My wife and I will be headed up to Door County (Sturgeon Bay) at the end of this month. Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions for activities, places to eat & drink, etc? I haven't been up that way since the early-80's. I've done what research I can, but surely the Scoop community knows of hidden gems.
Also, are there are any notable places to stop along the way up I-43 (travelling from Chicago) to break up the drive? I don't plan on stopping in Cream City as we are stopping in town on the way back for the Brewers game. I know my way and what's off the path up to Port Washington. But north of there, I only know of Kohler/American Club and what you can see from the interstate up to Lambeau.
Thanks.
About five years ago (last time in Door County) we stayed at the Inn at Cedar Crossing right in downtown Sturgeon Bay.
http://www.innatcedarcrossing.com/
One night we had dinner at the Trattoria Dal Santo, a really nice wine bar, and stumbled back afterwards.
http://www.trattoriadalsanto.com/
Sturgeon Bay isn't the most convenient, because you have to make day trips into the heart of Door County, but we liked it.
This is a great place to grab a drink and watch sunset. The food isn't upscale but it's a great place if you like casual environment on the lawn.
http://fredandfuzzys.com/
Great breakfast burritos(fresh ingredients) in Ephraim but limited seating.
http://www.goodeggsdoorcounty.com/
I'd recommend a place called the Shark Tank, though not sure if it is still open - 1997 was the last time I was there...
we always like to partake of adult beverages at the Bayside Tavern in Fish Creek, friendly staff and decent pub food; the English Inn also in Fish Creek (hey, we camp at Peninsula so alot of this will be Fish Creek!) has decent dinners and those fancy ice cream drinks at the bar are a specialty of theirs
for activities we love hiking at either Penisula state park or farther up at Newprt S.P.; you can take the car ferry to Washington Island - if you do make sure to stop at the Bitters Pub, decent food but more significantly you have to learn the history of & drink a shot of bitters to join the bitters club!
stop at Wilson's for that old fashion ice cream / soda fountain treats in Ephraim
check out the goats on the grass covered roof at Al Johnsons in Sister Bay (never ate there so can't recommend it)
Quote from: MUFC9295 on August 03, 2011, 09:33:13 AM
My wife and I will be headed up to Door County (Sturgeon Bay) at the end of this month. Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions for activities, places to eat & drink, etc? I haven't been up that way since the early-80's. I've done what research I can, but surely the Scoop community knows of hidden gems.
Also, are there are any notable places to stop along the way up I-43 (travelling from Chicago) to break up the drive? I don't plan on stopping in Cream City as we are stopping in town on the way back for the Brewers game. I know my way and what's off the path up to Port Washington. But north of there, I only know of Kohler/American Club and what you can see from the interstate up to Lambeau.
Thanks.
http://www.countryhouseresort.com/
Stayed there with the family and it is pretty nice... We stayed in the Penthouse Suite. http://www.countryhouseresort.com/rooms-reservations/penthouse-suite/ (http://www.countryhouseresort.com/rooms-reservations/penthouse-suite/) Awesome views and close to everything in Sister Bay.
Places we went:
http://stonesthrowwinery.com/
http://www.missiongrille.com/
http://www.sisterbaybowl.com/ (kind of old school... cool ball returns, keep your own score!)
we also went to a lot of the artsy fartsy places in Door County to appease the women.
An overall helpful website to everything Door County:
http://www.cometosisterbay.com/
Something I DON'T recommend is the Shipwrecked Microbrewery. http://shipwreckedmicrobrew.com/ Beer was bad (Iron water = bad beer)
Enjoy!
Quote from: Ners on August 03, 2011, 12:00:56 PM
I'd recommend a place called the Shark Tank, though not sure if it is still open - 1997 was the last time I was there...
Ners, If that place is anything like the house on 16th OR is the place in Fish Creek that Marco lost a tooth, I'll pass.
