Tag: tranquil timbers

Wonderful Wisconsin: Door County

Sunset • Wisconsin’s Door County

Wisconsin’s Door County has five state parks and over 250 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan. It is also home to iconic Wisconsin fish boils, a restaurant with goats on the roof, and 11 quaint towns with cute names like Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, and Sturgeon Bay.

Come discover this 75-mile long peninsula and stay with us at Tranquil Timbers and choose one of the unique accommodations offered here, including cabins, cottages, and yurts! It’s a true glamper’s paradise.

Yurt • Tranquil Timbers Camping Resort • Sturgeon Bay, WI

Regular summer events in Door County include the Egg Harbor Farmer’s Market which is held in Harbor View Market every Friday (May 24-October 25) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (weather permitting). Fish boils are regular events at least five of Door County’s restaurants. If you haven’t experienced a fish boil, please make this a must-do – it’s a local tradition not to be missed. And, with more than 250 miles of shoreline, there’s always a beach calling your name.  In fact, there are 53 public beaches in Door County. The beach in Egg Harbor is arguably the most popular on the peninsula and Schoolhouse Beach was recently named “most romantic.”

June is jam-packed with fun as the Door hosts several events including Goat Fest, the Steel Bridge Songfest, the Door County Beer Festival, and the Fyr Bal Festival (not to be confused with Fyre Festival).

On Saturday, June 8, it’s all about the aforementioned goats. The fun kicks off with the Roofing of the Goats, as the goats are led to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant where they will take up residence for the summer season on the restaurant’s roof. Yes, you read that right. The festivities will also include live music, children’s events, food and beverages, and a Swedish Pancake eating contest.

A songwriting and performance festival that benefits the preservation of historic Sturgeon Bay, the Steel Bridge Songfest is an annual favorite and a one-of-a-kind experience. In fact, it all began to raise funds to save the Michigan Street Steel Bridge, a Veteran’s Memorial in Door County. The bridge is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The fest itself brings together singers and songwriters to the Holiday Motel, Door’s County first ever motel, where they occupy the rooms and collaborate to create music. It all culminates with live performances. The Holiday Motel is now the world’s only fully operational motel featuring live music, collaborative songwriting retreats, and a radio station that broadcasts from the hotel.  This year’s event is scheduled for June 14-15. For information, visit www.steelbridgesongfest.org.

The Door County Beer Fest on Saturday, June 15, celebrates craft beer. The event will also include local foods, live music, and culinary artisans all gathered to say cheers to Wisconsin’s more than 150 craft beers.

The Fyr Bal, also set for June 15, celebrates the Scandinavian heritage of the town of Eprhaim, as well as the arrival of summer.  The event will include a bonfire to burn the “Winter Witch” as well as fireworks over the harbor. There will also be food booths, live music, and artisans.

July brings fireworks displays throughout the towns to celebrate Independence Day as well as the Door County Folk Festival July 12-16 and the Plein Air Festival, July 24-29. Presented by the Peninsula School of Art, this festival gives attendees an inside look at the galleries and artists who make painting the landscape of Door County a beautiful experience.

Center Your Universe in a Yurt

The ancient tribes, who are often credited with the creation of the yurt, believed in creating a balance between the world of people and the world of nature. These nomadic people felt strongly that their moveable dwellings should incorporate that balance. The Mongolians considered their traveling shelters, called gers, to be the center of their universe. The orientation of the dwelling had the door opening to the south and the interior space divided into four directions, north, south, east and west. The space to the north was considered sacred; if the family was religious that is where the altar sat, otherwise it was reserved for guests of honor. In keeping with the Yin and Yang theory, the eastern half of the yurt was the female space while the western portion was male. Traditionally, one moved around the inside space in a clockwise direction. Most importantly, it was a space for a family that provided a comfortable shelter from the elements.

Yurt at Lake of the Springs, Oregon House, CA

Gers or yurts (the Russian’s word for them which roughly translates to the word “home”) became a popular living space option in the US thanks to Dr. William Coperthwaite, a Maine-born, Harvard-educated professor who took an interest in yurts in the early 1960s for its simpler living space. While the nomadic tribes constructed their dwellings with felted mats of sheep’s wool, Coperthwaite’s design incorporated wood and canvas. Coperthwaite’s designs become popular and in 1993, Oregon became the first state to offer yurts in their state parks as an option to tent camping.

Yurt at Yosemite Lakes, Oregon House, CA

Yurts took a while to catch on, but are now one of the more popular alternatives to the tent or RV, for many reasons. The domed roofs allow sunlight and starlight in the structure and people have reported a feeling of serenity when occupying a yurt, which experts say has something to do with the circular enclosure.  Yurts are well insulated and provide, as they did for the nomads, a comfy spot away from the cold and rain. They are spacious, too – you don’t have to divide your space like the ancients did, but if you choose to, there is plenty to go around.

Yurt Interior at Tranquil Timbers, Sturgeon Bay, WI

So why not find your center of the universe in a yurt and choose one for your next outdoor adventure? Petite Retreats offers yurts at several beautiful locations in California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Visit petiteretreats.com to learn about our yurts and other unique accommodations at Petite Retreats.