I came, I saw, I'm coming back!

Today marks a little over a month until I trek up to Fish Creek, Wisconsin to rehearse and perform with Peninsula Players. Over Memorial Day, I did an investigative trip to Door County to check out the local watering holes, the theatre and its grounds, wineries, nature, you know, the important stuff. Upon arriving at the Peninsula Players grounds, I realized it looked like a scene out of Dirty Dancing.

I carried a watermelon

I thought, if Frances 'Baby' Houseman can do it, so can I! (Good thing I enjoyed the trip since my contract is signed, sealed and delivered. :-) )

Highlights from the trip include visits to Julie's Park Cafe where I had a fabulous gluten free-bunned Ham and Swiss sandwich, Cana Island Lighthouse with a 97 stair walk up to the top of the 114 year old lighthouse, Pelletier's for a traditional Fish Boil, Stones Throw Winery including a wine tasting and picnic, theCookery featuring a salad with traditional Door County apples and cherries as well as a movie night with my family.

BUT

My favorite experiences so far are the following:

First of all, the sheer amount of gluten free options available in Door County. It seems like every restaurant there knows what they are doing regarding this intolerance. Cross contamination can also be a huge deal in restaurants, but I didn't get sick once. When I am living there later this summer, it is also a great thing to know that some of my favorite gluten free items are available at a couple local grocery stores. I won't have to pack my suitcases full of food!

Secondly, and in addition to being gluten free, I am also dairy free, but on special occasions I cheat a little and take a dairy pill with cheese. And hey, it's Wisconsin, the land of cheese. How could I not avoid a little indulgence? Unfortunately, gas stations don't go so far as to stock dairy pills, so I had to find a pharmacy. I googled and came up with Shopko pharmacy. Perfect! I set the GPS and off I was to the pharmacy. When I pulled into the parking lot, I thought, well shoot, am I in the wrong place? You don't exactly see this at a pharmacy in the Land of Lincoln:

However, the sign outside the store still read 'Pharmacy'. Alright Wisconsin, I thought, I'll trust you. Trust paid off. Not only was a pharmacy inside, but a Payless Shoes Source mini-store, a clothing section, water toys section (duh!), some food and a quasi-dollar section like those found at your local Target. Needless to say, I walked out with more than dairy pills.

Finally, I'm a wine-o and I never knew there were wineries in Wisconsin. The thing I'm discovering about Wisconsin wines is the unusual blends or ingredient combinations to create delicious tasting wine. From this trip, I discovered Cherry Chardonnay made by Orchard Country Winery. Normally, I detest Chardonnay. My palate prefers the fruitier medium-bodied reds and whites. This wine, it's so sweet, but finishes nice and crisp. I bought a bottle to bring home.

All in all, I had a great time visiting and am very excited to return and explore more this July and August. My next steps to prepare for the trip are starting my actor process for the first show I'm in and considering renting a moped for the summer. You could picture that right?

Until next time!