Goats on the roof, squeaky cheese curds, lighthouses galore, beaches everywhere, quaint villages, fish boils, even cherry pit spitting competitions — all that and more makes Door County, Wisconsin a vacation mecca. It has been called the Cape Cod of the Midwest.
Located about 50 miles northeast of Green Bay, this 70-mile-long peninsula has long been one of the Midwest’s most popular vacation spots. It has been attracting repeat visitors for generations including many Green Bay Packers football players who have summer homes on the peninsula. Green Bay is on the western side of the peninsula and Lake Michigan on the eastern side.
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As a lifelong water lover, how could I not fall in love with a destination that boasts 300 miles of picturesque shoreline?
The Door County Maritime Museum on Sturgeon Bay offers a good introduction to the area’s rich maritime roots. There is even a connection to Niagara Falls: the Niagara Escarpment. It runs predominantly east-west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. Of course, it is most famous as the cliff over which the Niagara River plunges at Niagara Falls and in Wisconsin it runs through Door County.
Then there is Father Louis Hennepin who first discovered the Falls in 1678 and the Door County area the next year.
“At the tip of our peninsula is Porte des Mort or Death’s Door so named because of the area’s nearly 300 shipwrecks and from that we became Door County,” explained Sam Perlman, museum deputy director. “We are deeply connected to the water and our 11 lighthouses were erected to warn the mariners and help stop the shipwrecks.”
Sturgeon Bay produced hundreds of ships during World War II and an exhibit details the history of the ships and the bravery, sacrifice, and tragedy aboard the war time ships.
Everyone is invited to put their hands on the large wooden wheel of a 1907 steamship and sound Elba’s horn in the ship’s actual wheelhouse. Captain her as she delivers lumber, stone, and other bulk cargos to ports through the Great Lakes.
The John Purves is an immaculately restored 1919 Great Lakes tugboat. Guided tours are offered from May-October. Explore the entire 149-foot tug, from her engine room to crew cabins, galley and wheelhouse and get a feel for her 13-man crew.
A highlight of our visit is the new Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower overlooking Sturgeon Bay’s working waterfront. The county’s tallest building invites visitors to immerse themselves in the area’s rich maritime history. During World War II, the nearby shipyards were building a new ship every four days. Be sure to view the movie of the area’s maritime history on the first floor.
A highlight of every visit is the rooftop observation deck offering a panoramic perspective of Sturgeon Bay. Up here it is possible to see both Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Exhibits on the other floors of the 10-story tower will officially open on May 22 — National Maritime Day.
The Maritime Museum also operates Death’s Door Maritime Museum in the small fishing village of Gills Rock on the shores of Porte des Mortes. It traces the area’s commercial fishing tradition and visitors can explore the 1930 wooden fishing tug Hope. There is also a shipwreck and scuba diving exhibit. Some of the shipwrecks that went down in the treacherous strait area are highlighted.
Also under the Maritime Museum’s purview is the county’s most iconic lighthouse: the 153-year-old Cana Island Lighthouse. The fun starts even before arriving. Ride the hay wagon over the causeway to explore the island, including the 89-foot-tall tower, the original home of the lighthouse keeper and his family, and the oil house where fuel for the light was stored.
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The highlight of any Cana Island visit is climbing the 97 steps of the tower’s spiral staircase to reach the gallery deck. The outside deck offers a sweeping view of Lake Michigan and the Door County peninsula.
No visit to Door County would be complete without a stop at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant, “the most famous restaurant in Wisconsin.” Why is it so famous? It is the restaurant with the goats on the grass sod roof.
On nice days (no rain, not too windy and under 85 degrees) from May to October they are transported here from a nearby farm. They climb up a three-level ramp and spend their days munching on grass and enjoying the view. They also pose nicely for the multitude of photographers who snap their pictures each day. Oscar was the first goat on the roof in 1979. He was put there as a gag and the rest is history. All of today’s goat are females.
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Al Johnson’s parents were Swedish and settled in Chicago and as a child he first spent summers in Sweden and then in Door County, followed by World War II service as a paratrooper. He opened the restaurant in 1949 and it has since grown into a sprawling complex that includes a beer garden. One of the buildings was built in Norway and reassembled here. Along the way, he married his Swedish wife Ingert. Since his death in 2010, his widow and their three children operate the very popular restaurant.
Breakfast is served all day and of course Swedish Pancakes are the most popular dish with a choice of lingonberries, strawberries, or maple syrup and a generous serving of whipped cream. Chocolate lovers of all ages delight in the hot chocolate with more whipped cream.
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It wasn’t until about 1961 that the fish boil that is used today became a popular tourist attraction. The historic 1896 White Gull Inn in Fish Creek was one of the first restaurants to offer the traditional experience and it is here that we enjoyed the fish boil extravaganza.
Sitting outside, we watched the boil master at work — everything goes into a large metal kettle. The first step is to add salt to the water and bring it to a boil. Next come the potatoes.
The star of the show, Lake Michigan whitefish, is added last. Once the fish are just about ready, the boil master will signal that the boil over is about to start, which is the fiery spectacle that occurs when kerosene is thrown onto the fire. The whitefish, potatoes, and onions are served with melted butter, lemon wedges, coleslaw or salad, bread, and a slice of fresh-baked Door County cherry pie. Simple but delicious.
No one can visit Wisconsin without sampling their famous cheese. Renard’s Cheese has been a Door County staple for three generations and now is enjoyed by cheese lovers around the world. Stop in for free cheese tastings. Sample the fresh cheese curds. Bite down and listen for the squeak.
The cheese shop’s bistro called Melt in Sturgeon Bay is a good choice for lunch. It is a full-service deli with indoor and outdoor seating as well as a cheese store. The Algoma location has a full store and the factory where three million pounds of cheese are produced each year.
Cherries have long been integral to local economic and cultural landscapes. For summer visitors there are a number of pick your own cherry orchards. Lautenbach’s Orchard Country
Winery and Market is on 100 acres of orchards and vineyards. Tour the winery, enjoy live music, pick your own cherries and during the Summer Harvest Fest in July join in for the cherry pie eating contest. Or just try your luck at the cherry pit spitting contest.
Door County is a mecca for beach lovers. There are 53 public beaches from the sandy spots along Lake Michigan and Green Bay to the rare Schoolhouse Beach, one of just five limestone beaches in the world.
Travel Tip of the Month: For more information visit doorcounty.com or call 920-743-4456 or call 800-527-3520.
There is a wide array of accommodations ranging from camping, cabins, motels, and hotels. The county is quite dog friendly and there are a number of dog friendly accommodations. We enjoyed our stay at the county’s newest hotel, the Dorr Hotel in Sister Bay. The design celebrates the area’s Scandinavian heritage.
Deborah Williams lives in Holland, NY and is a veteran travel writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications. She is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.
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