Dane County Ordinance Extends Domestic Partner Benefits
Amendment Establishes Partner Registry, Requires County Contractors To Offer Equal Benefits
Madison - In what some are calling a historic decision,the Dane County Board voted September 19 to require companies that contract with the country for a minimum of $5,000 in services must offer health benefits to their employees' domestic partners. The ordinance amendment mirrors county policy that offers domestic partner benefits to its own employees.
  The amendment had 23 co-sponsors and passed on a voice vote. The policy will be implemented through the creation of a county level domestic partner registry for same-sex or other non-married domestic partners who can demonstrate that they have been in a committed relationship for 90 days or more. Madison has offered a similar partner registry since 1990. The measure takes effect December 1, following its introduction last July after almost a year in preparation.
  In addition to health benefits, the ordinance requires contracting entities to include any other plan, program or policy offered as part of the employer's total compensation package, including bereavement leave, family medical leave, sick leave, disability insurance, life insurance, membership discounts, moving expenses, pension and retirement benefits and travel benefits.  An employer also has the option to provide a "cash equivalent" if it is practically unable to provide the actual benefit.
  Gay civil rights leaders applauded the passage. “Fair Wisconsin strongly supported the passage of this fair-minded legislation,” Executive director said in a prepared statement.  “It is important to note that this ordinance only requires equal treatment. It does not mandate domestic partner coverage if an employer does not offer spousal benefits.  It doesn't increase benefits, it only includes in an existing plan those who have been unfairly left out in the past.”
  Carlson characterized the ordinance as “the first step to achieving equality for ALL of Wisconsin families.”
  Primary ordinance sponsor Supervisor Kyle Richmond believes that the ordinance will make Dane County a leader in domestic partner benefits. "It will be another reason to be proud to work in Dane County," he told the Capital Times.
  Trade union representatives had voiced opposition to the measure, holding the position that the law will put the unions at a competitive disadvantage and hinder collective bargaining. An amendment to eliminate collective bargaining from the ordinance failed on a 26-8 vote.

World & National News:

QNU Bi-Weekly Update
Here are just some of the gay stories from around the nation and around the world that  you may have missed since the last print issue of Quest. Don’ t forget: you can catch up on all the latest every day online on the QNU: Quest News Update page at” www.quest-online.com.
Republican VP Pick Wanted Gay Christian Book Out Of Library
Among the many charges made about Alaska Governor and McCain running mate Sarah Palin has been that she was pro-censorship, trying to ban books from the Wasilla library while she was the tiny town’s mayor. It’s also been pointed out that Palin’s Assembly of God church has been actively encouraging Hell-bound homos to “pray away the gay” at an upcoming “Love Won Out” ex-gay rally in neighboring Anchorage. What has now come to light is the book Sarah Barracuda wants banned was tome written by a gay Christian pastor.
  After some digging, the truth-seeking website PolitiFact.com found out the hushed-up history of “Pastor, I’m Gay” from the author himself, Howard Bess. Bess is the openly-gay former pastor of the Church of the Covenant in nearby Palmer, Alaska. He recalled that his book challenging Christians to re-examine their ideas about and prejudices against gays and lesbians was not well received in Wasilla when it was published in 1995 - the year before Palin was elected mayor.