I've been up there a couple times with the gf, and one of the things we like to do are the fish boils at the White Gull Inn in Sister Bay. Ive never stayed in a room there, but have done the boils. They're outside and I think are a really nice dinner. About 80% dinner, 20% event.
http://www.whitegullinn.com/fishboil.html (http://www.whitegullinn.com/fishboil.html)
The place I've stayed (once in summer, once in winter but only for a night each) was the Juniper Inn. Its really nice. A little pricey maybe, but everything up there is. Its located a little off the beaten path in Fish Creek, so its really quiet and kind of cut into the woods. But its not obnoxiously far away from downtown either (about 15 mins if I recall). I would definitely recommend it if its just you and the wife.
http://www.juniperinn.com/index.html (http://www.juniperinn.com/index.html)
Quote from: Homebrew101 on August 03, 2011, 01:00:40 PM
we always like to partake of adult beverages at the Bayside Tavern in Fish Creek, friendly staff and decent pub food; the English Inn also in Fish Creek (hey, we camp at Peninsula so alot of this will be Fish Creek!) has decent dinners and those fancy ice cream drinks at the bar are a specialty of theirs
for activities we love hiking at either Penisula state park or farther up at Newprt S.P.; you can take the car ferry to Washington Island - if you do make sure to stop at the Bitters Pub, decent food but more significantly you have to learn the history of & drink a shot of bitters to join the bitters club!
stop at Wilson's for that old fashion ice cream / soda fountain treats in Ephraim
check out the goats on the grass covered roof at Al Johnsons in Sister Bay (never ate there so can't recommend it)
Bayside Tavern is a great call. It's all Wisconsin and there is a lot to do around there. I have done Door Co. with wife once and family once. You can definitely make different lodging stops each night and have a new bar each night. It's worth researching bar-hotel combos so you don't have to get behind the wheel.
kind of an interesting 'vintage door county' place is Gordon Lodge outside Bailey's Harbor. Stayed there many times years back. The 'topdeck' lounge was fun in the evening (did some drinking with Tony Esposito one night), the cabins are preferred to the motel, the beach is better than the pool, the complimentary breakfasts are outstanding. Might have changed hands, as Barbara was always thinking of selling. Neat place; interesting history of visitors like Sinatra. Used to like Sister Bay best, but crowds get bad during the season so switched to Lake side to stay and visit Bay side for fun.
Pirates Cove in Sister Bay. Favorite mini-golf course I've ever played. Their Dells location doesn't hold a candle to it.
We have a place in Fish Creek, so we get up there often. We never go to Sturgeon Bay -- mostly hang in the small cities starting with Egg Harbor.
Fred and Fuzzy's for a drink is a good call. Bayside is a classic WI tavern, more of a winter/fall place if you ask me -- so much better when WI went smoke-free, but it's grimy. In the summer, Shipwrecked in Egg Harbor is much better for drinks, a lot of action, European brews, outdoor beer garden.
Go to Stone's Throw Winery for a tasting/tour, it's right off the highway in Egg Harbor. The restaurant right up the street, Trio, is one of our favorites. So is the Mission Grille in Sister Bay.
My father-in-law told me about a bakery between Sister Bay and Bailey's Harbor -- Door County Bakery -- a few years ago. I wish we had a bakery like this in MKE. We also like going to the Drive-In movie theater in Fish Creek, it brings you back to the good old days. If there's one can't miss, it would be the Door County Cherry stuffed French Toast at the White Gull Inn. Amazing. Skip the fish boils, over-rated.
On the way up, there isn't much. Before the four lane bypass -- we used to stop off in Dyckesville at the Dyckesville Bowl -- fresh cheese curds, a beer and a brat patty.
Bayside has good Bloody Mary's
White Gull Inn for breakfast
Fred & Fuzzy's for a sunset cocktail
Wilson's for the Dusty Road sundae...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Villaggio's is a good fun Italian restaurant
Take the 9.7 mile Sunset bike trail through Peninsula State Park...it goes through the woods to the beach at Nicolet Bay. You can rent bikes right outside the park at the Fish Creek entrance.
Definitely hit up Al Johnson's for breakfast one morning... the goats on the roof are cool, but the Swedish pancakes are amazing. Its definitely a tourist institution, but if that doesn't bother you the breakfasts are really good.
I also could take or leave the fish boils. I'd flip those numbers and say its 80% event, 20% dinner... I just don't think boiled fish tastes all that good. But you get cherry pie, which is never a bad thing.
Quote from: MUFC9295 on August 03, 2011, 05:33:33 PM
Ners, If that place is anything like the house on 16th OR is the place in Fish Creek that Marco lost a tooth, I'll pass.
