Door County Living Magazine - Late Summer 2025

The Right Care RIGHT NOW

Indoors

TUSCAN WINE BAR

Bold Looks for laid-back living

rugs - lighting - accessories

interior design - wall art

accent furniture & more

editor Myles Dannhausen Jr.

copy editor

Sam Watson

creative director

Katie Hohmann

design associate

Renee Puccini

sales director

Jess Farley Nielsen

sales manager

Stephen Grutzmacher

inside sales manager

Claudia Rudzinski

courier

The Paper Boy, LLC

distribution experts

Jeff Andersen, Todd Jahnke, Gavin Jahnke, Dan Farrell

office manager

Ben Pothast

public notiices & digital content coordinator

Kait Shanks

chief technology officer

Nate Bell

contributors

Remy Carmichael, Sally Collins, Anders Erickson, Herb Gould Tom Groenfeldt, Azusa Inaba, Brett Kosmider, Cynthia Kraack, Kayla Larsen, Betsy Lecy, Charlotte Lukes, Jeff Malmgren, John Mielke, Larry Mohr, Jess Farley Nielsen, Kevin O’Donnell, Dan Powers, Jim Schnaedter, Craig Sterrett, Lauren Ward

publisher

David Eliot

owners

David Eliot and Myles Dannhausen Jr.

Door County Living, Inc. 8142 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202 920.839.2120 info@doorcountyliving.com doorcountypulse.com

Volume 23 Issue 2

35,000 copies (17,047 mailed)

Door County Living, celebrating the culture and lifestyle of the Door peninsula, is published five times annually by Peninsula Publishing & Distribution, Inc., 8142 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202.

To order a subscription, please mail a check for $25 to Door County Living, 8142 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202. If you would like to advertise, please visit doorcountymarketing.com.

© 2025 Peninsula Publishing & Distribution, Inc. All rights reserved. Door County Living is a Peninsula Publishing & Distribution, Inc. company. Locally owned. Locally minded.

Matt Olson paddles on a hand-crafted board near Cana Island. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Washington Island draws a crowd of about 500 spectators for a Door County League Baseball game between the Islanders and the Sister Bay Bays. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

HENRIETTE STEFFENSEN Copenhagen

CONTRI

Photography intern REMY CARMICHAEL is a high school student from Baileys Harbor with a background in ballet.

SALLY COLLINS contributes regularly to the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living Her debut novel, Muddled Cherries, is available from local booksellers or online.

Writer and editor MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR. has been searching out stories for Door County Living since 2005. He lives outside Sister Bay with his wife and three children.

ANDERS ERICKSON has honed his cocktail knowledge behind the bar in Chicago for more than 20 years. He lives on the city’s north side with his wife, Azusa Inaba.

Retired Chicago Sun-Times sportswriter HERB GOULD recently published a biography of Curly Lambeau, When Curly Met Destiny. He is a sports columnist for the Peninsula Pulse and lives in Sister Bay with his wife, Liz.

TOM GROENFELDT of Sturgeon Bay writes profiles of Door County artists for the Peninsula Pulse

JESS FARLEY NIELSEN lives in Jacksonport with her husband, son, and dogs Berndette and Elwood Blues. Feeding friends and family feeds her soul.

KATIE HOHMANN is the creative director of the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living, and when she isn’t sitting at her desk, she’s standing at it.

BRETT KOSMIDER is a Door County-based filmmaker and photographer. He specializes in producing documentaries of wild places.

CYNTHIA KRAACK, and husband Tom, have split time for decades between Fish Creek and Minnesota.

Photographer KAYLA LARSEN spent 25 years in the service industry before turning her lens toward the people and landscapes of Door County. She and her husband James live outside Sister Bay with their son Beau.

BETSY LECY is a junior journalism student at Northwestern University. A Gibraltar High School graduate and marathon finisher, she calls Fish Creek home.

CHARLOTTE LUKES writes zto fulfill her late husband, Roy Lukes’, mission to help educate and inspire readers to learn, care for and protect the natural world.

BUTORS Breaking Ground

JEFF MALMGREN has lived the cliche of leaving Illinois for Door County. Gibraltar classrooms taught him to love writing.

JOHN MIELKE worked in communications at Fortune 500 companies and at UW-Parkside. He and his wife, Patti, and their poodle, Riley, live on Rileys Bay.

After retiring from a 36-year career in technology, LARRY MOHR is behind the lens for the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living. You can often find him on the trail with his wife and black lab.

KEVIN O’DONNELL is an awardwinning author and professional photographer, a YouTube creator and story-teller who lives in Clay Banks.

DAN POWERS is a founding member of Door County Published Authors Collective and author of two novels: How Long A Shadow and Stienboek

JIM SCHNAEDTER describes himself as a wine appreciator, but not an expert. His journeys into the flavors of Door County’s wine scene appear frequently in the Peninsula Pulse

Outdoor enthusiast CRAIG STERRETT of Egg Harbor has more than three decades of journalism experience and a passion for the links.

LAUREN WARD is a writer and the elementary principal at Gibraltar Area Schools. She lives in Ephraim with her husband and their four children.

SAM WATSON is an editorial assistant for the Peninsula Pulse The UW-Madison grad lives in Baileys Harbor with her partner and three cats. When she’s not working, she likes to crochet and watch bad horror movies.

I was 12 when my fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Blahnik, led our class out to the softball field at Gibraltar school to take part in the groundbreaking for the Door Community Auditorium (DCA) in May of 1990. There’s a picture of me there with my friends Andy Woerfel, John Kodanko, Phillip Spearo and Sean Keneavy. The late Abe and Ginka Cohn can be seen behind us, mingling with other artists and teachers.

I was probably more annoyed about losing our recess football field than I was excited about this new auditorium they were making such a big deal about. But it did feel special as Anne Emerson, Peter Trenchard, George Larson and the other leaders who fought for the auditorium dug shovels into the turf on the south end of the school. Watching the building rise outside our windows was a source of daily excitement and anticipation that would be validated at the first public assembly there in 1991.

That day marked a new era in northern Door County. Not only was the $2.7 million auditorium one of the first major fundraising efforts in Door County, but it was a massive billboard shouting to the school, the community and to visitors that “The Arts Matter Here!” It said something more to the students of Gibraltar, a tiny school with overmatched sports teams lacking the usual scholastic points of pride. The DCA changed that. It told us we mattered, that arts were part of who we are, and gave us something special to take pride in.

Soon the likes of Johnny Cash, Indigo Girls, Ray Charles and Ko-Thi Dance Co. were performing on the stage where we staged middle school plays, band concerts and graduation ceremonies.

In May I was standing across the street from the auditorium with my son, Connor, to take part in another groundbreaking, this one for the Auditorium Annex, a home for music education, intimate performances and artist receptions. Executive Director Cari Lewis asked me to come with my son to represent a connection from the past to the generation to come.

The event left me reflecting on the privilege it is to know a place so well. Anyone can make a difference in a community with their time, knowledge, skills or money – you don’t need a history in that place. But when you do, it affords you the perspective that comes with having experienced the before and the after.

In Door County Living we say we “celebrate the culture and lifestyle of the Door Peninsula.” How we define that owes a lot to the building of the Door Community Auditorium and everything that has been nurtured inside its walls in the 35 years since.

– Myles Dannhausen Jr.

Photo courtesy of the Door Community Auditorium archives.

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3.56 ACRES | 354' OF SHORELINE | 225' PERMANENT PIER

Tucked off of lovely Lady Slipper Road, this private and secluded retreat offers perfect sunsets and panoramic views of the bay.

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Originally developed in the late 1800s by a prominent patent attorney, a Carriage House and Beach House are surrounded by protected acreage showcasing rare Lady Slipper orchids.

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This coastal paradise envelops 354 feet of shorefront and includes a 225' x 20' permanent pier with two finger piers. You will not want to miss this exquisite Egg Harbor property.

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421-3272

LADY

“It gets busy here, but if you walk around at sunset –even in the peak summer – it’s a pretty quiet walk. Even the busiest time here is nothing compared to living in a big city.”

– Lilly Orozco

“It Just Feels Right”

Lilly Orozco first moved to northern Door County with her parents 20 years ago, but it wasn’t permanent. She spent eighth grade at Gibraltar School, but the family moved back to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Lilly finished high school and college, eventually meeting her husband, Juan Ornelas.

When they had their daughter, Mila, they worried about raising her in Guadalajara, amidst 5.2 million people. In 2015, Lilly convinced Juan that the family should spend a summer in Door County. For Juan, it was his first time leaving Mexico, and though he didn’t speak English, he was hooked.

In 2016, they moved here permanently, setting down roots in Sister Bay, where Juan worked in marketing and Lilly as the general manager of Skip Stone Coffee. By 2024, Juan had learned English and earned his citizenship, Lilly was elected to the Sister Bay Board of Trustees, and the couple became owners of Skip Stone, which they rebranded in 2025 as happy coffee.

What made them plant their roots in a community 2,300 miles and a language away from home?

“It just feels right,” Lilly said. “It’s the peacefulness, the beauty. It gets busy here, but if you walk around at sunset – even in the peak summer – it’s a pretty quiet walk. Even the busiest time here is nothing compared to living in a big city.

“And there’s a true sense of community up here,” she continued. “Once you really get involved, you realize it takes a village. Especially when you live up here yearround, it forces you to get involved.”

Sure, they miss Mexico and the conveniences of the city. “There are challenges and barriers to living here,” Lilly said. “My husband didn’t speak the language. There’s not much ethnic diversity. But we weren’t going to let the challenges and barriers stop us from being where we wanted to be. We wouldn’t give up living in Door County.”

-As told to Myles Dannhausen Jr.

Photos by xoMe Studio.

Generations of Jewelers

by CYNTHIA KRAACK

photos by BRETT KOSMIDER

Behind the storefronts on Main Street in downtown Fish Creek, a metal horse stands outside an unassuming building surrounded by trees. A few steps off the shopping path, the doors to Rummele’s Jewelers are open.

“We want everyone to come in. We’re in the business of selling happiness. I can’t imagine selling anything other than jewelry,” said Tracy Alpert, owner of Rummele’s Jewelers. After completing college, she joined the business, then owned and managed by her father, Charles Alpert.

From grade school on, her father took Tracy with him on business trips to Belgium and Israel to buy jewels and jewelry items. Deals were sealed with a handshake.

Tracy Alpert and Rummele’s Jewelers

Zoe, Tracy and Chloe Alpert.

Those travels with her father solidified what Tracy wanted to do for a career. Her degree from Arizona State University built a foundation, and she later studied to become a Graduate Gemologist of the Institute of America, holding the title of American Gemology Society Registered Jeweler.

Growing North

Charles Alpert established Rummele’s Jewelers in Green Bay in 1950, and customers convinced Tracy to expand to Fish Creek in 2012. In 2022, she bought the former Nicolet Bank building on the hill in Fish Creek, a property she was drawn to in large part because it came with a huge bank vault that provides the level of security she needed to carry valuable inventory.

“Customers who had homes in Door County said, ‘You will do well in Fish Creek.’ And they were right. We have customers from the county and many more from all over the United States. Our customers call us when they aren’t here, and they refer their friends,” she said. “Fish Creek is a very comfortable environment. People can walk everywhere. Businesses are inviting.”

For customers new to the fine jewelry market, Tracy enjoys educating them about what she calls wearable art.

“If they aren’t looking for something now, they will be more prepared to make a decision later,” she said.

Customers are often looking for something special for a wedding or anniversary, or repairing or restyling a piece of jewelry. While people do get engaged in Door County, not as many buy their engagement rings here. Still, Rummele’s has staff who know that market, plus three goldsmiths in Green Bay who can work to create the right ring.

The wearable art Tracy refers to includes bright and sparkling jewels, gold and silver metals, and watches. She acquires only real jewels. Working with specialized gemologists, she knows the source of each stone.

“No jewels baked in an oven are sold here,” Tracy said.

In addition to long-term customers, Tracy and her staff assist a new generation, who are often children or grandchildren of those original clients.

“These multiple-generation customers speak volumes about how our staff works with individuals,” she said. “We keep good wish lists on file. Someone can call us from wherever they live, and we can help them pick out the right gift to make a special person feel that way. Men are typically more lastminute, maybe in a panic mode.”

Tracy is not the only member of the Alpert family that customers might meet at Rummele’s. Her daughter, Chloe, joined the business after graduating from Arizona State University. A second daughter, Zoe, is going to the same school, and works at both stores when off from school.

“My parents worked retail hours when I was growing up so there weren’t vacations or long weekends to spend in Door County. We did take Sunday drives here that were my favorite days,” Tracy said. “Our home is in Green Bay, and I have had a second home in Door County as the children grew up. They spent summers here and loved it.”

After 75 years in business, the family connection at Rummele’s is as strong as ever.

A Tower Reborn

On April 17, a small group of supporters took the first steps up the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower since 2017, marking the end of an eight-year effort to save the attraction.

Built in 1931, the 75-foot tower was the first purpose-built recreation tower in a Wisconsin State Park. Designed by prominent architect W.F. Stevens, the tower’s construction was financed by an organization known as the Sawyer Commercial Club, which promoted economic development in the Village of Sawyer (the area’s original name before it was annexed by the City of Sturgeon Bay). For years it welcomed visitors to take in the stunning views of Sturgeon Bay, Potawatomi State Park, and Green Bay.

