Summer is officially over, but savvy travelers know that now is the best time to get away. Some people are on an academic calendar, and the perfect place to stay will likely have a vacancy. The reds of fall are everywhere in Door County—from the autumn leaves to the bottled spirits—making it an ideal place for a fall getaway. Surrounded by Green Bay and Lake Michigan, this man-made island of 11 towns ( with populations as high as 300 ) make up the Door Peninsula. Just a couple of days here can give you the impression that all is well in the world.
During my recent visit, I stayed at The Chanticleer Guest House in Sturgeon Bay. I arrived late in the evening and had already made the transition from skyscrapers to fields of grass and cherry orchards. By the time I drove up to the driveway, traffic noise was on mute and that orange haze of city lights had been pulled from the sky to reveal a bed of stars. Pumpkins decoratively placed on the steps of the porch lead me inside. As I walked into the common sitting complete with a fireplace, I was greeted by the smell of a batch of cookies on a plate at a side table next to the staircase. I went up the stairs, but not before stealing a bite as I opened the door to my room. The floral wallpaper matched the design on the headboard of the bed. The room had a private bath, a seating area with a fireplace, and two doors that opened out to a balcony. The decor was impressive, but not overwhelming. When the light that came in through the double doors, waking me up the next morning, I had an excellent view of a pasture where a handful of sheep were grazing. Bryon Groesch—who co-owns the Chanticleer with his partner, Darrin Day—knocked on my door to deliver a basket with my morning breakfast.
After breakfast I was ready to venture out and decided to try Sunset Trail at Peninsula State Park, a 10-mile course through marshes, campsites and hidden bluffs. I stopped at various times to observe pebble beaches along Green Bay. I was even greeted by a crossing deer that reminded me I wasn't alone on my morning ride. At one of the rest stops I saw the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, one of the 10 lighthouses that surround the Peninsula. These forest trails are one of many options for biking. You can even do what the locals do—bike yourself from town to town. Some places, like the Country House Resort, include a bike option with the room rate so guests can borrow a bike to explore the area.
Being surrounded by water makes it difficult to resist the invitation to go fishing, boating or swimming. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico this summer led many fishermen to retreat to the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan in search of fresh water fish like the smallmouth bass and walleye. I joined a narrated boat tour of the shoreline in Sister Bay, where I learned that 60 percent of the properties and most of the boats docked in the marinas are owned by non-residents. The winter months don't keep the locals from jumping in either. Every year on Jan. 1—in temperatures below zero—hundreds of people partake in the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club Plunge.
Vincent Van Gogh once said, "If you truly love nature, you'll find beauty everywhere." He could have been talking about Door County. I found his quote on a plaque in the sculpture garden at Edgewood Orchard Galleries, one of more than 80 galleries and studios in Door County showcasing artists from all over the United States. Many of the galleries sell photographs and paintings with an emphasis on scenic landscapes and still life images, but the decorative arts dominate the art scene here with most studios selling unique pieces made of ceramic, wood and glass. The Hardy Gallery in Ephraim, famous for the graffiti that decorates the entire building, publishes a free arts map each year of all the studios and galleries in the Door Peninsula. It's worth a visit for both a picture of the exterior or a useful guide for a gallery hopping afternoon.
The appreciation for the arts can also be found in the do-it-yourself Hands On Art Studio, a place where you can create your own art, from paintings to jewelry to anything you can imagine. The main building is an old renovated barn, with the entire second floor dedicated to ceramics. Owner Cy Turnbladh has given each studio a playful name, like the Metal Studio Buffet or Jewelry Cafe. There is 8,000 square feet of studio space where you can cut glass to make a mosaic, weld metal to create a larger than life sculpture, or spin and paint your imagination with ceramics. You may even make a feline friend or two; Turnbladh and his wife own more than 20 rescue cats that can be found playing around.
The art of knitting seems to have followed me to Door County. When I went to see the musical Guys and Does ( not a typo ) at Folklore Theatre, I wondered why there was a booth of knit hats and gloves for sale at the ticket counter. The musical comedy by Frederick Heide and Lee Becker is about the hunt for a white deer with a missing golden horn, but it also explores the idea of masculinity. Duane Puddles, played by Becker, is a craftsman who knits and crochets, an oddity in his part of the woods. Do I call him a ruralsexual? On the invitation of his girlfriend's father, Fritz Dingleheimer, they both travel up north ( nort' ) for a deer-hunting cabin weekend. In between stitches Puddles tries to find a way to ask Dingleheimer if he can marry his daughter, but not before they find that missing golden horn. The crochet hat Puddles wears and the items for sale in the lobby are made by Chase Stroeger of Real Men Crochet. I came across more of Stroeger's work when I went shopping at Small World Market in historic downtown Sturgeon Bay, where the owner shared how much she enjoyed his "stuff."
Another company that continues a long history of theatre in Door County is the Peninsula Players Theatre in the Garden. If you visit this theater, you may see some faces you recognize; actors from this theatre company also perform in some Chicago productions. This year, many new and old company members were nominated for Jeff Awards, including Samantha Jones, who was also nominated this year for a Black Theatre Alliance Award for her costume design of The Colored Museum. Jones designed Heroes, the Peninsula Players kick-off show of the 2010 season.
Door County cherry orchards have been famous throughout the region since the first blooms in the '70s. You can find just about anything cherry, from homemade cherry pie to cherry salsa. But the wine industry here continues to grow. Just this summer Harbor Ridge Winery opened, making it the sixth winery on the peninsula. While many offer cherry wines, you can also find a variety of grapes, like the French hybrid that were developed by the University of Minnesota and are available at Orchard Country Winery and Market. This winery is also the location of Door County Trolley, offering a variety of themed tours, especially wine tastings.
Between the vintage shops, the wine tasting and the art galleries, there is always a scenic place to rest. I found a pebble beach along my bike route where I could sit and read for hours. Throughout the day people always shared a friendly hello. On my way out to return my room key, I complimented Groesch on this beautiful place that he built more than 17 years ago. He excitedly showed me an album that documents the construction from old barn to cottage. Groesch said that he generally makes the decisions on the aesthetics. While this bed-and-breakfast is gay-owned, he admitted that this place isn't gay mecca Saugatuck, Mich. There isn't a gay bar in Door County, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any gay people or that the locals aren't friendly.
