Take a Trip To Door County, WI
When it comes to lake-life-long-weekends most Midwesterners have been to Door County. It is located on the Northeastern peninsula that juts out from Wisconsin. To the rest of the country, this place is relatively unheard of, or if you have heard of it, you haven’t taken the time to explore Wisconsin’s hidden gem! It consists of little quaint towns that sit on Lake Michigan and full of activities, shopping, and amazing restaurants.
Travelling this summer after the pandemic has families and couples alike flocking to experiences and make up for last year’s lock down. Finding weekend accommodations may prove to be difficult, but many VRBO’s and Airbnb’s are reopening so book now in Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Sister Bay, or Ephraim. They are all about 15-20 minute drive apart so you can explore them all. If you prefer a hotel, Fish Creek Motel and Cottages (my favorites are cottage numbers 18, 19 and 20) http://www.fishcreekmotel.com/ or try the newest hotel, Dorr Hotel in Sister Bay https://www.thedorrhotel.com or
Sturgeon Bay is a quick trip away for a day hike, cliff jumping https://www.doorcounty.com/experience/cave-point-county-park/ or kayaking https://cavepointpp.com/. The town has a great marina with a fun vibe and live music as well https://www.stoneharbor-resort.com.
Egg Harbor “must stops” are the Hatch Distillery for craft cocktails on the patio https://hatchdistilling.com/ and family fun at One Barrel Brewing where there are board games, green space, picnic tables, fire pits and out door “bags”. https://www.onebarrelbrewing.com/locations/door-county-taproom.
Head to Fish Creek to walk Main Street. You will want to stop at every boutique. You will find unique art galleries, outdoor wear, women’s and men’s clothing, restaurants, bars, live music, the Alibi dock, and water views everywhere. My favorites are Sister Golden https://sistergolden.com and Blue Ivy https://blueivyboutique.com. To dine you must check out Barringer’s for casual picnic table lunch and craft cocktail, or fine dining in the evenings. Reservations are recommended for dinner. https://barringersdoorcounty.com.
Sister Bay and Ephraim host the most gorgeous sunset views and incredible restaurants. Trixies is one of my favorites. Not right on the water, but the most farm to table fresh cuisine http://www.trixiesfoodandwine.com.
If you are looking to dine and watch the sunset you must sit outside at the Boat House On the Bay where the best lobster rolls and lobster mac & cheese can be found outside of the east coast!! Totally worth the wait to get in around 6 or 7pm https://boathousedcw.com.
Water activities are a must of course on the lake. There are jet ski rentals, pontoon boats for water skiing and tubing, and kayaking is very popular as well. Depending on where you end up staying there are outfitters in every town https://www.doorcountyboats.com/fish-creek-boat-rentals/.
Hiking and biking are also extremely popular, and the scenery is spectacular especially if you hike Peninsula State Park https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/peninsula.
Oh, and I am not a wine drinker BUT, don’t let me stop you. The wineries in Door County are a must see on your own or you can book a trolly tour at https://doorcountytrolley.com/premier-wine-tour/.
Spend a long weekend or an entire week in one of my favorite spots in the US. Enjoy, you will be hooked to visit every year!
