Door County is a region in the ‘left thumb’ of Wisconsin. The skinny peninsula’s west shore abuts Green Bay and the eastern shore is runs into Lake Michigan. Door County stretches from the southern point of Sturgeon Bay to Washington Island in the north. The area’s name is from the rough water that can erupt quicky during a storm, in the strait south of Washington Island where Green Bay and Lake Michigan meet. Early explorers referred to this piece of water as “Death’s Door” and it is still know by that name today.
Three Sons spent a week exploring this tourist destination that features 300 miles of shorelines, beaches, parks and lighthouse all of which provide tons of recreation. With only two major roads, (It took us a while to understand the significance of the highway 42 and 57 t-shirts) Door County is about 18 miles wide at its widest point and narrows to less than 2 miles across at the northern tip of the peninsula. While cruising the water of Green Bay, we made 4 stops on western side on Door Peninsula to explore all it has to offer. We strategically picked places that had different cultures and flavors so we could have a variety of experience.
Our first stop in Door County, kept us in a nature setting! This is the reason we crossed the lake to enjoy more of the great outdoors. Washington Island has about 700 year round residents and is 5 miles wide and 6 miles long. Three Sons docked on the northern shore at Jackson Harbor, a small harbor that holds about 6 boats and a Ferry. We spent two days on bikes exploring every inch of the island.
We arrived at the 21 acre lavender field just as they were closing. They graciously let us walk around the store as they were tidying up. We also explored the fields that were unfortunately past bloom. We also missed out on a cute cafe & beer & wine distillery that were also closed for the day.
Another stop on our bike tour was Mountain Park Lookout Tower. We climbed 186 steps to the top of the tower for majestic views of the island and water!
Nelson Hall and Tavern is the largest purveyor of Angostura Bitters in the world, selling more than 10,000 shots of Angostura annually. The tavern’s history is a good example of random stuff you learn on the loop. Nelsen’s Hall, open since 1899, is the oldest continuously-operating tavern in Wisconsin, getting patrons drunk right through Prohibition. Once Nelson was told he could not sell alcohol he obtained a pharmacist’s license, solely for the purpose of dispensing medicinal alcohol. Nelsen remembered that bitters contained alcohol and were sold at the local drug stores to treat stomach disorders. So Nelsen “prescribed” shots of Angostura bitters to patrons. We are officially members of the Bitter’s Club. The bartender gave us a brief history lesson. We drank our bitters, UGH, got our membership cards, put our thumbprint on them, and signed the membership book.
As the saying goes, the trip is all about the friendships you make along the way! We met Scott and Amy (aka Who Dat) in Eleuthera, Bahamas at a Emmett’s bar (Ok, it might have been his deck). We traveled with them in the Abacos for some time and crossed over to Florida with them. OK, yes, they beat us by hours! Unfortunately, they had some mechanical issues so we lost pacing with them in Florida with the idea that we’d meet up somewhere along the loop. They crossed their wake in their home port of Sister Bay, WI a few days before we came through. We were so happy that finally, our timing worked out! Who Dat were the best hosts for our few day stay in their home town!
We just loved Fish Creek! It was a quick 8 Nautical Mile cruise down Green Bay to the historical village Fish Creek. Fish Creek was established in 1857 and has a history of lumberjacks, farmers, and fishermen. The village’s historic structures, built in the 1860s and early 1900s, reflect the lifestyle of its pioneer. Today it is known for its small town charm and the gateway to the gorgeous Peninsula State Park. Our day was filled with a coffee stop, long bike ride into and around the park, shopping, and a traditional Fish Boil at White Gull with Keep Calm. The next morning we returned to the White Gull for one of the best meals on the our loop so far, Cherry Stuffed French Toast!
Three Sons docked at CenterPoint Marina in Sturgeon Bay for three nights and it was a whirlwind stop! The marina amenities were top notch with a heated pool, hot tub, outdoor fireplace, great captains lounge, rental car on site, and private bathrooms!
We enjoyed more time with Scott and Amy, along with their son William and his family, and Keep Calm (Jim and Debbie) we had a lovely dinner and many bottles of wine at the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club. It was so nice to chat and learn about each other, definitely a plus with this lifestyle. Unfortunately, not one picture was taken, umm maybe the wine??
One morning we woke up to cold, chilly weather so decided to do some boat chores and organizing. Once the day warmed up, we enjoyed walking around town, shopping at their local farmers market and antique stores, looking at the street art, stumbling across the cute coffee shop, visiting their local brewery and a local bar with hamburgers for $3.50. Yes! they were delicious!
Being so close to Green Bay but unable to get the boat there, we decided to rent the car. The highlight of the day was touring Lambeau Field. Well worth the 55 minute drive! We took advantage of having a car and did some provisioning and shopping and of course stopped at three local breweries: Badger State Brewing, Cooper State Brewing, and Noble Roots Brewing. We enjoyed a land day and riding in a car.
