of Wisconsin? - Vitality Magazine Cape Cod

Cherry orchards abound in the rural areas of Door County, Wisconsin., like this one at Orchard Country Winery & Market, in Fish Creek.
The “Cape Cod” of Wisconsin?
Who knew? Yet, Door County (DC)
has had that distinction for as long as
anyone in the midwest can remember.
The distinction is earned for the obvious
reason: the county sticks out into Lake
Door County Wisc. sticks out into
Lake Michican, much as Cape Cod
sticks out into the Atlantic.
Page 14, Vitality, September 2007
Michigan. But there are other reasons as
well:
1) It has a bay side and an ocean side
(a busy side, and a less-busy side). It has
two corresponding main thoroughfares
that run along Green Bay (Rt. 42) and
the Lake (Rt. 57), like our own Rt. 6A
and Rt. 28. But when you drive along
the state routes that connect those two,
you drive past scores of farms, instead
of just houses. So while the coastal areas in the County are like the Cape, inland from the coasts is pure countryside,
not suburbs.
2) Also Rt. 42 and 57 merge and
continue to the end of the peninsula, just
as Rt. 28 and Rt. 6A do in Orleans.
3) Like the Cape Cod Canal, Door
County has a canal towards its southern
end, the Sturgeon Bay Ship canal, which
provides a shortcut from Lake Michigan
to Green Bay.
4) It has a tourism tradition that took
off during the Kennedy presidency. But
instead of the Kennedy’s popularizing
it, it was made famous by a big spread
in a 1969 issue of National Geographic
magazine.
5) It has its own version of Martha’s
Vineyard: Washington Island.
6) The popularity and prices of real
estate in Door County also parallel Cape
Cod.
7) Like Cape Cod, Door County
has a great reputation. Though it seems
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Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor is the center of social life in Ephraim.
Touring Peninsula State Park with Segway of Door County, in Sister Bay
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unknown to Easterners, it was named
one of the top-ten vacation destinations
in North America by Money Magazine.
And it was voted Best Small-Town Getaway in the Midwest, by Midwest Living Magazine, June 2007.
While Door County, Wisconsin juts
out into the waters of Lake Michigan, it
is not shaped like Cape Cod’s arm, but
instead is a peninsula—one that gets
narrower the further it extends into Lake
Michigan from its upper Wisconsin location.
It’s as big as Cape Cod, but seems
bigger, because there are fewer towns.
For this reason, it seems the drive is
further from one place in the County to
another. Such being the case, it should
surprise no one that the year-round
population in DC is about ten times less
than Cape Cod. (Sturgeon Bay, however, is the “big city” of DC--sort of its
“Hyannis.”)
This Wisconsin peninsula offers 300
miles of shoreline dotted with harbors
and quiet coves. It offers water-based
recreation, like sailing, cruising, boating, fishing, or boat rentals and charters.
Plus, there is a unique car ferry to Washington Island.
Five state parks, ten lighthouses and
more than a dozen county parks offer:
hiking, biking and sightseeing opportunities. Eleven reasonably-priced golf
courses--combined with rural vistas-make the place a relaxing vacation spot.
There are also hundreds of renowned
artists and galleries, music and performing arts. Restaurants in the area are superb; and many offer a traditional fish
boil.
The traditional fish boil began as an
economical way to feed large, hungry
groups of lumberjacks and fishermen.
It stuck. Today, when you attend a fish
boil in DC, it’s very akin in excitement
to a clambake on the Cape. It starts with
a boilmaster building a hot wood fire
under a kettle of salted water. When the
temperature is just right, the boilmaster
adds to the kettle a porous steel basket
filled with small potatoes and onions.
Then another basket of fresh whitefish
steaks are added and the water is brought
back to a rolling boil. Finally, a dose of
kerosene is tossed onto the fire, causing
it to blaze well over the top of the kettle.