  According to Bess’ account on PolitiFact, virtually every book store in Wasilla refused to sell it. However the pastor donated two copies to the Wasilla Library, but they quickly disappeared, so he provided more copies.
 “Knowing Sarah’s religious connections and the people involved, I would be surprised if my book was not one of those at issue,” Bess told the web sleuths, admitting that he didn’t “know that for a fact”if it was his book Sarah was after.
  The website noted that no records of any formal removal process for any library began at Palin’s instigation. However, the political truth seekers may not have considered the kind of pressure a town’s top official can put on a city employee just by bringing up the subject. In any case, PolitiFact rated the incident “half true.”
Judge Rules Florida’s Gay Adoption Ban Is Unconstitutional
Monroe Circuit Court Judge David J. Audlin, Jr. ruled Florida's 31-year-old gay adoption ban "unconstitutional" in Miami September 10. Audlin’s ruling allows an openly gay Key West foster parent to adopt a teenage boy he has raised since 2001.
  Declaring the adoption to be in the boy's "best interest," the judge said the Florida law forbidding gays and lesbians from adopting children is contrary to the state constitution because it singles out a group for punishment.
  At the heart of the case was a 13-year-old boy with learning disabilities and special needs placed by the Department of Children and Families in the two-story home of a Key West foster father. A home study by a social worker "highly" recommended the guardian and his partner be allowed to adopt the boy, saying the two men provided a "loving and nurturing home," provided "fair and consistent" discipline and are financially secure, the order said.
Gay Olympic Hero Gets His Own Postage Stamp: Australia immortalized its gold medallists at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on a series of special commemorative stamps September 9. The Australia postal service produced a sheet of 50 cent Gold Medallist stamps to celebrate each gold medal won by an Australian athlete or team within 24 hours of the presentation ceremony. Among them is Matthew Mitcham, the only out gay male athlete in the Games.  In a shocking upset, the 20-year-old diver took home a gold medal in the 10-meter platform event at the Olympics last month, beating out the Chinese favorites.
ACLU Says Kentucky McDonald’s Has Anti-Gay Slurs On The Menu
The American Civil Liberties Union  allege two men were the object of anti-gay slurs at a McDonald's restaurant near downtown Louisville, Kentucky in a complaint filed with the local human relations commission there September 19. According to the complaint, Ryan Marlatt and Teddy Eggers and three friends stopped for lunch July 26 at the McDonald's on East Market Street while visiting Louisville.
  While waiting for their food, they allege, they heard a female employee behind the counter refer to them as "faggots." They asked to speak with a manager and, while they were waiting for the supervisor, the employee who uttered the slur began arguing with them and repeatedly referred to them using derogatory and anti-gay terms, they said. When the supervisor arrived she said she didn't see the employee's statements as “a big deal.”
  After further hang ups from local management and no response from corporate higher ups, ACLU filed the complaint. Marlatt and Eggers want an apology, a refund of the $28 the five men spent on their order and appropriate disciplinary action against the employee.

