Cynthia Dial
If you haven’t heard of Door County, you’re not alone. On a map, it is the finger of land that stretches from the city of Green Bay to Lake Michigan in the east and Green Bay in the west. It’s home to 300 miles of coastline and a collection of towns with such distinctive names as Egg Harbor, Sister Bay and Fish Creek, never far from the water.
But even though it’s little known nationally, this Midwestern county is celebrated as the region’s picturesque equivalent of Cape Cod. With its setting of American flags, specialty cherries, and Adirondack chairs set in parks and in front of its surround sound-like coastline, I considered it “Americana at its red, white and blue best” after my first visit in July 2012. But even though This initial introduction was years ago, I designated Door County as a must-see travel treasure.
Cynthia Dial
The destination is popular seasonally. Although the permanent resident population is less than 30,000, that number increases significantly on Memorial Day and continues to skyrocket through Labor Day. It is during this three-month period that the Midwest explodes with a new freedom to enjoy all those activities stopped by the winter weather. And even though I’m a Southern Californian, my schedule enthusiastically coincided with that of private warm-weather tourists kayaking in Sister Bay, climbing the 97 steps of the Cana Island Lighthouse (yes, I counted), sailing the tall ship Edith M. Becker and exploring the Barefoot Whitefish Dunes.
Cynthia Dial
The trip was rounded out with live entertainment, including summer events such as the American Folklore Theater (now known as Northern Sky Theater) on a forest-themed stage inside Peninsula State Park and the Midsummer’s Music Festival, which featured music from chamber performed by world-class people. artists and appeared in a renovated barn during my visit (although the location is constantly changing).
At the time I wondered about the Door County off-season—when the crowds are gone and the deals are truly local.
Fast forward to a different year, a different season: December 2022. As a mild climate dweller, I learned long ago that the fastest and most exciting route to the holiday spirit is a trip to cold country. So when this Wisconsin winter opportunity arose, I pulled out the Ugg boots, parka, and wool mittens and began preparing for a double-digit temperature drop and Christmas rise.
Cynthia Dial
Door County’s Scandinavian roots are scattered across the peninsula, from the flutter of Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Danish flags to Rosemåling’s offering of red Dala horses and folk art memorabilia. Said to be the most festive time to visit, it’s when Christmas lights, baubles and decorations beautify the surroundings, festivities herald the season and snow is likely to dust the countryside.
Modeled after Europe’s famous Christmas markets, Christkindlmarkt (Sister Bay) returns in 2023, following its debut in 2021 and my 2022 visit, offering three consecutive weekends of fun starting on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving week. Complete with open-air stalls, it promises to serve everything from glass art and leather hats with one, two or no pom poms to Glühwein (the layman’s term: mulled wine). However, the most sought-after photo shoot is always the Christkind, the market’s namesake: a princess-style lookalike with blonde locks and a gold and white robe.
Cynthia Dial
Tannenbaum Holiday Shop (Sister Bay), a Door County specialty retailer since 1978, brightens my mood with room after room of not only Christmas ornaments and decorations, but holiday items and gifts year-round for all occasions. The best part: it’s open year-round.
And while some restaurants and shops close on schedule, it’s always possible to find the work of top-notch artisans like Popelka Trenchard Glass Fine Art Gallery & Studio (Sturgeon Bay) and Plum Bottom Gallery (Fish Creek, Egg Harbor). Popelka Trenchard’s setting is set in an old gas station/car repair shop. However, his decorative glass pieces, so impressive you’d think Chilhuly, reflect the ancient techniques of master glassblowers. Then there’s Plum Bottom, which was named “Door County’s Best Gallery.” Originally created in 2007 by husband and wife team, Chad Luberger and Angela Olson Luberger (Jewelry Artist-in-Residence), it represents over 150 nationally collected artists.
Cynthia Dial
The Norwegian term Friluftsliv – pronounced free-loofts-liv and interpreted as “outdoor living” – is the belief that one should have a personal connection with nature every day. In accordance with this philosophy, activities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, even e-bikes are carried out; but along the less active route is hiking through the Ridges Sanctuary (Baileys Harbour). Designated a State Natural Area, Audubon Important Bird Area, and National Natural Landmark, this 1,600-acre nature preserve is Wisconsin’s oldest nonprofit land trust. Along with naturalist Bill Wolff, we hiked some of the sanctuary’s five miles of rustic trails, most notably the Baileys Harbor Range Lights (listed on the National Register of Historic Places). “This is not just a walk in the woods. I want you to know how special this is,” Wolff said. And during Ridge’s natural Christmas event, Kaye Cabin became the epicenter of merriment with Christmas music, cookies, cider and more.
From experience, my advice would be to put on the song ‘Jingle Bells’ and hop aboard a horse-drawn sleigh ride with John Mayberry, owner of Mayberry’s Carriages. Encouraged to “come and enjoy the peace and quiet of yesteryear,” the 10-, 20-, or 30-minute ride through the town of Fish Creek transports visitors to a generation back in the day.
Fortunately, some things never change, regardless of the thermometer reading. As during my previous visit, the “brewing team” at Door County Coffee & Tea Company (Sturgeon Bay) continues to serve up a cup of coffee that can’t be missed. Greeted by the aroma of freshly baked beans, the choices were plentiful. With festive flavors like Sugar Cookie Milk and Candy Cane, along with Baked Egg Scrambled and Toast topped with Bea’s Chopped Cherry Jam, you’ll have sampled many of the signature flavors that represent the region.
Another Door County restaurant favorite is the Peninsula’s signature fish boil. This tradition gives visitors a taste of the past when pots of potatoes, onions and white fish from local waters were prepared in outdoor community-style kitchens to efficiently and economically feed large numbers of Scandinavian immigrants originals of the area. Our fish boil experience at the White Gull Inn (Fish Creek) ended with the expected aspect of this cooking method when kerosene was thrown into the fire causing a flame and boiling of the water. The meal was served with coleslaw, melted butter along with freshly baked bread and finished off with a slice of made-from-scratch cherry pie.
Of the multiple breweries and wineries in the area, Harbor Ridge Winery (Egg Harbor) embraced the season’s cozy chill with outdoor “snow bowls”—heated, transparent, dome-like tents equipped with cozy seats and comfortable blankets. Committed to the comfort of their guests, the winery also revealed its humorous side with the wine tasting guide’s playful directive to “solve the world’s problems one sip at a time.”
In the end, the multi-colored finale to my visit – a walk through the tunnel of Christmas lights displayed annually in Sister Bay – was akin to completing my gift of a visit with a kaleidoscopic bow.
bottom line Maybe you didn’t know about Door County, but now you know when to visit.
Anytime.
