Explore the Door
Door County, Wisconsin

by Barbara Petty
February 2009

Up until our move to North Carolina in 1996, I was primarily a southwest girl-Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and California (although California qualifies as its own world…). So when I was invited to take a press trip to the Door County Peninsula in Wisconsin, I was intrigued. After my 4-day stay, I was more than intrigued-I was a believer. Door County is truly a unique vacation experience any time of year, and for any type of vacation you desire.

For art collectors, you can explore some of the best art galleries anywhere. For the outdoor enthusiast, there are 300 miles of beaches for swimming and sunning as well as

Door County Lighthouse photo by Barbara Petty

other water sports such as boating and fishing. With five state parks, there are plenty of trails for biking and hiking. Or, combine exercise and education and take the self-guided walking Lighthouse Tour (more on that to follow). No wonder Money Magazine named Door County as one of the top ten vacation destinations in North America.

Door County peninsula is 75 miles long, and is comprised of more than 30 islands. It is bordered by Green Bay to the northwest and Lake Michigan to the southeast. (If you need a visual, if Wisconsin is your left hand, Door County would be the thumb.) Moving up the coast on the northern Bay side, the towns are Carlsville, Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim, Sister Bay, Ellison Bay, Gills Rock, and Washington Island. Moving down the opposite Lake side, there is Rowleys Bay, Baileys Harbor, Jacksonport, and Sturgeon Bay.

I stayed at the Door County Lighthouse Inn Bed and Breakfast in Egg Harbor (920.868.9088, dclighthouseinn.com). This quaint and charming B&B was at one time a working lighthouse, but has been renovated by owners Claire and Frank Murphy. The rooms were well appointed and cozy, and the breakfasts were delicious and filling. It was fun visiting with the other guests over breakfast; fellow travelers were a mixture of Wisconsinites returning to a favorite destination or, like me, newbies to The Door.

(There are nearly 50 B&Bs in Door County, visit doorcounty.com for a listing by location. If you prefer hotels, condos, cottages or log cabins, your choices are plentiful.)

Door County Trolley photo by Barbara Petty

After breakfast our group of travel writers took a ride on the Door County Trolley, an authentic replica of a classic wood-paneled trolley car. Owner AJ Frank offers five different excursions; we enjoyed the Scenic Tour, which offers spectacular views of the islands from higher elevations. As I was there in October, the colors of the fall leaves against the blue of the water and sky were indeed majestic. I would imagine that any time of year would provide delightful vistas. Our driver, Bob Kohout is a master storyteller and provided us with legends and lore of the area. In fact, the next evening we reboarded our trolley for the “Trolley of the Doomed” ghost tour. A bit campy for me, the tales of ghostly sunken ships, haunted lighthouses, and mysterious happenings would be fun for young children. Adults might prefer a Wine Tour, a Lighthouse Tour, or a Progressive Dinner Trolley Outing (920.868.1100, doorcountytrolley.com).

The scenic tour trolley departs from the Orchard Country Winery & Market in Fish Creek, so upon our completion of the scenic tour we enjoyed some time at the winery. This fourth generation family business has an on-site winery and cider mill specializing in apple and cherry products. This was my first introduction to cherry wine, and I really enjoyed the semi-dry and dry flavors. Peruse the gift shop and select from other specialty products—cherry salsa anyone? (920.868.3479, orchardcountry.com)

The prevalence of fruit trees in Door County makes the springtime blossoms abundant, and in fact, Door County hosts a Festival of Blossoms in the month of May. See beautiful blooming flowers, gardens, woods and orchards. Special events include self-guided tours, and community celebrations with arts and crafts, food and music. For more information call 800.52.RELAX.

And of course, after the blossoms come the fruit. Explore the Door in June and July for cherry picking, and the fall is the time for apple-picking. Visit doorcounty.com for updates on when you can pick your own!

Moving up the peninsula on the Bay side, we lunched in Sister Bay at the Door County Ice Cream Factory and Sandwich Shoppe. Although the sandwiches and pizzas are quite good, you need to save room for the ice cream, made on the premises. I had a home made chocolate malt, although more adventuresome souls could try such flavors as Black Licorice, Pumpkin Pie, or Fish Boil (I’m not kidding…) Closed for the winter, they open back up May 1. (920.854.9693, doorcountyicecream.com)

View from the Trolley photo by Barbara Petty

In the afternoon we toured one of 10 lighthouses in the County, the Cana Island Lighthouse located just above Baileys Harbor, which is on the opposite side of the peninsula on the Lake side. The buildings and grounds have been maintained by the Door County Maritime Museum for nearly 30 years while the United States Coast Guard continues to oversee the tower with its stunning third order Fresnel lens and light. The gleaming white tower is one of the Great Lake’s most photographed lighthouses. Closed for the winter, it will reopen May 2 (dcmm.org/canaisland.html).