Butt Bandit Terrorizes Nebraska Town
Residents of Valentine, Nebraska are hoping a local vandal will take  page from the Good Book and soon turn another cheek. F over a year a man has been skipping from one business to another at night, pressing his naked behind - sometimes his groin, sometimes both - on storefront windows. Store owners, church workers and school janitors have had to wash lotion and petroleum jelly off the windows he selects.
  "This is the weirdest case I've ever seen,” police Chief Ben McBride told the Associated Press. "It's not funny! We're worried about the next step."
  The prankster first struck in 2007, by greasing the window of a Methodist church. The church kept getting hit, even after police staked it out. The bandit struck business after business, window after window over that summer, but took a break during colder weather.
  "Then he started back up this summer," McBride said, noting that during one particularly brazen session, virtually all the windows at a local hotel were imprinted.
  McBride added that no one has reported seeing the vandal in action. The only clue is a blurry surveillance camera picture of a 6-foot, slender, darkly complected main with his hair in a  "1980s, feathered look."

Gay Politico Watch: Neverending Story Edition
It's pushing Autumn which means disgraced gay Republicans are back in the news. Wide standing Senator Larry Craig still tries to dance his way out of his airport toe-tapping and former Brown County GOP Chair Don Fleischman sees his plea deal dissolve but it s good new for page loving Mark Foley as Florida's criminal probe ends without charges filed.
  In Minneapolis Larry Craig's (R-Idaho) attorney once again argued to have the Senator's disorderly conduct conviction thrown out for lack of evidence during arguments before the state Court of Appeals September 11. Craig was not present for the hearing.
  Attorney Billy Martin claimed that Craig's conduct - which added him to a list of over forty men who were pinched in the June 2007 sex sting - did not constitute criminal behavior. Martin asserted that that Craig's behavior didn't meet the standard for disorderly conduct because the law requires behavior to affect others. The three-judge panel vigorously questioned Martin, who had fifteen minutes to make his case.
  Craig sought to withdraw the plea after his toe-tapping became a public scandal several months after he had pled guilty by mail and paid his fine. Hennepin County District Court Judge Charles Porter later declined Craig's request and the senator appealed. The three-judge panel that heard the arguments has ninety days to issue a ruling.
  In Green Bay ex-county GOP chair Donald Fleischman had been scheduled to enter a guilty plea to lesser charges in his escapades with under aged teenage runaways September 17 but Brown County Deputy District Attorney John Luetscher told Circuit Court Judge Donald Zuidmulder that the plea deal had fallen apart.
  "We won't be able to settle the case and I don't think either side is going to give in," Luetscher said.
  The judge then set Fleischman's case for a November 24 jury trial. Fleischman will be back in court for a final pretrial hearing a week earlier and remains free on a signature bond.
  Fleischman resigned last October after his pending criminal charges of fondling 16-year old runaways on multiple occasions came to light. He was charged with two counts of child enticement, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child and a single charge of exposing himself to a child.
  Green Bay police had gone to Fleischman's home in November 2006 looking for two runaways from a nearby juvenile facility. Fleischman allowed officers inside where they found a 16-year-old boy hiding on the floor of a walk-in closet wearing only underwear and a T-shirt. Officers also found a glass pipe in the living room, which tested positive for marijuana residue. Police went back to Fleischman's home the next month only to find the same boy there again.
  The young man later told authorities Fleischman took him during that week to a hotel in Appleton and a rural cabin in Florence County. The boy claimed Fleischman provided him with beer and marijuana during the trip. The boy also revealed that when he would go to bed, Fleischman would fondle him. Also, on one occasion he awoke to find Fleischman at the foot of his bed masturbating.
  In Florida, authorities closed their case September against former Congressman. Mark Foley, saying he won't face charges for allegedly sending salacious computer messages to underage male pages because prosecutors couldn't prove the authenticity of the chats.
  "There did not appear to be probable cause that a crime was committed," the report said.
  The report also noted that a federal investigation had been closed last July. State prosecutors later advised Foley's attorney then that the former congressman would not face federal charges according to an Associated Press story.
  Florida law enforcement had been investigating alleged electronic communication between Foley and an underage page, Jordan Edmund. The instant messages were purportedly sent in February 2003 from Pensacola. Authorities were seeking to determine if Foley broke the law by sending lewd or seductive messages to minors, or whether he tried to arrange a meeting for sex with a minor.
  According to the report even if authorities had believed a crime may have been committed it likely would not have been bale to be prosecuted because there were no original records of the 'instant messages' received by Edmund.
  Florida authorities noted the case took a long time to close, in part because Foley refused to allow investigators to examine his congressional computer hard drives. The computers and their contents are protected as privileged material, and only Foley could release them.

State News:

Doyle Appoints Flaherty To State Board
Madison - Governor Jim Doyle has appointed gay Milwaukee banker Kevin M. Flaherty to the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority. Flaherty, a vice president and relationship manager with Associated Commercial Finance Inc, will fill a vacancy on the seven-member board through 2010. His nomination was supported by a broad range of LGBT, nonprofit, labor and faith leaders.
  The Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority assists Wisconsin health care and educational institutions with obtaining and maintaining access to the broadest range of low-cost, private capital market financing available.
  "I am pleased to be able to offer my expertise in complex lending solutions and assist WHEFA in advancing its important mission," Flaherty said, who is based in Brookfield.
  Flaherty joined Associated Commercial Finance in 2002, where he manages commercial finance relationships and provides asset-based lending services. He holds a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and attended the American Institute of Banking in Milwaukee. Associated Commercial Finance, Inc., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Associated Banc-Corp.
  Flaherty also serves as a board member of the gay equality group Center Advocates and is the brother of veteran LGBT activist Patrick Flaherty.

