Door County Wacko Gathering Part 3

This topic started life here and Part II can be found here .

Join us for the first collector driven regional type event, to be held the weekend of May 14-16 in Door County WI. At this point, I have about 115 collectors planning to attend the dinner on Saturday evening. Kim Andrews, CEO of Harbour Lights, will be our special guest. The dinner will be in Baileys Harbor, featuring a traditional Door County fish boil (with broasted chicken alternative). There will also be time for socializing at the dinner.

We will also be having get-togethers at one of the two hotels where we have special pricing arrangements. Other things happening that weekend:

• Cana Island light will be open to climb (a first!)

• The restored Pottawatomie Light will have a dedication ceremony. Many of the group plan to take the Island Clipper to view some lights and make the trek to the light. See Part 2 to read up on that discussion.

• We will have our very own Director of Liquid Refreshment (Mombo) who will allegedly be driving a polka dot themed beer dispensing vehicle.

Lighthouse Walk web page

The weekend will be a great time for all. Many of the Wacko Family are planning to attend for the festivities. Don't be the one who missed out on this gathering! Oh, did I mention that there will be a special very limited edition event piece produced by Harbour Lights?

If you are interested in attending, you need to let me know. At this point people wil be on a space available list for the dinner, depending on space available for the dinner. If you are interested and have not requested the event information (with hotel and dinner info) send me an email at e v e n t @lighthousekeepers.com (take out the spaces).

Dave

Don't forget the very first ever 'Harbor Lights Event Exclusive' for a collector-originated event. Limited to just 500 pieces.

Hope this week to have information and photos on the piece, price, and distribution.

Just received our Island Clipper ticket(s) Thats right, we ordered two at 35.00 each for a total of 70.00 which they charged our card for but only sent one ticket. Will have to call tommorow and find out why. Received the Lighthouse walk brochure and on page 9 is an advertisement for AMO Gallery in Sturgeon Bay along with a photo of HL460 Cana Island. I am not seeing this in the HL catalog, so I am assuming this is a new introduction?? It looks like a light up GLOW and retails for $60.00. Looking forward to May and seeing everyone for a GREAT time!!!!

HL 460 Cana Island is a new piece. It looks nice!

Suzanne

I received my tickets for the boat ride and the walk today.

I noticed in the brochure that it states that the capacity of the Island Clipper is 85. I believe Suzanne stated it would hold 130. My ticket number was 42 so I wouldn't wait too long to get a ticket. (Maybe they have a larger boat than what the brochure shows?)

The brochure also states that not everyone will get to climb Cana Island. The estimate is for 150-175 per day. Since we seem to have well in excess of 100 in our group it seems we'll have to have a plan for this one?

Reserved our tickets on 3/2, received yesterday, and the ticket numbers are 78 & 79. Told that this boat holds 85 also.

The Island Clipper captain told me "The boat capacity is 150, but we limit the lighthouse tour to 130 to give folks a little more room."

There are two ways to sign up for tickets: 1. with the museum and 2.with the boat company directly. It may be that the museum is selling 85 tickets and the boat company takes the rest of the tickets. I do know that the boat has an upper and lower deck.

I ordered tickets the first day and my ticket is #80 and at that time they had only sold 10 tickets for the boat trip. I have a feeling the ticket number is meaningless.

Suzanne,
Now how does that work....didn't I order mine JUST before you and I got # 81...I feel soooo cheated Orrrr was it the other way around??

I think they are counting backwards. The earlier you ordered, the higher the ticket number!

I ordered on March 1st.

Suzanne

We ordered our boat tickets on March 2 and we are #60.

OK, I'm a little behind the thread here.

We're coming up Thursday afternoon (will be in Milwaukee for the first part of our trip). Staying in Ephriam. Attending the dinner Saturday night. Leaving Sunday morning to take the Badger back to Michigan.

I have not ordered any boat tickets yet. I REALLY want to do the Island Clipper trip, but I think the only conceivable way to do it is alone (my husband and two year old are coming; she will not make it six hours on a boat) - and I need to ask him if it's ok that I desert him for most of the day...?

The other boat trip I really would like to do is Chambers Island. I have not seen this light. (Only Saturday 10am is left; and that's the same time as the Island Clipper boat tour).

Help!! Need Input!! SOON!

Jen,

As I have told several folks during conversations about the Door County outing, I would do the Island Clipper for two reasons: one is that you would be with a number of the Forum Family, which always makes for fun lighthousing. More importantly, the dedication ceremony at Pottawatomie will happen only this one time and you could be there. Means you give up doing the other lights on the mainland that day, and you won't be at the dinner when it starts, but I would say it is a decent trade off.