The superheated fire causes the water
to boil over the kettle’s sides, dousing
the flames while carrying off the fish oil
that has collected on the surface. With
the use of a metal pole, the baskets are
lifted from the kettle, drained, and then
served up with a generous drizzling of
butter. Getting seconds is expected. But
Picking your own cherries at Orchard
Country Winery & Market in Fish Creek.
save room for the traditional dessert…
DC cherry pie.
Cherries, in fact, are a big deal in
Door County, which is the 4th largest
cherry-producing area in the nation,
behind Michigan, New York and Utah.
Each tree produces about 7,000 cherries. And there are about 2,200 acres of
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The Cherry Train tram is a great way to see Washington Island.
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cherry trees in DC. Only 100 acres of
Wisconsin cherries are grown outside of
Door County. The bulk of the cherries
grown are Montmorency Cherries, also
known as sour, red, or dessert cherries,
and there are 13 million pounds of cherries harvested in DC every year. Harvest
months are July and August.
Door County Attractions and Activities:
Young percussions perform at Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Egg Harbor before an appreciative packed house.
The Cana Island lighthouse
The Door County Trolley Lighthouse Tour is great fun. It visits 4 lighthouses. There’s also the Door County
Trolley Narrated Scenic Tour, where
you can see breathtaking vistas from
DC’s bluffs overlooking the islands and
learn local lore along the way. (www.
doorcountytrolley.com)
The Door County Cruise is a narrated two-hour cruise to the Sturgeon
Bay Canal Station and Sherwood Point
Lighthouse. Boat tours depart from
Sturgeon Bay next to the Maritime Museum. (www.doorcountycruises.com)
Ephraim is one of the most pictur-
“Cabin With A View,” performed under the stars in Peninsula State
Park in Fish Creek, by the American Folklore Theatre
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esque little towns (pop. 300) on the Bay
side of the County, overlooking Eagle
Harbor. The heritage here is Moravian
and Norwegian; and there are many
historic buildings. For its size, it offers
an amazing number of things to do and
places to stay and dine at. There are
museums, an old fashioned Drive-In
Theater, boat rentals, and loads of art
galleries. There’s a wonderful outdoor
theatre at Peninsula State Park (www.
folkloretheatre.com), a summer music
festival (www.midsummersmusic.com)
and a Peninsula Music Festival—which
features classic music every August.
(www.musicfestival.com). Also, a tour
is available of the four Village Museums
in Ephraim. These are quite interesting
and shouldn’t be missed. You can purchase a museum tour ticket at any of the
Ephraim museums. (www.ephraim.org)
Birch Creek is sort of an “Interlochen”-style summer music camp for
young percussionists from around the
country, located in Egg Harbor. The
Birch Creek Summer Concerts are held
June through August – an aggressive
performance schedule – and locals pret-
ty much pack the place for every concert. This venue should not be missed.
(www.birchcreek.org)
America’s oldest professional resident summer theater is “The Peninsula
Players.” They perform at the Theatrein-a-garden in Fish Creek, Wisconsin
from mid-June to mid-October every
year, with some excellent shows. (www.
peninsulaplayers.com)
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Whitefish boilmaster Tom Christianson stokes up the fire at White
Gull Inn, in Fish Creek.
The 3rd hole at the otherwise difficult
Peninsula State Park Golf Course
is quite the novelty...all 69 ft. of it.
The entire course is a par 71!
for history buffs. (www.dcmm.org)
Ridges Sanctuary, at Baileys Harbor, is a 1200-acre preserve where you
can witness hundreds of types of wildflowers along five miles of rustic trails
and bridges. Hiking here is a great time.
(www.ridgesanctuary.org)
A trip to Orchard Country Winery
and Market, in Fish Creek, is a lot of
fun. The grounds are beautiful. And the
market there has a wonderful assortment
of food, drink and gifts you’ll want to
bring home with you. Try a tasting of
their cherry wine. (www.orchardcountry.com)
Golfers will love the par 71 course
at Peninsula State Park Golf Course.