But in December of 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) abruptly closed the tower based on findings of significant wood decay, fresh off the heels of the closure of Eagle Tower in Peninsula State Park. The tower appeared headed for demolition until members of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society stepped up to advocate for a different solution.

The historical society felt the DNR’s study was limited to damage and deterioration, and did not provide restoration alternatives to determine the feasibility of saving it. In 2018, the society retained Wood Research Development out of Oregon to perform a new study – this time including alternatives for restoration. Over the next several years the DNR slated the tower to be torn down but preservation advocates continued to push for the DNR to stabilize the structure in place.

In 2023, local government officials lobbied for emergency funding to stabilize the structure and in 2024, contracted Wood Research Development to rehabilitate the tower. In April of 2025, eight years after the tower appeared to be on its last legs, it reopened to welcome new generations to the view from the top.

Photo by Paul Hahn.

A Magical Place

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For more information, call Brian Kuzdas

Fish On!

by JOHN MIELKE

According to Todd Haleen of Lakeshore Adventures, people who come to Door County are looking for a fishing experience that they just can’t get anywhere else.

But with more than 300 miles of shoreline nestled next to hundreds of square miles of clear, fresh water, where does an angler start?

One answer is to enlist the help of a guide. A quick internet search shows dozens of charter services offering trips on Lake Michigan or Green Bay.

Haleen runs one of them. He earned his captain’s license when he was in his early 20s, and at the time, he was one of the youngest charter captains on the lake.

Haleen is far from the only pro fisherman offering chartered trips in Door County. Freshwater Fishing Hall

of Famer Dale Stroschein has fished competitively in the U.S. and Canada on the Professional Walleye Trail and in Cabela’s North American Walleye Association events. And Chris Konop has been fishing in Lake Michigan since he was a youngster growing up in Manitowoc. He has been running charters for – well, more years than he wants to admit.

In other words, these guys have seen a big fish or two during their professional angling careers.

So what can anglers in Door County expect to reel in? Konop said a lot depends on the type of fish you’re interested in catching. Experience also comes into play. Going after bass, walleye and northern pike on Green Bay means that, in many cases, you’ll have the rod in your hands and use a variety of presentation techniques with different lures.

On Lake Michigan, charter captains and their first mates troll for king (Chinook) and coho salmon, along

with rainbow, brown and lake trout. They select the lures and get the lines in the water. Once the fish bites, it’s time for the anglers to jump in. Even a person fishing for the very first time can experience the thrill of bringing in a big one.

“Even for people who don’t want to fish, you can sit on the bridge and read a book,” said Konop, who takes up to six people aboard his boat, the PharmA-Sea. Bay charters are usually limited to two or three anglers because the boats are smaller.

More experienced anglers often flock to Stroschein for his experience as a competitive angler and his Hall of Fame status.

It takes a lot to reel in a big salmon on the lake. Wyatt Keesling gets help from his father and two guides from Lakeshore Adventures Fishing Charters during a 2024 charter near Cana Island.

Keesling holds up the salmon he just reeled in. Photo by Larry Mohr.

Savor your summer in Door County with Renard’s Cheese. Handcrafting award-winning Wisconsin artisan cheese since 1961, explore over 100 varieties of cheese in our retail store, alongside other locally made gourmet goods and Door County gifts. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Melt Bistro, featuring upscale takes on your favorite Wisconsin classics, beer, and cider.

“What makes Door County so unique, and why I like fishing it, and why the customers like fishing it, is because we’ve got trophy categories in all of the species, which is really unheard of in the Midwest.”

— Dale Stroschein, Wacky Walleye Guide Service, Sturgeon Bay

“They want to be able to elevate their abilities as an angler,” he said.

For pros or beginners alike, the cry of “Fish on!” gets everyone’s attention.

“In all the fishing charters I’ve run over the years, I get just as excited when we get a bite now as I did when I started 25 years ago,” Konop said.

“There are not a lot of places you can go in the U.S. and catch 25-pound salmon. It’s

right here, five miles off shore. It’s, like, too good to be true.”

—

Chris Konop, PharmA-Sea Fishing Charters, Sturgeon Bay

“A lot of folks, when they fish with us for the first time, they’re just amazed at what they catch,” Konop said. “It’s really easy for people to get addicted.”

Some of those bites are from big fish, even on the bay side. How big? Yellow perch that Stroschein said reach 15-16 inches. Five-pound smallmouth bass. Northern pike tipping the scales at 20-plus pounds. Not to mention those giant walleyes and muskies.

Why is Door County such a hotspot for all things fishing? Varying water temperatures, depths, underwater structures and food sources create perfect habitats for a variety of species.

“When you look at different areas for fishing [across the country], they are normally known for maybe just their walleyes, or they’re known for their bass, but they are not known for multispecies,” Stroschein said. “We’ve got huge fish in all species.”

Charlie Woldt, who captained the Gremlin for many years, said that even those who are out for the first time often hook into a near-record fish because the conditions that make it possible for numerous fish species to thrive also create an environment for individual fish to grow.

Lake Michigan and Green Bay charter captains cater to their customers, many of whom they see each summer.

“I’ll get the same groups, the same families back year after year,” Haleen said. “We get to know a lot of them.”

Charter captains do what they can, but an enjoyable fishing experience often relies on the weather.

A young fisherman holds a prize with Dale Stroschein. Submitted.

Chris Konop aboard Pharm-ASea. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

The Wailin’ Jennys JULY 23

“I have a good number of customers who are die-hard about their fishing, but they don’t have the big-water experience. These big king salmon in the open water – there’s nothing like it.”

— Todd Haleen, Lakeshore Adventures, Baileys Harbor

Mohr.

Top A fisherman casts a line on an outing with Dale Stroschein of Wacky Walleye Fishing Charters.

Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Middle Todd Haleen readies lures in the dark on a charter out of Baileys Harbor. Photo by Larry Mohr.

Bottom A few tools of the trade.

Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Middle Todd Haleen readies lures in the dark on a charter out of Baileys Harbor. Photo by Larry

Bottom A few tools of the trade.

Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Inset Photo by Brett Kosmider.

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“I try to steer people away from the really heavy-weather days,” Haleen said. “If you have younger kids, and it’s going to be pretty bumpy out there, a lot of times we’re going to try to persuade them to go on a different day.”

Most guide services make the experience easy for their clients, providing all the fishing equipment they will need. But charter captains all know that the difference between a good day and a great day is not ease; it’s the number of fish caught.

Because they’re usually fishing every day during the summer season – twice

a day when conditions allow – guides know where they can find fish, and where they can’t.

“One of the things I’ve always lived by is that it’s just as important to know where not to go because there is so much water,” Haleen said. “Being able to cross off spots is so helpful for us.”

When everything comes together on a fishing expedition, the excitement on board starts with the bite. Everybody wants to see what’s happening.

“The fish starts peeling out line,” Konop said. “‘Oh, he’s a big one!’ And then, ‘are we gonna get him in the

boat?’

From the time the fish hits until the time it’s in the boat, that’s all up to us to do everything we can to make that happen. It’s never not exciting.”

Plenty of great fishing trips await in Door County. And for those who enjoy the challenge of fishing through a small hole in the ice – well, the peninsula has you covered there, too. Perch, walleye and northern pike are popular catches during the winter, but whitefish are becoming the new king of the season.

Todd Haleen rigs lines as the sun rises over Baileys Harbor. Photo by Larry Mohr.

Haleen helps a fisherman net a salmon. Photo by Larry Mohr.

ANNUAL GALA DEMO DAY

Friday, July 11

11AM - 2PM at Plum Bottom Road

Featured artists include Finga Vnuk, Trisha Spice, Stacey Small Rupp, Angela Olson Luberger, and Mary White

19TH ANNUAL GALA

Saturday, July 12

3PM - 7PM at Plum Bottom Road

Featured artists include Kinga Vnuk, Trisha Spice, Stacey Small Rupp, Angela Olson Luberger, Mary White and Kellie Hanson

PLUM BOTTOM GALLERY ANNUAL DEMO DAY

Saturday, August 16th

11AM - 3PM at Plum Bottom Road

Featuring Stephanie Lord, Mark Price, Sarah Jane Keiser, Reilly McClellan, Tom Smith, Margaret Prescott, Christopher Leeper, and Keary Kautzer

ANNUAL JEWELRY SHOWCASE

Saturday, October 11 - Sunday, October 12 11AM - 4PM at Fish Creek

Board Room

Crafting Surf with Matt

Matt Olson works on a board in his Fish Creek shop.

by MYLES DANNHAUSEN JR.

Photos by BRETT KOSMIDER

Next door to the Fish Creek BP gas station stands a mini-quonset hut built in the 1940s as a fueling station. For years it sat abandoned, until Matt and Rachel Olson of Door County Adventure Rafting opened Cana Cove Surf Co. in 2021, where they sell apparel and base their boat tours.

Inside, customers will also find surf and paddle boards hung on the walls and ceilings, each handcrafted by Olson in a painstaking process in a workshop behind the shop.

Olson picked up surfing when he and Rachel were living in Hawaii. After moving back to Door County – Olson grew up in Sturgeon Bay,

and the couple met at Camp David just down the road from the shop – he slowly got into lake surfing, catching waves around Cana Island and Cave Point.

“I get out surfing a lot more here than I did out in Hawaii,” he said.

“There are some really great days here on the lake. For me, some of these days can be as good as in Hawaii.”

Olson learned how to make his own boards by following forums and watching YouTube clips.

“You learn a lot about what not to do from people who share their mistakes,” he said.

He makes about 10-15 boards a year, doing most of the work in winter, as his summer schedule is filled with his boat tour business.

Photographer Brett Kosmider met Olson in his shop to document the board-making process.

The board starts as a large rectangle polystyrene foam block. Matt Olson traces an outline with a template and cuts the form with a hot wire. The block is then cut in half and glued together with a stringer in the middle, before refining with a hand rasp.

The shaping begins with a Skil Model 100 planer to get the general shape. “It’s like the sledgehammer before you start sanding to refine the shape,” explained Olson.

Olson shapes a board using a handheld sander.

To get it to its final finish, he uses a 1,000-grit paper.

Olson applies a resin to the board to fill in the fiberglass.

Waiting for

Land Trust

Wildlife photographers share their secrets

Photo by John Van Den Brandt.

Photo by Dave Heilman.

by TOM GROENFELDT

Great gear can go a long way for a photographer, but when it comes to getting wildlife images that stand out from the crowd, John Van Den Brandt doesn’t credit a lens or camera.

“When people ask me what is the most important piece of equipment I own, I always say an alarm clock,” said Van Den Brandt, an Appleton-based photographer who shoots nature pictures around the world, including for the Door County Land Trust’s annual calendar. “If you don’t get out there early, it won’t matter what kind of equipment you have because you won’t get an opportunity to use it. Often, I am coming out of the woods at 9 am in the springtime as other photographers are just going in.”

for Nature

“When people ask me what is the most important piece of equipment I own, I always say an alarm clock.”

When he was shooting in Brazil one recent summer, he got up at 3:45 am every day for two weeks.

“You want to be in position when the first light comes up,” Van Den Brandt said. “A lot of things that are active only at night are heading back to their dens, and everything is hungry at that time of day. You sleep in the middle of the day and then don’t go out again until after dark.”

Early morning is one thing in Brazil and quite another in the depths of a Door County winter.

– John Van Den Brandt

“To get stunning pictures, you may need to go out at four in the morning, or when it is below zero, or put on ice cleats and hike to the big red range light at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal,” said David Heilman, who wanted shots of the mountains of ice that piled up out there. Maybe at that hour, his critical thinking wasn’t quite awake.

“That’s one I will never do again,” he said. “That was pretty stupid.”

Heather Harle Frykman, who works with her husband, Lukas, doing photography at Frykman Studio Gallery in Sister Bay, takes a more measured approach to her photoshoot schedule.

Photo by Frykman Studio Gallery.

“I am not a morning person,” she said.

When a woman at Heather’s hair salon told her about a fox pack with kits and provided a location, she and Lukas went up four days in a row and eventually got photos of the kits playing in excellent light, just a few hours before sunset – no alarm clock required.

“I wouldn’t say we are wildlife photographers because we are not that patient,” Heather said. But after seeing bluebird boxes on Garret Bay Road in Ellison Bay, she stood watch with a telephoto lens, shooting hundreds of frames over several days before

catching a male flying with his wings outstretched and a worm in his beak.

“A lot of times, we know ahead of time that a bird or other animal is in a specific location and we can scout it out and then go sit in a chair with a camera and tripod,” Lukas said. “We don’t usually do a full blind.”

Good wildlife photography is all about knowing one’s subject, according to Van Den Brandt. He once broke off following a leopard in Africa to take a shortcut to a watering spot, where he captured it drinking, then crossing a stream. But it’s not always that easy – for one photo of a great egret, he waited in the right place for 11 hours.

