DOOR
COUNTY, WISCONSIN – When you visit the area known as Door County, and notice
its many charming small towns and villages, its clapboard structures, marinas,
beaches and the numerous sailboats and motorboats that make up its maritime
traffic, you can’t help to think that someone cut out a chunk of the New
England coast and plunked it down in a thumbed-shaped peninsula that juts out
of the north eastern side of Wisconsin.
For
decades, this peninsular jewel that’s surrounded by Green Bay and Lake Michigan
was the ideal summer vacation haven for many Wisconsin and Illinois residents.
However, the beauty of Door County gained the world’s attention when a lengthy
piece on the area was published in the March 1969 issue of “National
Geographic” magazine.
“As an
alien thumb of land on the corn-knuckled fist of the Middle West, the Door
Peninsula, with its 250 miles of shoreline, draws expression of surprise from
first-time visitors,” wrote William S. Ellis, its author. “More often than not,
the reactions invoke references to New England, such as ‘Cape Cod on an inland
sea.’”
…Not bad
for an area that was once referred to by French explorers more than 300 years
ago as the “Porte des Morts”, or the “Door of Death”, because the rather
hazardous conditions on the peninsula’s northern tip was the chief factor
behind the hundreds of shipwrecks that occurred there (hence the reason why it
was named Door County).
During a
four-day period this past August, I got the chance to experience Door County
during a press tour that emphasized its many attractions for those who enjoy
outdoor recreation; our focus were on four villages located on the north
western side of the peninsula: Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, Fish Creek and Ephraim,
with Peninsula State Park serving as the nucleus. For those who like camping,
hiking, cycling, kayaking and boating, Door County is the destination for you.
But for
those who are visiting the area for the first time, I highly recommend taking a
Door County Trolley tour (www.doorcountytrolley.com) to properly familiarize and orient
yourself to what the area has to offer and what villages and attractions you
would like to see during your visit. Our group took the narrated scenic tour,
where we got not only the chance to see many of the stunning scenic bluffs that
over look the islands of the area, but learned a lot about the legends and lore
behind Door County’s colourful history, from the bloody battles between the
Winnebago and Potawatomi tribes, to the settlement of the area by Scandinavian
immigrants (and at certain stops, the trolley allows passengers to disembark
and take photos). As well, they offer nine other thematic trolley tours, from
lighthouses, to food, to wine to their very popular ghost tours.
Not being
the overly adventurous type, I decided to explore parts of Door County via boat
(but letting someone experienced do the driving). For those who like an
adrenaline kick when they take a boat tour, try Door County Adventure Rafting (www.doorcountyadventurerafting.com). Our skipper, Captain Matt Olson,
gave us a high-octane ride on his motorized rubber raft (complete with his
repertoire of kick ass rock tunes that he played throughout our journey) as we
explored some of the hard-to reach islands, lighthouses and geographic wonders
along the coast, including my favorite Eagle Cave, which is inhabited by
hundreds of bats. And if you go with Captain Matt on a ride when the water is
quite choppy (which happened when I took the tour), bring a rain jacket or
poncho … you will get wet!
A more
relaxed, yet no less informative, boat tour of the peninsula was courtesy of a
narrated boat cruise onboard “The Shoreline” (www.shorelinecharters.net). Launching from the peninsula’s most northern tip at Gills Rock, the
two-hour tour was a captivating look at the maritime beauty of northern Door
County, including its many lighthouses, limestone cliffs, preserved shipwrecks
(some, including one that dated back to the Civil War, can be seen with the
naked eye) and islands, both populated and isolated. One part of the tour that
caught my attention was Pilot Island, which our guide jokingly referred to as
“Alfred Hitchcock’s summer home” (pictured above). Originally, I was not aware that the Master
of Suspense actually had a summer retreat in this area; and as we got closer to
the island, I easily understood the reason behind the Hitchcock reference. The
island, which houses a lighthouse and a foghorn station (both now abandoned and
victim to years of decay), is now an official state bird refuge. And seeing
practically every inch of the small island (and both structures) covered with
birds of all kinds was a rather eerie, visual reminder of Hitchcock’s 1963
classic thriller “The Birds”. Although visually fascinating, I cautiously kept
still and quiet, so that I would not rouse the many flocks of birds and have
them to do me and my fellow journalists like what they did to Tippi Hedren
towards the end of the movie.