Funny I don't recall Marco losing a tooth in a Fish Creek episode - just the infamous jump into the MKE River from the deck of the Harp.
On another note - it is nice to see so many people offer up great suggestions for your Door County trip. Surprising to see much activity on this thread. Enjoy your vacation. See you in late Jan/February for our Reunion (that is if the Bradley Center will allow us back in a Suite).
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Looking forward to it.
We'll stay at the Landmark .. the views facing the golf course/Lake Michigan are spectacular, especially in October.
I'll plug Al Johnson's and PC Junction, especially if you have kids.
am I the only person on here that fucking hates door county?
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on August 05, 2011, 08:28:50 AM
We'll stay at the Landmark .. the views facing the golf course/Lake Michigan are spectacular, especially in October.
I'll plug Al Johnson's and PC Junction, especially if you have kids.
Landmark in Egg Harbor is real nice, I remember staying there for a teachers/administrators convention when I was a kid... I only remember because it was during the '92 olympic games in Barcelona.
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on August 05, 2011, 09:48:30 AM
Landmark in Egg Harbor is real nice, I remember staying there for a teachers/administrators convention when I was a kid... I only remember because it was during the '92 olympic games in Barcelona.
I'll second (third) the Landmark. Solid mix of things to do without leaving the resort (golf/tennis/pools/shuffleboard/basketball hoops) on top of very nice units.
Quote from: ZiggysF*ckinFryBoy on August 05, 2011, 09:31:43 AM
am I the only person on here that fracking hates door county?
Thank you. I can't stand it. The entire peninsula is filled with people pretending to be home spun.
"Oh look at that old wagon wheel, honey! Isn't that charming?"
Give me the Northwoods any day of the week.
You _can_ go there and not be a wagon wheel loving antique shopper, you know...
For the money, Chanticlear Guest House was great. Nice old Victorian Farm House, great food, doesn't cost a fortune because it isn't on the lake.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on August 06, 2011, 09:53:56 AM
You _can_ go there and not be a wagon wheel loving antique shopper, you know...
But you cannot go there without being surrounded by them. I've never heard people romanticize about going out for ice cream until I went to DC.
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on August 06, 2011, 11:44:23 AM
But you cannot go there without being surrounded by them. I've never heard people romanticize about going out for ice cream until I went to DC.
I've had some really good times in Door County with friends and family but the whole experience is more than a little "precious".
The segway tour at Peninsula state park was fun. 10 seconds to learn, 10 minutes and your a pro. I wish they went a little faster.
Quote from: Slim on August 06, 2011, 04:05:18 PM
The segway tour at Peninsula state park was fun. 10 seconds to learn, 10 minutes and your a pro. I wish they went a little faster.
Bend over, Slim. You've just authored the gayest post of all time.
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on August 06, 2011, 08:42:26 PM
Bend over, Slim. You've just authored the gayest post of all time.
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on August 06, 2011, 07:05:27 AM
Thank you. I can't stand it. The entire peninsula is filled with people pretending to be home spun.
"Oh look at that old wagon wheel, honey! Isn't that charming?"
Give me the Northwoods any day of the week.
were you born as a self-righteous a$$hole or did you grow into it over time?
Quote from: bs4173 on August 06, 2011, 09:21:38 PM
were you born as a self-righteous a$$hole or did you grow into it over time?
Relax, he's a good poster.
However, why can't we like both? Just got back from a week in Oneida County. Love the pine scent, jackpine tavern settings, loons calling, lakes every two miles.
Door County, on the other hand, has incredible vistas (the view from the towers at both Potawatomi and Peninsula State Parks are breath taking) great fishing, and very nice local folk. Yes, there can be a bit of what PRN referred to, but you can get that in Minocqua too.
Sturgeon Bay is where the original poster said he was staying. Fish Creek and Sister Bay can be a bit of a hike this time of year from Sturgeon Bay, because the traffic up 42 can be awful. If you want to hang closer to Sturgeon Bay, I recommend Kitty O'Reilly's Irish Pub for good food/drink and live music almost every night. Take in Potawatomi State Park. Take the Fire Boat tour.