“Rather than wandering around and hoping to run into them randomly, learn about them and you increase your chances dramatically,” Van Den Brandt said. “If you know what they eat and know the natural cycle of their life, your chances of seeing them go up a lot. The more you know about the natural world, the better you will be.”

His January 2024 Land Trust calendar image is of a snowy owl in flight, its backlit, outstretched wings spraying drops of water as it crosses a lake.

Even if the photographer has put in plenty of time and preparation, wild animals offer no guarantees as subjects. That was evident when Van Den Brandt and Jean, his wife, assistant, co-conspirator and muse spent a week in the 1.5-million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest near Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

Van Den Brandt did extensive research ahead of the trip, talked to big mammal experts and studied maps. In one week, he drove 1,100 miles,

Photos by Frykman Studio Gallery.

“Photograph it at different times of the year, different times of the day and in different lighting. Walk a trail in a different direction – you’d be amazed how different it might look.”

– David Heilman

paddled eight lakes and spent dawn to dusk in the field – and he got nothing.

“We saw one wolf in our headlight on the way back to where we were staying,” he said. “Sometimes nature just doesn’t cooperate.”

It’s one reason he enjoys Africa so much.

“Africa is the greatest experience for the wildlife photographer,” he said. “In wildlife photography, typically you spend 97% of your time looking for wildlife and a few minutes tripping the shutter. In Africa, flip it around. You are constantly in front of wildlife – 500 zebras or a dozen elephants. It is a kind of paradise for photographers.”

Lighting in a given location can be just as transient as the wildlife there, Heilman said.

His advice is to “photograph it at different times of the year, different times of the day and in different lighting,” he said. “Walk a trail in a different direction – you’d be amazed how different it might look.”

His website details his favorite kayaking spots, information on where to park and launch and how far one has to transport their kayak to reach the water.

“I definitely enjoy capturing nature or animals from my kayak because it is a totally different view,” Heilman said. “I don’t go to Cave Point or Peninsula State Park – everybody in the world

goes there. I want people to see areas the average tourist does not.”

Heilman retired from a commercial and portrait business in Manitowoc, Wisconsin to photograph nature and work with his wife on restoring a family farm property south of Egg Harbor. He no longer does any commercial work.

“As I get into my 70s, the best use of my skills is promoting conservation, so that’s what I do,” he said. “I believe in what the Land Trust does and I want to do anything I can to help them out. I want to make people feel they are standing next to me.”

The Door County Land Trust calendar is free to supporters who give a gift of at least $50.

Photos by Dave Heilman.

A League

of Our Own

(Left to right) Jon Kordon, Ben Johnson, Josh Pflieger, Alex Byrne, Trevor Reinhardt, Sam Forkert.

Own

by HERB GOULD

John Sawyer played Door County League (DCL) baseball for upwards of three decades, mostly with a powerhouse Sister Bay team that engaged in some fierce games on Washington Island.

But his fondest memories of playing on the island don’t involve the baseball itself.

“When Sister Bay played on the island years ago, [the teams and their supporters] would golf on Saturday. Then they’d have a cookout,’’ said Sawyer, who’s now the league president. “You’d catch a nine-inning game, and you had a beer with smoked chubs. They’d bring you smoked chubs right on the bench after the game on the island. It

A game on Washington Island is still pretty

“When there’s a Sunday-afternoon game on the island, that’s what everybody does,’’ Sawyer said.

“They go have their hot dogs and beer, see their friends, all that stuff.’’

Oh, and by the way, the Islanders’ concession stand serves up a Chicago-style red hot that’s Windy City-caliber. Another DCL all-star is the faintly spicy Italian brat at West Jacksonport. And with some of the best beer prices on the peninsula at all eight ballparks, fans tend to not go thirsty.

In a stormy, uncertain world, DCL baseball is a steadfast tradition on a cherished peninsula. A quick check of the standings in 1965 shows that the same eight towns fielded teams in the league.

How many leagues, in any sport, at any level, can say that? The only one that comes to mind is the Ivy League. While Door County baseball can’t match the Ivy League in terms of fiscal endowment, it is right up there when it comes to emotion and commitment.

“It’s about the county, man. It’s just rich in baseball,’’ said veteran West Jacksonport pitcher Woody Schartner. He’s a 36-year-old carpenter who enjoys a game of catch with his young children after games at the Ports’ home

field, where baseball has been played for more than a century. “A lot of the young kids don’t realize, it takes a lot more than just showing up on Sundays to play. It takes a lot of people.”

Fortunately, a legion of people understand that. Virtually every manager in the league doubles as a groundskeeper, cutting the grass and raking the infield as well as finding and coaching players. Past stars like Institute’s Jason Annis-Wild and Egg Harbor’s Matt Bley stand over hot grills on steamy days, cooking brats and burgers, helping raise the money to pay for bats, balls, uniforms and umpires.

Even more remarkably, loyal fans, friends and family members pitch in wherever they’re needed, from collecting the $5 admission fee to running the 50/50 raffle to handling the public-address announcements. Maplewood PA announcer Matt Frea, 26, who grew up following the Mets, is putting to use his broadcasting degree from the University of WisconsinOshkosh.

Two local radio stations, WDOR and The Goat, support the league by

broadcasting games and providing results. And last summer, the Islanders became the first team to have their own radio voices – Matt Kokes and Jim Sorensen, who broadcast at washingtonislandradio.com.

Each team tends to reflect the community it supports. Sister Bay has a bit of a swagger, but more so, the quiet confidence that comes from being the best all-around team from the village that has become the hub of the county’s summer tourist activity. Kolberg, the young and upcoming threat to Sister Bay, plays with nononsense excellence, befitting from its status as little more than a dot on the map.

“At some point, [Kolberg] was more of a town, but there’s not even a tavern there, which is saying something in Wisconsin,” said Egg Harbor chiropractor Tucker Emerson, who has fond memories of traveling to Kolberg during his long career with Sister Bay.

While Egg Harbor has slipped a bit lately, the Indians have a strong foundation – a terrific fan base in an area that has regularly produced baseball talent. Manager Matt Ash has

been encouraging youngsters to bolster a team that has standouts like the Kita brothers, Nick and Brady.

“My family all played at Egg Harbor,’’ Nick Kita said. “My dad played at Egg Harbor, my grandpa, all my uncles. That’s the neat part about the league. All the guys that we’re playing with right now are the kids who my dad played with. It’s a generational thing.’’

Beyond Sister Bay, Kolberg and Egg Harbor, West Jacksonsport and Washington Island generally tend to field scrappy, talented teams that are just a bounce or two away from breaking through.

Meanwhile, Maplewood reasserted itself in 2024, finishing third behind Sister Bay and Kolberg thanks to pitcher-of-the-year Jeremiah Jahnke, a left-hander who plays at University of WisconsinStevens Point. Maplewood manager Kevin Brauer, also an assistant coach at St. Norbert College, consults with Jahnke’s college coaches, an

Clockwise from top left Friday night under the lights in Institute. Photo by Larry Mohr. | The Baileys Harbor A’s break it down before the first pitch vs. Sister Bay. Photo by Kayla Larsen. | A Sister Bay fan celebrates a great catch. Photo by Kayla Larsen.

A Maplewood Mets third baseman plucks a ground ball during a 2024 game. Photo by Deanna Reinhardt.

important ingredient for the league’s college players.

Although Jahnke is from Winneconne, Wisconsin, southwest of Appleton, his father graduated from Southern Door, so he’s grandfathered in under the league’s by-laws.

“Baileys kind of had this scarlet letter on them that said, ‘Don’t go play for Baileys. They always lose,’’’ Wood said. “And I keep telling the guys, ‘That’s fine. Use that as motivation. Because as soon as you start winning, players are going to want to come here and play.’ And it has started. We were able to recruit some young but very good players.’’

Baileys Harbor’s four wins in 2024 were a big jump for a team that had snapped a nearly four-year losing streak in 2023. Last-place Institute lost all 14 of its games in 2024, but the Cubs did not let that spoil everything.

“Obviously, it sucks to go all season with no wins,” said Jaeger Brusky, who hit .375, eighth in the league last season. “But at the same time, I was with all my buddies, so it was always a fun time, no matter what happened. It was still super enjoyable, even though it wasn’t the best season.’’

Competition – and enjoying it with friends –is really what defines DCL baseball.

An Island celebration. Photo by Rachel Lukas. | The corn beyond the outfield fence in West Jacksonport is still short in June. Photo by Deanna Reinhardt. | A fan sports a classic jersey in Kolberg. Photo by Deanna Reinhardt. | Sister Bay players watch the action from the dugout. Photo by Kayla Larsen.

A New Level Taking Wine- Tasting to

by JIM SCHNAEDTER

photos by KAYLA LARSEN

Last fall, Stone’s Throw Winery started offering a new tasting experience that should change the way wine is served, tasted and viewed in Door County.

It’s more of an immersion into the world of wine than it is a typical tasting, and there is no one who can lead that experience as well as Stone’s Throw owner, Russell Turco.

“Standing around a bar drinking is more for taverns, not wineries,” Turco said.

His new venture, Taste, offers a private wine and food pairing experience for discerning wine enthusiasts. It is relaxed yet sophisticated; comfortable, yet elegant; direct, yet complex. In short, it is everything that enjoying fine wine should be.

The unique adventure that Turco’s new tasting room offers will typically last 90 minutes, allowing participants a leisurely pace to enjoy their wine and food while discussing and learning about each wine/food pairing. The pairing menu will include five separate limited-

production varietals (the purple label series) matched with a small plate.

The pairing takes place in an intimate lounge atmosphere, offering comfortable chairs, tables and bar seating options. Taste requires reservations and will be limited to small groups in order to make a formal experience feel informal and relaxed.

With Taste, Stone’s Throw has created an atmosphere that allows the wine-drinker and wine-maker an opportunity to collaborate in an experience that satisfies all of the senses.

I always enjoy my time spent with Russell, but sitting across from him in a comfortable chair without the distractions of a busy tasting room or restaurant is more laid-back and enjoyable. The wine supports that atmosphere.

My first taste was a Vermentino, a wine pressed from grapes rarely found outside of Italy. It was dry, crisp, and had the right amount of acidity to make it complex enough to stand alone, though it’s also a great pairing for fish or vegetable dishes.

The second offering was a Sangiovese, an Italian variety used to produce three of the world’s most famous and respected wines: Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di

Montepulciano and Brunello from Montalcino.

Turco used the Sangiovese Grosso variety, which is the one used for Italian Brunello. He treated his Napa grape differently, creating a unique style. By using only minimal barrel aging, he created the best presentation of Sangiovese that I have tasted. The fruit jumped out and a touch of acidity followed, giving the wine a great start and even better finish.

The third offering was a Zinfandel produced from grapes hand-picked from 80-year-old vines and aged two years in toasted Gamba French Oak barrels, which brings out a beautiful wine made from a grape that is known for both its fruitiness and spice.

The fourth offering was a Petite Sirah made from free-run juice that helps smooth a grape known for its heavy tannins into a wine with extremely deep ruby color and earthy character. Any rich red meat would feel honored to share a pairing with such a bold dry red wine.

We finished with another petite varietal, a Petite Verdot from Mendocino County. This region in California offers a longer growing season for a grape known for its stubbornness, allowing the grape the time it requires to fully ripen and highlight what it can become.

Russell Turco pours a glass.

Taste is the latest addition to the everevolving grounds of Stone’s Throw Winery.

Photo by John Van Den Brandt

Something to Train For

July 4

Hairpin Run, Fish Creek 5k run/walk to kick off the 4th of July celebration. Door County’s largest 5k run benefits Friends of Gibraltar. hairpinrun.com

July 12

Belgian Days Run, Brussels 2-mile, 4-mile run/walk. letsdothis.com/us/e/belgian-daysrunwalk-212207

July 19

Washington Island Rec Run, Washington Island

10k, 5k, and 2k walk/ run moslingreccenter.org/events

Aug. 9

Shanty Days 5k, kids run, Algoma 5k run/walk, kids superhero fun run visitalgomawi.com/5k-run-walk

Sept. 20

Door County Brewing Co. Hey Hey 5k, Baileys Harbor

5k fun run in Baileys Harbor that starts and ends at the Door County Brewing Co. taproom. Get great swag including a free beer and an awesome shirt! heyhey5k.com

Oct. 11

Potawatomi State Park Run Wild Sturgeon Bay Quarter marathon, 5k run/walk, and 1/3mile Smokey Bear Run www.runwild.org/run-wild

Run

Door County!

There are few ways better to get to know some of the county’s most beautiful roads and trails than by running them in one of the county’s many runs, walks and relays. The following organized runs will introduce you to new roads and scenery with hundreds of your fellow running friends from Algoma to Washington Island. Lace them up and run Door County this summer and fall!

Oct. 25

Fall 50, Gills Rock to Sturgeon Bay 50-mile solo and relay run from the tip of the peninsula at Gills Rock to the base at Sawyer Park in Sturgeon Bay. Includes prizes for best team name and costume, and a huge post-race party with pizza and beer. fall50.com

Nov. 8

Pen Park Trails Fest, Fish Creek Third edition of a new running experience featuring a 14k and 30k course in Peninsula State Park. penparktrailsfest.com

Nov. 29

One Barrel 2.62 Run, Egg Harbor

A 2.62-mile run through Egg Harbor’s back roads. All runners get a One Barrel Run knit hat and a beer at the finish line! onebarrelrun.com

Dec. 7

Northern Door YMCA Ugly Sweater Run, Fish Creek A 5k fun run/ walk.