The large number of lighthouses in the area is because of the use of Lake Michigan and Green Bay Shipping Lanes. Lighthouses were built to help ship captains navigate the dangerous straits. The 16th Annual Door County Lighthouse Walk is June 13-14. It is a self-guided mainland walk of 5-6 lighthouses, and draws thousands of lighthouse aficionados to Door County (Door County Lighthouses). If you can’t make it for the Lighthouse Walk, when you do come, be sure to visit (in addition to Cana Island Lighthouse, which is a must-see) the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and the Pottawatomie Lighthouse.

Returning to Egg Harbor, our dinner was provided by The Bistro at Liberty Square. The freshly prepared entrees, breads and desserts are made more enjoyable by the lovely décor and the hand-painted murals by local artist Tim Myberg. (920.868.4800, Liberty Square Shops)

The next day, a group of us took a bike ride through Peninsula State Park, back on the Bay side of the peninsula, just above Fish Creek. Established in 1909, the park is a 3,776-acre state treasure. Our 10-mile bike ride gave us a view from rocky bluffs ascending over 150 feet. Considered Wisconsin’s most complete park, Peninsula is also its most popular camping destination, with 468 campsites. The Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is also located here. (Bike rentals: Nor Door Sport & Cyclery, 920.868.2275, nordoorsports.com, Edge of Park Bicycle Rentals, 920.868.3344, edgeofpark.com)

During the afternoon, we began exploring the artistic side of The Door. We started at Hands On Art Studio, which is a wonderful eclectic mix of a farm/ranch, restaurant, and studio space. Attendees can experiment with a variety of art projects including fused glass, metal sculpture, mosaics, wood and ceramics. I tried my hand at pottery; I was provided with a pre-formed platter that I had to glaze. I used a splatter technique for my design, which turned out pretty well! They complete the process by firing the pottery, and the finished “work of art” was mailed to me. Very fun. (920.868.9311, handsonartstudio.com)

The remainder of the day was spent visiting some of the local galleries. With over 100 galleries in the county, it is no surprise that art and art collecting is revered. I could have done some serious damage here—these artists are of the highest caliber, and the variety of artists represented was amazing. Fine Line Designs Gallery and Sculpture Garden is located in North Ephraim. (920.854.4343, finelinedesignsgallery.com) Edgewood Orchard Galleries is in Fish Creek. (920.868.3579, edgewoodorchard.com)

Goats grazing on the grass roof at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant photo courtesy of Door County Visitors Bureau

In addition to art galleries all of the towns have wonderful boutiques, gift shops, and souvenirs available. The architecture of the buildings is pure Midwest Americana.

That evening our group enjoyed some down time by bowling at Sister Bay Bowl, a Wisconsin landmark. It is one of the few remaining bowling alleys without electronic scoring and still uses the original ball return device. The six lanes are the originals that were installed over 40 years ago. I was the scorekeeper, coming from a family of North Dakota bowlers! (920.854.2840, sisterbaybowl.com)

My last day was spent visiting some of the local restaurants and coffee shops. For breakfast, we ate at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay. Naturally I had Swedish Pancakes with lingonberries. The wait staff is dressed in traditional Swedish clothing; don’t forget to check out the grass roof with the grazing goats. For a minute I thought I was watching “Heidi.” (920.854.2626, aljohnsons.com)

Lunch was provided by Door County Coffee & Tea in Carlsville, a premiere coffee roaster, retailer and wholeseller. It is a small, family-owned business and they roast coffee in small batches, which preserves the flavor and freshness. We were given a tour of the roasting equipment, and it was quite interesting. (920.743.8808, doorcountycoffee.com)

Unfortunately, I had to catch my flight, but the rest of the media group was invited to attend an authentic Fish Boil at The Square Rigger Lodge in Jacksonport (920.823.2404, squareriggerlodge.com). The fish boil has been a Great Lakes tradition for more than a hundred years. Legend has it that Scandinavians brought the custom to the early settlements around Lake Michigan. Whitefish and lake trout were plentiful, and it was easy to prepare a meal outdoors by boiling fish, potatoes, and onions together in a large pot. The fish boil is the Great Lakes’ answer to the New England clambake.

This is but a brief overview of the many activities available in Door County. But words cannot describe the unique beauty of the area-that you will have to experience for yourself.