(www.peninsulagolf.com) It’s inexpensive, well-maintained, has magnificent
views of the majestic woods of Peninsula State Park, plus stunning views
of Eagle Harbor, and the 3rd hole is a
hoot…all 69 feet of it. The hole is about
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The two most enjoyable shopping
areas in DC are Egg Harbor and Fish
Creek. While in Egg Harbor, don’t miss
Liberty Square, a relatively new conclave of dining and shops—all under
one roof. (www.libertysquareshops.
com) Fish Creek is similar to our own
Chatham. The town’s Noble Square often hosts live music.
Visiting lighthouses in DC is an important part of understanding the area’s
history. For that reason, if you just see
one lighthouse, make it the Cana Island
Lighthouse, north of Bailey’s Harbor.
Located on an 8.7 acre island (accessible by a causeway), the lighthouse’ history dates from 1869, and is open to the
public. Also, in terms of maritime history, the Door County Maritime Museum,
overlooking Sturgeon Bay, is a must-see
Sister Bay’s very photogenic Coachlite Inn
Resident goats dine above, while appreciative diners eat inside,
at Al Johnson’s Swedish Pancake House in Sister Bay.
a 60 degree angle downhill of the tee. So
some folks enjoy teeing off twice—once
with a wedge, and a second time with a
toss – a new wrinkle on “best ball.”
Washington Island:
Anyone visiting DC should plan to
take in Washington Island for at least a
full day. With a population of only 680,
Washington Island is a relaxing, smalltown place. Not a single chain or franchise on the island. And one grocery
store has served the island since 1903.
It’s also surprisingly expansive--covering 36 square miles. Founded in 1850,
the island became home to Danish immigrants who established the second
oldest Icelandic settlement in the US,
and one of the largest Scandinavian
settlements in America. There’s hiking,
biking, birding, fishing, sailing, swimming, golfing and horseback riding. A
visit to Washington Island can either be
done in one’s own car or you can do a
narrated tour. If you wish to use your
own car, the Washington Island Ferry
Line provides frequent daily service
to and from the island. (www.wisferry.
com) Or you can park your car, take the
ferry, and then the Cherry Train Tour
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The 5-Star rated Restaurant
Saveur, in Bailey’s Harbor.
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The overlook at Sven’s Bluff is positively majestic.
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of Washington Island once you arrive.
This is a 90-minute tram tour, which
makes several interesting stops. (www.
cherrytraintours.com)
While on Washington Island, be
sure to stop at the Norwegian Stavkirke
(Stave Church)—an example of Norse
The Norwegian Stavkirke (Stave
Church) on Washington Island
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architecture, which was constructed by
island craftsmen to resemble a church
in Bergin, Norway. You can feed the ostriches at the Double K-W Ostrich Farm.
Schoolhouse Beach is unique in that the
beach is entirely made up of smoothpolished limestone rocks—one of only
five beaches in the world with such a
feature. The Farm Museum depicts island life in the 1880’s. Don’t miss lunch
at the Washington Hotel. The Hotel was
built 104 years ago to house ship captains, and has been beautifully maintained. Most of their restaurant’s food
is organic and much of it grown on the
island (www.thewashingtonhotel.com).
Also, if you plan your DC vacation in
August, Washington Island has a wonderful Music Festival every year. (www.
washingtonislandmusicfesitval.com)
Accommodations:
There are any number of great places to stay in DC. If you like the quicker
pace in Sturgeon Bay, you’ll enjoy the
Bridgeport Waterfront Resort. The Resort is within walking distance of major
downtown attractions (www.bridgeportresort.net).
In Ephraim, try the Village Green
Lodge. It’s a former motel that has been
made into a full Bed and Breakfast. The
hospitality is special and the rooms are
immaculate. It’s also a very quiet place
to stay, as it’s just off the main drag.
