We’ve been traveling up the coast of Wisconsin, along Lake Michigan.  We didn’t get much further north today than where we stayed in Port Washington last night.

 

That’s because we slept in and then spent a few hours this morning exploring the pretty little town.  We walked way out on the breakwater; it’s all huge rough stones that you have to climb up and down.  When I was a kid this would have been a breeze.  Now?  Not so easy.

 

Then on our way back from that adventure we came across a fisherman landing a salmon!  Huge fish!  I felt sorry for her (he said it was a female)…but it was still interesting to watch.  It took two guys, one with the pole and one with the net to bring her in.

After that adventure we wandered into town to find breakfast.  As we walked up the main street we saw this beautiful church high on the hill.

Of course we had to go up there and see.  Saint Mary’s Catholic Church is stunning, built around 1870, the stonework is beautiful.  It’s beautiful inside as well, though we didn’t take any photos inside.  It has an absolutely huge pipe organ up in the choir balcony.

Then we accidentally found the old lighthouse, built in 1860 while we were trying to find another way down the hill.  Sometimes you find the prettiest, most interesting things when you just wander around!  Too bad it’s only open on Sundays.

Finally we had breakfast which was actually lunch and then we headed north, mostly along the lake.  What a beautiful afternoon we had, watching the lake, the birds, and seeing other lighthouses along the way.

Oh!  I almost forgot!  We also stopped in Manitowoc at a maritime museum and got a tour of a WWII submarine!

During the war the country didn’t have enough capacity to build all the subs that were needed, so they tapped a shipbuilding company here in Wisconsin to build more.  They towed them down the Mississippi to get them to the ocean.  This one, like the one we toured out in LA, was really interesting inside.

So that was our day.  Now we’ve settled in for the night.  We’ll see a bit more in Door County Wisconsin tomorrow, then head over to Green Bay for meetings tomorrow night and Wednesday.  We’ll share more when we’re able.

Meanwhile, hope you enjoyed the scenery as much as we did! (Some photo credit goes to the husband.)