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Folk Festival Afterglow - 2001
By Cheri Damkoehler  -  Milwaukee, WI

My mom, (Phyllis Grace Smith), and I finally returned to Milwaukee around sunset Monday (7-9-01), after a leisurely trip home from the (22nd annual) Door County Folk Festival. Shortly after I left the staff group-lunch at the Mission Grille, I met mom at JJ's (LaPuerta) Restaurant where she was just finishing a coffee & a water, so I decided to get a single taco & an orange dream ice cream drink.  Mom had a taste of the "orange dream" & thought it was so good, she ordered one too!

Then we drove up to Gills Rock & around the tip of the "thumb" with two little stops: we peeked in two of the "Rocky Ledge" cottages up there(they were vacant), one of which our family had stayed in for a week when I was about 12 yrs. old, and then stopped at "Bea's Ho-made Products, Ltd." to purchase some cherry preserves, canned sauerkraut for my dad, some lovely blue iris napkins for my mother-in-law, and a "Door County Medley Pie"(which I think is a combination of apple-cherry-blackberry-rhubarb).  [We also tried stopping in a contemporary art shop nearby, but it was closed 'til Tues. about 10:00am.]

As we left Gills Rock, we were greeted by a brief, but very refreshing rain shower which nicely cleaned most of the bug-spots off the windshield.  Then we passed through Ellison Bay and I had memories of swimming there and taking two week-long summer courses there at The Clearing (a very scenic adult educational retreat in the woods on the highest point above Ellison Bay, not far from Gus Klenke's old garage).

Continuing south & back through Sister Bay, we recognized a few folkdancers still hanging out in front of the village hall, so we honked at Dennis & Linda, et al.  Soon, we were at the top of the hill near Ephraim and we had to stop at The Singing Bowl (deli & spa), for a couple of snacks. While there, we both started reading copies of a free Green Bay mini-newspaper & then I saw some lovely greeting cards and cassette tapes, so I bought a few.

Who says us folkdancers don't spend much in Door County?!! Oh, yes, at least six of us went to the Sunday night play (a comedy by the Peninsula Players): Amy & Mike Champeau, Joanna & Don Thompson of Madison, and my mom & me!

And, lastly, I also bought a box of cookies as a thank-you gift to our host at the French Country Inn (B&B) in Ephraim: Walt Fisher. He was SO KIND to suggest a car repair  place for my auto, [located between Ephraim & Bailey's Harbor: A. M. Enterprises],  personally drive me out there to retrieve my towed & repaired vehicle, and then wait as I paid the bill so that I could follow him back via a different route with less road work going on!

Maybe later this week, I'll email you some other Door County memories...it will be fun to see whether the Door County Advocate newspaper includes any festival photos in their upcoming editions!?! I told some of you that "Big Dog" Rick & I were photographed dancing the Russian Two-Step in the Sister Bay Waterfront Park, and then I heard that some of the musicians were also photographed, including someone playing a dumbek (drum) while standing on one-leg, (Flamingo style dumbek?)!!

All for Now!  Wistfully,

Cheri Lynette Damkoehler, 
(Friendly Flautist & Folkdancer)

Milwaukee, WI


 

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