(www.villagegreenlodge.com)
In Baileys Harbor, there is Gordon Lodge, a complete 130-acre resort
located on its own private beach with
rooms, cottages and villas. It has its own
restaurant and bar. There are also paddleboats and kayaks available. (www.
gordonlodge.com)
The Beachfront Inn at Baileys Harbor is an economy motel, but if you request a lakeside room, you can get a great
value in terms of view. And the rooms,
though spartan, are clean as a whistle.
They also have a nice tradition—roasting smores on an open beach fire after
sunset. (www.beachfrontinn.net)
The Coachlite Inn, at Sister Bay,
is clean, comfortable and secluded, yet
is within easy walking distance of the
Country Walk Shops, restaurants, golf,
churches, and amusement parks. (www.
coachliteinn.com)
The Country House is situated on
a beautiful rolling bluff, overlooking
fountains, gardens and the waters of
Green Bay. It is an adult retreat with
the romance and charm of a country inn
and the amenities of an elegant resort,
Car ferries like this one provide regular service to and from Washington Island.
‘Bet you didn’t know there was a
Cape Cod Motel in Wisconsin?
located in the woods, on the waters of
Sister Bay and off the highway. It has 46
rooms and suites that overlook the water
on a 1,000 ft. shoreline. (www.countryhouse.com)
Restaurants:
One of the best restaurants in DC
is located between Ephraim and Fish
Creek--the English Inn. This is fine dining at its best. You’ll love the menu and
the atmosphere. Start with a drink al
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Head in between Door County’s north and south shore touristy areas, and you pass beautiful farm land.
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fresco in their garden area—very nice!
(www.theenglishinn.com).
Another one of DC’s best restaurants is a newcomer, Restaurant
Saveur—rated 5 Stars, and located at
Baileys Harbor.
In Ephraim, don’t miss Wilson’s
Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor—an
old fashioned soda fountain with great
ice cream. (www.wilsonicecream.com)
The beautiful White Gull Inn Restaurant, in Fish Creek, dates from 1896,
and has been perfectly maintained. It’s
open for three meals a day, plus they
1949. You’ll find interesting hand carvings on the inside. In addition, it’s the
only restaurant in America with a grass
roof that real goats call their home as
well as their diet. Inside, the food is
wonderful. They have a full menu, but
dently owned and have a lot of character. The service is friendly and eager to
please. There’s also a genuineness here
that’s refreshing. Folks take time to give
you directions, or to help out however
they can. And that is why a midwestern
vacation, especially to an area as appealing as Door County, is such an attractive option.
Access by air to Door County is via
Green Bay (GRB) or Appleton (ATW)
airports, then by rental car.
When you enter Door County stop
by the Door County Visitor Bureau on
Highway 42/57 as you enter Sturgeon
Bay. For more information on visiting
Door County, call (920) 743-4456, or go
to www.doorcounty.com.
And thanks for traveling.
The Door County Maritime Museum overlooks Sturgeon Bay.
You’ll love the warm hospitality at the
Village Green Lodge, in Ephraim.
do a traditional Fish Boil, which is very
popular. Reservations for this need to be
made well in advance. They always sell
out. (www.whitegullinn.com)
One of the most memorable restaurant experiences you’ll have in DC is a
trip to Al Johnson’s Swedish Pancake
House, in Sister Bay. The building is a
one-of-a-kind. It was built in Norway,
dismantled, and brought to America in
if you order pancakes, try putting lingonberry preserves on them. You’ll also
enjoy seeing the charming costumes the
waitresses wear…just darling. Don’t
miss this one. (www.aljohnsons.com)
Door County makes a wonderful
vacation spot. It’s scenic and quaint, but
“in-season” feels more like the shoulder
season here. The pace isn’t frantic at
all. Plus, all the businesses are indepen-
Schoolhouse Beach on Washington Island is one of only five beaches
in the world that have these kind of
smooth-polished limestone rocks.
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