Spending a Day in Sturgeon Bay

Maybe you haven't been to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin - but you know a community like this one I'm sure.  Perhaps it reminds you of the place where you grew up, or the place that guy on public radio describes in his monologues on Saturday night.

Just by squeezing your eyes closed a little or letting your retinas lose their focus for a few minutes - your ideal home town probably looks a lot like this one.

It was our first evening in town and a trip to the actual downtown shopping area was the first indication this is a special place.

Local owners of the stores were bustling behind the counter preparing for the city-wide Sidewalk Sales planned for the next two days, but weren't too busy to offer a big smile and a pleasant "hello."  On the sidewalks, sculptures of sturgeon were schooling - decked out in re-purposed silverware or steam punk attire in advance of a community auction in late August to help a local charity.

Yellow caught my eye as we crossed the street... on the corner (of course) stood the Corner Cafe - and with a quick mental note it moved to the front of our list for breakfast the next morning.

But first, there was the water of the Bay calling to us and a quiet city street led us close to the sparkling blue and a city park adjacent to a working marina where crews busied themselves preparing a cargo ship for another load.

It's hard to tell how much time passed before it was time to move on - mostly because the gentle breeze brought cool temperatures to us and given the calendar read "July" at the start of day - we weren't ready for a wind chill!

While not completely prepared, there were sweatshirts and jeans back at the Snug Harbor Inn - which would provide the insulation needed to enjoy the concert in Martin Park just down the street.

The Dave Steffen Band plays 'Power Blues' and rock-n-roll with some good voices and an entertaining musical style.  They played to a strong crowd too - at least 200 on and under blankets and lawn chairs or dancing to the music.

Way back when, I worked with a guy named Dave Steffen when we both sold insurance.  I'm pretty sure that wasn't him on stage.  If it was... wow, Dave... you have changed just a bit from what I remembered!
The next morning at the Corner Cafe, it was time for Strawberry pancakes - with fresh fruit and real whipped cream on thin pancakes that were just the right compliment to get the day underway.

The retailers were already at it through breakfast, as the sidewalk sale unrolled across the town.

We didn't know anyone who lived there in Sturgeon Bay, but there were not strangers to be found.  A city of tourism; boats and boat sales and service; and the hub of commerce for all points to the north.  It could be any town...  assuming any town is located between two big and beautiful bodies of water with plentiful sport fishing and summers of your dreams.

The local radio stations talked about the important items on the town agenda along with updates on the biggest fish caught the day before... it was a welcome stroll back a few years to a less-hurried pace and time to enjoy a second cup of tea and another piece of pie.

I can't commute to my job from Sturgeon Bay, so it will be a place for future visits.  Next time, I need to bring my bike!