I have tickets for the Island Clipper on Sat. that are numbers 84 & 85. I also called on March 1st. Maybe what Suzanne said was correct in that they started with the higher numbers and are working down to #1.

We also called around the 1st and received no's 31 and 32 on the 4th. Maybe they've got more than one pile they're dealing from.

Gary

Maybe we should have a lucky number drawing with our ticket numbers? Prize winner gets to haul the keg????

As most of you now know, the Bailey's Harbor Range Lights in Door County are the event exclusive for the collector gathering in May.

This was previewed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse Regional and the paint samples were auctioned and brought $1,000 which went to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. The lucky winner had to give them right back because they are the only ones in the country at this time.

The two lights are 'Little Light' sized and the bases are designed to fit together (but not interlock). They will carry the HL674 number indicating they are a 'Special Limited Edition'. The retail is $30 for the pair and only 500 are being made.

You can view an animated image of the two pieces at www.HarbourLights.com/catalog/2004/surprise.htm

Those attending the dinner on Door County on May 15 will be able to pre-purchase one per paid attendee. Those attending the dinner will receive instructions in advance on how to pre-order the piece. There is still more room for more who wish to attend the dinner.

Kim will be 'hand touching' those purchased by the dinner guests making them a bit unique. (She'll do the hand painting before shipping them to the event.)

One local dealer has a small allotment and Kim expects to sell some at a display in Bailey's Harbor at the bus stop that transports lighthouse walkers to Cana Island.

Details are being worked out as to how the remaining pieces are to be distributed. Please don't call Harbour Lights, Dave Hannum or I about ordering.

Last Fall while Dave Hannum and I were attending the 'So You Want To Own A Lighthouse' seminar in St. Augustine, we had the opportunity to have breakfast with Kim Andrews and planted the seed with her to create a special limited edition for the Door County event. She very quickly picked up on the idea and by lunch, she was able to say she had put the piece in motion -- but whether it could be completed in such a short time wasn't certain.

Just before Christmas, Suzanne Murphy and Pam Cook (Thelma & Louise) were dispatched on a secret photographic mission to take the pictures from which the pieces could be sculpted.

The paint sample arrived in the US just after Valentines Day.

It was announced at the St. Augustine Regional Event that there is one gold-plated pewter casting of the Bailey's Harbor pieces that will be given by drawing at the Door County Dinner. The only way you have a chance to win the gold version will be to be AT the dinner and have purchased this event exclusive.

I just logged on to the website, and the Island Clipper is sold out

Looks like we overslept on that one, so be thankful that you have your tix, and should anyone decide not to do the trip, Lucinda and I will be willing to take those tickets off your hands

Thanks to 2 of my bestest forum buddies, I called and indeed they had tickets available.

FYI: Once they have less than 5 tickets left, it gets marked as sold out on the web. So we are in on the clipper!

FYI Part Deux: Birchwood is sold out for Saturday night, and Somerset had 3 rooms left in the block.

I know someone who may not be able to make it to the event, but do have reservations at the Birchwood. They are going to hold onto them for the time being, but if you are interested, let me know by email and I will let them know.

Larry, do you or anyone else know if the Clipper has tickets left? I only need one. I begged my hubby to let me go! Now I just need to get on that boat....!!! I'll call first thing tomorrow!

Jen - Call the Island Clipper at (920) 854-2972 and ask if there are any tickets left for Saturday.

Suzanne Murphy

Regarding the capacity of the boat---taken from the web page:

"the Island Clipper departs Gills Rock at the tip of the Door Peninsula and carries visitors through island-studded waters to picturesque Washington Island. The 65 ft., 149 seat all-weather craft, with the latest in safety and navigational equipment..."

http://www.islandclipper.com/

In May it is best to not crowd the boat because if the weather is bad everyone will want to sit below deck and not out in the open.

Suzanne Murphy

I think the museum still had one, so try there as well.

*BOOOYING* *BOOOYING* Yeah! Jen's going on an Island Clipper Tour!

Due to people having changes and not being able to attend the dinner, there are spots available. Please contact me ASAP to reserve a space. Information on how to order the Baileys Harbor Range Light special event piece will be sent to dinner participants this evening.

Don't forget that there will be one gold piece that will go to someone participating in the dinner, so it may well be the rarest of the golds.