May 2, 2026

Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5k

Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek 13.1 mile run, 5k

Hailed as one of the best runs in the Midwest, runners enjoy a closed USATFcertified road course that takes you along the shore, through the woods, and atop the bluffs of Peninsula State Park. Finish with music, beer and friends at Nicolet Bay.

doorcountyhalfmarathon.com.

May 9, 2026

Blossom Run, Egg Harbor

2-mile and 5-mile courses, plus a 1-mile option for kids 12 and under. doorcountyymca.org/events/blossomrun-2

May 23, 2026

Maifest Lake to Lake Race, Jacksonport 10k run and 2 mile fun run runsignup.com/Race/WI/Jacksonport/ JacksonportMaifest

June 6, 2026

Door CANcer Run/Walk, Sevastopol First 2-mile and 4-mile run. doorcancer.com/runwalk/

June 20, 2026

Crossroads Trail Run, Sturgeon Bay 10k, 5k, and 2k trail run through the woods, meadows, and orchards in and around Crossroads at Big Creek. crossroadsrun.com

Hairpin Run. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

Under the Maple Tree

A season with Door Shakespeare

by BETSY LECY

Alight drizzle fills the afternoon sky, dampening an outdoor stage. And yet Door Shakespeare actors and crew members press on with preparations for the play, rain or shine.

The show must go on – but performing al fresco isn’t without its challenges. For example, music director/performer Scott McKenna Campbell is hyper-aware of where he walks to make sure he doesn’t

slip on a wet stage. Actor Mark Corkins has his own strategies for poor weather; he said if he raises his voice an octave higher, it can better cut through wind, rain and often humidity.

Actors also have to adapt to what nature might bring while performing, whether it’s a leaf falling on an actor’s face as they’re playing dead or July-Fourth fireworks drowning out a performer’s lines.

Amy Ensign, producing artistic director, warns the cast of the complications that come with outdoor theater before they arrive for the summer: the bugs, the distance between the stage and the

A steampunk-inspired stage below an outstretched maple tree. Photo by Larry Mohr.

dressing room, and the responsibility of performing regardless of what the weather brings.

Though Mother Nature can be grueling, she can also add a touch of magic to the performance, according to actor Jonathan Contreras.

“You may be getting rained on in a scene where it makes perfect sense,” Contreras said. “These things happen by coincidence and it’s hard to recreate every night. You can’t buy these special effects.”

Another part of the performance that can’t be replicated indoors is the secluded location of Door Shakespeare’s stage, separated from the rest of the world at Björklunden in Baileys Harbor. It’s surrounded by foliage and expansive trees, illuminated by the box office and an aisle of lights, which reveal a wooden stage that seems to sprout from the ground just like the maple tree above. The surf is audible if it’s quiet enough, and the wind creates white noise as it rustles the leaves.

These ambient sounds are paired with unamplified live music that is incorporated into performances to enhance storytelling. For example, drum beats dramatized feuds between the Capulets and the Montagues in 2024’s Romeo and Juliet, while acoustic music played during the titular characters’ confessions. Music Director McKenna Campbell brought in sounds from all over the world, taking inspiration from the African diaspora and Spanish culture.

“It’s so special to be able to see a play and have the actors playing instruments throughout and have it be seamlessly woven into the story of the play,” actor Isa Guitian said.

While music enhances the feeling of a scene, dialogue moves it forward – so it’s important that the audience can parse the Shakespearean prose. To the modern ear, the syntax is unusual, the vocabulary can be unfamiliar, and keeping the plot and characters straight can be tricky.

Cast members familiarize themselves with the language to ensure it’s digestible for the audience, Guitan said. To her, that means understanding every word of her lines and speaking with clarity to “figuratively take

Join us at Write On for writing and reading events for all.

Everyone has a story to tell...and whatever your skill level, our summer classes can help you express yourself in a poem or memoir, or retell your story as fiction.

While you’re here, discover our Writer’s Walk — 59 acres of trails that are the quiet spirit of Write On, Door County.

You’ll find a world of words online at

Fiction & Nonfiction Intensives

July 14-18 | Kathleen Rooney and Rachel Jamison Webster Spend five days digging deep into a genre with a published author eager to share the nuances of her respective field.

5th Annual Book and Author Fair

July 19 | 8am-12pm | Martin Park | Sturgeon Bay Books for all ages by members of the Door County Authors Collective will be for sale by the authors in a street fair setting.

Washington Island Literary Festival

September 18-20 | Washington Island Register now for this popular annual event featuring five award-winning authors over three days of workshops, panels, readings, and more at picturesque island locations. Our online Events Calendar has details and more.

Become a member, donate, and fi nd classes and events at writeondoorcounty.org

the audience’s hand[s] and lead them through the journey.”

To that end, Door Shakespeare actors often use vocal inflections or gestures to make the archaic language more understandable. They might grasp at their hearts while testifying to love, or use tone of voice to convey that a line was intended to be a joke.

“There’s being heard, there’s being understood, and then there’s being compelling,” Corkins said. “You have to say it in such a way that grabs

someone’s attention so much that they get the idea.”

While the plays are made accessible to a modern audience, the open-air stage connects the performance with the past. Most Shakespeare plays were written for an audience that could see each other and that was often very close to the stage, McKenna Campbell said.

“In some ways, outdoor theater in Wisconsin feels like a weird place for Shakespeare, but a lot of it is playing to how the plays were built,” he said.

In an indoor theater, there’s always a certain amount of distance between the stage and the audience. Not so at Door Shakespeare. McKenna Campbell said the close proximity is intentional.

“Everything in this theater is so close and everything makes everything else more beautiful,” he said. “Us being underneath the tree makes the tree seem more important. All of the pieces here make you feel like you’re a part of something. You’re part of an event, you’re a part of the story.”

Top left (Left to right) George Lorimer, Taylor Harvey, and Isa Guitian in 2024’s Emma. Photo by Heidi Hodges.

Top right A pre-show primer at Door Shakespeare. Photo by Larry Mohr.

Bottom left Alexa Praxl, box office manager, awaits audiences at her post. Photo by Larry Mohr.

Bottom right (Left to right) George Lorimer and Noelle Young Davis in 2024’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Heidi Hodges.

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Funky Flowering Flora

by CHARLOTTE LUKES

photos by ROY LUKES

The normal flowering plants we are familiar with have green leaves for creating their own food through photosynthesis. However, the summer woodlands contain several species that do not.

It is well-known that the striped coralroot orchid, an all-pink plant, has no chlorophyll and gets its nourishment from soil fungi. Several other wild orchids do the same.

Some groups of plants have no chlorophyll and are either saprophytic or parasitic. A parasite, in biology, is an organism that grows, feeds

and finds shelter in or on a different organism without contributing anything to the survival of its host. Another interesting definition I found for parasite came from the ancient Greek language – it means a professional dinner guest.

A saprophyte is a plant that lives on and gets nourishment from dead or dying organic matter. That describes many species of mushrooms.

Taxonomy, the scientific naming of all things in the natural world, is going through major changes with DNA research. Only about half of the known wild mushroom species have been examined, and many new family names are now recognized.

Flowering plants are going through similar studies. The Monotropa family included three species. That family is now a subfamily, with its three species now listed in the Ericaceae (air-eh-KAY-see-ee) family.

Ericaceae is known as the heath family of plants, most of which are woody perennials. This large family

now has nine subfamilies, 126 genera and about 4,000 species.

One of the interesting saprophytic plants used to be called Indian pipe. Its new name is ghost pipe and it is usually in bloom by early to mid-July.

I’ve had more than one person ask me what kind of mushroom this white plant was! Upon close examination, you can see a flower, leaves and seeds. No mushroom has those components.

I did some research on ghost pipes and learned they connect with American beech tree roots via a large white mushroom in the Russula genus. All this underground activity is transporting nutrients and moisture between the trees and flowers with the aid of a mushroom’s mycelium. A cluster of ghost pipes hang their flower heads down until pollinated.

The scientific name for the delicate ghost pipe is Monotropa uniflora Monotropa is from the Greek for oneturned, referring to the single bend at the plant’s top. Uniflora means oneflowered.

My late husband, Roy, was involved in a bioblitz – a period of intense biological surveying to record all the flora and fauna in a given area – about 15 years ago in Newport State Park. He discovered a rare saprophytic plant, giant pinedrops, along the trails in the northern section of the park.

Jackie Draws, let me photograph them on some land they own near Sister Bay.

These looked a little like the ghost pipe, but they were yellow and grew under conifer trees. They are called pinesap or false beechdrops, Monotropa hypopithys. Hypopithys means growing under pines. The white ghost pipes are more often seen in hardwood forests.

Plants in the Orobanche family, Orobanchaceae, are the parasites. That name is derived from the Greek, orobos, a type of vetch in the pea family, and anchone, to choke or strangle.

American cancer-root is a strange yellow flower that grows in clusters in dry, rich soil. I remember Roy photographing them in the middle of June in Peninsula State Park. The scientific genus name, Conopholis, is Greek for cone and scale.

than a half-inch wide and form a loose cluster with simple branching. Beech trees are most common in the northeastern part of our state and along the Lake Michigan shore down to the Milwaukee area.

I lead mushroom walks in some Door County state parks. Several times during the last few years, I have seen a group of yellow beechdrops at Whitefish Dunes State Park. I don’t remember seeing those anywhere else.

Over 85% of the older American beech trees will die due to the beech bark disease. Then what will happen to the beechdrops? The ghost pipes are also in danger because they are directly related to the health of beech trees.

The last flower in the parasitic group is called one-flowered broom-rape. That strange title came from the Greek name of a plant that parasitized a member of the pea family.

The giant or woodland pinedrops is an endangered plant that has only been found in two eastern counties of Wisconsin. My good friend, Beth Bartoli, the park’s naturalist, found them in bloom again last summer.

Another saprophytic plant is one I had heard of but never saw in the wild, until my friends, Steve and

That makes sense when you come upon this 6- to 8-inch-tall plant in the woods. At first glance, you might think it is a group of fat, yellow pinecones standing on end. They parasitize red oak tree roots.

This weird plant has been seen in at least half of Wisconsin’s 72 counties from the far southeast up to the Bayfield area. They bloom in May in the southern counties and in June up north.

Beechdrops are sometimes difficult to find. They are very slender plants, reaching a height of 6 to 20 inches, and are parasitic on American beech tree roots.

The white to faintly pink flowers are less

It has been seen in the moist woods of the Ridges Sanctuary. It blooms in May and June and can be a parasite on many different plants. It is only 2 to 7 inches tall with a lovely pinkish flower.

That plant has been found in the far north close to the western end of Lake Superior, as well as in some Lake Michigan counties. The greatest concentration is in southwestern Wisconsin along the Wisconsin River and all the way down to the Illinois border.

These fascinating parasitic or saprophytic plants are fun to discover on a jaunt through the woods. Keep your eyes ready to discover them from late May until September in our parks and preserves.

A single ghost pipe flower shows its five petals and the yellow stamens. Giant pinedrops can grow to a height of 3 feet.

American cancerroot grows in dense clusters in rich woodland soil.

Ethereal paintings of Door County Landscapes by Master Artist Margaret Lockwood, also mobiles, sculptures, ceramics, and gifts in an historic Sturgeon Bay building. In the Steel Bridge Creative District. Open May-October Thurs, Fri, Sat 10 - 4 and always by appointment.

Margaret Lockwood Gallery

7 South 2nd Ave., Sturgeon Bay 920-493-3635 info@margaretlockwoodgallery MargaretLockwoodGallery.com

Photo

Anticipating Nostalgia with Author Angela Bier

by DAN POWERS

Many people think about writing a book. And based on the popularity of genealogy websites, books and TV shows, many people enjoy searching for relatives and family stories.

However, not many people have the expertise, tenacity and skill to combine the two into a page-turning real-life mystery memoir like Gills Rock resident Angela Bier does in The Accidental Archivist

Angela’s writing journey began in 2015. Born and raised in southeast Wisconsin, she’d already earned a medical degree, completed a residency in Arizona and had two daughters with her husband, fellow med student Jimmy Kim. But that year, Angela made the difficult decision to leave the medical field.

To help work through such a big course correction in her life, she began to journal. Finding that the days she wrote were simply better, she started to develop a writing discipline and habit. She began to blog and take her writing more seriously. When her Laura Ingalls Wilder-inspired essay won the Old World Wisconsin Little House, Big Story competition, a newfound confidence motivated her to begin working on a young adult novel.

However, the unfinished novel, titled Voices, was put on hold when Angela found a comment on her travel blog while leading an excursion of 17 Bier family members to the German homeland. In the message, an unknown woman wrote, “I am part of your family.”

The cryptic sentence was irresistibly enticing for Angela. She was the passionate guardian of her family archives, which had been handed down from her mother and paternal grandmother, both accomplished amateur genealogists like her. Over the years, Angela had meticulously added to and digitized the material that documented her family back to Germany, and her great-great grandfather, Valentine Bier, who had emigrated and established the family homestead near Janesville in 1882.

