| by: Dan Rusnak - 7/23/2001 2:33:01 PM |
| In the last few years I have spent many weekends on trips with friends and family. Many of them have been golf related while many have not been.
At the start of July I had my first opportunity to find out what Door County, Wisconsin was all about. I had heard about the beauty, the light houses and the many unique restaurants (that no one could remember the names of!).
What I found was a place to relax and enjoy - and play some golf!
This was our annual trip with my wife's mother's family. We have been to Galena and Lake Geneva in the past and wanted to try yet another area of the Midwest.
For this trip we decided an extra day was in order, since Door County was much farther and there was a lot of traveling to do once we arrived.
Door County is made up of many small communities that are all tourist attractions. Ephraim has great views, a historic district, Wilson's Restaurant and shops galore. Sister Bay has shops and many restaurants including Mission Grill, Sister Bay Cafe, Beanies and Al Johnson's - all of which we tasted and our talked about further in this story.
We decided to leave on Thursday morning. Our first decision was how to get there. Of course I-94 through Milwaukee to I-43 is the first part of the trip, but then there are decisions to make. You can take I-43 into Green Bay and then cut across on State Highway 57 to Sturgeon Bay or you can get off at Highway 310 (Two Rivers) East to Highway 42 into Sturgeon Bay.
While Highway 57 adds mileage it is highway miles. Highway 42 can be quicker, but road construction or a slow truck can cut into your travel time. I chose to go through Green Bay on the way up and took highway 42 back on Sunday, which worked out well since my father-in-law did the opposite and hit re-paving construction on Highway 42 on Thursday that was done by Sunday.
Once you get to Sturgeon Bay, you have arrived at the gateway to Door County.
Sturgeon Bay would be considered the 'big city' in Door County since it is the only city on the peninsula. While Sturgeon Bay is a city, it does boast of having unique shops, galleries, restaurants and a number of bed and breakfast inns.
From Sturgeon Bay it was on to Sister Bay where we had two two-bedroom suites awaiting us at Pheasant Park Resort . Pheasant Park Resort is walking distance to downtown Sister Bay and is a six-year old resort that features spacious 1,2, and 3 bedroom suites that include living room/dining areas, a full kitchen, gas fireplace and an in-room double whirlpool bath.
There is also a heated outdoor and indoor pool as well as an exercise facility, game room, children's play area, BBQ grills and a conference room.
The resort was excellent,and beautifully landscaped I might ad, although it was hard to find the entrance with so many flowers all over.
The lobby area included a sitting area where guests could play games supplied by the resort or sit and enjoy the fireplace. There was also a swing and rocking chairs on the outside porch.
Once we arrived in Sister Bay the first thing on the agenda was food!
W opted for Husby's since it had a sandwich menu as well as dinner specials. Husby's was a great choice for our first dinner and my brother-in-law and I spent some time on the pool table after everyone went to bed.
A group breakfast was planned for Al Johnson's restaurant, which is a rather unique place that has a grass roof and goats that take care of the mowing!
While the goats are a great attraction as they walk along the roof, the food is an even greater attraction! The pancakes were incredible as was the french toast.
After breakfast we traveled to the end of the peninsula to book reservations on an afternoon lighthouse cruise on The Shoreline Sightseeing Cruises at The Shoreline Resort and then we return to Pheasant Park to enjoy some time at the pool while my wife and mother enjoyed the shops in Ephraim.
The Lighhouse Cruise cruised by Plum and Pilot Islands in Death's Door Passage as well as visiting the lighthouses in the area. We also seen Washington Island, Detroit Island, and the old Coast Guard Station. During this narrated tour we learned about the history of the lighthouses, Death's Door Passage and shipping past and present. Adults were $19.50 and children $15.50.
The cruise was nice but was not very informative. You have to go into the cruise realizing that it is more of a scenic tour than a history lesson.
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