One evening
during our stay, we took an arts and culture break and experienced a
performance by the Northern Sky Theatre (www.northernskytheatre.com) troupe,
and gave us a vivid example what summer stock and regional theatre are all
about. Throughout its summer season (which runs from mid-June until the end of
August), the troupe – which makes its home in the beautiful outdoor Northern
Sky Amphitheatre that’s located in Peninsula State Park – perform four
original, 90-minute family-oriented productions eight times a week, all
accompanied with a live musical quartet. What makes this troupe so unique is
that they do not perform adaptations of popular Broadway plays or musicals, but
productions that have a local flavour to them. The show we saw on the night in
question was “Doctor! Doctor!”, an entertaining musical comedy set during the
1930s, in which a young doctor from the big city (Milwaukee) is about to take
over his uncle’s medical practice in one of Door County’s small towns .. yet
somehow the residents are rather reluctant to adapt to the new doctor in town.
And during September and October, Northern Sky Theatre has its fall season, in
which two productions are performed at two indoor venues in Fish Creek.
…And now, a
few words about the food: When it comes to the food in Door County, two things
come to mind: cherries and fish.
First, the
cherries. For a period of 100 years – between the 1860s and the 1960s – Door
County was regarded as the top cherry producer in the United States (it was
even referred to as “Cherry Land USA”). Although it has not retained that
status, Door County is still a leading producer of the fruit, with over 2500
acres that grow tart cherries and 50 acres of sweet cherries, and still
produces over 12 million pounds a year. No matter where you go throughout Door
County, you can’t ignore its cherry presence. There are countless orchards,
restaurants and farmer’s markets that offer everything from cherry pies, cherry
pie filling, cherry jams and preserves and my favorites, cherry cobbler and
dark chocolate-covered cherries.
Second, the
fish. Perhaps the most dominant type of fish that inhabits the Door County area
is whitefish. But half the fun of eating that whitefish is witnessing how it’s
uniquely prepared. That’s where the “fish boil” comes into the picture. Dating
back to the area’s Scandinavian settlers, a typical fish boil is an event unto
itself. Basically, the ingredients are gradually placed into a large cauldron
of water that boils over a wood fire by the boilmaster (first the salt,
followed by the onions, potatoes and then the chunks of whitefish). The boil
comes to a visually stunning climax when the boilmaster throws kerosene into
the fire, and in a quick massive ball of fire, all of the oil that gives the
fish its fishy taste and essence are boiled away, leaving a sweet, delicious
taste to the fish. We caught a typical Door County fish boil at the Rowleys Bay
Resort (www.rowleysbayresort.com), located on the Lake Michigan side
of the peninsula (pictured above). Before the dinner, we sat around the cauldron and in between
ingredients, “Peter Rowley” (actually one of two local retired college history
professors) tells in his inimitable way stories dealing with Rowleys Bay’s
colourful past as the fish is being boiled for dinner. Once the cooking portion
is done, guests try the boiled fish (which is great when you combine it with
the onions and potatoes) at the resort’s restaurant, which also includes an
impressive 14 foot-long, all-you-can-eat buffet. The fish boil takes place at
the resort every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night starting at 4:30
p.m., and reservations are recommended.
And
finally, here are three Door County restaurants that you must visit for your
dining pleasure. Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant (www.aljohnsons.com) in Sister Bay is a family-owned restaurant that offers diners an
authentic taste of Sweden (I recommend the Swedish pancakes, garnished with
tangy lingonberries). One peculiar thing that I noticed about the log
cabin-type structure of the restaurant is that the roof was covered entirely in
grass. And then I found out why; every morning around 8:15, three goats are
brought on the roof to graze on its grass-laden covering, which certainly
attracts the attention of anyone who passes by the place.
Wilson’s
Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor (www.wilsonsicecream.com) in Ephraim has been a fixture in
Door County since 1906. And once you step inside, you are automatically taken
back in time to when soda fountains and ice cream parlours were a cornerstone
on every small town main street. This memorabilia-filled restaurant is a treat
to experience (complete with mini 1950s jukeboxes at every booth), and the menu
is a delicious throwback. And don’t forget dessert … malteds, ice cream sodas,
milk shakes and sundaes are prepared and presented the way they are meant to
be, in those classic tall soda fountain glasses with those long, thin spoons (and
I highly recommend the Dark Secret sundae, which is the ideal dessert for
chocoholics everywhere).
If you want
good food with a great view, go to Fred & Fuzzy’s Waterfront Grill in
Sister Bay (www.fredandfuzzys.com). Located on the shores of Little
Sister Resort, Fred & Fuzzy’s offers the ultimate outdoor dining
experience, with a wonderful view of the marina that adjoins the restaurant and
the multitude of boats that are docked there (and looks even better when the
sun sets). And the restaurant’s large menu includes its series of signature
grilled sandwiches (I tried their delicious tenderloin steak sandwich), and
their famous cherry margaritas.
* * *
For more information about visiting Door County,
and what it has to offer tourists,
visit their website at www.doorcounty.com. Special thanks to Jon Jarosh,
communications and PR director of the Door County Visitor Bureau, for his
tremendous assistance during and after the tour.
(This article originally appeared in the Sept. 28, 2016 edition of "Wednesday").
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