A little more than 100 years ago, Door County, that 50-mile long peninsula that juts like a crooked finger off the coast of northeastern Wisconsin, separating Lake Michigan from Green Bay, was a dangerous place. It got its name from early French explorers who called it Porte des Morts Passage, or “death’s door” because of all the ships that got wrecked trying to navigate the narrow passage at the tip of the peninsula between the lake and the bay. But those days of mortal peril are past. Now all excitement is voluntary and wholesome: kayaking or zip-lining or swimming or climbing 97 winding stairs in order to admire the views from the top of the Cana Island Lighthouse. Or you can go on a yoga retreat in the middle of the woods and learn how to slow your heartbeat down to a mere 30 beats per minute. Or you can just sit around and eat cheeseburgers and gaze at the water. Anything you find relaxing, Door County will provide.
But during high season, you have a full range of options. You can tour the county by automobile, bicycle, boat, trolley, single-engine airplane, or horse-drawn carriage. You can spend your days doing water sports, hiking in one of the peninsula’s five state parks, or touring art galleries. (There’s a wide range of specialties: paintings, sculpture, pottery, eggs, harps, or scrimshaw.) Or maybe you’d rather learn quilting or glassblowing yourself in a class at the Clearing Folk School in Ellison Bay.
No visit anywhere is complete without sampling its traditional cuisine. In Door County, this is a fish boil. The cook throws chunks of whitefish, potatoes, and onions into a giant pot of salted water and sets it over an outdoor fire to boil. At the crucial moment, the boil master throws kerosene onto the flames, which flare up dramatically and cause the pot to boil over and expel all the yucky-tasting fish oil. It’s generally acknowledged that the best fish boil is at the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, and that you should make reservations in advance.
Getting there:
The base of the peninsula is about four hours from Chicago by car; the tip another 45 minutes farther. It’s best to drive, since there’s no public transportation.
Where to eat:
Fish boil at White Gull Inn. Whitefish, potatoes, and onions boiled in a giant pot of salted water. Make a reservation. whitegullinn.com.
Where to sleep:
Newport State Park: Some actual privacy, access to your own beach, and the very best water you’ll ever drink. $10 vehicle admission sticker, $10 campsite reservation fee, dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/newport/.
Chal-A Motel: A wonderfully kitschy vintage 1950s motel. $65-70 double occupancy, chal-amotel.com
What to do:
Visit the famed goats at Al Johnson’s and dig into a short stack while you’re at it. aljohnsons.com.
