A Weekend in the Cape Cod of the Midwest
Growing up in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, my parents would take my siblings and me every summer to Door County, Wisconsin.
Located on the 70 mile long peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, Door County is dotted with rocky shoreline, quaint lakefront villages, and farmland. Unique to the area are its groves of cherry trees featuring “everything cherry” from cherry pie to cherry wine.
28 years later, my parents have still been annually vacationing at Door County since the 90s.
Navigating busy work schedules living in Washington, D.C., my wife and I made sure there was time for a short two-day trip to this relaxing summer hamlet located just a four hour drive from Chicago.
Actually, ours was a three-day itinerary that included a *bonus day* in one of the most underrated American cities, Milwaukee. Particularly for the summer.
Thursday Detour
After Minneapolis, Milwaukee is the coldest city in America, making its summer all the more special. On the drive up from my hometown near Chicago, we made our routine pitstop overnighting at the Knickerbocker on the Lake, a historic neo-classical hotel built in 1929 in the elegant Yankee Hill neighborhood. We love staying there because it’s so close to the lakefront and the downtown. Also, we revisited our favorite restaurant, Buckley’s (we’ve eaten there four times), a sophisticated American bistro that’s just a nine minute walk from the hotel.
Friday
The drive up to Door County was quick from Milwaukee, and the scenery really changed once we made it to Sturgeon Bay, the first city past the bridge to the Door County peninsula. The drive was scenic with mom and pop kinds of shops, and wineries that have popped up in the last several years.
Lodging: After passing through Sturgeon Bay and Egg Harbor, we pulled into Julie’s Park Cafe & Motel in the quaint little town of Fish Creek, where we would be resting each night. There are so many lodging options in Door County from lakefront condos to house rentals, but we picked this one because of the proximity right next to Peninsula State Park that has some of the best views for sunrises/sunsets, running and biking paths, and an observation deck called Eagle Tower. Julie’s Motel also has a good restaurant for breakfast and lunch before starting activities for the day.
Dinner: Nearing dinner time, we drove up the road 10 minutes to the town of Ephraim where more family was staying. In front of the cottage that they were renting was the Old Post Office Restaurant, originally a general store built around 1874. This restaurant is known in the summer for its fish boils, a traditional Door County feast, introduced by the Scandinavian settlers of the area in the 1800s. Made from locally caught White Fish, instead of filets, the fish was cut up into chunks and put into a boiling kettle of water from a roaring fire for seven minutes. After the traditional fish, potatoes, and salad, the meal was finished with Door County cherry pie. Hosting two fish boils per night and doing about 400 each year, there are about 140 people at each fish boil.
Saturday
Breakfast: Some of my family went to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant for the best breakfast in all of Door County right along the lake in the village of Sister Bay. Known as the “restaurant with the goats on the roof,” their menu features Swedish pancakes served with savory lingonberries, maple syrup, and whipped cream. They also have other traditional Swedish food like Swedish Meatballs, Pytt I Panna (Swedish roast beef, sautéed onions, topped with an egg and pickled beets) and Pickled Herring. Having expanded over the years, they also have the adjacent, spacious Stabbur Beer Garden.
Run: My wife and I love Al Johnson’s and had a spectacular breakfast there last year but left that meal for other family members to tackle. Instead, we each did an out and back five mile run on the scenic Sunset Trail in Peninsula State Park. Starting at the entrance to the park just a block from our motel, the graveled Sunset Trail was an idyllic forested start to the morning tracing the waterfront at the beginning of the park. This run was my personal favorite of the entire trip.
Winery: After catching our breath and getting in a cold shower, we did a short drive through the main strip of Fish Creek to Lautenbach's Orchard Country Winery & Market, just on the outskirts of the town. With cherry trees surrounding us, we shopped for local treats and gifts, and ended with sipping on cherry wine and tart cherry juice on the outside patio. The cherry juice tasted unreal, so fresh. While relaxing, a trolly pulled up with a bachelorette party, as Door County has started to become much more than just a destination for families.
Boating: Around noon, we made our way back to Sister Bay for an afternoon out on the water to pick up the pontoon boat that we rented from Sister Bay Boat & Jet Ski-Rentals. Parking gets tough there during the day but I managed to find a spot near the marina. Boating was the perfect daytime activity on a bright, hot, sunny day, and a few family members even made it in the water for tubing. Jumping into the summer waters of Green Bay always brings back the best of memories.
Dinner: After returning the boat, my family and I window shopped a little at a boutique outdoor clothing store while we waited for our dinner reservation to begin. Soon after, we walked around the corner to the local seafood restaurant, LURE. My wife and I each ordered the Whitefish Almondine, served in a generous portion that left us too full for desert. With salads topped off with locally picked cherries, hearty cornbread, and local dishes, the restaurant was the perfect ending to our stay in Door County.
Sunday Return Home
Needing to catch afternoon flights from O’Hare Airport in Chicago, we left in the early hours of the morning. Door County had all of the elements of a terrific summer beach vacation, with an added Midwestern flare. Though I’m not sure when my wife and I will be returning, this was our third time there together, and we will be coming back for more Door County summer thrill sometime in the future. From lavender farms on Washington Island, to sandy beaches, to historic light houses, to picturesque golf courses, this writing only scratches the surface of Door County, the Cape Cod of the Midwest, and one of Wisconsin’s best kept secrets from much of the rest of the country.
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