A Bit Of (Vacation) Heaven At Death’s Door

When it comes to vacations, it’s been said that getting there is half the fun. But hard experience teaches that getting away sometimes turns out not to be not particularly pleasurable. Never mind those Kodak moments that supposedly capture the essence of this or that highly touted tourist "paradise." In my experience, boatloads — make that, Hummer loads — of tourists competing for glimpses of the same enchanting views are often the real story behind those coveted snapshots of sheened over beaches and sunsets. Factor in elevated prices for gas, elevated seasonal rates, elevated traffic congestion — not to mention the elevated vocalizing of uncontrolled kids who persistently ask "are we there yet?" — and it’s no wonder that so many earnest travelers wind up feeling like Clark, the dorky dad in National Lampoon’s "Vacation" whose quest for the perfect getaway ends, well, imperfectly.

That brings us to Death’s Door, gateway to Door Country Wi., which got its name centuries ago after one of the area’s notoriously unforgiving thunder storms killed a hundred or so native Americans by smashing them against rocks. Centuries of subsequent mishaps have underscored this morbid legacy. Total shipwrecks at Death Door now stand at more than 700, giving it the distinction of having more nautical disasters than any body of fresh water in the world.

Such notoriety may excite scuba divers, but it’s not particularly conducive to wooing the Clarks of the world and their fidgety broods.

This may help explain why Door County, even during the summer high season, generally seems to have plenty of elbow room (at least on weekdays), despite a plethora of wineries, lighthouses, beaches, golfing, biking trails, parks, robust summer theater programs, and products made from cherries in towns with intriguing names such as Sister Bay, Ephraim, and Egg Harbor. The county drives the production of cherries in Wisconsin, and is the number three producer in the nation. Hyline Orchard in Fish Creek alone stocks 23 cherry products, including hot pepper cherry jelly, cherry butter, cherry mustard, cherry wine, and cherry cucumber pickles. Finally, of course, there is fishing and fish boils, a quintessential local ritual that culminates in a meal of whitefish, hearty potatoes and sweet onions topped off by — what else? — cherry pie.

But Door’s raw beauty is the real showstopper, thanks to endless white clapboard houses wrapped around blue harbors tucked along an 80-mile long peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. Scandinavian fishermen settled here in he mid-1800s, reflecting the small smoked-fish houses, Swedish bakeries and restaurants, and Friday night fish boils (allegedly a Viking tradition) that thrive today. Door County in many ways resembles Cape Cod, sans celebrities and the seemingly endless parade of Hummers. The area is bucolic in comparison, though some locals like to refer to the Cape as "the Door Country of the East."

One of the country’s most unique attractions is the Hands On Art Studio, a "do-it-yourself" converted farm highlighted by pet llamas where visitors can fashion metal, wood, clay and glass into jewelry, t-shirts, mosaics and other unique works of art — all fired, grouted or finished for pick-up the following day. Every week, Hands On offers Adult Nights, summer season Rock & Roll Art Nights and, for kids, Art Camp sessions in the "Art Farm." I’m no artist, yet managed to complete what turned out to be a surprisingly delightful glass-ceramic abstract of my late, great cockatiel, Admiral.

Another Door County drawing card is Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant, where patrons can order authentic Swedish pancakes, limpa bread, lingonberries and Swedish meatballs, served dutifully by young women in traditional Scandinavian garb. But the main attractions are goats that graze on a rooftop covered with grass, which, according to Johnson, keeps the restaurant cool in summers and warm in winters.

Lodging in the area ranges from charming Victorian inns and bed and breakfasts to lackluster mom-and-pop motels, some of which accommodate dogs and cats. The number of visitors picks up dramatically in summer, sometimes filling the county’s 473 campsites and five state parks to capacity. "Summer’s a madhouse seven days a week," says Tom Blackwood, park superintendent at Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek. But the rolling acres of apple and cherry orchards, the unspoiled beauty of the county’s five state parks, and charming seascapes and lighthouses that loom up throughout the county’s 300 mile coastline, readily absorbs the overflow.

Those who want a total escape from everyday tensions can find relative isolation on nearby Washington Island, off the tip of the Door County Peninsula. The 22-square mile island, home to 300 year-round residents, is dominated by towering limestone bluffs and accessible by ferry. It features clear starry nights and carefree days, and a cherry train that transports visitors to pockets of seclusion, as well as the work of island artists at the Art & Nature Center. The Jackson Harbor Maritime Museum showcases artifacts, photographs and videos on local maritime history.

Another island standout is the Stavkirke ("Church of Staves"). Modeled on an original Scandinavian design, the church was hand-built by "islanders" and offers services throughout the year. It also serves as a popular wedding venue. The 252-seat Trueblood Performing Arts Center is the island’s cultural hub. School House Beach is a fine place to laze at lakeside, while climbing up the stairs at Pilot Lighthouse awards visitors with a spectacular if windblown view of the island. Other attractions include the Mountain Tower, Jacobsen’s Museum, the Washington Island Farm Museum, or historic Jackson Harbor

GETTING THERE
Door County is 230 miles from Chicago to Sturgeon Bay, about a four-hour drive, which is how just about everybody does it — and that becomes especially apparent on summer weekends. In summer, Orion Flight Services (888-743-6952) offers Friday and Sunday flights between Midway and Cherryland Airport in Sturgeon Bay. Avis (920-743-7976 or 800-331-1212) is the lone on-site car rental agency at the airport.

GETTING AROUND
The drive from Sturgeon Bay to Gills Rock, the peninsula’s northernmost point, is 41 miles. For shorter excursions, try bicycling — especially on the county’s scenic backroads. Bikes and moped are easy to rent. Ferries carry passengers, cars and bikes across Death’s Door to Washington Island; departures are frequent, with fares from Northport $18 per car, or $7.50 for driver and each round trip passenger; the other ferry, from Gills Rock, doesn’t carry cars but charges the same for passengers.

THE SEASONS
High Season typically runs from the last week in June through the last full week in August; fall weekends, from Labor Day through mid-October. Summer weekends can be congested but, with patience, are manageable. Rates during shoulder seasons and in fall midweeks — when the weather can be perfect and the crowds much smaller — are significantly lower; winter rates, for those who appreciate quiet can be embarrassingly low.

LODGING
Ranges from mom-and-pop motels to Victorian B&Bs to housekeeping cottages to resorts featuring indoor pools, private whirlpools and attached golf courses. In high seasons, expect to pay about $75 a night for a good motel-style room (often including continental breakfast), double that and more for fireplaces and Jacuzzis — but there are plenty of options. Two — and three-night minimums are common in prime time. Look for bargains (mostly mom-and-pops) away from the water.

DINING
Food choices include everything from pub burgers to Wisconsin supper clubs to haute cuisine — and, of course, fish boils. Breakfasts are especially hearty. Only thing missing (north of Sturgeon Bay): franchises. No Mac’s, no KFC, no Outback. No loss.