As someone who's wife has had a place half way between Sturgeon Bay and Egg Harbor for the last 40+ years, (with a rental cottage for those interested) and I've been going for the last 25, try the Nightengale Supper Club on a Friday evening for the best pan fried perch you'll have. Next door is the Neighborhood Pub, with great tenderloin sandwiches. These are both in the heart of Sturgeon Bay, near the Walmart. For a great cheeseburger served on bread, and it's very good, try Birminghams on Bay Shore Drive, about 4 miles north of downtown Sturgeon.
Try Cave Point park for a great place to go during the day. It's a fun place to walk along the lake side and right next to Whitefish Dunes State Park, which is a sand beach. Bike rides through Peninsula State Park are fun and bike rentals are at the park entrance. Sand beach there too. For evening fun, try the American Folklore Theatre at Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek. Never not funny.
On the way there, either on 57 as you get into DoorCo or on S as you leave Algoma heading into DoorCo, stop at Renard's for string cheese and/or curds. Fabulous.
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on August 06, 2011, 07:05:27 AM
Thank you. I can't stand it. The entire peninsula is filled with people pretending to be home spun.
"Oh look at that old wagon wheel, honey! Isn't that charming?"
Give me the Northwoods any day of the week.
Obviously you haven't been to the Northwoods lately.
Quote from: drewm88 on August 04, 2011, 10:33:53 AM
Pirates Cove in Sister Bay. Favorite mini-golf course I've ever played. Their Dells location doesn't hold a candle to it.
I will second that. My family has played that course a million times and it never gets old. Then hop over to Johnson's for some go-karting. Also, to the person who said Renard's is right on. Awesome place.
Great! Also hit Northern Exposure on the way home. Good times.
Don't forget beautiful Silver Street in Hurley when you're in the neighborhood.
Quote from: ZiggysF*ckinFryBoy on August 08, 2011, 12:34:42 PM
how was Weasels?
[/quote
You'd have to pull out driver on most holes.
Quote from: Hamostradamus on August 06, 2011, 11:21:09 AM
For the money, Chanticlear Guest House was great. Nice old Victorian Farm House, great food, doesn't cost a fortune because it isn't on the lake.
A definite thumbs up for the Chanticlear. We spent a few days there for our honeymoon. We now go back every year to the Bay Shore Inn with the kids. We go the last week in August due to the reduced rates.
The other must do (with kids) is PC junction. They have pedal cars and the food is delivered by trains. We go there every year.
On the way home, we stop at Bay Beach in Green Bay. Very cheap but very busy.
Quote from: MARQTTE on August 11, 2011, 10:14:20 AM
On the way home, we stop at Bay Beach in Green Bay. Very cheap but very busy.
Bay Beach park in GB is now home to the Zippin' Pippin', a wooden rollercoaster that was once Elvis Presley's favorite ride.
Quote from: BrewCity on August 11, 2011, 10:27:01 AM
Bay Beach park in GB is now home to the Zippin' Pippin', a wooden rollercoaster that was once Elvis Presley's favorite ride.
Thought the King's favorite ride was Ann-Margret
Or LSD
And Sleeping Bear Dunes in Leelanau County, on the cool side of the lake, just took GMA's award for most beautiful spot in America. I've visited Door County, but always thought it was overrated compared to the Sleeping Bear area. For sheer beauty, though, Pictured Rocks may beat Sleeping Bear. For summer ambiance, though, Sleeping Bear wins.
Quote from: ZiggysF*ckinFryBoy on August 08, 2011, 12:34:42 PM
how was Weasels?
I really need to meet ZFB. He's my kinda guy. (my kinda humor anyway)
Quote from: ringout on August 17, 2011, 12:57:55 PM
I really need to meet ZFB. He's my kinda guy. (my kinda humor anyway)
I'm not joking when I say that I f*cking love Weasels!
Quote from: ringout on August 17, 2011, 12:57:55 PM
I really need to meet ZFB. He's my kinda guy. (my kinda humor anyway)
That's easy. You'll find him at La Cage most evenings sittin' by himself, third barstool from the end, with pink loafers on.
Quote from: ZiggysF*ckinFryBoy on August 17, 2011, 01:03:18 PM
I'm not joking when I say that I f*cking love Weasels!
I was starting to wonder about ZFB before I realized my dyslexia got the better of me reading that line.
Quote from: Benny B on August 18, 2011, 04:16:20 PM
I was starting to wonder about ZFB before I realized my dyslexia got the better of me reading that line.
+1 ;D