TV Host Backs Out Of Center Advocates PAC Party
Milwaukee - WISN-TV journalist Mike Gousha, host of the weekly political talk show “Upfront” canceled his appearance at the 2008 Annual Garden Party for Equality sponsored by the Center Advocates Political Action Committee held September 21.
  “I won’t be doing the event,” Gousha told Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel political columnist Dan Bice. “I was never under the impression it was a fundraiser.”
  Center Advocates PAC has been advertising the $25 per-person event with Gousha's featured appearance as a fundraiser for the group since August with press releases, email alerts and mailings.
  Gousha, who in addition to his political talk show also serves as a part-time news anchor and featured corespondent on WISN, explained to Bice on September 12 that he gives nonpartisan talks to many groups and thought he would be doing the same at the PAC event.
  Gousha also serves as a Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy at Marquette University Law School. He joined Marquette in January 2007 after concluding a 25 year career at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee.
  Center Advocate spokesperson Ray Vahey advised Quest of Gousha's cancellation during an interview for an an upcoming feature story and noted that the event would go on as scheduled. “We're disappointed at (Gousha's) backing out,” he said, noting that the PAC recently held “the largest fundraiser in Sheldon Wasserman's political life.” The PAC raised $38,000 in one afternoon this past summer for the 22nd Assembly District Representative, a Democrat who is challenging incumbent State Senator Alberta Darling (R-Menominee Falls) in what has been pegged as one of the hottest political races in the state this year.

11 Months Later: No Leads In Fox Valley Lesbian’s Murder
Greenville -  Eleven months after the discovery her body police remain mum about the still unsolved murder of Lara Plamann
   "I have nothing new to share on Plamann. Our investigation is still ongoing," Outagamie County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Captain Michael Jobe recently told the Appleton-Post Crescent.
  The 30 year old lesbian dog fancier and business owner was discovered dead near her Greenville home on October 18, the day after she had been reported missing by Diane Siveny, her domestic partner. She was found was in a pole shed sitting in a chair with her arms at her side and a gunshot to the head.
  Police have released little information since the week after the slaying, except to call the death a homicide.. They continue to say no one has been named as a suspect, and refuse to say whether a weapon has been found.
  The Sheriff's Department has retained as evidence a car and a cell phone seized during searches of the property in the days after the discovery of the body. Siveny filed papers in Outagamie County Circuit Court at the beginning of September seeking return of the items.
  Investigators ask anyone who may have seen Plamann in the days prior to her death to contact Lt. Christopher Proietti at: 920-832-5629.

Employment Website For Transgender Professionals Launched
Milwaukee - A recently launched website promises to assist prospective transgender employees in finding employment. TJobBank is described as the first and only organization dedicated to providing employment services to the transgender community. The site hopes to bring hope to those in the historically under-employed transgender population.
  The site offers transgender candidates an opportunity to find employment and for proactive and truly diverse companies the opportunity to post employment opportunities to a specific segment of the population.
 "In addition to being a part of history, the presence of job listings posted by proactive companies on our site spotlights their organization's commitment to true workplace diversity while at the same time tapping into an all too often overlooked but vastly impressive community of talented individuals," TJobBankDirector of Implementation Jillian Barfield said  "The need for such a service seems overdue and may help to make what some of us take for granted, the dream of secure employment, a reality for many unemployed transgender professionals."
  When an employer posts a job on TJobBank, prospective candidates apply for positions using a process that lets them reply to postings with as little or as much information as they would like to provide. This option allows trans people to protect their anonymity, which can be very important to those in the transgender community. A searchable resumé database feature is promised in the near future which will allow prospective employers to search for employees with a required skill-set without disclosing their personal information unless provided by the candidate themselves.
  TJobBank is now online at: www.tjobbank.com.

