Thomas Huhti - Wisconsin’s Door County

HANDBOOKS

THOMAS HUHTI

Your idea of Wisconsin may be aw-shucks farmers waving from tractors, cows named Bessie, or anglers casting a line into a stream. Fair enough. But Door County will give your preconceptions a jogand then give your senses a workout.

Consider epic seascapes viewed from sculpted chocolate-drop sand dunes. Imagine acres of picture book-worthy cherry blossoms and daffodils. Experience artist colonies and round-the-fire chautauquas staged in dense forest. All in Door County.

The first European arrivals viewed this landscape with awe and fear. Flash ahead a couple of centuries and new immigrants began to appreciate Door Countys bounty: rich fish harvests, a climate perfect for agriculture, and timber ready-made for shipbuilding.

The secret eventually got out. Today, Door County is a perfectly realized Midwestern escape from the madding crowd. Enjoy some of the countrys most pristine wilderness. Discover five-star dining in villages with year-round populations under 500. Embrace the advice that local fishers offer on how to land a lunker.

Door County never feels like a tourist trap. Open the door to Mother Natures rec room and find endless opportunities for adventure, fellowship, and even solitude. Step outside.

Door Countys most popular draw is the magnificent scenery along its nearly 300 miles of Great Lakes coastline, and the big three beautiful state parksPotawatomi, Peninsula, and Newport. Bike, hike, boat, or fish, and visit the countrys largest concentration of lighthouses. Several of the Doors villages are delightfully quaint. Find a historic hotel, a plush B&B, or a rustic cabin, and for sustenance, organic locally grown beef or, for traditionalists, a fish boil. For the more intrepid, off the northern tip of the county is time-locked Washington Island, and beyond that, another jewel in Rock Island State Park, the most superb camping spot in Wisconsin.

These waters truly made the state, welcoming legions of immigrants and floating timber for paper mills of the Fox Cities, dominated by Lake Winnebago. To the west are picturesque resort lands as well as the wild and wonderful Wolf River. The heart and soul of the region is the football mecca Green Bay and Lambeau Field, home of the Packers football team.

This gateway region welcomes many travelers coming from Chicago. Milwaukee has a fabulous art museum, Miller Beer, Harley-Davidson, and one of the best summer festivals in the country, Summerfest. Extraordinary museums and parks await in Kenosha and Racine, the latter also home to architecture by Badger State native Frank Lloyd Wright. Hop on the smaller highways to discover the Lake Geneva area and an essential historical museum, Watertowns Octagon House.

The droves of travelers begin arriving in early-mid-May to see the blossoms; then from Memorial Day to Labor Day there are likely so many visitors here that the bedrock sinks an inch or two. Another friendly invasion takes place at the end of September through the middle of Octoberleaf peepers love the Door. Remember that prices rise dramatically during these peak seasons. A nice time to visit is in September, just after Labor Day. The weather is beautiful, there are few other visitors, and prices as well as insect numbers are lower. Some find winter lovely and enjoy skiing or snowshoeing in the empty parks; others find it too cold and annoying that half the countys businesses have closed for the season. The least desirable season is March, when a visit is ill advised; its cold, windy, cloudy, and muddy.

At only 45 miles from one end to the other, Door County is misleadingly small if youre looking at a map. Theres so much here that even with a full weekend, youll likely visit just the highlights, but youll leave refreshed. A week-long trip would allow for more relaxed exploring.

Start in Sturgeon Bay, learning about the history of shipping and shipbuilding at the Maritime Museum. Head to Potawatomi State Park to get outdoors and get the blood moving after the drive up the day before.

Its time for the bay side. Avoid the congested state highway and head northward to walk along the harbor side or browse the shops in Egg Harbor before strolling through the historic downtown of Fish Creek and sampling a trail in Peninsula State Park. Head to Ephraim and secure your lodging. A great way to relax is to watch the sun go down on South Shore.

Ephraim

Day 3

Head to Washington Island for a lovely day trip without your car. Park it in Gills Rock in the morning and take a bicycle over (or rent one there). You can take in virtually all of the sights in a day before hopping the ferry back and overnighting in Baileys Harbor.

Day 4

Take a casual drive down the lake side to