Soon, Angela was corresponding with the woman who’d contacted her. She’d been given up for adoption and was trying to identify her biological father. Angela’s intimate knowledge of

Angela Bier.

the family archives, combined with her knowledge about genetics and DNA, made her the perfect detective.

She learned that the woman’s father was thought to have been one of seven Catholic priests on the Bier extended family tree. As new information accumulated, Angela wrote, “OMG, [this] is just awful… Father Ed Bier is my father’s uncle, and this would be earth-shattering.”

Angela dove further into “the hunt,” as she called it. Her research and interviews took her all around the southeast corner of Wisconsin, with the writer visiting libraries and public archives and delicately questioning older family members.

Enmeshed in the work, Angela decided she needed her writing to go in a new direction. She needed to write a different book – one that followed the twists and turns of this family adventure.

The Accidental Archivist was published in 2022 by Moonshine Cove Publishing. It’s a compelling read. The structure and framing of her chapters make the story read like a well-crafted mystery. Angela’s voice, humor and ability to capture people and places makes readers feel they are on “the hunt” with her.

Angela’s interrupted debut novel, Voices, is now finished, too, and will be released in June through Black Rose Writing. It’s a comingof-age story told from three perspectives with “a dash of magical realism,” which she defined as “finding the magic in everyday real life.”

Angela’s writing has also taken her into the realm of children’s books. When her nephew developed an obsession with the color blue, Angela’s youngest brother, an accomplished artist, created pictures and asked her to write a story about a blue bower bird. Their collaboration, Bowers Bird’s Blue Book, was published in 2022.

I asked Angela if she had any consistent elements that she tried to incorporate in her writing. I was curious because her work covers a variety of genres. She explained that she focused on capturing the voices of characters and the narrators. Then, after a moment’s pause, she told me about “anticipatory nostalgia.”

When I asked for an explanation, Angela talked about her desire and effort to capture the important moments made special because they are fleeting and will soon be gone. Then, unpretentiously, she added, “I read to escape. I hope readers can do that with my books.”

Angela’s newest writing project is a time-hopping historical fiction novel based on a collection of postcards in her family archive. The cards span the 10 years between 1905 and 1915. Saved by her greatgrandmother and grandfather for the pictures, it’s the hand-written messages on the back that speak to the genealogist in Angela. Reading between the lines, she sees a love story, and her author side is committed to breathing life into it.

For more information, visit angleabier.com.

Women find, rediscover themselves in training group

by LAUREN WARD

Amy Mueller is an athlete, an avid cyclist and runner who had created space and time to train,

years. But then came two hip replacements and two babies, and the Baileys Harbor resident found herself wondering if she’d ever achieve her former athletic success.

“I’ve gone through so many ups and downs of being physically able to do things,” Mueller says. “Over time, it took so much to feel like I could do anything again. But through every up and down, I know that Rachel believed that I could do it.”

That’s Rachel Stollenwerk, co-owner of Edge of Park Bicycle and Moped Rentals in Fish Creek, and an athlete who several area women credit with pushing them to reach goals they didn’t know they could achieve.

Stollenwerk competed in the first Door County Sprint Triathlon in 2005, and is now gearing up to compete for the 21st consecutive time.

In 2023, she was the first place swimmer - beaten by only five menand placed second in her age group. These facts alone make Stollenwerk an exceptional athlete. But what makes her truly remarkable is the community of women she has built along the way, coaching and leading them to push themselves to the limit.

“I wanted to be able to do stuff with my friends, because we only have so many hours in the day the older we get,” Stollenwerk said. “You’re not wanting to do the same things you did in your early 20s, so what can you do to maximize the quality of your life? It fulfilled the social outlet and the fitness outlet. If you combine those together, it creates so much more purpose.”

Simonie Woerfel and Joslyn Villalpando cross the finish line together at the 2024 Door County Sprint Triathlon.

Photo courtesy of Focal Flame Photography.

Already a seasoned cyclist, as well as a former collegiate and experienced swimmer, Stollenwork began building a community. “I did my first triathlon that first year of the Door County Tri,” she said. “I was fifteen, and I borrowed someone’s bike. I got a flat tire on the course, but I finished the race, and I loved it.”

The sprint distance of the Door Triathlon is a quarter-mile swim, an 18-mile bike ride, followed by a 3.1 mile run. According to Triathlete, approximately 12% of the general population competes in some kind of endurance sport, defined as a half-marathon, marathon, triathlon, Ironman or obstacle course. Just 17% of endurance athletes, however, have competed in a triathlon, making it relatively remarkable to complete one.

Once Stollenwerk had been bitten by the triathlon bug, she began competing in other endurance events and building a community around her. In April 2023, friend Mary Deviley asked if she would train with her for the Door County Triathlon, and it became the start of something more.

Deviley was a pretty serious athlete, but life had gotten busy.

“I had six kids over 14 years, and that was a blur of diapers and breastfeeding. It was about my family but it wasn’t about me and developing me,” she said. “I worked out a bit, but I was so focused on being pregnant and changing my shape in so many different ways. Triathlon helped me get back to that. Triathlon makes it so that you can do something different every

day in training, which works for my personality.”

Deviley and Stollenwerk began training together. That spring and summer, they were joined by other local women interested in pushing themselves to compete in the Tri. Jess Reinke, Joslyn Villalapando and Ashley Lusk joined them at the finish line.

Lusk, a personal trainer who competed in her first Tri in 2022, began inspiring others to begin cycling, swimming and running with a triathlon goal. She urged them on, having seen the expertise Stollenwerk brought to the table and having felt the exhilaration of achieving something incredible.

“The most interesting thing is that several of the women have realized

Left Rachel Stollenwerk competes in the first Door County Triathlon at age 15. She has taken part in all 20 editions of the event. Submitted. Right Members of the 2024 training group gather before taking on the sprint distance. (left to right) Jessica Sword-Reinke, Shelly Sangster, Rachel Stollenwerk, Mary Devily, Carrie Baldwin-Smith. (Kneeling, left to right) Simonie Woerfel, Ashley Lusk and Anne Dannhausen. Submitted.

how much more they’re capable of than they think. I set the expectation that you may get dropped [left behind on a ride] - which can feel intimidating - but then a woman will show up for a first ride, and they discover that they can do it,” Stollenwerk said. “Once they realized they were capable, they were hooked.”

By early spring of 2024, word in the northern Door County community had spread. A culture and community was being built, mile by mile, and story by story. Stollenwerk was a guide, one who was willing to teach those who wanted to learn, one who was able to share resources and set goals, and who was ready to push those women who were ready for more.

Among the local women who competed in the Sprint in 2024 was Anne Dannhausen of Sister Bay, who had two toddlers at home when she began training with Stollenwerk.

“For me, this group is the perfect mix of accountability, flexibility and camaraderie,” Dannhausen said. “I enjoy having an event to train for which keeps me active, and I love that I get to see so much of our beautiful county across spring and summer, by primarily cycling our roads and parks and swimming in the bay. I definitely would not have gotten active outside as much if I wasn’t part of this training group and that’s impactful for me.”

For some in the group, the idea of riding a bike for 18 miles, let alone one, felt completely out of reach – until

Stollenwerk entered their lives. Women who were new or even moderately experienced in one of the events found themselves along 30-mile, two hour rides.

“I wanted to be a coach that was bringing these women up to my level, because then I have people to train with,” explained Stollenwerk. “I’ve found that women really want to push themselves and appreciate having someone in charge of planning and setting the expectation.”

Among the group of women in 2024 was Carrie Baldwin Smith, owner of Door County Event Planners. She had been working with Lusk as her personal trainer, when Lusk began encouraging her to consider training for the triathlon. Baldwin Smith joined

Stollenwerk leads a morning training ride in June of 2025.

Photo by Kayla Larsen.

Bottom Swimmers enter the water at the 2024 Door County Triathlon at Frank Murphy County Park in Egg Harbor. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

Photo by Luke Collins

Photo by Mike Tittel

Stollenwerk for a bike ride, and the rest is history.

“I felt really empowered,” says Baldwin Smith. “When you see the other women out on the course, you can’t wait to encourage them too. I felt encouraged by all of these amazing, athletic women. There was never a sense of doubt that anyone was anything other than fully supportive.”

Baldwin Smith competed in and finished her first triathlon, joking that she did so without knowing she needed to start by putting air in her tires.

“If I can do it, absolutely anyone can,” she said.

These women can, and do, move their own mountains.

“I’ve never had a more inclusive, positive coach in my life,” said Villalpando, mother of two and owner of Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor. “She is a treasure trove of knowledge and is so generous with us all in how she gives of her time and her instruction.”

“For anyone in Door County who’s thinking, ‘oh, I’m not there yet’, or ‘oh, I used to be’, Rachel can just wash all that psyche out and build this group of women who can do it – who are empowered,” Mueller said.“The tone that [Rachel] has set is that everyone can do it – but you’re going to go as hard as you can.”

FREE FRIDAYS

Join us for Free Fridays at The Ridges! Each week features a new nature theme, from wildlife, swales and wetlands to geology, pollinators and nature appreciation.

Pam Schmitz at the 2024 Door County Sprint Triathlon. Photo courtesy of Focal Flame Photography.

A Change A Change

Owner pours new life into Stone Hedge

by CRAIG STERRETT

One unseasonably warm afternoon in the winter of 2025, Kevin Wehrenberg peered out the rear windows of the Stone Hedge clubhouse as concrete workers poured the foundation for a 3,000-square-foot addition.

“It’s not small,” said the Stone Hedge Golf and Pub owner, trying to

of Course

determine if he was about to purchase five, six or seven concrete mixer loads that day. The addition marks one more big change for Kevin and the rural Egg Harbor business he bought three years ago.

Before he owned Stone Hedge, Kevin built production teams and elaborate sets as executive producer of television programs such as Fear Factor and Wipeout. But by 2020, his wife, Erin, knew he was ready to make a huge career pivot – he wanted to return to his home state of Wisconsin, and to own and operate a business.

Erin said a lot of people “talk a big game” about pursuing their dreams and alternative career paths, then never do it. Kevin, on the other hand, completed a sweeping pivot, first running the business a few days a week while commuting from California, then finally jumping in and moving the family full-time in 2025 to what had been their Door County vacation home.

“I’m incredibly proud of him for what he did,” said Erin, who’s also making a major change, becoming the commuter in the family and helping run a California-based company

rather than working as an executive for television network programming. This spring, she was set to help lead a new production company for Emmywinning actress and creator Quinta Brunson.

Erin recounted how Kevin closely watched the commercial real estate offerings in Wisconsin. One day in late 2021, he walked down a hallway and said to Erin, “Guess what just went on the market?” Within 24 hours of Jon Oswald putting the nine-hole Stone Hedge golf course up for sale, Kevin put in an offer.

Modernization and added attractions came quickly. He and his father have backgrounds in construction, electrical work, planning and contracting, so he had a vision for improving the clubhouse and pub. He revamped the bar, brought in art featuring Wisconsin, golf and entertainment themes, and added comfortable chairs beside a fireplace.

Soon after buying the golf course, he stocked its small pro shop with not only rental clubs and golf gloves, but also stuffed hedgehogs and souvenir

hedgehog T-shirts that capitalize on the Stone Hedge name.

He expanded the bar business into a restaurant, developed a crowd of tavern regulars and reeled in passersby with the Friday fish fry and Saturday steak specials.

In addition to bringing a winter attraction to Stone Hedge, the golf simulators will give the Wehrenbergs’ son, Henry, a chance to work with the public and set up play on top-of-theline indoor golf computers. An avid golfer, he’ll be a junior at Gibraltar High School in 2025.

With just nine holes, Stone Hedge makes hitting the links more approachable for the casual golfer.

Top Kevin Wehrenberg (left, behind bar) has created a neighborhoodstyle bar at Stone Hedge Golf Course. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Left Charlie, Henry, Kevin and Erin Wehrenberg. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Consistency on the Course

Mark Merrill, longtime golf course superintendent, said other improvements Kevin has made are less obvious to the public, such as creating housing for key seasonal staff. Just months after buying the property, Kevin improved the irrigation system, in part due to a lightning strike that blew out a breaker box and destroyed eight sprinkler head units. He also made a number of improvements in tree and grounds upkeep.

“Jon [Oswald, former owner] did a good job, but Kevin has done an excellent job in the improvements,” said Merrill, who also works as the Baileys Harbor constable. “He’s really moved things forward. He’s been very innovative.”

A Getaway Hangout

Bethany and Scott Kirwen liked golfing at Stone Hedge before Kevin bought it, and now they love everything about the facility.

The Sturgeon Bay husband and wife play other courses, but Bethany calls Stone Hedge their go-to hangout – especially since Kevin improved the pub and the grub. Neither consider it an extremely difficult course.

At a mere 2,100 yards, the course has just four holes where low-handicap golfers could hit driver off the tee. However, tiny, oddly-shaped and mini-mountain greens make pars and birdies tough to get even on short holes. They appreciate the day in, day out consistency of conditions, even if the greens are slow.