5th Annual ROW Dinner Tickets Now On Sale
Green Bay - Tickets for the 4th Annual “An Evening With Rainbow Over Wisconsin” have gone on sale throughout northeast Wisconsin. ROW supporters and dinner attendees from previous years received invitations to the November 22 auction, dinner and show shortly after Labor Day.
  Invitations have been mailed to over 300 individuals and families who either attended last year’s event or signed up for diner information since last November.  Individual tickets for the event are $35 “early bird” fee available through October 13. After that time, tickets will be $40.
  Tables of ten are also available. As of Quest’s deadline a dozen table sponsors had already signed up. The event will also be held at the Liberty Hall Banquet and Convention Center in Kimberly, with cocktails and silent auction opening at 6 PM. Entertainment at this year’s event will run throughout the evening with several surprises on tap, according to President Dean Dayton.
  Menu items for this year’s event include Chicken Marsala, Medallions Of Roasted Tenderloin, Parmesan Potatoes, Fettuccine with Garlic, Olive Oil Sauce, Stir-Fried Vegetables, Baby Green Salad, Cole Slaw, Tropical Fresh Fruit, croissants, Southern  Pecan Pie, and Double Chocolate Brownie Pie. The meal will served family style, allowing those wishing to enjoy only vegetarian items the opportunity to do so.
  The annual ROW dinner is the foundation’s signature fund-raising event Dayton noted. “It’s an opportunity for old friends to make new friends at a fun event that also advances the northeast Wisconsin community’s ‘gay agenda’ by donating to Rainbow’s Community Enrichment Fund,” he said.
  Tickets for the "An Evening With Rainbow Over Wisconsin" are available from ROW members and businesses, or can be ordered by calling 920-437-0994. Tickets may also be ordered by emailing ROW at: rainbowoverwi@aol.com.

LGBT Center's "Big Night Out" Comes Out October 11
Milwaukee - Big Night Out, the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center's annual fundraising gala, will be held on Saturday, October 11, beginning at 5:30 PM. at the Northern Lights Theater of Potawatomi Bingo Casino, 1721 W. Canal St.  Here.
   This year's theme is "Rhythm," accented with a 40-minute show featuring four contemporary, high-energy performances by Danceworks, Inc.
  There will also be a live auction for three to six items at the event. Two items already set for the live auction are "Mansion on 24th & Kilbourn," an oil painting by David F, Martin; and a hotel timeshare in New York City.
  However no silent auction will be conducted on the night of the gala itself. Instead, "Big Night Out" will present an online auction where items will be available for bidding two weeks prior to the event beginning at 10 AM on Saturday, September 27.
  Items will be available for bid until the day following the gala. Laptop computers will be available at the gala for those who wish to bid during the event. Bidding will end at 10 PM on Sunday, October 12.
  However, the auction site is already open for viewing at: http://mkelgbt.cmarket.com.  By going to the auction site, bidders will be able to review the auction catalog which is being updated regularly as items for bid continue to arrive. Bidders may also pre-register and subscribe to  receive updates about the auction.
  Again this year, the Milwaukee LGBT Community Awards will be presented at the gala.  For more information about "Big Night Out" or to obtain tickets call Patrick Price at: 414-292-3065 or contact him by email at: pprice@mkelgbt.org.

Coming Out Panel Discussion Set for October 11
Green Bay - In observance of National Coming Out Day, “Coming Out Through The Generations,” a special panel discussion featuring eight LGBT community members ranging in age over six decades will be held at the Green Bay Harmony Café, 1660 West Mason St., on Saturday October 11 from 4 - 6 PM. Among the presenters will be 19 year-old recent Southwest High School graduate Michael Vanden Heuvel, 27 year -old Pride Alive co-chair Andrew DeBaker,  and 77 year-old Appleton retiree Kenn Navine. They will share their coming out stories and answer questions offered by attendees. There is no charge for the event, which has been arranged by Susan Allen and local LGBT group Positive Voice.

Chippewa Valley LGBT Center Anniversary Party Set
Eau Claire - On National Coming Out Day, it will also be time to celebrate the past year's accomplishments at the Annual Meeting of the LGBT Community Center of the Chippewa Valley. In addition to electing a new board of directors, members will also honor the Center's seven year anniversary.
  The event will begin with a social from 6 - 8 PM at the center located at 510 South Farwell Street. The formal program will begin at 8 PM with elections to follow. Members are encouraged to bring guests to the meeting.
  For more information about the Annual Meeting, call 715-552-5428.

