Door County* encompasses the tip of Wisconsin’s east coast peninsula, nestled between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. It’s a special place with droves of visitors returning year on year to enjoy the beauty of nature at its best.

Home to six state parks and famous for cherries, cheese and wine, this region encourages long, lazy/active visits at any time of year. Sturgeon Bay is the gateway to the county, with the small but perfectly formed towns of Ephraim, Sister Bay and Egg Harbor bustling with visitors.

In case you’re wondering, the name tag image is a fish boil, put simply: it’s a tradition brought by early early Scandinavian settlers comprised of “fresh-caught Lake Michigan whitefish with onions, potatoes and corn with a slice of Door County cherry pie for dessert.”^
(To find out more, see the “The Fish Boil Explained” below.)

Akin to a luau in Hawai’i, you watch the whole process, waiting for the moment they ignite the flames. Just after the pot boils over, in a burst of pyrotechnics, you’re whisked inside to partake of the meal.
I found the whole experience fantastic to behold and the end result was simple, but delicious.

On my first/last visit here – just two nights, ten years ago during The USA 50/50 Challenge – I stayed in the absolutely charming and tiny town of Ephraim (pop. 345) which stuck with me as a place to which I wanted to return. It evokes New England, especially in fall (coincidentally the season for both visits), and I’m not the first person to notice, given its epithet, "Cape Cod of the Midwest.” This time I stayed in Sister Bay – a busier town (pop. 1,189) with a main street offering many dining and shopping options – and Sturgeon Bay, the largest city (pop. 9,892) in the county with deep maritime roots.

*The name comes from the treacherous strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island, which early French explorers called Porte des Morts “Death's Door,” after they were warned by the local Native Americans.

^Destination Door County’s website.

Experience

Fish Creek

Egg Harbor

Sturgeon Bay

Consume

Ephraim

Sister Bay

Sturgeon Bay

Purchase

Sister Bay

Egg Harbor

Sturgeon Bay

Rest

This guide details all of the things The Packed Bag experienced. Please visit Destination Door County for more.