“We really like what Kevin has done with the place,” Scott said. Bethany figures the business will turn into a year-round, familyfriendly attraction.

“For us, it’s just a fun place to go,” Scott said. They love the leisurely walk while they play, three or four times per week. They don’t mind taking their time and waiting for beginners in groups ahead of them, or for families and foot-golf enthusiasts on the soccer-ball course that’s routed between the fairways.

“The course fits my abilities as far as distance – I don’t hit the ball very far, ” said Bethany, who still gets her share of birdies and pars and occasionally outdoes her husband. “It’s challenging enough for me, but it’s not overly challenging.”

“And the food’s great,” Scott added.

And with the Wehrenbergs’ ambition, the best may be yet to come.

Wehrenberg has put his imprint on Stone Hedge food, aesthetics and vibe on the course and the clubhouse.

Photos by Rachel Lukas.

The 40-Second Window

Forty seconds. That was the narrow window of opportunity I had to capture an image of a transiting full super moon centered down the gullet of the Sturgeon Bay canal entrance. Forty seconds. Not impossible, but a formidable challenge. And, if I missed it, odds were I would never have another chance. Due to the moon’s daily variability in declination, this precise alignment of a full super moon occurs just one time a metonic cycle –once every 18.6 years.

This is one of the many reasons I love pursuing the genre of astro-landscape

by KEVIN O’DONNELL

photography – when nature dares the photographer to capture a specific celestial body or event in context with a fixed earthbound subject –like the canal. The complexities pit highly predictable astronomical events against highly unpredictable terrestrial events (like weather or logistics), resulting in a low probability

for a successful outcome, and a high probability for disappointment.

But I enjoy the pursuit of astro-landscape photography above all others because of its challenges, not in spite of them. The protracted process requires some imagination and a considerable investment in time, patience, equipment and technique.

I first imagined this composition in 2018, not knowing whether or not it was even possible. My reliable and sophisticated astronomical smartphone app, PhotoPills, informed me that it was possible – but for one night only, during astronomical

SUMMER FUN in Sister Bay

twilight on May 26, 2021. On that date, the full super moon – which Native Americans referred to as the Flower Moon – would be 7.9% larger than normal. It would rise at 128.2° at 9:05 pm and make its right ascension bisecting the canal entrance (138.5°) at exactly 10:03 pm, 6.9° above the horizon – high enough to clear the trees from where I hoped to take the photograph, and still close enough to the horizon to compose the entire image in one frame. This trusty app’s calculations also told me there was only one location from where this photograph could be taken: standing on the Bay View Bridge.

S I S T E R B A Y . C O M

On the crucial day, I prepared my gear in much the same way I do for any shoot: inspecting and manually cleaning dust from my camera’s sensor, taking a microfiber cloth to the LCD screen and camera body, applying special cleaning fluid to lens paper and gently wiping down the front and back elements of the lens and the electronic contacts that enable the lens and camera to communicate. I attached a lens collar, charged batteries, packed spare SD cards, put fresh batteries in a headlamp – including a backup –and inspected and tightened my sturdiest tripod and ball head. The most critical aspect of the shoot was getting the exposure of the moon exact. There would be no time to dither on-site and in the dark with various exposure settings. Based on previous experience, I dialed in the shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings manually, the combination of which I knew using this lens would most likely achieve the optimal detail of the moon. I autosaved them into my camera then methodically packed all the gear into a photographer’s backpack along with a few other bits and bobs. Realizing I would be exposed

atop the bridge to a cold breeze rifling down the bay, I threw in a flask with a wee bit of Jameson – just in case I needed to take the chill off. I drove to the location thinking I was fully prepared.

At 9 pm, the sky was unseasonably clear, calm and cold – prime conditions. As I ascended the walkway onto the concrete span I could see my breath backlit by the streetlights above, illuminating the bridge deck, and noticed the moon peeking over the distant treetops – right on schedule. I dug my cell phone out from beneath my coat and pulled up the terrestrial map saved to my PhotoPills plan. With each step, the blue dot indicating my exact position moved directly toward a red “pin” saved on the map. When the two dots overlapped I knew I was on the spot where I needed to place my tripod so that the mouth of the canal – three miles away – was directly in the center of my field of view: 44°49’19.05” N 87°21’15.64”W (yes, it is that accurate). I had a comfortable 38 minutes to ready my equipment.

The scene I imagined made the moon appear much broader than the width of the 125-foot canal. Having a super moon helped increase its size to the naked eye – but imperceptibly to most. Overall, the distortion in perspective “enlarging” the size of the moon is mainly achieved by compressing the field of view with a telephoto lens in much the same way looking through binoculars appears to pull objects closer to the viewer’s eye. So, the shot was highly dependent on the focal length of the lens; the longer the focal length, the more the compression. Zooming in to the lens’s maximum 400mm reach drew the entrance to the 148-year-old canal closer. This enlarged the size of the moon, making it appear as if it was 165 feet in diameter from my position on the bridge.

I was nearly ready – or so I thought.

When I zoomed in and manually adjusted the focus on the moon’s

surface, the image in the camera’s LCD screen danced around like a bobble head. I failed to take into account the rebounding movement of the draw bridge as the traffic was crossing over it. A rookie mistake. “No, no, no!” I shouted. “Don’t let this be what tanks the plan!” Even the slightest vibration with such a compressed field of view magnified the movement to seismic proportions – resulting in what would surely appear like a smudge of tapioca had made its way onto my lens where the moon should be. Worthless.

At 9:55 pm, I had only eight minutes to cope with the tremors and come up with a work-around. My initial reaction was to call the bridge tender and have him lower the gates and stop the road traffic – but who am I kidding? I don’t have that kind of pull. Pacing back and forth in search of a solution, I noticed the traffic seemed to occur in fits and starts – regulated by a traffic signal located a couple of miles south at Neenah Avenue and another, a couple of miles north at the state Highway 42/57 split. There was hardly any southbound traffic but a consistent – if intermittent – stream of visitors in cars and trucks and giant motor homes, and RVs pulling fifth wheelers, trailers, boats and campers – all making their way northbound trying to get a jump on the upcoming Memorial Day weekend – the “official” start of the Door County tourist season.

A lull in traffic in both directions was my only hope, one just long enough to capture the pin-sharp focus necessary to see the details of the moon’s surface at 1/80th of a second, aperture f/11 and ISO 100. But the traffic didn’t let up. Several drivers thought it hilarious to blare their horns as they whizzed past at 50 mph within a few feet of where I was standing behind the barricade on the pedestrian walkway. This only added to my mounting anxiety.

At 10:02:30 pm, the moon slid slowly into position directly above the center of the canal. Still, the vehicles kept

coming. My 40-second window had begun and was closing fast!

At 10:03:05 pm came a lucky break! No traffic on the bridge! I looked over my shoulders in both directions, gauging the arrival of another caravan of oncoming headlights. I knew I had only one chance to get the shot but waited as long as I possibly could for any residual resonance to dissipate from the bridge deck before taking a single exposure just as the wheels of a southbound semi slammed onto the bridge. I nervously reviewed the image for sharpness on the LCD screen. “Perfect!” I exclaimed, pumping my fist, “that’s the one!”

But my work was not over. I had to manually refocus on the foreground and take a shot exposing for the moon glade on the water and the flashing lights on the towers that straddle the canal which carry the high-tension wires over it – same aperture and ISO but with a slower shutter speed: five seconds. Unlike the transiting moon, the static foreground elements allowed me to take my time bracketing exposures at various shutter speeds when traffic allowed. I felt confident that I had taken the images I needed. Back in the warmth and comfort of my studio, I could choose the clearest and most workable foreground image and use the blending mask feature in PhotoShop and superimpose it over the one image I had taken of the moon. I could then reveal the layer below containing the sky and moon within the layer containing the foreground, creating a final exposure blend.

Walking briskly off the bridge and onto the footpath, I bid goodnight to the moon whose trajectory now was well past the canal. Three years of anticipation came within a few seconds of failure. I celebrated – and threw back a dram of Jameson.

Excerpted from O’Donnell’s book Behind the Door: Profiles of the Peninsula, available at kevinodonnell.photography.

z ing Up

i t

S u m mer S p r

by ANDERS ERICKSON

photos by AZUSA INABA

Among all cocktail families, the spritz is by far the happiest. It’s light, effervescent and with just enough octane to remind you you’re sipping an adult beverage. A spritz combines bubbles with more

bubbles - sparkling wine being the star. Even the name, “spritz,” derived from the German “spritzen” (meaning to spray, squirt or splash), perfectly captures the drink’s playful spirit. You won’t ever see a bar patron crying in their spritz.

T he spritz template is straightforward and easy to remember. The standard ratio is 3:2:1.

That’s three parts sparkling wine, two parts liqueur and one part soda water. Of course, these ratios aren’t set in stone, and a little variation can go a long way. Here are three refreshing spritzes to try in the heart of summer. From the classic Aperol Spritz to the trendy Hugo Spritz and my own original drink, the Fino Spritz, these lively cocktails are sure to bring a smile to your face.

The Fino Spritz

The Aperol Spritz

The Aperol Spritz was created in the 1950s by two brothers who hoped to popularize their bittersweet liqueur in Padua, Italy. Aperol’s fruity sweetness and soft bitterness provide a balanced base for the drink, while sparkling wine and soda water keep it bright and lively. Since this drink is Italian, prosecco is the go-to sparkling wine.

Ingredients

2 oz Aperol

3 oz prosecco

1 oz soda water

Orange wheel for garnish

Fill a large wine glass ¾ full with ice cubes. Pour in Aperol and Prosecco, then top with soda water. Gently stir to combine, and garnish with an orange wheel.

This is an original recipe I call the Fino Spritz. We’ll take a slightly different route by incorporating fino sherry as the base with a touch of maraschino liqueur to round it out. Sherry is a Spanish fortified wine, so cava – a Spanish sparkling wine – pairs naturally with it (of course, if you’ve already got a bottle of Prosecco open from the other spritzes, by all means, that’ll work just fine). It’s important to use a dry sherry like Fino or Manzanilla here, which are very different from sweet sherries.

Ingredients

2 oz fino sherry

½ oz maraschino liqueur

3 oz cava (or other sparkling wine)

1 oz soda water

Lemon wheels for garnish

Pour sherry and maraschino liqueur into a wine glass. Add ice and stir gently to combine. Pour in your sparkling wine, top with soda water and garnish with lemon wheels (I like to use three).

The Hugo Spritz

The Hugo Spritz is a modern classic. It was created in northern Italy in 2005, although its popularity didn’t take off until just a few years ago. This recipe falls outside of the traditional spritz template by breaking from the aforementioned 3:2:1 ratio and incorporating fresh mint. The cocktail will require light muddling, so it’s best made in a sturdy lowball glass.

Ingredients

4-6 mint leaves

½ oz elderflower liqueur (such as St. Germain)

3 oz prosecco

1 oz soda water

Mint sprig and lime wheel for garnish

Gently muddle mint leaves with elderflower liqueur. For best results, let it sit for a minute to infuse. Add ice, prosecco, and soda water. Stir gently to combine, then garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.

Photo:

Garden Chimichurri and Confit Tomatoes Summer Salmon,

stores to create your local plate.

Door County is also surrounded by one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world, where anglers catch perch, walleye, whitefish trout and salmon. Coho and Chinook salmon can be fished in Lake Michigan, but no commercial salmon fishing is allowed,

catch fileted, smoked or flash frozen at a local fish market up the road.

If you prefer to let others do the dirty work, you can find salmon at local markets such as Henriksen’s Fish House and Baileys Harbor Fish Company. Typically fresh wild-caught Atlantic sockeye salmon is in stock. The markets also carry some of the

can be reimagined over and over into delicious, fresh summer meals shared with the people we love the most.

This meal is all about timing. As my mom has always said, “There is an order to all things.” If you prepare the following dishes in the order they are written, this meal will pull together without a hitch – simple and delicious!

Confit Tomatoes

These can be prepared ahead of time or started about two hours before dinner

Ingredients

1 quart small tomatoes like cherry or yellow pear (any variety will work)

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin

¼ cup olive oil (or enough to submerge the tomatoes)

Sprinkle of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250˚F. Place the tomatoes in a small oven-safe bowl. Add the garlic and thyme. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes, making sure they are submerged. Sprinkle with salt. Place the bowl on a sheet pan to catch any spills and into the oven. Bake for 1½-2 hours. The tomatoes are done when the skin is wrinkled and they are tender to the touch.

Fresh Garden Chimichurri

This can be made earlier the same day

Ingredients

¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped and stems removed

¼ cup fresh italian parsley, chopped and stems

removed

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp lemon zest

¼ tsp crushed red pepper (add more to ramp up the heat)

Sprinkle of salt

Jasmine Herbed Rice

Best if made while the fish is cooking – about 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed

2 cups water

1 tsp butter

Fresh chopped herbs such as thyme and Italian parsley, stems removed

Lemon zest

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a small pot with a fitted lid, add water, rice and butter. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Leave the lid on while the rice is cooking. Remove from the heat and let sit for an additional 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Add fresh herbs, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

Finely chop herbs and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, zest, crushed red peppers and salt. Stir and let sit to allow flavors to meld.

