Travel: Journey into Wisconsin’s Door County, where nature and art prevail

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Residents of Wisconsin refer to it fondly as a place to converge, relax and spend quality time with one another within a pristine natural environment. Add that to Door County's International Dark Sky Park and endless lake views, and you have a few of the many reasons to put this region on the map for your next Midwest adventure.

What, and where, is Door County?

Imagine yourself surrounded on all sides by some of the freshest water on planet Earth, where arborvitae, maples, oaks and pines grow to enormous heights above clear, blue-green bays.

That's Door County.

Geographically, it's the county located in the small protrusion of northern Wisconsin called the Door Peninsula. The peninsula and the county both derive their names from the nearby region of Lake Michigan the French named Port de Mort, or Death's Door, for its dangerous waters. But don't let the name scare you.

Some of the county's most popular towns include Egg Harbor (legendarily named so for an egg fight that may or may not have occurred in the harbor around 2 centuries ago), Ephraim, Fish Creek and Sister Bay. Its largest airport hub is in Green Bay, Wisconsin, though it's a perfect destination for a summer or autumn road trip.

While Door County is most often visited in the summer and autumn, it's becoming a more popular winter destination, too, home to ample snowfall and great opportunities for winter activities from ice fishing and snowmobiling to viewing the northern lights.

The peninsula offers views of the scenic, green-tinged Green Bay on one side and the vast blue waters of Lake Michigan on the other — offering a unique opportunity to watch both the sun rise and the sun set over the water in a single day, simply by visiting both sides of the peninsula.

The tricky part will be choosing whether the sunrise or the sunset was prettier.

Where art hides beneath the trees

While the whole population of Door County is only about 30,500, and its largest city, Sturgeon Bay, numbers under 10,000, it's attracted artists from all walks of life. The region is home to several theater companies and a bevy of artists offering their own art galleries and studios for art lovers to enjoy.

Sturgeon Bay is home to a burgeoning arts district, called the Steel Bridge Creative Arts District. This once-industrial area of town is now home to several galleries and workshops travelers can visit.

Art lovers can learn about glassblowing techniques directly from glassblowing masters Jeremy Popelka and Stephanie Trenchard at Popelka Trenchard Gallery & Glass Studio. The married couple offers lessons to beginners and sells their creations in their studio.

A short walk down the street from Popelka Trenchard takes one to the M. Anderson Gallery, filled with landscapes both local and far afield. A stop inside brings travelers to meet the artist himself, and discover how he finds his inspiration in many of the area's most beautiful natural landscapes.

"As a landscape painter, I've found Door County to be a treasure trove of inspiration," said Anderson. "The scenery is quite diverse for being a relatively small area. We have a beautiful shoreline along Lake Michigan, smaller inland lakes, rural farmland, woodlands, charming villages, the list goes on. For me, however, it's not just the subject matter. There is such an energetic and creatively stimulating atmosphere within the artist community here. It's hard not to be inspired!"

The most special part of the arts culture in Door County is its connection to nature, but it's not only the region's artists that are inspired.

It also inspires actors and musicians alike.

Door County might have a small population, but it's home to several incredible theater companies, all offering something different for residents and travelers.

Northern Sky Outdoor Theater offers a summer series of plays and musicals in an outdoor setting, nestled between the tall pines within Peninsula State Park. I watched a locally written musical called Hell's Belgians during my time there, and it was the most magical setting for a theater performance I've ever experienced.

Peninsula Players Theatre offers a similar, yet different, experience. It's the nation's oldest resident summer theatre, offering a creative, outdoor space for new actors to hone their craft, many of whom move on to prestigious careers on Broadway and elsewhere.

Nestled within the trees along the scenic lakefront, guests can mingle and sip beverages in the theater's waterfront beer garden area before entering the theater, which hosts performances all summer through October.

Lastly, one of the best-kept secrets in Door County is Fishstock. A play on the popular musical festival, Woodstock, Fishstock has been offering professional-style folk concerts in a humble, century-old barn for over 20 years.

Musicians from around the country such as the Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble, Stas and Misha and Mark Edgar Stuart were part of this summer's music season, proving that great music can be performed anywhere music lovers gather.

Food for thought

It shouldn't be surprising that a place as wondrous as Door County also inspires the chefs, bakers, brewers, distillers and vintners in the region. Driving through the peninsula, you'll find no lack of family-run farm stores selling everything from seasonal cherries and blueberries to homemade pies, fudge and cheeses — all crafted, brewed and baked with love.

Travelers will find no lack of locally owned restaurants, either. Of the many that are around, my favorite (and a must-visit for any bread lover, gluten intolerant or not), is the MacReady Artisan Bread Company in Egg Harbor.

A former lawyer-turned-baker, Jenny MacReady and her husband bake some of the best breads on the planet using all-natural and locally sourced ingredients. A pop into their cute yellow cottage isn't complete without at least one of their signatures: their cherry loaf or, for a bigger meal, a chicken salad sandwich.

And no visit to Door County is complete without a meal at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant, "the place with the goats on the roof," located in Sister Bay. Travelers will love the Swedish cuisine and ambience of the restaurant, which does indeed have goats on the roof, thanks to a joke that began 75 years ago with owner Al Johnson. Today, it's the most famous restaurant in the region, and for good reason: goats and good food.

For the adult beverage lovers, the region supports several wineries, like Anchored Roots Vineyard & Winery, which uses sustainable winemaking methods to produce the Ledge Blanc, the new Wisconsin Ledge American Viticulture Area wine.

Hatch Distilling Co. makes use of the region's natural bounty in a different way by utilizing locally produced honey to make mead and foraging for items like spruce tips to distill in some of their products. Viking's Blood, a cherry-flavored mead, is just one of their locally inspired specialties.

Tips for visiting Door County

If you're considering visiting Door County, here are some insider tips.

First, get a car. If you'll be flying into Wisconsin from elsewhere, make sure to pick up a car rental, as this remote destination does not have a public transit system. If you're heading there during the winter, I also recommend a car that drives well in snow.

While it's easy to make the lake your focus of a trip to Door County, make sure to look up once in a while. It's home to some of the best views of the stars in the entire state, and routinely welcomes the northern lights overhead.

Accommodations options include different styles and types, and many with scenic lake views. The Landmark Resort is the region's largest resort and is perfect for families, while the newly opened Dörr Hotel offers a more romantic location for couples.

No matter how you choose to visit, you'll find plenty to love in Door County, where nature and art prevail.