Two days in Door County
At the end of August, I got the chance to take in a whirlwind trip to Door County, flying into Green Bay late on the Sunday night after WTS Montreal and heading back out the following Wednesday morning. While some of the activities had to be curtailed due to rain storms, there was no shortage of things to do in the region.
I stayed at the Eagle Harbor Inn in a quaint, fully-equipped suite that would be a perfect spot to stay for a training or racing holiday. Day one featured a hike at Whitefish Dunes State Park (unfortunately, without the hike up “Old Baldy,” the highest sand dune in Wisconsin) that took in some of the historic native villages dating from 100 B.C. to the late 1800s that have been found in the park.
Lunch that day offered up the first of a number of excellent dining experiences, this one at the Harbor Fish Market and Grille that specializes in New England style seafood with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. The afternoon was spent at the Door County Adventure Center, first zip lining, then kayaking and openwater swimming. That was followed by more food – this time in the form of an authentic fish boil dinner at Rowley’s Bay Restaurant. The touring day ended with a view of the sunset from Fish Creek’s Sunset Beach Park.
Tuesday morning started off with another sea kayak excursion, out to Horseshoe Island. There’s also a one-mile hike on the island, but I chose to kayak back to the beach and get in another swim in the warm and calm waters in Horseshoe Bay. Lunch was at a classic Door County landmark, Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor, in Ephraim, equipped with juke boxes, old-fashioned soda fountains and lots of burger and ice cream specialties.
The afternoon featured another hike, this one at Wisconsin’s only formally designated wilderness park, Newport State Park. The hike took in some of the evergreen and hardwood forests, wetlands and, of course, more of the spectacular shore line and beach. Our rafting and boating trips were, unfortunately, called off because of the rain, but that hardly meant we weren’t kept busy – the rest of the afternoon was filled with wine and cheese tasting. We rounded out our excellent dining experience at Fred and Fuzzy’s Waterfront Grill, which offers a spectacular lakefront view and outstanding casual cuisine (a big hit on the menu is the steak and blue cheese sandwich with their signature cherry margaritas).—KM