SIMPLY SWEET: Wisconsin’s Door County brimming with splendour

Samples of tart cherry and dried cranberry bread were placed on our table as we gathered for lunch at MacReady Artisan Bread Company, a from-scratch family bakery in quaint Egg Harbor, Wis.

“When in Rome, my friends,” co-owner Jenny MacReady proclaimed with a smile.

“Rome” in this instance was Door County, Wis., a 113-km long peninsula flanked by Green Bay and Lake Michigan. The area is known for its many wilderness and recreation pursuits (there are five state parks, more than 50 beaches and 483 km of shoreline), a thriving arts scene (there are four professional theatre companies), and Scandinavian and Maritime heritage embraced throughout postcard lakeside villages that seem to get prettier along the way.

And cherries everywhere. It’s as if the stone fruit is falling from the sky.

Before we could devour all the deliciously sweet and perfectly tart homemade bread, we were treated to deliciously sweet and perfectly tart cherry pie. MacReady even packed us some slices for the road just in case we needed a cherry fix in between cherry juice at breakfast, chocolate-covered cherries at snack time and cherry wine at any time.

Consider it a sweet day in the life in what’s often referred to as the Cape Cod of Midwest U.S.A. There are equally plentiful and spectacular waterfront views, and the vibes during our three-night stay in late August were as peaceful and easy as one would expect given the breezy, unfussy surroundings.

Add in the unbridled friendliness of the locals and it all felt reminiscent of being in Canada, really, a bit of Muskoka-meets-Niagara-on-the-Lake, with cheese curds and fish boils replacing the ice wine and maple syrup (it checks out: the southern border of Wisconsin is further north than the southernmost part of Canada, Point Pelee, Ont.).

If travel can be measured by the feeling one gets in the moment, Door County filled and then overflowed this writer’s cup. Our guess is that any visitor with a pulse would share that sentiment.

Three to five days – about as long as a cheese curd will stay squeaky – would be a good length of visit but two weeks — about the time curds will last in the fridge – could also be easily filled.

One more thing: You’re likely going to see goats on a roof.

THE BLEAT GOES ON

The Swedish pancakes inside Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik might be the Greatest Of All Time but the real goats are on top of the restaurant, where they’ve been grazing for decades at this Door County icon.

The world-famous restaurant in Sister Bay recently celebrated 75 years and its success can be credited in big part to the goats on the roof. As the story goes, after a new restaurant structure was built in 1972, a family friend offered a goat as a birthday joke gift. That goat wound up on the sod roof and goats have been there since, entering from a ramp out back (and retreating when the weather isn’t to their liking).

We were thankful to catch a quick glimpse of the goats first thing as they were gone by lunchtime due to unseasonably sweltering temps.

There’s even a goat-cam for the online crowd and an annual parade in town because why not?

Be sure to try the lingonberry lemonade and the meatballs, which are made of pork and beef, and no goat!

Grab a coffee at Skip Stone Coffee Roasters next door and poke around the many shops in the bustling core before boarding a cruise with Sister Bay Scenic Boat Tours. Our hour-long narrated tour on Green Bay is one of several offered by the company. It took us to Eagle Bluff, part of the Niagara Escarpment that runs through the region located in the easternmost part of Wisconsin known as the “left thumb.” We also saw Horseshoe Island and learned about the Anderson Dock in Ephraim with its graffiti consisting of boaters who have signed the dockside warehouse with their boats’ names and year they docked.

There have been several hundred shipwrecks around the peninsula, about 25 of which can be viewed. It’s not a surprising number considering the folklore that suggests the county got its name from Death’s Door, a treacherous strait between the northernmost tip of the peninsula and nearby Washington Island.

The boat cruise is a particularly smart option on a humid day like the one we had with the lake breeze offering reprieve.

GALLERIES GALORE

The arts have long been part of the fabric of Door County. The burgeoning Steel Bridge Creative District in the ship-building town of Sturgeon Bay is just one example of where visitors can catch a glimpse of what’s being created in this scenic county.

Pop into the Popelka Trenchard Gallery & Glass Studio to see husband-and-wife glassblowers Jeremy Popelka and Stephanie Trenchard in action and then go to the newly opened M. Anderson Gallery where artist Marc Anderson specializes in plein air. His work captures authentic light and inspiring landscapes such as local favourite Cave Point.

We were especially mesmerized at the Cappaert Contemporary Gallery in Egg Harbor and Edgewood Orchard Galleries in Fish Creek. The former is housed in an 1800s-built log home and showcases the work of Ginnie Cappaert and others while the latter, a fourth-generation family gallery, is as expansive as it is impressive. Among the art we admired at Edgewood was that of Canadian artists Olaf Schneider and Heather and John Zanderban.

“We’re definitely close and very supportive of each other,” Cappaert said of artists’ relationships throughout Door County. “I don’t know if you’d find anything like this in the U.S.”

Don’t leave Egg Harbor without checking out the Egg Art Museum inside the village’s beautiful new library.

Music lovers may wish to align their visit with the calendar of Midsummer’s Music, founded in 1990 to bring world-class chamber music to Door County.

