Death’s Door

Door County

Washington Island, Wisconsin’s,  adjacent waterway is known as “Death’s Door” because its strong currents, submerged rocks, and treacherous waters have caused numerous shipwrecks and claimed many lives over the centuries. The name is a translation of the French term “Porte des Morts,” meaning “door of the dead,” reflecting the waterway’s deadly reputation for sailors. A Native American legend also attributes the name to a catastrophic battle in which warriors were drowned in the strait, reinforcing the waterway’s ominous reputation. 

This storage shed is located on the northern tip of Washington Island on Jackson Harbor with a sign indicating you are at Death’s Door.

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Cormorants at Porte des Morts

Door County

“Cormorants at Death’s Door” refers to the abundance of Double-crested Cormorants between Door County and Washington Island, a location named for the dangerous waters around Pilot Island, Wisconsin, and for which the “Death’s Door Tour” is named. The phrase describes the presence of these birds in a place that is both geographically significant and ecologically important, as Pilot Island is a key nesting site for a species that once faced population crashes but has since recovered and is now abundant. 

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Exploring MacDonald’s Bayside Tavern: A Fish Creek Tradition

Door Couunty

For 50 years, MacDonald’s Bayside Tavern has been a downtown Fish Creek cornerstone, carrying on a legacy that began over a century ago. Generations of locals and visitors have gathered here—swapping stories, clinking glasses, and making memories.

More than a business, Bayside is a tradition, woven into the fabric of the community. With its timeworn hardwood bar, vintage decor, and restored facade, the tavern preserves Fish Creek’s charm while remaining a welcoming hub for all. 

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Chapel of the Ozarks

Resting at the highest point in Taney County, Missouri, this enchanting, three-story chapel boasts incredible floor-to-ceiling views of Table Rock Lake through a glass backdrop. As you enter through antique pine wood doors, the chapel opens to soaring 23-foot vaulting ceilings with seating for up to 180 guests. The rest of your life with your partner begins in one of the most breathtaking venues in the Ozark Mountains – Chapel of the Ozarks.

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1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS: The Iconic Teardrop Car

1938 Talbot-Lago T150C-SS Figoni et Falaschi Coupe

The 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Figoni et Falaschi Coupe, also known as the Goutte d’Eau or “Teardrop,” is a legendary, pre-war French automobile celebrated for its sculptural, aerodynamic “teardrop” styling by Joseph Figoni and its racing pedigree. Chassis 90034, owned by Antoine Schumann, is one of the most famous examples, noted for its unique proportions, sliding sunroof, and continuous history, including post-war racing and concours appearances. 

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Ha Ha Tonka Ruins

Wealthy Kansas City businessman Robert Snyder had a dream to construct a European-styled castle right in his beloved Missouri. To this end Snyder purchased 5,000 acres of land, including his very own lake, and began work on the evocative mansion in 1905. The businessman even imported stone masons from Europe to achieve the correct style, but unfortunately Snyder would not live to see his dream house to completion. Construction on the house had begun in earnest, but in 1906, Snyder was killed in one of Missouri’s first car accidents. However Snyder’s dream castle would not die with him.

After his death, Snyder’s sons continued work on the building and were able to complete the castle by 1920. After completing construction, one of Snyder’s sons took up residence in the huge castle until the family’s money ran out due to land rights lawsuits surrounding the castle’s property. After Snyder the younger’s depression and poverty drove him from the house the building was opened as a hotel and lodge until 1942 when the entire building was utterly destroyed by a fire.

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Ha Ha Tonka State Park: Caves, Sinkholes, and Scenic Views

Walkway in Ha Ha Tonka State Park in central Missouri. Ha Ha Tonka is a large park in a valley overlooking Lake of the Ozarks. The park also features caves, sinkholes, and bluffs overlooking the lake. It is a prominent example of karst topography, which is geological formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock. A 70-acre (28 ha) portion of the park was designated as the Ha Ha Tonka Karst Natural Area in 1981.

This area is worth a visit with scenic views, old ruins and trails.

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Swimmimg Hole

Fishtrap Lake

A beautiful day in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. This is Fishtrap at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in a very northern section of Wisconsin. This lake is known for trophy fishing incliding Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye. Sitting on the shore you will see Bald Eagles, Loons, Beaver.  Swimming and waterskiing are fasvorite passtimes.

Boeing PT-17 Stearman 

The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s.[1] Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known as the Stearman, Boeing Stearman or Kaydet, it served as a primary trainer for the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Navy (as the NS & N2S), and with the Royal Canadian Air Force as the Kaydet throughout World War II. After the conflict was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market. In the immediate postwar years they became popular as crop dusters, sports planes, and for aerobatic and wing walking use in air shows.

This plane is stationed at the Commerative Air Force’s facilities at St. Charles County Regional Airport – Smartt Field. In addition to the Stearman, they have a B-25 Mitchell “Show-ME,” Grumman TBM-3 Avenger, and an Arenonka L3S. These planes are routinely take out to air shows across the country.

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