~Sunday, August 8, 2021~
Day 420
Quite a ripper last night….thunder, lightning and rain to the point of keeping us awake most of the night. Remember, rain is 3x louder in a tin box. 😉
I’ve been working more late nights lately to get a special project done for my grandson….a cross-stitch birth record for Carson. I started it right after he was born in March of 2020 and it’s taken me this long to complete it. My plan was to have it completed before we arrived in Illinois tomorrow, so Hannah and I could shop together for the perfect frame for it. I completed it this morning!! (Will post pictures of it once it's framed). And I’m thrilled with the results. I made one for Easton a few years ago and just love this company that produces these kits. If you’re interested in cross-stitch, make sure to check out their project kits at www.cottageneedlecrafts.com. They ship from the U.K. so allow plenty of time for shipping. I already have another project in line…...a Christmas stocking ready and waiting for me to begin. It’s so weird. I thought with our full-time travels, that I would have plenty of time to work on this stuff, but the reality is between keeping up the website, social media accounts and editing photos/videos, it’s left very little time for anything else.
Power update: we’re slowly watching our stored energy decrease (down to 14% this morning). Even though we’re not operating anything, there’s still little things that sip power….the fridge (though it mostly runs on propane), the clock, etc. With tanks full, water low and virtually no power, it’s a good thing we’re leaving tomorrow. The worst case would have been having to move to an electrical site for one night. If we had had days of sunshine even with the tree canopy, we would have generated a sufficient amount of electricity. It was the combination that killed it.
Time to head to a few of the cute towns we drove through yesterday. Our first stop was the Door Artisan Cheese Company in Egg Harbor, WI. When in Wisconsin you have to try a little cheese...right? This place celebrates the cheese making process (though the factory was closed for today being a Sunday).
They also have international wines and a quaint restaurant off to the side. The cheese we sampled was delicious and we left with one good-sized wedge of Asiago Peppercorn cheese. I don’t know how anyone can be a vegan! 🤣I asked if they generally offer tours but they are apparently having staffing issues (like everyone else) and have scaled back tours for now. However, they did have a video showing the cheese making process which was quite interesting.
Next, we went to Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery in Fishcreek, WI (near Ephraim) to try some cherry wine. Even though we’ve been spoiled over the years living in Napa, sampling some of the best wines, there was something intriguing about cherry wine. The verdict…..let’s just say it’s not for every palate and leave it at that. But the property is beautiful. They also have an art gallery and wine/gift shop, so we’d definitely recommend stopping just to see that.
For the wine sampling, it’s a very unique set up. They have a table for you to fill out your selections of wines for whatever method you want to try…..a $10 flight (bigger samples of 4) or a $3 tasting (smaller samples of 6). Jeff did the $10 flight of reds, and I did the $3 tasting of Gewurztraminer, Black Cherry, Grapefruit, Apricot, Cranberry and Raspberry. Hard to imagine these were all wines. They put your order together then have you pick up your sample tray to take outside. They have a lovely covered patio with plenty of seating, and the weather was warm and pleasant. It would have been interesting to see their winemaking process but we’re glad we got to satisfy our curiosity by at least having a sample.
It was nice walking around the town of Egg Harbor…..such a darling, vibrant resort community on the waters of Green Bay and has a reputation for being one of the best small towns in America. Sparkling marina and beach, specialty shops and lovely gardens surrounded by golf courses make it very appealing.
Wisconsin has quite a brew scene so we couldn’t leave without checking out One Barrel Brewing. Picked our spot outside, ordered some nachos, wine and a beer. It was a nice place for us to catch up with an old friend from Napa while we enjoyed the brew scene, that is until the weather turned, causing a mad exodus from the patio. Lightening, thunder and rain. Anxious for that sunshine again.
When we arrived “back at the ranch”, we were hoping the solar panels would have received some sunlight, but we’re at zero folks and a first of the trip. It felt kind of strange running our evening tasks by headlamps and candlelight. The water pump is also affected and won’t run without power. So we’re keeping a bucket of water that we got from a water spigot a few yards away. It’s all part of the adventure.