Wisconsin's First Lady, Tonette Walker, will be in Door County July 18-19 as part of her Walk With Walker initiative to explore the natural and scenic beauty of Wisconsin's parks, trails and landscapes while promoting health and wellness along the way. The events are free, open to the public and provide a unique opportunity for participants to enjoy some time with the first lady.
On Wednesday July 18, Mrs. Walker will be joined by Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett for a guided hike at Whitefish Dunes State Park, 3275 Clark Lake Road (County WD). The walk will depart the nature center at 1:30 PM and head to "Old Baldy," Wisconsin's tallest sand dune. The hike should be finished around 3:15 PM. No registration is necessary to participate in this hike, and state park fees will be waived that afternoon at Whitefish Dunes from 1-3:30 PM for anyone participating. Interested participants should plan to arrive around 1:15 PM and meet at the nature center.
On Thursday July 19th, Mrs. Walker and Secretary Klett will head to Rock Island State Park for a walk to Wisconsin's oldest lighthouse. The day will start with a ride on the Washington Island Ferry, departing Northport Pier at 8:30 AM. Once on Washington Island, participants will hop aboard the Washington Island Cherry Train for a brief island tour that will end up at Detroit Harbor, where participants will board the Rock Island Ferry at 10:30 AM for a 15 minute boat ride over to Rock Island. The 2+ mile round trip hike from the boat dock to Pottawatomie Lighthouse and back will run from around 11 AM until 1:30 PM and include a docent led tour of the lighthouse. Ferries will return passengers back to the day's starting point at Northport Pier around 3:30 PM. The public is invited to participate in this Rock Island adventure for free, but a limited number of slots are available on a first come, first serve basis. Anyone interested in participating can reserve a spot by e-mailing Jon Jarosh at the Door County Visitor Bureau at jon@doorcounty.com. Additional details for participants will be e-mailed upon registration.
Parts of both walks will take place in wooded areas and include some rolling terrain. Walkers are advised to wear or bring with them the following: good walking shoes, bug repellent, sunscreen, hat, lightweight jacket, camera and water.
“We are excited to welcome Mrs. Walker to Door County for two wonderful hikes,” says Jarosh, who helped set up the events. “I would encourage anyone interested to join Mrs. Walker and the rest of the group for some exercise and to enjoy a couple of the great trails we have here in Door County.”
Additional information about next week’s events can be found at the Walk With Walker web site, http://www.walkwithwalkerwi.org/.
