By Don Heimburger
Imagine a vacation getaway that blends long, golden sunsets over sky-blue water with a laid-back atmosphere and days filled with a variety of activities.
If that's what you're looking for, then throw open the door to Wisconsin's Door Peninsula, also known as a destination that's "above the tension line." This 70-mile-long peninsula, stretching from small town Brussels (1,100 souls) though Death's Door Passage and onto Washington and Rock islands at the tip of the peninsula, sees upward of 2 million visitors each year, and they pump $400 million into the local economy.
The whole of Door County has fewer than 30,000 inhabitants year-round except in season, when the population soars. Tourists and locals alike describe the 300 miles of scenic shoreline as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest." It draws tourists largely from half a dozen Midwestern states, and its magnetism attracts numerous visitors, many who eventually decide to become locals.
"There's something mesmerizing about the water up here," said Jon Jarosh, Door County Tourism's director of public relations, "and I like the small-town feel — it's a safe place for my children."
Signs such as "Firewood," "Lodging and Conversation," "Cheese Tasting," "Maple Syrup" and "Cherry Pies" dot the two-lane Highway 42 that zigzags its way between tiny coastal towns with names such as Fish Creek, Egg Harbor (population 202), Sister Bay (population 903) and Gills Rock. If fog from Green Bay hasn't rolled in — which it can with lightning speed — you can see Sister Island, Snake Island, Little Strawberry Island and Hat Island off in the distance. More people — and tourist attractions — are on the Green Bay side of the peninsula, where the air and water temperature can be more than 10 degrees warmer than on the Lake Michigan side.
Mention the word "cherries" in Door County and you've got everyone's attention. The county has 2,500 acres of cherry orchards that produce mostly the tart, bright-red Montmorency variety used in jams, pies and strudels. It's hard to find a store that doesn't sell some sort of cherry something or a local restaurant that doesn't offer cherry juice or a slice of cherry pie with ice cream. When the cherry blossoms open up in mid-to-late May, tourists start streaming to Door County to kick back and relax while they feast on the cherries, the sweet corn, the Jonathan and Honeycrisp apples, visit the wineries, play in the water and soak up the sun.
Locals have fun with their cherries: Orchard Country Winery, a cherry farm and vineyard owned by Bob Lautenbach and his two daughters, Carrie and Erin, hosts a yearly Cherry Pit Spit. The all-time winner in the men's class won with a distance of 48 feet 1inch, while the women's division was won with a spit of 38 feet 3 inches. The business, which started in 1955 as a small roadside stand, produced 60 cases of wine its first year; now it turns out 11,000 cases annually for thirsty visitors.
Besides fruits and wines, the county is also known for cheese, even though there's only one cheese-maker in the county: Renard's Cheese, which started business in 1961. Three generations later the Renards still churn out fresh cheese daily, with cheese curds being the firm's most popular product.
"If they don't squeak, they're not fresh," said Debbie Wauters, director of marketing, as a tourist nearby took a bite and declared it "squeaky," as advertised.
The varieties of cheese stocked in the store's cooler is mind-boggling, even to a cheese aficionado. The Renard family has won numerous regional, national and international awards through the years with their potpourri of cheeses: Cheddars, Colby, Farmers, Muenster, Brick, Monterey Jack, "Smoke String" and 50 flavor-infused cheeses.
Another point of interest for nearly everyone visiting Door County is Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay — look for the goats grazing on the sod roof. This establishment serves 2,400 meals each day on average, and it's the goats that bring in a lot of that business. There's even a "goat cam" mounted on the roof if you can't make it to the restaurant. Rolf Johnson contends that so many people now want to start a restaurant with goats on the roof that he's had to trademark the concept, but he only charges $1 a year for the privilege.
After eating at Al Johnson's, Wilson's Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor, in Ephraim since 1906, serves up dessert — heaping bowls of old-fashioned ice cream and soda fountain specialties. It, too, is a family-run business, with Sarah Martin, daughter of owners Roy and Diane Elquist, wiping tables and delivering colossal cherry sundaes to customers.
While food is a major attraction in "the Door," there's a long list of activities that keep both kids and adults busy.
"There are about 100 potters, weavers and painters here," said Jarosh, who knows where all their studios are located. The county also lays claim to 11 lighthouses, third most in the country; there's even a June Lighthouse Festival featuring land-based and boat excursions to these attractions.
The region also features some of the oldest state parks around. One of the five — 3,776-acre Peninsula State Park with eight miles of shoreline, an 18-hole golf course, 150-foot-high limestone cliffs and two cemeteries — turned 111 years old this year. The 1,200-acre Potawatomi State Park on the shore of Sturgeon Bay was founded by the Bo-De-Wad-Me tribe, who were in the area when the first Europeans settled here. Eventually the four distinct intonations were condensed into "Potawatomi."
"A fish boil is not a skin disease," quipped Door County trolley
bus driver-tour leader Robert Kohout, a resident of the area for 34 years, as he maneuvered his bright-red trolley into a parking space and explained the Door County ritual.
"They start with a roaring fire and a pot of water and lower potatoes in a basket, followed by whitefish and onions. Then they remove the oils from the fish. How? They use kerosene," he muttered in disbelief as his audience roared with laughter. "Let me tell you how this is done," he continued, and he explained that kerosene tossed onto the fire creates a huge flame, which makes the kettle boil over, spilling the fish oils onto the ground. Only then is the mouthwatering feast ready to eat.
Hiking paths in the area are as prevalent as cherry trees. Nature and travel expert Paul Regnier has spent more than 25 years working in local sanctuaries and on conservation boards, and he runs his own local guide service. He takes clients to remote parts of the county where birds and flowers are abundant. He can point out such oddities as a flock of rare pelicans mounting the updrafts to gain elevation or the best locations for forget-me-nots, yellow rockets and jack-in-the-pulpit. He'll even save you from a bad case of poison ivy if you can't make the distinction yourself.
WHEN YOU GO
Book early, especially in mid-May through mid-October, when the livin' is easy but the crowds and traffic can be vexing.
The best cup of coffee is at Door County Coffee and Tea Co. on Highway 42 in Carlsville. Owner Vicki Wilson offers more than 100 roasted coffees; there's even a drive-up window.
The Door County Welcome Center in Sturgeon Bay (800-527-3529) is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with personal assistance available between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
For more information, visit www.doorcounty.com.
Photo courtesy of Don Heimburger.
Don Heimburger is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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