My sister was working in Door County, Wisconsin for the fall season, so I decided to meet her in order to spend a couple days there. I had been there this past summer and enjoyed the area. I only went for the day this past summer, so I knew I wanted to return in order to explore more, especially during the fall once the leaves changed color. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon (Door County is about a four to five hour drive from my place). Once arriving in Fish Creek where my sister was staying, we went to a gallery that had out door sculptures in order to walk around and look at some art. I could not believe how beautiful the foliage was. Door County in the autumn is just something you have to experience. I cannot even imagine how crowded it must have gotten on the weekends when the world was normal. It was nice to not deal with the crowds while enjoying the scenery.
After that we headed to Cave Point Park, near Jacksonport, for a hike during my favorite time of the day when the lighting is magical, that twilight hour before the sun sets. It was interesting to see how the landscape of the park had changed from the summer to the autumn. The park is on Lake Michigan and is famous for its limestone ledges and underwater caves. The waves were so huge that I did get splashed when walking along the lakefront. It was definitely more peaceful, wave wise, during the summer when many people even swim there, or sit on the ledges by the water (which you definitely couldn’t do that day). There are trails you can hike, or walk along the lake. I enjoyed walking along the trails into the forrest area to look at the changing color of the leaves. It felt great to go for a hike after being in the car so long. The park is a must see when in Door County!
That evening we went to Glacier Ledge for delicious drinks and food. I recommend the lavender sake martini, cauliflower with cheese for an appetizer, steak for dinner, and a pumpkin tart for dessert. The staff was also so nice. My sister and I sat at the bar area with a nice view of the outdoor area that has a fire pit. There is a store next door where you can get cheese, fig spread, and various meat to make yourself a nice lunch, or have a picnic outside. I recommend Glacier Ledge since it was a nice and relaxing dinner.
The next day we went to Washington Island. On the way to the ferry, we visited Anderson House, which is a popular stop in Ephraim, Door County. The house is full of graffiti. There is a gift shop there but I did not go in since it was closed. There is also a gallery across the street. It’s a popular stop for photos and hopefully you can check out the gift shop too. I recommend getting chai or coffee at Kick Ash Cafe before you take the ferry to Washington Island. The cafe used to be a church, and has great atmosphere if you want to stay and hang out. Continuing on our way to the ferry, we drove along Zig Zag road, which looks beautiful in the autumn with the changing leaves and winding roads. The ferry is a pretty short ride (I think 30 minutes) and you can bring your car (which I recommend).
One we arrived on the island, the first stop was to see the beautiful stave church or the Stavkirke that is modeled after Borgund in Norway. The project began in the 1980s, inspired by islanders’ Scandinavian heritage. There is another stave church in Door County on the Lawrence University campus that you can visit, Boynton Chapel (it’s in my Instagram feed). Boynton Chapel is a recommended place to visit when in Door County as well. Stave churches are an architectural style modeled after twelfth century churches in Norway that used wood as a material (like the Viking ships). When I visited Norway years ago I fell in love with the style. Who doesn’t want to go to a church with dragon heads on it? When visiting Washington Island, I recommend seeing the Stavkirke.
On the island you should visit School House Beach, and make sure you don’t take any of the rocks with you. I don’t recommend stacking them either, just leave the place as you found it. The water at School Beach is clear blue and the rocks are smooth limestone. The trees with the changing leaves make a beautiful tranquil place that I suggest you check out.
After that, we visited Nelsen’s Hall of Bitters where you can have a shot of bitters, which makes you a real islander. It’s a historic landmark (was established in 1899). It is the oldest continuous running tavern in the state of Wisconsin (it operated during Prohibition). The owner prescribed bitters for stomach ailments since he had applied for a pharmacists’s license. We took our shot and joined the club!
After we returned to the mainland, we visited a beautiful park, Ellison Bay Bluff County Park that has some fantastic views of the lakefront along the limestone cliffs. It is the second largest park in Door County. There is a stairway that leads to the viewing site. Door County has some great parks you can go hiking and enjoy the beauty of nature. Sister Bay was on the way back to Fish Creek, so we stopped and walked around, enjoying the Halloween decor. The famous restaurant with the goats, Al Johnson’s is there. There are goats that eat the grass on the roof of the restaurant. The place is great for breakfast and lunch since it closes early (3 pm). You can sit out doors later though.
We ended an amazing day with some wine from Door Peninsula Winery which makes “Hallowine” for Halloween. The bottle contains the story behind the wine. You can visit the winery, and they sell wine and cocktails outside. There is also a distillery there if you want spirits. I like the Hallowine with apple warmed up since it reminds me of cider. We got matching Hallowine mugs to enjoy our drink in. We stayed in Fish Creek for the evening, and walked to the lakefront to watch the sunset with our wine. Fish Creek is a nice area that I recommend staying in. It’s charming with great shops and places you can eat at. The Halloween decor around the town was charming when I visited, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy a trip to Door County during any part of the year. It’s a great weekend getaway!
If you like our Facebook page, there are videos from the trip posted that you can check out as well. I also update the Instagram WayfaringGal page (which has more photos from the trip) with new posts. Thank you for reading, and comments and feedback are always welcome since that is how we learn and grow.
