As luminous as just-fallen snow, they fill the landscape of Door County, Wisconsin. Typically bursting forth in mid-May from over 2,000 acres of mainly Montmorency trees, these cherry blossoms are spring’s show-stoppers. But they are not all that delight this season in the Door, a 70-mile long peninsula cradled by the waters of Lake Michigan to the east and Green Bay to the west. Apple trees – 500 acres of them – add their own colors to nature’s rich palette, as do the millions of daffodils, tulips and wildflowers rising from winter’s slumber. Spring is special everywhere, to be sure – but in the Door it is spectacular. No wonder, then, that Money magazine has named Door County one of its “Top Ten Vacation Destinations in North America.”
Thanks to the area’s limestone bedrock (which provides its soil with ideal nutrients and moisture) and climate (warm days and cool nights, created by effects from the lake and bay), the county is the perfect place to grow cherries. Learn more about this over century-old industry with a visit to Orchard Country Wine and Market in Fish Creek, a fifth generation family farm – orchardcountry.com, (866) 946-3263. Sample cherry wine and juice, pies and jams and wander through the rows upon rows of impossibly fragrant blossom-laden trees.
After your delighted senses have had their fill of cherries, take a turn aboard a Door County Trolley – doorcountytrolley.com, (920) 868-1100. A great way to get an overview of the area, it includes plenty of stops at scenic locales, including a sweeping view of the Strawberry Islands from Peninsula State Park and lots of entertaining tales of local legends and lore from a personable, knowledgeable guide.
For the outdoor lover, Door County offers a bounty of riches: 300 miles of shoreline, 50 beachside parks and five state parks. Biking and hiking, boating and sailing, plus golfing, fishing, camping, horseback riding and kayaking – do it all in the Door, and more. Begin your eco-exploration at Peninsula State Park – dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/peninsula, (920) 868-3258. Wisconsin’s most popular park, it offers 3,776 gorgeous acres running along Green Bay’s edge. While the activities to be found within all merit consideration, don’t miss the opportunity to take a hike along Eagle Trail. A two-mile loop of moderate difficulty, it features 150-foot limestone cliffs, panoramic views of Eagle Harbor and, closer to the ground, massive patches of delicate trillium and forget-me-nots.
Investigate and enjoy two very different shorelines along Lake Michigan at Whitefish Dunes State Park – dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/whitefish, (920) 823-2400 – and Cave Point County Park – (920) 746-9959. Home to Old Baldy, a 93-foot sand dune, Whitefish also boasts one of the best beaches in the Midwest. The 863-acre park is historically significant, too; remains of eight separate Native American villages, the oldest dating back 3,000 years, were discovered in two archeological digs. As a result, the site has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cave Point, a 19-acre park located just north of Whitefish, gets its name from the cliffs and underwater grottos that line the water’s edge. As you gaze at the rugged limestone receiving the water’s violent embrace, reflect that you are seeing eternity in action. Part of the massive Niagara Escarpment, the most famous feature of which is the cliff the Niagara River plunges over to form Niagara Falls, such outcroppings were formed over untold eons by the unequal erosion of limestone and shale.
Such an abundance of natural beauty has long proved a siren song to creative souls; over a century ago, an influx of Chicago artists helped establish a thriving arts community in Door County that flourishes to this day. Shop galleries, explore museums, take a day-class in a studio – the area teems with cultural treasures. Among the most unique is the garden of Karin Overbeck – karinoverbeck.com, (920) 743-0179. Taking a tour through its lush, wandering confines, filled with Overbeck’s whimsical sculptures, mosaics and stained glass, is a bit like stepping into Wonderland.
For two very different perspectives on the Door, visit the Cana Island Lighthouse – dcmm.org, (920) 743-5958 – and then hop aboard the Shoreline for a cruise – shorelinecharters.net, (920) 854-4707. The Door’s 10 beacons, one of the country’s highest concentrations, were built to aid 19th-century seamen using the busy shipping lanes around the peninsula, which were plagued with hazards including shoals, reefs and fog. The county actually gets its name from “Death’s Door,” the strait between the peninsula’s tip and the islands to the north. Beneath its treacherous waters lies a veritable graveyard of sunken ships.
Built in 1869, the Cana Island light in Bailey’s Harbor affords a bird’s-eye survey of the Lake Michigan coastline, making the vertigo-inspiring climb up its steps well worth the trip. Leave time to peruse the historic exhibits and take some shots of the lighthouse itself, one of the Great Lakes’ most photographed. Then, get a gorgeous view of Peninsula State Park’s towering cliffs and learn a few of the tales behind the Door’s hundreds of shipwrecks while onboard the Shoreline. Scuba enthusiasts will want to note that an astounding 36 wrecks are dive-able; the cold, fresh water has preserved even wooden ships lost almost a 150 years ago.
It began 100 years ago when the lake’s bountiful waters were used by Scandinavian settlers to feed famished friends and family. Get a fire going under a giant outdoor kettle filled with water. After the water is boiling, add potatoes, fresh whitefish and salt. When the fish oil bubbles to the surface, carefully toss kerosene onto the fire. The resulting boil-over, which involves plenty of pyrotechnics, removes the oil and finishes cooking the fish perfectly. Serve with cole slaw, homemade bread and just-baked cherry pie for dessert. It’s known as a Door County fish boil, and no visit to the area should end without experiencing it at the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek – whitegullinn.com, (800) 624-1987.
As delicious and festive as they are, fish boils can’t make up every Door County meal. Happily, the peninsula is lined with picturesque villages chock full of fabulous restaurants. For one of the best and heartiest breakfasts on the planet, order up an omelet wrap at the Good Eggs, in Ephraim – goodeggsdoorcounty.com, (920) 854-6621. If you’ve still got room for lunch later, head down the street to Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor – wilsonsicecream.com, (920) 854-2041. A Door tradition since 1906, it features an old-fashioned soda fountain and homemade root beer. Dinner options abound as well; two of the best are the Bluefront Café in Sturgeon Bay – octanecreative.com/bluefront, (920) 743-9218 – and Sister Bay’s Mission Grille – missiongrille.com, (920) 854-9070.
Each year, spring is feted county-wide in the Door with the Festival of Blossoms – doorcounty.com, (800) 527-3529. Beginning the 29th and running through June 5, it includes plenty of self-guided tours through gardens and orchards dressed in the season’s most glorious blooms. The county’s villages will also celebrate with arts, crafts, food and music. All are rife with cottages, inns, lodges and motels. But for a stay with every amenity under the sun, including a game room, indoor and outdoor pools and tennis courts. Book a room at the Landmark Resort in Egg Harbor at thelandmarkresort.com or call (800) 273-7877.
by Jill Gleeson
Harrisburg, PA 56°F
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