Instructions

Heat grill to medium-high. Create a pouch with foil and place the salmon in the center, skin side down. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and lemon zest. Place the sprigs of fresh thyme on the fish and salt and pepper to taste. Wrap the fish in the foil so it is tight; you want to keep all the liquid inside to steam the fish.

Place the pouch on the grill skin side down. Grill for approximately 10-15 minutes; any longer, the fish will dry out. Carefully remove from

Foil-Wrapped Grilled Salmon

Serves four

Ingredients

1 large salmon filet (I purchased wild-caught sockeye salmon from a local fish market)

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper (I like to use Maldon flake salt and fresh ground pepper when salting any meat)

Lemon zest

Sprigs of fresh thyme

the heat, being careful not to tear the pouch. Unwrap the salmon right before plating and slice into four equal portions.

While the fish is cooking, I like to slice a lemon in half and place it on the grill, flesh down. The grilled lemon is a beautiful garnish for the table and can be squeezed on the fish during the meal. Each plate should receive a large scoop of rice. I like to use an ice cream scoop to create a

nice round mound. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs. Gently lay the salmon filet on the rice. Add a spoonful of the chimichurri on top of the fish and also drizzle around the plate. Place the confit tomatoes around the plate, surrounding the rice and fish (about four or five for each serving). The grilled lemons and extra chimichurri can be placed on the table to share. This meal pairs beautifully with a chilled bottle of rosé or a nice pinot noir.

RESTAURANT GUIDE

Key

$ $$ $$$ B L D

$10-15*

$15-20*

$20*

Full bar

Beer and wine only

Outdoor seating available

Kids’ menu available

Offering breakfast

Offering lunch

Offering dinner

Reservations accepted

Open during winter (hours may vary)

*Price range based on average dinner entrée (if available)

BAILEYS HARBOR

AC Tap

9322 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2426

$ L D J T

Baileys 57 7998 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2114

$ B L T

Chives Restaurant 8041 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2000

$$$ L D T (

Cornerstone Pub & Restaurant 8123 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9001

$$ B L D J T { Coyote Roadhouse 3026 Cty E (920) 839-9192

$$ L D J T {

Located on the shore of Kangaroo Lake offering a full-service bar, appetizers, lunch and dessert selections in a casual and comfortable setting. Children’s menu available. Family friendly.

Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order by town. Information is subject to change. Contact individual restaurants for hours of operation. Inclusion in this directory should not be considered an unqualified endorsement by Door County Living. Restaurants are encouraged to email us with up-to-date information at info@doorcountyliving.com.

DCBC Eats

8099 Hwy 57 (920) 239-8181

$$ L D

Gatsby’s Grille 7680 HWY 57 (920) 560-0103

L D $$ J (

Harbor Fish

Market & Grille 8080 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9999

$$$ B L D J { ( T

A full-service restaurant in the heart of Baileys Harbor. Distinctive waterfront dining with a casual upscale vibe. Seasonal, pet-friendly garden seating.

Inland Door County 8085 Hwy 57 (920) 717-6116

$$$ B L JT

PC Junction

Corner of A and E (920) 839-2048

$ L J {

Pizza Czar

Corner of A and E (920) 839-2048

$ D J {

Roost + Banter 8093 Hwy 57 (920) 839-0060

$$ B L {T

Located on the corner of 57 and Howard, Roost + Banter offers a full coffee and Rishi tea menu with breakfast sandwiches and bagels. Our lunch has sandwiches, salads, and soups with vegan and gluten free options available. Indoor and outdoor seating with a great view, Open daily year round.

Sway Brewery & Bakery 2434 Cty F (920) 241-2562

$ B { T

The Blue Ox 8051 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2271

$ L D { The Thirsty Cow Taphouse 7899 Cty A (920) 839-9991

$ L D T

Top Deck Restaurant & Bar 1420 Pine Dr. (920) 839-2331

$$$ B D J { ( Vino! Vino! at Stone’s Throw Winery 3382 Cty E (920) 839-9760

$$ L D T Vino! Vino! Is a contemporary Tuscan wine bar and tapas experience. Join us for great wine and fresh food in an atmosphere of friendly, casual elegance.

BRUSSELS/LITTLE STURGEON

Chaudoir’s Dock 10863 Cty N (920) 493-7075

$$ L D { Gilmo’s Bar & Bistro Wavepoint Marina Resort, 3600 Cty CC (920) 824-5440

$$ L D { Joe Rouer’s Bar E1098 Cty X (920) 866-2585

$ L D T { Rouer’s Grand Slam 9710 School Road (920) 493-6556

$$ L D

Rouer’s Roadhouse 8649 Cty C (920) 824-5100

$ L D Sawyer Harbor Pub & Grill 36963 Cty Rd. M (920) 493-6558

$$ L D T

Sunset On Riley’s Point 6952 Cty M (920) 824-5130

$$ D J T { The Belgian Delight 1100 Cty C (920) 825-1111

$$ B L D (

$$ L D J T { ( Idlewild Pub & Grill 4146 Golf Valley Dr. (920) 743-3334

CARLSVILLE

Carlsville Roadhouse 5790 Hwy 42 (920) 743-4966

$ L D T

Door County Coffee Co.

5773 Hwy 42 (920) 743-8930

$ B L J T { Rusty Tractor 6216 Hwy 42 (920) 743-8704

$ B

EGG HARBOR

Big Easy Bagel & Beignet

7755 Hwy 42 (920) 868-9600

$ B L T {

Burton’s on the Bay 7715 Alpine Road (920) 868-3000

$$$ B L D

Burton’s on the Bay is an upscale waterfront restaurant within the Alpine Resort that offers delicious daily cuisine with stunning views of the bay. Both indoor and outdoor dining options are available. Burton’s on the Bay is open May-October, serving breakfast, lunch

and dinner. Hours of operation change with the season. Visit alpineresort.com or call for restaurant hours..

Burton’s on the Green 7670 Horseshoe Bay Road (920) 868-3000

$$ B L D J

Burton’s on the Green is Alpine Resort’s golf course clubhouse restaurant offering delicious cuisine crafted by the culinary team of Burton’s on the Bay. Burton’s on the Green is open year-round, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hours of operation change with the season. Visit alpineresort.com or call for restaurant hours.

Carrington 7643 Hillside Road (920) 868-5162

$$$ D J T { (

Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse 7855 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3038

caseysbbqand $$ L D J T

Matthew Peterson established Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse in 2008. Matthew, a Door County native, wanted to put a Door County twist on Southern-style BBQ by using cherry wood to give our meats a rosy cast with a delicious, mild smoked flavor. Also offering a fabulous fish fry, locally famous burgers and many other tasty treats.

Cupola Cafe 7838 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2233

$$ B L T

Fika Bakery & Cafe 4614 Harbor School Rd (920) 868-5105

$ B L {

Fireside Restaurant 7755 Hwy 42 (920) 868-4800

$$$ D J T

Greens N Grains Deli 7821 Hwy 42 (920) 868-9999

$ B L J {

The Greens N Grains Deli features

a selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and raw-food cuisine. The deli also features a juice bar with freshly pressed veggie juices, fruit smoothies, a healthful bakery, tea bar and organic coffees.

Log Den 6626 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3888

$$ L D J T { ( MacReady Artisan Bread Company 7828 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2233

$ L D J T { Mezzanine 7821 Horseshoe Bay Road (920) 786-7698

$$$ B L D

Pizza Bros 4633 Market St. (920) 868-5257

$$ L D

Salute Wine and Beer Lounge 7778 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3247

Shipwrecked Brew Pub 7791 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2767

$$$ L D J T {

Stone Hedge Golf and Pub 4320 Cty E (920) 868-1861

$ L D

The Orchards at Egg Harbor 8125 Heritage Lake Road (920) 868-2483

$ L J {

Village Cafe 7918 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3342

$$ B L J {

Villaggio’s Steak House 4655 Cty Rd. E (920) 890-2190

$$$ D J (

ELLISON BAY

Blue Bear 12029 Hwy 42 (920) 854-3284

$$ B L D

Featuring a locally sourced menu created from scratch in our kitchen. Offering an extensive selection of both gluten-free and vegan options. Full bar with craft cocktails, local beers, sustainably sourced wine and specialty coffee drinks.

Brew Coffee 12002 Hwy 42 (920) 421-2739

$ B L T {

Della Porta 12029 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9400

$$ D

Authentic southern Italian cuisine. With 20 years of experience cooking in the finest restaurants, our chef is excited to present their vision to you and all our guests. We refuse to compromise on quality in our restaurant. That’s why we source our fresh ingredients from local farmers markets. No matter what time of year, you can be sure you’re eating the best of the season.

La Piazza 12029 Hwy 42 (920) 264-0895

An outdoor Italian wine bar. Stop for a drink, stay for the food! A selection of Italian small plates including great gluten-free & vegan options – until 10 pm. Plus wood-fired

Pizza Napoletana and desserts. Over 48 Italian wines, from Northern Italia to the southern islands of Sicilia & Sardegna we have a wine for you to enjoy, all estate grown. And, of course, signature cocktails and beer.

$$ L D

Mink River Basin 12010 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2250

$$ B L D J T { ( Osteria Tre Tassi 11976 Mink River Rd.

$$$ D T (

EPHRAIM

Anatolia 9922 Water Street, Unit 7 (920) 633-4011

$$ L D

Bad Moravian 3055 Church St.

$$ D T

Chef’s Hat 3063 Church St. (920) 854-2034

$$ B L D J T { ( Cultured 2570 Cty Q (920) 512-3821

$ B L T

Good Eggs

9820 Brookside Lane (920) 854-6621

$ B L {

Klaud’s Kitchen 10420 Water Street (920) 854-3005

$ B L D J { La Sirena

9996 Pioneer Ln

$$$ D J {T(

Old Post Office Restaurant 10040 Hwy 42 (920) 854-4034

$$ B D J { (

Pearl Wine Cottage

3058 Church St.

$$ D {

Prince of Pierogi 9922 Water St, Unit 6 (920) 421-8619

$$ L D {

Peninsula State Park

Clubhouse Restaurant 9890 Shore Road (920) 854-5791

$ B L

Sip 10326 N. Water St. (920) 857-5602

$$ B L D T {

Summer Kitchen 10425 Water St. (920) 854-2131

$$ B L D J { ( Located between

Ephraim and Sister Bay. Door County’s only garden restaurant, Summer Kitchen, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Well known for its soup bar and homemade pies - in addition to the extensive menuSummer Kitchen also serves authentic Mexican food.

Sunset Harbor Grill 10018 Water St. (920) 854-6565

$$ B L D J

Wilson’s Restaurant 9990 Water St. (920) 854-2041

$ L D J {

FISH CREEK

Alexander’s of Door County 3667 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3532

$$$ D J T { ( Backroads Deli 3903 Hwy 42

$$ L J

Barringer’s Restaurant 1 N. Spruce St. (920) 868-5445

$$$ L D { T (

Bayside Coffee The Shops at the Bayside (920) 495-8338

$ B L J Fish Creek’s only waterfront cafe. Beautifully situated across the street from the town dock. Outdoor seating with a view. Featuring piping hot or iced Colectivo coffee, espresso drinks and Rishi teas, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads and bakery. Open May-August.

Bayside Tavern 4160 Main St. (920) 868-3441

$ L D J T

For an unpredictably great time, visit Fish Creek’s favorite tavern. Serving cocktails, beer and our famous Bayside Coffee. Our shortorder menu features hearty house-made soups, sandwiches, burgers, housemade pizza, Friday fish fry and Smilen

Bob’s chili. Open daily year-round!

Blue Horse Beach Café 4113 Main St. (920) 868-1471

$ B L J T { CUT 4135 Main St. (920) 333-8813

CUT isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a statement. A bold, multi-level dining and event destination where fire fuels every flavor and experience. From high energy lounges to seductive dining spaces, every detail is designed to impress. We cut through the ordinary to create an experience that lingers, a space that captivates, and a fire that never fades.

English Inn 3713 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3076

$$$ D J T (

Fish Creek Market 4164 Main St. (920) 868-3351

$$ L

Hill Street 4149 Main St. (920) 868-5282

$$ L D T

Julie’s Park Cafe & Motel

4020 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2999

$$ B L J { ( Kettle Black Fish Boil 4158 Main St. (920) 868-5215

$$ D ( Loft

4170 Main St. (920) 868-5242

$$ L D J { Not Licked Yet 4054 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2617

$ L D {

Pelletier’s Restaurant Founder’s Square (920) 868-3313

$$ B L D J { ( Shiny Moon Café 4164 Main St.

$$ B L T

The Cherry Hut 8813 Hwy 42 (920) 868-4450

$$ L D J {

Welcker’s Lounge 4192 Main St. (920) 868-5037

$$$ B L D (

White Gull Inn

4225 Main St. (920) 868-3517

$$$ B L D J T (

Serving breakfast, including the famous cherry stuffed French toast as featured on Good Morning America, as well as a full menu daily. Featuring fish boils in the summer, fall and select winter nights, along with candlelight dinners. Reservations recommended for dinner.

