American World Traveler Fall 2016 Issue

seen in the underwater sea caves along its
shores, a marvel we explored further the next
day on sea kayak excursion.
Adjacent to Cave Point is Whitefish Dunes
State Park, one of five state parks in Door
County, and home to the highest sand dunes
in Wisconsin. We hiked to the top of “Old
Baldy”, as the dune is affectionately named,
and also explored other trails, including one
that recreated the shelters of the native peoples
these dunes have been home to for
more than 2000 years.
National Geographic called Peninsula State
Park an “elixir for exhausted urbanites” with
its maples and birches shading campers and
providing homes to purple finches, scarlet
tanagers and indigo buntings. It’s a destination
in and of itself as it not only has the
usual camping, hiking trails, swimming and
nature programs, but an 18-hole golf course
and outdoor theatre.
Northern Sky Theater, a 700-seat outdoor
repertory company, produces high-quality
original plays and musicals. All shows have
a local connection, and we thoroughly
enjoyed a performance of Doctor, Doctor!,
which was inspired by the life story of a
physician in nearby Sister Bay.
Exploring the Waters
Aboard ‘The Shoreline’ on a sightseeing
cruise, our captain happened to be one of
the scuba divers National Geographic
described in 1969, who would “hurry to the
peninsula, pull on wetsuits and disappear
under a frenzy of bubbles” to assemble the
history of the more than 200 shipwrecks that
lie at the bottoms of these waters. Though
Captain Jim does mostly sightseeing tours
nowadays, he knows the stories behind every
lighthouse, island, and shipwreck. “I told the
historical society about this wreck,” he said
as we floated barely a foot over one of the
many sunken vessels in what is known as
Death’s Passage. In fact, Door County got its
name from the French phrase, “Port des
morts”, Door of Death, in part referencing
the dangers of these waters with their cross
currents and sharp rocks. A morbid name for
a place, which as we sailed through on a
clear summer day, was as idyllic as any.
But there was one bizarre sight that was worthy
of the name on our tour -- Pilot Island,
which is now nicknamed ‘Hitchcock’s
Island’. And if you had just watched the classic
horror film The Birds, you would find this
three-acre island, populated with over 2000
of them, disturbing. The acidity of the waste
of the cormorants (a seabird that was once
almost extinct but has recently come back in
large numbers) has killed most of the vegetation
resulting in an eerie and lifeless atoll,
worthy of any Hitchcock set. We also passed
by its opposite, Rock Island, a 920-acre state
park, closed to vehicles, but open to campers
who want to appreciate its secludedness,
dark skies, beaches and nature in this wooded
wilderness.
Historical Eats, Cherries,
and Sunsets to Savour
“My stories start in the1600s,” began an
older gentlemen. He sat in front of a fire
and a large cast iron caldron and proceeded
to tell the group of assembled tourist the
stories of the region and of Peter Rowley,
the Bay’s namesake. Now and again, he
was interrupted by cooks coming out of the
kitchen bringing large quantities of food.
Each item – the salt, onions, potatoes and
finally the white fish was presented to the
audience for photos before ceremoniously
tipped into the bubbling pot. The pinnacle
of this production came when kerosene
was poured on the fire and water vigorously
boiled over taking with it all the oils and
waste, and leaving the tastiest and freshest
part behind for the guests enjoyment at the
buffet.
What we witnessed at Rowleys Bay Resort
was the traditional fish boil, a custom started
over 100 years ago by Scandinavian
settlers as an economic method to feed
large groups of lumberjacks and fisherman,
and it was as much entertainment as
was good food.
A different taste of history greeted us at
Wilson’s Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlour in
Ephraim. Everything from the soda fountain
to ice-cream sundaes to the juke boxes
playing the Beach Boys screams nostalgia.
The classic Door County landmark’s histo-
ry goes back to 1906 and is the kind of
place grandparents take their grandkids to
tell them where they used to sit. Not to be
missed.
Cherries are synonymous with the peninsula,
and on a narrated scenic tour aboard
the Door County Trolley, we learned that
the region once was the top cherry producer
in the US and remains an important crop
with over 2,500 acres of orchards. The tart
Montmorency cherry is the most abundant,
and though this varietal is not the best eating
fruit, it is the ideal baking fruit. And
there’s no better place to sample baked
goods than at Door County’s eateries,
where you’ll find the signature fruit in delicious
baked goods and even savoury dishes.
Two of the most delicious and creative
ways we found were the Cherry French
Toast at Julie’s Park’s Café, where I polished
off every last crumb of this delectable
feast, and the Cherry Margarita at Fred
and Fuzzy’s Waterfront Grill. Tables spill
out onto the beach at this popular
indoor/outdoor restaurant.
Here, nibbling on deep-fried cheese curds,
a Wisconsin speciality, sipping the refreshing
cherry concoction and looking out on to
the Lake Michigan, where a golden sunset
blessed us with a fiery show, I couldn’t help
but be thankful to National Geographic for
writing the aptly named story, “Wisconsin
Door Peninsula: A Kingdom So Delicious
46 years ago, so titled because of a French
explorer’s description in the 17th century.
The more things change…
www.doorcounty.com
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American World Traveler / Fall 2016