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Category: On the Water

  • IMPERILED SHORES: Wisconsin State Parks Battered as Lake Shrinks Beaches

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    By Mario Koran, Wisconsin Watch/WPR Lake Michigan’s winds and waves have sculpted the landscape of Whitefish Dunes State Park. Water delivers fine sand to a shoreline that supports threatened plants like the dune thistle. Wind stacks that sand into the mighty dunes that inspired the park’s name.  Summer visitors splash on its beach or hike […]

  • Fish Creek Says Yes to Waterfront Purchase

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    Fish Creek’s public waterfront will be a little longer next year. On Monday, voters in the Town of Gibraltar approved the purchase of 0.49 acres of property on the shoreline adjacent to the town dock for $3.5 million.  The final tally was 114 in favor and 47 against the purchase of the Holiday Harbor Cottages, […]

  • ‘The water always wins’: Calls to protect shorelines as volatile Lake Michigan inflicts heavy toll

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    Wisconsin’s Great Lakes communities expect to spend more than $245 million in five years to protect shorelines as a climate ‘tug of war’ drives extreme shifts in water levels.

  • Featured Tour Guide: Leland Brenholt

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    Paddle and learn with Island Adventure Company’s ecological, historical kayak tours What’s there to do on Washington Island? If you ask kayak and outdoor excursion guide Leland Brenholt, the more appropriate question might be, what isn’t there to do?  At Island Adventure Company, guests can choose from a host of self-guided excursions and a variety […]

  • Escape the Crowds and Set Sail with Bella Sailing Cruises

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    Featured Tour Guide: Tom Schroeder They show us all the hidden treasures of Door County, from hiking trails to water views, historical tidbits to adventurous excursions. There’s no doubt about it: The tour guides of the peninsula help to make the Door County experience anything but a run-of-the-mill vacation itinerary. This week we feature Tom […]

  • Kayak Little Lake

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    Tucked in the northwestern corner of Washington Island is Little Lake. Part of the Little Lake Nature Preserve, the shallow, 33-acre, inland lake with its Walden Pond-like qualities and secluded location offers quiet respite and is an ideal place to slip a kayak into the water for a calm, easy paddle. Begin the journey by […]

  • Ephraim Yacht Club Team Wins 100 Miler

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    Ephraim Yacht Club sailors raced the Beneteau First 38 Charrette to victory during the 84th running of the Marinette and Menominee Yacht Club’s 100 Miler event this past weekend. This win marked the fifth overall for Team Charrette since 2011.   The racers started July 31 in Menominee, Michigan, in a moderate breeze. Then they […]

  • Maritime Week Kicks Off in Sturgeon Bay

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    It’s time once again to salute the U.S. Coast Guard during Sturgeon Bay’s Maritime Week. Events began Aug. 5 with a golf outing at Idlewild Golf Course and will continue through Aug. 15. Want to see everything the event has to offer? This guide will get you started. Aug. 6: Coast Guard vs. City Allstars […]

  • Kayaking Door Bluff: A Beginner’s Perspective

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    From the Eagle Trail at Peninsula State Park to Door Bluff Headlands County Park, I’ve hiked up and down along Door County’s bluffs and ventured downward to view their grandeur from the shores of Lake Michigan. But not every section of the Niagara Escarpment’s limestone is visible on foot, so my next aspiration was to […]

  • Paddle Garrett Bay

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    Cave Point isn’t the only spot to float along the rocky outcroppings of the Niagara Escarpment. Take the drive north to Ellison Bay and turn down Garrett Bay Road almost to Gills Rock, winding beneath the picturesque tree canopy, and put in at the Garrett Bay boat launch. Even in the heart of summer, you’ll […]

  • The Tales of Captain Robbo: Jim Robinson loves life floating over Death’s Door

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    Long before setting sail as Door County’s original cruise-boat operator, Jim Robinson — who’s also a skilled scuba diver — aspired to venture a few fathoms below the surface as a U-boat captain. Not with the Navy, mind you — just for kicks.  As a young man in Chicago, Robinson knew a guy who sold […]

  • Man Dies After Swimming at Cave Point Saturday

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    A picture-perfect weekend in Door County was marred by the deaths of two men in local waters in separate incidents Saturday. One man died at Cave Point County Park, and another at Schoolhouse Beach. Zachary B. Nessman of Manitowoc, age 35, died after he went swimming off-shore at Cave Point County Park, according to the […]

  • Explore Safely at Cave Point County Park

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    Whether you’re kayaking along the shoreline or hiking on the trails and rocks, it’s crucial to consider safety when adventuring on or near the water at Cave Point County Park.  The county park in Sevastopol attracts swarms of visitors each year because of its fascinating topographical features, but those same features can also be very […]

  • History Kayak Tours Launch in Ephraim

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    The Ephraim Historical Foundation and Peninsula Kayak Company have partnered to share Door County history from kayaks. Guided tours will take paddlers through Eagle Harbor to focus on Ephraim’s history. The first tour was July 9, and future tours will take place every other Friday at 1 pm.  Make reservations for the history kayak tour […]

  • WILD THINGS: A Hot Summer Is a Cool Time to Scout for the Fall Seasons

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    If you’re the procrastinating type, you can be late and early at the same time this summer by getting out in the woods. Let me explain. A lot of experts will tell you that any changes you make to your hunting areas should be done as soon as possible after the season ends – as in, […]

  • It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Wing Foil!

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    Lars Topelmann was one of the first people to windsurf in Eagle Harbor when he was 16 years old. Now 57, he’s the first person in the same harbor to try the latest water sport: wing foiling.  “It feels like floating, like flying on water,” Topelmann said. “It’s an evolution of windsurfing, paddleboarding and kiting.”  […]

  • Want to Get Out on the Water?

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    Head for the 18th annual Door County Sea Kayak Symposium July 9-11. Kicking things off at Rowleys Bay Resort, the symposium will build a community of kayak enthusiasts of all skill levels through tours, classes and social events such as campfires, sunrise yoga and an ice-cream social. Register at everyonepaddles.com.

  • Fireworks Look Even Better from the Water

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    Independence Day fireworks displays launch from various bays and harbors along the Door Peninsula, so this year, try watching them from the water. Heading out on a boat with friends and family is one way, but if you’re looking for a smaller group or a solo experience, here are some tips and options for a […]

  • VIDEO: On the Water: Board Sports

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    Flat water or swells, there are plenty of opportunities for board sports in Door County. Of the 300 miles of shoreline, 150 are roughly on the Lake Michigan side, which is where the larger waves can be found for freshwater surfing. On the Green Bay side, the calm waters are ideal for paddle boarding and […]

  • VIDEO: Sailing Door County

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    The combination of wind and water around the shores of Door County allow for fantastic sailing conditions. The interaction of bluffs and bays make for an exciting adventure. Anchor at a sandy bay, sail over Death’s Door to Washington and Rock Island or cruise the canal. You haven’t seen all of Door County until you’ve […]