PLAY DATES APLENTY

I have never been a major theatre buff. As such, I can’t pretend that I was revved up about the idea of seeing back-to-back performances during my visit to Door County. Wonderful evenings at Northern Sky Theater and Peninsula Players at The Theatre in a Garden quickly changed my standpoint. Our visit to Northern Sky came at the end of a long day, but I was brought back to life by the serene star-lit stage under a canopy of trees inside Peninsula State Park. The production of Frederick Heide’s Hell’s Belgians was pure Wisconsin comedy gold, and right up my alley, packed with smart puns.

Some 35,000 fans venture into the park’s “theatre in the woods” each season. Bug spray is readily available.

The next night’s production was decidedly more serious. Mary’s Wedding by Canadian Stephen Massicotte tells a wartime love story that I won’t soon forget. The acting was flawless, and the tears were flowing.

Peninsula Players is America’s oldest resident summer theatre, in its 88th year. The seasonal 621-seat lakeside facility is located on 16 wooded acres and includes a beer garden and an outdoor area that managing director Brian Kelsey called “the world’s greatest theatre lobby.” He might be right.

MORE TO SEE AND DO

“Hello, here are some cheese curds,” our server at Wilson’s Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor said as she plopped down the latest helping of curds on the trip, these ones golden-fried.

It was the beginning of the most filling meal of the trip. An all-American cheeseburger and fries with made-in-house draft root beer paved the way to the main event: a giant homemade ice cream sundae with hot fudge, Door County cherry topping, whipped cream and pecans.

When in Rome, indeed.

Located in Ephraim – my favourite community among those we visited – Wilson’s has been serving up all the classics since 1906.

“For a lot of people, it’s like taking a trip down memory lane,” owner Sarah Martin said.

Consider burning some calories before or after with a visit to OneEighty Petals in nearby Fish Creek. Guests can pick from more than 30 different varieties of flowers and cut their own bouquets on husband-and-wife John and Sara Lancaster’s beautiful property.

The peninsula is only 29 km at its widest and 3 km at its narrowest so it’s easy to see and do many things in a day or even an afternoon, like the Door County Wine Trail for instance.

Anchored Roots Vineyard & Winery is Door County’s newest winery, opened in 2022 but established in 2020 by Amy and Eric Gale in the Wisconsin Ledge American Viticultural Area. The winery is one of four in the area that recently created a consortium inspired by Vintners Quality Alliance, a Canadian regulatory/appellation system that ensures high quality and authenticity of origin for regional wines. Eric said their concept was inspired by Tidal Bay wines out of Nova Scotia, which features a similarly cooler growing climate.

Stay in the spirit by heading to Hatch Distilling Co. in Egg Harbor. The name plays on the owner’s background in the commercial poultry industry and the village’s name. The spirits here, made with raw Wisconsin honey, are certainly all they’re cracked up to be. We brought home a bottle of honey barrel bourbon, in the name of research of course.

Hill Street is a new addition to Fish Creek and the popular double-patty burger should keep customers returning for years to come. It’s here we finally tried the state’s official cocktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned, which swaps whiskey for brandy and finishes with a pour of soda. Be warned: These bad boys go down easy.

Don’t leave the county before visiting Renard’s Artisan Cheese in Sturgeon Bay. The place is home to more than 100 cheese varieties including what must be the squeakiest cheese curds on planet earth.

My flight schedule meant I couldn’t check out the Wild Tomato in Sister Bay but other writers on the trip reported that the wood-fired pizza was excellent and enjoyed some fun music as part of the Fishstock Concert Series, which has been delivering performances inside a 100-year-old barn for more than 20 years.

HISTORY MEETS LUXURY AT HILLSIDE

Hillside Waterfront Hotel owner Diane Taillon could be considered an honourary Canadian, having been raised in Niagara Falls, N.Y. In this case, we’re thankful she made the move to Ephraim in Door County because her luxury accommodations are something special.

Hillside offers five unique suites and two cottages, all overlooking beautiful Eagle Harbor. I stayed in the Day Lily suite, which included a four-poster queen bed and access to an expansive veranda. I don’t typically lean towards heritage properties for my overnights – this one started as a log cabin in 1866 and became the Hillside in 1901 – but the spacious layout and attention to detail had me converted immediately.

Don’t miss the spectacular breakfast, including homemade quiche and Icelandic almond rolls (the Scandinavian roots continue to run deep in villages across the county).

“The details are the most important thing to us,” Taillon said. “We want our guests to feel refreshed and relaxed and that they feel like they belong.”

Ephraim, founded in 1853, was a dry village until 2016. Beer and wine can now be accessed.

HOW WE GOT THERE

There are no direct flights from Toronto to Green Bay. We flew United, connecting through Chicago O’Hare before an arranged pick-up in Green Bay. It’s about an 80-minute drive from Green Bay to Door County. A road trip would be a great option for Torontonians, doable in about 12 hours. It’s an even closer drive from Winnipeg, about seven-and-a-half hours.

Be sure to fit in at least a quick visit to Lambeau Field, home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. The iconic stadium is only a 10-minute drive from Austin Straubel International Airport.

For more information on Door County, visit doorcounty.com.

WHEN TO VISIT

The short answer? Any time! Door County is a popular year-round tourist destination, but the permanent population of about 30,000 can expand to as many as 200,000 with visitors in peak summer season. The region is similarly popular in fall when the foliage becomes vibrant, and they say the popular curvy road on Hwy. 42 is not to be missed.

[email protected] On X: @IanShantz