Wisconsin peninsula has a lot to offer artists, foodies and naturalists
DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN — The small towns that dot this scenic Wisconsin peninsula are loaded with restaurants, boutiques, wineries and galleries of the highest caliber. But that doesn't mean commerce rules in Door County.
Visitors who dig a bit deeper can find their lives enriched by people such as volunteer tour guide Jane Whitney, who identifies as a “self-taught naturalist.”
Whitney shares what she has learned at The Ridges Sanctuary in Bailey's Harbor, leading visitors along a volunteer-built, 8-foot-wide boardwalk for scenic views of wetlands known as swales. The boreal forest boasts 11 species of conifers including beech, hemlock and sugar maple.
“Wisconsin has 48 native orchids, and 28 of them are at The Ridges,” Whitney said.
The dwarf lake iris, which grows only in Wisconsin and Michigan, is among the threatened wildflowers nurtured at the 1,600-acre sanctuary. Monarch butterflies, Hine's emerald dragonflies and more than 60 bird species can be spotted along the 5 miles of trails at The Ridges, which hugs the sandy Lake Michigan coastline. Trails convert for snowshoeing during the winter months.
With a landscape that naturally attracts the creative class, it only makes sense that “Write On, Door County” features a writer-in-residence program. Founded in 2012 and supported by donations and modest annual memberships, the nonprofit is situated on 39 acres of meadows, woods and orchards and features the Writing Center, which is a community space for workshops, book clubs, author visits, memoir sessions and storytelling.
“We have programs for all ages and all comfort levels of writing,” said Jerod Santek, artistic director. Programs include a literary festival, a mystery writer's gathering, a kids' camp, master classes and a young writers' conference.
Residencies last from one week to a month, and 260 writers have been accepted for the program since it was launched in 2014, Santek said. Participants complete community service projects in exchange for the retreats, and couples and friends are invited to apply for dual residencies.
Even if you are the type who resists