Quest Travel: Taking In The Rainbow Of Fall Colors In Wisconsin & The UP
By Mark Mariucci
Summer is drawing to a close. The crisp Fall air just a breath away. It’s time to start thinking about hot apple cider and beautiful fall colors. We are fortunate to live in an area of the country that affords such an easy opportunity to experience the delightful Fall season. Time to purchase a few rolls of film - or charge up that brand new digital camera you just bought - and get outside!
  An obvious choice for many coming from Milwaukee or Chicago is the beautiful Door County peninsula.  A Door County getaway is less than a day’s drive and offers spectacular color as well as plenty of rural charm.   
  Door County is a well developed tourist attraction.  Expect to find plenty of tasty restaurants and small shops catering to your desire of finding something one of a kind and special.
  If you don’t mind a little extra drive time, leave highway I43 at Highway 10 into Manitowoc and follow the lake route (Highway 42) through Kewaunee and Algoma.  Algoma has that typical old world charm not yet spoiled by development.  The people are friendly and helpful.  Check out Lake Michigan over Algoma at Crescent Beach & Boardwalk.
  As in Milwaukee, you are facing east looking at Lake Michigan, so its a sunrise opportunity versus sunset.  Pierhead Lighthouse built in 1893 is especially nice at sunrise: cherry red in color and set on rock, it is known as one of the most photographed lighthouses in the midwest. 
  There are ten more lighthouses on the Door peninsula. For a complete list and tour information check out: www.doorcounty.com/outdoor/lighthouses.aspx.
  If you’re planning to tour of the any of the wine producers popping up all over northeastern Wisconsin, perhaps Von Stiehl Winery (115 Navarino Street Algoma) should be your first stop.  This is Wisconsin's oldest winery. Von Stiehl features tours and tastings in their Bohemian tasting salon. The winery is housed in a  1850's-era building that was originally the Ahnapee Brewery.  Guided tours of the winery happen 7 days a week from 9 AM to 5 PM now through  October 31. For more information, call 800-955-5208.
  Stay on Hwy. 42 which will meet up with state Hwy. 57 to head to Sturgeon Bay, the biggest city in Door County. While there is plenty to see, the parts of Door County that reminds us of Cape Cod awaits  further north. 
  If you have the time, Hwy. 57 will take you to Whitefish Bay dunes and beach, and Cave Point with spectacular views of the rock formations.  If going that route, you can follow it further north and loop back around to the Green Bay side and Hwy. 42.
  If you are short on time, instead, leave Sturgeon Bay heading to the Green Bay side of the peninsula leaving 57 and still on 42.  Stops in Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim and Sister Bay will make the trip 
eventful. There’s the rustic charm of the old towns and - of course - the gallery and boutique shopping.
  Ellison Bay and Gills Rock are the last stops before Washington Island. Door Bluff Headlands is the most northerly point of the Door peninsula. This 155-acre park is preserved in its natural state. The towering bluffs offer a spectacular view of Hedgehog Harbor and Green Bay. It was at this point that Iroquois Indians from Washington Island were repelled by the mainland Indians (Potawatomi) in an ill-fated attack. Follow highway 42 north past Ellison Bay, left on Door Bluff Road.
  Nearby, Ellison Bluff Park offers one of the most breathtaking views in the county. A wooden walkway with attached observation deck leads safely to the edge of sheer, 100-foot limestone bluffs. For the more adventurous, an enclosed catwalk extends out over the bluff. Cool breezes off the water add to the charm, but bring a jacket. This stop will be a short one as there is really only one viewpoint as there is no way  to make it down to the water as you can at the Bluff Headlands. Take Hwy. 42 north to Porcupine Bay Road,. Turn left; and then follow signs.
  Fall colors come earlier in northeastern Wisconsin, especially when you get far up into Door County.  In fact  the colors have already started in earnest, so the peak is a week or two away. Realistically you have between now and the next issue of Quest (October 13) to enjoy the best of 2008’s “colorama.”
  If you’re in the mood for a little longer drive, head to Green Bay and then follow U. S. 41 north into Upper Michigan.  Destination is Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore Park on Lake Superior, near Munising.  Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is America's first National Lakeshore, authorized on October 15, 1966 by President 
Johnson.  It came about after the logging industry collapsed in the UP. The state of Michigan regained all this wonderland due to unpaid taxes. The park opened in the 1972.
