I know I’ve talked about Cave Point a few times overs the years I’ve been writing this blog, but given it’s my favorite place on Earth, I think we should all be surprised I don’t talk about it a whole lot more. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A bit ago, I wrote about how I took a drive up and down the Door County Peninsula. I hadn’t planned to stop at Cave Point, but the universe apparently knew I needed it anyway.
Every time I’m there, there’s something new to see, to explore. And this time, it was parts of the land I’ve not seen in…maybe decades. I honestly can’t remember the last time the lake was THIS low:
Most often, there isn’t much climbing down to be done because the water is being pushed up against the cliffs themselves – which always makes for an excellent show of perfect splashes. Every now and then, we’re able to climb down a bit along those ledges on the right side of the photo above. (The decision to climb down also depends on the person – some are a bit more adventurous than others. If you ever go, be smart and be safe. You do not want to land in the lake. Also, if you ever go in winter, never go near the edge or attempt to climb if you are not wearing cleats!) This is what it commonly is like when the water is what we would consider low (that’s my friend Jen – she was actually on her way to grab a water bottle someone had left behind [sigh] – always take out what you bring in with you):
On a more normal day, the lake is like this – water up to the cliffs making some great splashes (the sound is unreal – provides an absolute reset to one’s nervous system) (again, that’s my friend Jen perched up on that cliff):
Another pic of the same sport on a particularly windy day:
But my last trek, the water was so low – it was almost nerve wracking how far out I could walk onto the limestone bed. The wind was minimal, so there weren’t really splashes. I should be in water up to my knees standing here and looking back at the trees:
One of my fav grabs from another trip – that’s Jen squatting near the splash. We can sit for hours and just watch the water, waiting for the perfect splash. And, sometimes, the lake gets a bit sassy about it.
Cave Point is located on the lake side of the Door Peninsula, between Institute and Jacksonport. If you go straight to Cave Point (which is a county park), you do not need a park pass. If you go by way of Whitefish State Dunes, you do need one (as it’s a state park). If you’re up to it, you can park at Cave Point (again, for free) and walk all the way to the dunes (which is a lot easier now that the state park has put in a gravel walking path).
For ages, my friend Philip has been posting photos of hearts he finds out in the word. Sometimes, they are intentional hearts. But often they were more like this:
It’s because of him I’ve started noticing them everywhere. It’s another thing Jen and I look for when we go – and we always find a slew of hearts here. So be on the look out if you go. As Philip would say, #LoveIsEverywhere.
Ami Maxine 