Wild Tomato

Wood-Fired Pizza & Grille 4023 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3095

$ L D J T {

FORESTVILLE

The Bullpen 213 W. Main St., #9691 (920) 856-6199

$$ L D T

The Hen House Bar & Grill

131 W. Main Street (920) 856-6950

$$ L D T

GILLS ROCK

Shoreline Restaurant 12747 Hw. 42 (920) 854-2950

$$$ D (

JACKSONPORT

Bistro 57 6313 Hwy 57

$ B L {T

Island Fever Rum

Bar & Grill

Cty V and Hwy 57 (920) 823-2700

$ L D J T {

Little Bit of Coffee 6332 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2408

$ B D

Located in Jacksonport at the Square Rigger Lodge, you will find us serving delicious coffee, quiche and baked goods. Serving small plates Tuesday and Thursday night.

Come for the coffee and linger for the great water view!

Scotty’s Grub + Pub

6269 Hwy 57 (920) 818-0178

$$ L D

SISTER BAY

Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant

10698 N. Bay

Shore Dr. (920) 854-2626

$$ B L D J T

Base Camp Door County 10740 N

Bayshore Dr. (920) 421-0733

$ B L

Boathouse on the Bay 10716 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-3223

$$$ L D J { Flip-flop into Boathouse on the Bay for outside seating and majestic marina and sunset views. Stay for the people, great food and specialty drinks. With patio seating,

the upstairs Fly Bridge Bar, and dining with floor to ceiling windows, you can’t miss the beautiful panoramic views. Carroll House 2445 S. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-7997

$ B L J

CHOP

2345 Mill Road (920) 854-2700

$$$ D J T { ( Door County Creamery 10653 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-3388

$ L D { Door County Ice Cream Factory 11051 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9693

$ L D J {

Happy Coffee 10678 S. Bay Shore Dr., Building 2

$ B L J T { Husby’s Food and Spirits 10641 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2624

$ L D J T { LURE Intersection of Hwys 42 and 57 (920) 854-8111

$$$ D J T { ( McEvoy’s Culinaria & Catering

2602 S. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-8029

$ L D T { Northern Grill & Pizza 10573 Country Walk Dr. (920) 854-9590

round. Featuring a full dining room, grill and bar, plus Northern Door’s only bowling alley. Stabbur Beer Garden at Al Johnson’s 10698 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 421-4740

$$ L D { Sub Express at Sister Bay Mobil 2579 S. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-6700

$ B L D J T { The Cleat 10961 Hwy 42 (920) 854-3200

$ L D J T The Waterfront 10947 Hwy 42 (920) 854-5491

$$ L D J { One Star Burger & Dogs 10440 Orchard Drive

$ L D Pasta Vino 10571 Country Walk Dr. (920) 633-4037

$$$ D Rad House Cafe 10580 Country Walk Ln Unit 10.

$$$$ D Thyme Restaurant + Catering 10339 Hwy 57 (920) 421-5112

Try premium ice cream made right here in-store! Choose from 30 flavors, a long list of sundaes and other specialty ice cream offerings. Enjoy one of 15 sandwiches made to order, homemade pizza, soups and salads- you’ll find something for everyone!

Dovetail Bar & Grill 10282 Hwy 57 (920) 421-4035

$$ L D J Fat Belly 10621 N. Highland Road (920) 854-3500

$$ L D { Goose & Twigs

Coffee Shop 2322 Mill Road (920) 854-3212

$$ B L { Grasse’s Grill 10663 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-1125

$$ B L D J {

$ B L J { Roots Kitchen 2378 Maple Dr. (920) 854-5107

$ L T { Savor Barbeque & Taphouse 10635 N. Bayshore (920) 365-2748

$ L D { Sister Bay Bowl 10640 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2841

$$ L D J T

Famous for its Friday-night perch fry and its prime rib, this throwback to yesteryear is located in the heart of Sister Bay, open year-

$$ L D { J T ( Thyme Restaurant, tucked into a quiet meadow in Sister Bay, delivers a farm-to-table dining experience, featuring inventive dishes crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The inviting yet refined atmosphere includes an open kitchen, a stylish bar, and a spacious patio for seasonal outdoor dining. Open yearround, Thyme also offers a one-ofa-kind setting for private events, with its distinctive hoop house venue and beautifully designed property. Wild Tomato WoodFired Pizza & Grille 10677 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-4685

$ L D J T {

SIP. SHOP. SUN!

Morning, day or night Bayside Tavern , The Bayside Shop and Bayside Coffee serves up Summer vibes!

Gather with family and friends at the historic Bayside Tavern, named “Wisconsin’s Best Small Town Bar” and enjoy our full bar, “Smilen” Bob’s Famous Chili, made-to-order pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and our Friday Fish Fry.

Spend the day strolling through our charming cottage shops and discover beautiful books, handbags, jewelry, home goods, baby gifts and our own branded apparel at The Bayside Shop.

MacDonald’s Bayside celebrating 50 years of hospitality.

Opening in June! Bayside Coffee, FishCreek’s only waterfront cafe, serves up hot drinks, fresh baked goods, breakfast sandwiches and fresh salads. Soak up the sun and view with your favorite drink.

Bayside Tavern, The Bayside Shop and Bayside Coffee located in downtown Fish Creek, Door County, WI

RESTAURANT GUIDE

ZaZa’s Pizzeria 10553 Country Walk Dr.

$$ L D

STURGEON BAY

5th and Jefferson Café

232 N. 5th Ave. (920) 746-1719

$ B L D {

Betsy Ross Family

Restaurant

239 Green Bay Road (920) 743-811

$ B L D

Birmingham’s 4709 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 743-5215

$$ L D J T

Blue Front Café

86 W. Maple St. (920) 743-9218

$$ L J T (

Brick Lot Pub & Grill

253 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-9339

$ L D J T

Brygga Plates & Pours 107 N. 1st St. (920) 746-0700

$$$ B L D J T{(

Cedar Crossing Restaurant & Bar

336 Louisiana St. (920) 743-4200

$$$ B L D J T (

Chaser’s Sports Bar & Grill

1217 N. 14th Ave. (920) 743-6997

$$ Cherry Lanes

Arcade Bar

127 N. 4th Ave. (920) 818-0093

$$$ D Corner Café

113 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-1991

$ B L J T (

Crate — Sushi & Seafood 136 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-1333

$$$ D T { (

Door County Fire Company

38 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-0625

$$ L D J T

Door County Sandbox 1023 Egg Harbor Rd. (920) 818-0134

$ L D

Drömhus 611 Jefferson St. (608) 333-4553

$ B L D T {

Elmo’s Woodfired Pizza

143 N. 4th Ave. (920) 818-0408

$$ L D T

Fatzo’s 46 Green Bay Road (920) 743-6300

$ L D J T {

Get Real Café

43 S. Madison Ave. (920) 818-1455

$$ B L D

Gloria’s Authentic

Mexican Restaurant 23 W. Oak Street (920) 818-1733

$$ L D J T

Greystone Castle 8 N. Madison Ave. (920) 743-9923

$$ L D J T

Hidden Bridge Pub 2049 Cty S (920) 743-4807

$$ D

Hoffman’s Red Room

66 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-3913

$ L D T

Kick Coffee

148 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 746-1122

$ B L T {

Kinara Urban Eatery 25 N. Madison Ave. (920) 743-8772

$ L D T

Kitty O’Reilly’s Irish Pub 59 E. Oak St. (920) 743-7441

$$ L D J T { Lodge at Leathem

Smith 1640 Memorial Dr. (920) 743-5555

$$ L D J T { (

Lolo’s 231 Michigan St.

$ B L T

Melt Bistro 2189 Cty DK (920) 825-7272

$ B L T { Melt Bistro (inside Renard’s Cheese) serves delicious, homestyle comfort food with an elevated twist. Menu items are made to order from scratch using only the freshest

ingredients. Many selections feature our own handcrafted artisan cheeses. Pizza, hot and cold sandwiches, mac & cheese, soups, salads, a wide selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream and more. Breakfast is available all day. Open daily year-round. View our menu at RenardsCheese.com.

Mill Supper Club 4128 Hwy 42/57 N. (920) 743-5044

$$$ D J T

Morning Glory by the Bay 306 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-0711

$$ B L

Morning Glory Restaurant 7502 Hwy 42 (920) 743-5355

$ B L J

Wed. July 2

of The Town Fri. July 4 Whiskey Ditch Sat. July 5

&

Power

Horns Mon. July 7 Brent Bel & The Boys Wed. July 9 7000apart Mon. July 14 Country Holla Wed. July 16 Johnny Wad Mon. July 21 Diamond & Steel Wed. July 23 Copper Box Mon. July 28 Fire on High Wed. July 30 Todd Carey Food and Beverages available for purchase. No coolers, carry-ins or pets allowed. Feel

Nightingale

Supper Club

1541 Egg Harbor Road (920) 743-5593

$$$ D J T

With a rich history dating back to the earliest 20th century, join us for dining, classic vibes, and great tunes.

Old Mexico

901 Egg Harbor Road (920) 818-1500

$$ L D J T { Poh’s Corner Pub

164 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-3938

$ L D T

Prince of Pierogi

846 Egg Harbor Rd.

$ L D

PTY’s Kitchen

50 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-1300

$ L D T

Samuelson’s Creek Pub & Grill

1009 S. Oxford Ave. (920) 743-3295

$$ L D J T (

Scaturo’s Café

19 Green Bay Road (920) 746-8727

$ B L J T { (

Sonny’s Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria

129 N. Madison Ave. (920) 743-2300

$$ L D J T (

Sunrise Food & Drinks

1463 Egg Harbor Rd. (920) 818-0157

$ B L T

Sturgeon Bay

Yacht Club

600 Nautical Dr. (920) 743-6934

$$$ L D (

The Gnoshery 23 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 818-0727

$ B L D TJ

The Gnoshery is the county’s premier board game cafe. Filled with fun, games and great “Gnoshables” –food and drink that make your experience a truly memorable one!

The Spot Downtown 229 Louisiana St. (920) 818-0124

$$ B L D J T {

Trattoria Dal Santo 147 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-6100

$$$ D T ( Waterfront Mary’s

Bar & Grill

3662 N. Duluth Ave. (920) 3690

$$ L D J T {

VALMY

Donny’s Glidden Lodge Restaurant

4670 Glidden Dr. (920) 746-9460

$$$ D J T { (

Institute Saloon 4599 Hwy 57 (920) 743-1919

$ L D T The Hitching Post 4849 Glidden Dr. (920) 818-1114

$$ B L D J (

Valmy Happy Hour 4418 Whitefish Bay Road (920) 743-6236

$ L D J T

WASHINGTON ISLAND

Albatross Drive-In 777 Main Rd. (920) 847-2203

$ L D {

Bread & Water Café 1275 Main Road (920) 847-2400

$$ B L {

Cellar Restaurant at Karly’s Bar and Dance Hall 1265 Main Road (920) 847-2655

$$$ L D J T { ( Hotel Washington 354 Range Line Road (920) 847-3010

$$$ D T { ( Island Pizza At the ferry dock (920) 847-3222

$ L D

Jackson Harbor Soup 1904 Indian Point Road (920) 847-2589

$ L { KK Fiske Restaurant 1177 Main Road (920) 847-2121

$ B L D T

Le Café and The Distillery at Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm 1350 Airport Road (920) 847-2950

$ B L { Enjoy Le Cafe’s selection of gourmet lavender treats such

as fresh croissants, baguettes, cookies, chocolates, ice cream, signature sandwiches and salads, famous macarons and more. Sip signature drinks from The Distillery wine and craft beer bar, and signature sandwiches while overlooking the lavender fields and gardens. Visit Fragrant Isle– “A Magical Place” Nelsen’s Hall Bitters Pub 1201 Main Road (920) 847-2496

$ L D T { Red Cup Coffee House 1885 Detroit Harbor Road (920) 847-3304

$ B L Sailor’s Pub 1475 South Shore Dr. (920) 847-2105

$$$ D { ( The Point Grille 164 Green Bay Road (920) 421-3663

$$ L D

DOOR COUNTY FOOD TRUCKS

Backbone instagram.com/ backbonefoodtruck

Carjacks Patty Wagon facebook.com/ carjackspattywagon Chives’ Food Truck Court chivesfoodtruck.com Jolly Street Pizza facebook.com/ jollysstreetpizza LoLo’s Food Truck lolosfoodtruck. com/food-truck Mauricio’s mauriciosdoco.com Morning Glory on Baileys facebook.com/ people/Morningglory-on-baileys Papa B’s facebook.com/ PapaBsFoodTruck Savor Barbeque facebook.com/ savorbbqco Sergio’s sergiosmexicanfood. com

Skandimania skandimania.co Sloppy Hog BBQ See facebook page Wally’s Weenie Wagon Doorcountyweenie wagon.com 888 Cheese & Co. 888cheeseandco. com

Register Today!

Routes of 25, 50, 62, and 100 miles through the rolling hills and past the incredible water views of Northern Door County. With six aid stations, a postride meal, beer, and live music at the finish in Waterfront Park, this ride will have everything you’ll need for a fantastic experience at Door County’s beautiful northern shores.

Do County