  I did this trip in early August and it was my first exposure to the pristine waters or Lake Superior.  Once you have been here for the Fall colors, you will want to plan another trip for mid-summer next year as well.  Highway 41 takes you beyond Escanaba, Michigan. Midpoint in Upper Michigan you must choose to head west to Marquette or go northeast to Munising. I recommend going West.
  If you choose to head towards Marquette, just before you hit the town, pick up Hwy. 28 east heading along Lake Superior and you’ll end up in Munising anyway.  There are several interesting stops along this beautiful lakeshore including the town of Au Train. There’s a wonderful beach where Au Train river meets the lakeshore.  Then stop and get your picture taken in Christmas, Michigan just for fun. Where else can you get a snapshot with the town name behind you proving you know where Mr. Claus must live.  
  Soon you will be in Munising and can stop for a pasty for lunch. There is a little shop just inside the town that claims to have the best in the UP.  I am from Iron Mountain originally and think they make them better there, but “what the hey, eh?”
  My summer trip included many waterfalls including Munising Falls and Minors Falls.  Both are near each other.  Minors Falls is the biggest one I traveled to so far, but I was captivated by Munising Falls.
  There are seven named waterfalls within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, plus several unnamed falls. From west to east, they are Munising, Bridalveil, Miners, Mosquito, Chapel, Spray, and Sable Falls. The sandstone outcrops of the Pictured Rocks escarpment create the many waterfalls in the area.
  Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Park starts just out of Munising and runs for at least 30 miles along Lake Superior heading east.  There are 42 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail running through the park.  Several areas can be reached directly by roads and the first and one of the most spectacular is right here near Munising, Minors Castle.  The rock structure is immense and you can get all the way down to Minors Beach from the park.
  Someone told me the name Pictured Rocks came from wall paintings or some nonsense like that. In fact, mineral stains give color to the famous cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Red and orange colors are iron, black is manganese, white is limonite, and green is a trace of copper.
  I had to choose photographing several falls and sunset at Minors Castle or trying to see both ends of this immense park.  My next trip has to include Hurricane River, Au Sable Lighthouse, and the Grand Sable dunes on the far eastern end of the park.
  One of the best things about the parks in Upper Michigan is that this entire area is underdeveloped.  The early and long cold winters are partly to blame. The result is there are still a lot of pristine and beautiful areas to see a half days drive from just about all of Wisconsin.  The Lake Superior shoreline offers an incredible wealth of diverse scenery and all so very close by. Next year I hope to check out Duluth/Superior also on Lake Superior then head down to La Crosse perhaps in time for Oktoberfest.
Some Things To Keep In Mind:
Door County and Upper Michigan will not offer the bars and restaurants that specifically cater to gays and Lesbians.  Although Door County is more open to gay tourism due to a constant influx of people vacationing from southeastern Wisconsin and Chicago, these areas have very small concentrations of LGBT community members. Expect to find the locals friendly and helpful, just don’t expect to find great cruising spots or watering holes. 
Among the gay-friendly places located along the towns and highways in Kewaunee and Door Counties are:
The Flying Pig Gallery & Greenspace: N6975 State Highway 42 in Algoma. The Flying Pig’s gardens were recently written up in the Green Bay Press-Gazette as a top place to stop by this Fall. For more information call 920-487-9902  or visit the gallery’s website at: www.theflyingpig.biz.
The Chanticleer Guest House: 4072 Cherry Road (County Hwy. HH) in Sturgeon Bay. Located on a hobby farm just outside of the city, the Chanticleer is probably the best-known of the area’s gay-friendly bed and breakfasts. For more information or reservations, call 866-682-0384 or visit their website at: www.chanticleerguesthouse.com.
The Chadwick Inn B&B: 25 N 8th Ave, is a restored 1895 home located Sturgeon Bay proper that boasts oak inlay hardwood floors and an 1823 Jonas Chickering piano. For more information and reservations, call  920-743-2771 or visit them online at:  www.thechadwickinn.com
  In Upper Michigan there once used to be a gay bar in Escanaba. On the Keweenaw Peninsula there is a tavern known as the Gay Bar, but its in the hamlet of Gay which was named after Joseph Gay, a mining official. Their claim to fame is selling T0-shirts that read “I’ve Been To the Gay Bar.” As far as I know, there are no gay-welcoming bars currently in the UP.