Top Fifteen Door County Activities

Door County is solidly in our top five places to visit worldwide. We have visited several times as a couple and I have gone many times with my family growing up. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what keeps bringing us back but with this post I am sure going to try. I have compiled a list of all the best things to do when visiting Wisconsin’s most loved county after a lifetime of cherished visits.

Wineries

With nine wineries to choose from, Door County is a Wine lovers paradise. You can sign up for a guided tour or create your own like we have (safely of course, always have a designated driver).  The best part of all is that that they all offer free or reasonably priced tastings to try out their wares. It’ s great fun and great marketing on their part as we can’t resist buying a bottle or two of our favorites to bring home. Our personal favorite as sweet wine lovers is Door Penninsula Winery. They have a free tasting and winery tour and a large variety of wines. Plus tastings of some delicious olive oils and fudge that they make as well. Follow the link to find a listing of all the wineries.

Cheese Shops

The perfect match to all the wineries are several specialty cheese shops. If you are a true cheese connoisseur, or even if you’re not our absolute favorite must stop is Wisconsin Cheese Masters.  The owner, who is always there when we visit, selects all the best new cheeses and offers tasting of any cheese you want. We always find a new cheese addiction and look forward to our next visit. It’s located in Egg Harbor on the same site as Harbor Ridge Winery so you can do double the tastings and find your perfect pairing.

Shopping

Door County has a lot of really unique shops to explore. They cater to the cabin living and art loving crowds most of all. They are not for the bargain hunting shopper but have distinctive gifts and at the very least great window shopping. Fish Creek has the largest collection of shops to explore. For example, the Alpaca apparel shop pictured above with the softest items I have ever felt and the opportunity to do a mead tasting. If you need to pick up some basics, the Walgreens or Walmart in Sturgeon Bay will be your best bet.

Antiquing

In addition to it’s other unique shops, Door County has a good selection of antique shops and flea markets.  Like most everything in Door County you can cruise down Highway 42 to find the vast majority of them. Our favorite, the Peninsula Antique Center can best be described as half shop half museum with it’s collection of vintage cars, cabbage patch dolls and packers gear that are for display only. There were also several nice antique shops in Sturgeon Bay.

Outdoor Rentals

Door County’s location as the “thumb’ of Wisconsin places it right in the middle of Lake Michigan and in some lovely wooded areas. This makes its the perfect place for some outdoor explanation. Some of the best ways to do this is by renting some outdoor gear. An added plus is that prices for rentals are far below those in most big tourist or beach areas. Boat or Kayaking rentals are ideal for exploring lake Michigan’s waters. We have utilized Door County Boat Rentals in Sturgeon Bay and were happy with our experience.  They aren’t brand new or luxury boats but they worked well and offered a great price for what we wanted which was just to cruise and fish. On land, bike rentals are the way to go. I recommend a bike tour of Peninsula State Park in particular.

State and County Parks

According to the Website, Door County has five state parks, 19 county parks,  dozens of local parks and four dog parks. These parks offer all the best that nature has to offer. Penninsula State Park is a great place for hiking or biking with it’s extensive trails and also has a nice swimming beach. Cave Point is a frequent stop for kayakers and has gorgeous water and rock formations. I  have also enjoyed a climb up the observation tower in Potowatomi State Park for some great views. Check out the following link to see them all here.

Lighthouses

Door County is home to eleven lighthouses. They are the perfect tour for the history buff. You can choose to visit specific lighthouses which offer tours inside of them or see many lighthouses by taking a boat or kayak tour. They harken back to a time before modern technology when Boaters owed their lives to the guidance provided by the lighthouses beacons and add to the simplicity atmosphere that makes Door County special.

Outdoor Theatre

While Door County doesn’t exactly have a sprawling night life it does offer some great  low-key evening entertainment. The first of which is the opportunity to see plays under the stars. There are two options to catch a show among the trees. The first is the Northern Sky Theatre,  and the second and my personal favourite, Peninsula Players Theatre. Both amphitheaters are located in the woods and offer various shows each season for families to enjoy. Shows tend to be light-hearted, comical and often musical. The outdoor setting has it’s limitations weather wise but offers an idyllic experience for a beautiful summer night.

Drive-In Movie

Door County is home to one of few remaining movie theaters that are still in the drive-in style. The Skyway Drive-in Theatre offers the classic drive-in experience with todays current box office movies. It’s located in Fish Creek just outside of Peninsula State Park which makes it centrally located along the peninsula. It’s an experience not to miss as these classic theaters slowly disappear.

Unique Dining Experiences

Door County is home to some really unique restaurants. It’s most iconic dining experience is the fish broil. Offered by several Door County restaurants , it offers a unique viewing of the preparation of fresh lake Michigan white fish and it’s fixings. One might wonder if you have really even been to door county if you haven’t seen one? Our personal favorite is at Pelletier’s Restaurant in Fish Creek.  Reservations needed, click here.  Another iconic Door County Restaurant is Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant and Butik in Sister Bay. It is the only restaurant I know of in which goats graze on the roof because in fact the roof is made of grass. It also offers delicious Swedish fare; try the lingonberries!  I recommend them in particular for breakfast or lunch. I could write an entire post on the delicious restaurants worth exploring in Door County (and I expect one day I will). But for now I will leave you with these two classic spots.

Lake Michigan shipwrecks

According to the Door County Website, there are 275 shipwrecks in Lake Michigan in the Door County Area alone. Much of these wrecks are located in relatively shallow waters which make them perfect for viewing. Snorkeling or diving will give you the best views. Companies offer tours which allow you to do so off of a boat or kayak. There are also companies that offer tours in which you can stay dry by viewing them from a boat or clear bottom kayak. And of course you can always create your own tour by bringing or renting your own gear to view the wrecks. We booked a boat tour to go snorkeling the wrecks through Lakeshore Adventures Inc.

Kayaking

Door County’s location in Lake Michigan makes it an excellent location for Kayaking. One can tour the wrecks or the lighthouses via kayak or just enjoy Lake Michigan’s waters. Cave Point, with it’s  turquoise waters and interesting rock formations is also a popular kayaking spot. There are several companies that offer tours, or again you can bring your own. We also had the great luck to have kayaks available at our accommodations when we stayed at the Shallows Resort in Egg Harbor.

Cherry Picking

Door County is known for it’s Cherries. You can find them on every menu, in every shop and decorated all over the place.  After mid-July you can also try and pick your own cherries at several Orchards in the area. It’s a fun experience that most of us in the modern world don’t get to have anymore. If putting in a little hard work isn’t for you, you can always just pick some up inside the Orchard shops or baked into numerous desserts.

Take in a Sunset

The real draw of a trip to Door County is the opportunity to relax and take it all in. You can feel it as you walk around, people are friendly, they smile, they walk along casually, boaters wave. No time is better to experience this relaxation than at sunset. If you can find an accommodation on the water I highly recommend it. Coming back to your accommodation with some wine and cheese to enjoy a sunset on the water just outside your door is truly the perfect way to end a day. If not, an excellent, although not altogether secret spot to watch the sun come down is at Sunset Beach Park in Fish Creek. The park is aptly named and you will know you are in the right spot by the people who begin to gather there around sundown. The perfect way to end a Door County day.