in and out of the car to warm up between shots. So I was determined to head back to the motel and relax in the hot tub until…
…until I took a glance in the rearview mirror and saw the ice gleaming orange from the disappearing sun. A quick U-turn and another 30 minutes and then we hit the hot tub.
After going through another few dozen, I found a second photograph I wanted to share, one with a slightly different perspective and composition. If possible, this one makes me shiver more than the first.
An Even Colder Perspective
Door County may be a bit frosty, but it provides endless opportunities for “just one more”.
Do you have a photo preference? Do you like the first, the warmer version, or second photo, the colder one? And why?
Do you take photographs in winter climes? Anything you do to keep you and your camera gear warm – well, warm is a relative word here. I mean warm enough to stay out for “just one more?”
Canada Geese in Glow of Sunset
No, I’m not taking a holiday in Antarctica, though truly, sometimes I start imagining the Canada geese I see are really penguins! Not near the Pole, but winter in Wisconsin can still be a little long. Strong winds broke open the sheet of ice covering Green Bay near Fish Creek, but there is still an icy slush along the shores. Even in the glow of the setting sun, it all looks cold. And with temps hovering in the single digits and the wind chill dropping to 10 below or colder, taking photographs becomes a challenge.
How fast can I set up the shot, take it, and make it back to the interior of the warm car? Hmm. Not quite fast enough.
Walking 9th Avenue
Not only walking 9th Avenue, 42nd Street, but also the length of Central Park, up and down Times Square, and past way too many upscale stores on Fifth Avenue where I would be embarrassed to be seen looking at a blouse whose purchase price could clothe a family for a year. Not that I would be encouraged to even take a step into any of these stores.
I am not a big city girl, but I love NYC – in small doses. And a nearly paid-for trip to the Big Apple as the companion of a conference-attendee was too good to pass up. Especially since I was able to squeeze in a visit to eldest child who took two hours from her crazed Bar-studying-marathon to eat dinner with mom. (The highlight of my cross-country trip!)
Not to say New York does not have its fascinations. The architecture is jaw-dropping, the museums are more than mind-boggling, and Central Park is always a welcome respite. And I want to know how many of you know that a cow lives in Central Park. Yes, really! And she even appears to be a big attraction with the pre-school set.
Now I’m on my way to a trip to the Guggenheim where they are honoring one of my favorite guys, Mr. Frank Lloyd Wright. I’m sure there will be more photographs to follow.