This will be a wonderful weekend that you don't want to miss.

While looking around at Door County information I found this information for Airplane tours of the lighthouses of Door County the weekend we will be there.
SCENIC LIGHTHOUSE AIRPLANE TOUR
First Day: 5/15/2004
Last Day: 5/16/2004
Location of event: Cherryland Airport in Sturgeon Bay

Get a bird’s eye view from the air of ALL the lighthouses Door County has to offer in an hour. Plane rides depart from the Cherryland Airport in Sturgeon Bay. Reservations highly recommended. 888-743-6952.

If anyone can afford the airplane tours, they are well worth it. When I was up there last September, my brother-in-law flew up with his Cessna 182 and I got to fly over Plum and Pilot Islands, and Potawatomie. It was incredible. Just make sure you have a good, fast zoom!

Good News -

My daffodils in Wisconsin are blooming! This means that there is a good possibility that we may have a warm Lighthouse Walk this year! (I hope).

Suzanne

Looks like we may break 70 for the weekend! Woo Hoo, get some green on the ground and get rid of the winter brown

On yet a brighter note, our waiting list time for Birchwood on Saturday night is over, looks like we won't have to sleep in the car after all

Has anyone got plans for Monday and Tuesday besides going home or back to work? John and I want to view as many lighthouses down the Lake Michigan coast as can see on those two days. We are flying out of O'Hare on Wednesday afternoon. I thought we would try and stop by Grosse Point Wed. morning before heading to the airport.

We're going home on Sunday because we are going to be in Wisconsin the week before in Milwaukee at my borther in law's home for several days.

OK, I'm thinking of shooting down to Manitowoc from the airport in Green Bay on Friday and working my way north to the Birchwood, checking out the lights that we won't be seeing the other days. My plane's supposed to get in at 12:33pm. Have no idea just how long this will take. If the weather's not good I may just go check out the lights at Kewaunee and Algoma. Or if the weather's really bad I guess I'll just head for the Birchwood. Hopefully the forecast will improve some between now and then.

We just had a really nice weekend. It was warm and sunny on Saturday and today it rained lightly this morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon and I was able to get some flowers planted.

Thankfully, you don't live up here. I think we got 5 inches of rain, and we are waiting for another night of heavy rains and wind. We had 70's this afternoon, so it will be nice and green when you get here, but if it continues to rain, its going to be a little swampy...

People should know that the month of May is the Door County Festival of Blossoms. Hopefully there will be many daffodils and tulips blooming.

Also, this weekend is Syttende Mai in Sister Bay. On Saturday, there will be decorations on the street, a parade, live entertainment, ice cream social, and a bonfire. We will probably miss most of these events because we will be busy with lighthouse activities, but people may wonder why there are Norwegian decorations hanging on the lamp posts. This is why.

Stamps in the U.S. Lighthouse Society's Passport program are now available for Baileys Harbor range lights, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Sherwood Point, and Sturgeon Bay Light Station. Cana Island has had one for several years.

For those traveling to see nearby Wisconsin lights, stamps are also available now for Two Rivers/Rogers Street Fishing Village, and Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc.

And where can one get access to the stamps to get their passports stamped? Thinking primarily of the range lights which are not normally staffed.

During the Lighthouse Walk, the Range lights are staffed. There should be a person at both range lights. You can go inside the house and you can climb the lower range light. I think they got the stamp for the Walk.

At other times, it possibly could be at the museum in Sturgeon Bay. I will have to ask them. It would be good to know for future reference.

I'm leaving in about 1 hour (as soon as I finish payroll) to start the drive north to Door County. Great times with great friends with beautiful weather. I believe in postive thinking. See you all there.

I did the Door County Walk three years ago and received stamps for the range lights. There are separate stamps for the front and rear range.

There are four stamps that you can get on the walk:
Cana Island
Eagle Bluff
Both Range Lights

See you this weeekend!

TD

I have been informed that they will have passports in the giftshop and have stamps available at all land lights including Sturgeon Bay and Sherwood Point.

We're on the way. Weather for the weekend looks good. See you tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to a great weekend

Roger & AK

Well Sat & Sun look ok, if cool. Tomorrow doesn't look that great, or Monday.

http://www.weather.com/weather/local/USWI0670?from=search_10day

We are currently at 91! I'd sure rather have it cooler for lighthousing!

The car is packed and we are off!!!! Just need a quick stop in Wausau this morning to get supplies for our pack lunch on Saturday and some snacks for the car. See you all there!!

Adam and Mindy