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I’m sure you’ve heard of Cape Cod, but did you know that the Midwest has its own version of Cape Cod?
Ahead of Lake Michigan lies a beautiful peninsula known as Door County, Wisconsin.
I had no idea what to expect before my visit to Door County in February, but I was blown away by what I found.
Let me tell you, if you’ve never been there, you’re missing something.
Here are 5 reasons why you should visit Cape Cod from the Midwest:
Food, food and more food
Believe me when I say so you’ll want to visit Door County for the food alone (not to mention all the other incredible reasons I’ll mention later).
There are almost too many great foodie spots to name, but I’ll do my best to highlight some of my favorites.
First, we have to tackle the obvious Wisconsin favorite: THE CHEESE. So many CHEESES!
Some of my top recommended must-try cheeses come from Renard’s artisanal cheese.
DO NOT leave Door County unless you’ve tried it Renard’s hoop cheddar and they are squeaky fresh cheese curds (in case you didn’t know, the squeaker the cheese curd, the fresher it is!).
We’ve tried A LOT of cheese curds in Door County, and these were definitely my favorite.
Now let’s talk about Wisconsin’s other famous food product: cherries!
I may be in the minority here, but prior to my trip to Door County I didn’t know that Wisconsin was also famous for their amazing cherries.
There are so many ways to eat cherries in Door County, but I had two personal favorites that you should definitely try.
One of my personal favorites was the freeze-dried Montmorency cherries That Destination Door County has gifted me.
I didn’t expect to like them any more than the chocolate covered cherries, but I did! If you like tart cherries, these were the perfect level of tartness.
My second favorite way to eat cherries in Door County was of course: in cake form. Witte Meeuw Inn had one of the best cherry pies of my entire trip.
We went to White Gull Inn for their traditional Fish Boil. The tradition of the Door County Fish Boil has been around for about 100 years. This was one of the coolest things we saw and should be added to your list of things to do in Door County.
There were so many great restaurants to choose from, but I’m going to pick two more to highlight to you.
If you want incredibly tasty, fresh and colorful food with a great atmosphere then you should go here Sip.
When I tell you this was my favorite meal of my entire trip, I’m not lying to you. Please go to Sip.
They have a super cute shop upstairs, and everything in the restaurant is for sale too – I even bought the drinking glasses they served our water in!
For those of you who love pizza as much as I do (a little too much), you have to go Sonny’s Italian cuisine and pizzeria.
I ate so much pizza and pasta here that I must have gained about 5 pounds, but it was worth every bite.
After you enjoy the cheesy, carby goodness, you can head downstairs and grab a pint of craft beer at Bridge Up Brewery.
Charming local stays
Now that I’m done talking about the great food in Door County, I’m going to mention it my favorite part of the entire trip.
The super cute Victorian-style inns scattered throughout Door County.
I stayed inside White Lace Inn and I never wanted to leave.
White Lace Inn actually has four different Victorian style houses all connected by beautiful gardens.
Before I talk about the room I stayed in, I have to mention food one more time. Breakfast is served every morning in the main building.
One of the most popular dishes they serve is their Stuffed French Toast.
I’m not kidding when I say it I would come back to stay here just for the stuffed french toast.
But in all seriousness, I would absolutely live in the suite I had at White Lace Inn.
I stayed in the Victorian suite at the Washburn House and I have never felt more at home. The suite was filled with beautiful antique furniture and a double-sided fireplace.
There was a separate sitting room and a beautiful large bathroom complete with a spa bath.
I could have spent my entire trip in that roomand I wouldn’t have been angry about it.
The great thing about Door County is that it has so many beautiful inns and bed and breakfasts all over the peninsula.
The Pembrooke Inn B&B was another beautiful Victorian inn in Sturgeon Bay, but there were some very picturesque inns in Fish Creek, which was probably my favorite town we visited in Door County.
Art and culture
One of the things that surprised me most was the beautiful artistic culture that filled the heart of Door County.
My favorite example of this was the Popelka Trenchard Glass Fine Art Gallery & Studio.
The artworks displayed in the gallery were simply one of a kind. The best part of visiting the gallery, however, was the glass blowing demonstration.
The owners were incredibly friendly and informative. It was an art form in itself to see them work so flawlessly in sync.
Their glassblowing technique was fascinating; I could have looked at it for hours.
Another hidden artsy gem in Door County is the Miller Art Museum.
The museum’s curator had an incredible way of choosing pieces that evoked strong emotions in viewers.
The thought and intention behind the displays were clearly visible. I was deeply moved by the artists’ work on display in the museum.
Nature
If you like being surrounded by beautiful nature, then you’re in luck, because there’s no shortage in Door County.
From beautiful nature reserves to beautiful beaches, you won’t be disappointed with the endless beauty of Door County.
One of the best ways to get out and see Door County’s nature up close is by e-biking Door County Kayaking Tours.
Our guide was super nice! She took us to Cave Point County Park for beautiful views of the limestone sea caves and dramatic icicles hanging along the cliffs.
After visiting Cave Point, we took a short drive to Whitefish Dunes State Park to soak up the sun on the beautiful beach.
Just kidding, there was still ice on the shore, but we soaked up as much sun as we could through our endless amounts of layers.
Although summer is much better for swimming and sunbathing at the Whitefish Dunes, in winter it was peaceful to have the beach to ourselves.
No matter what season, you can absolutely still enjoy it, and the views are worth it!
Another place for breathtaking views is at Peninsula State Park at the Eagle Tower.
The tower is not always open in the winter, but it was unseasonably warm when I was there, and we were lucky enough to get to the top and look out over ice-covered Lake Michigan.
That’s a view I won’t soon forget, and I can’t recommend it enough. Peninsula State Park also has plenty of scenic but easy hikes that people of all fitness levels can enjoy.
The Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve is another peaceful and easy hike that showcases the impressive cliff face of the Niagara Escarpment.
This is the perfect hike for just about any fitness level.
Of all the nature excursions we went on, there was one that stood out from the rest.
The Bird sanctuary with open door was hands down one of my favorite activities of the entire trip.
I didn’t know what to expect, but I was blown away by how much I loved every aspect of the sanctuary.
We were immediately greeted by Oslo, a Snowy Owl, who was breathtakingly beautiful, and I just wanted to hang out with him the whole time.
Little did I know there were more incredible birds waiting for us!
They have about 20 permanent bird residents, including a bald eagle, a golden eagle, a red-tailed hawk and one of my favorite twigs, a little screech owl.
Trust me when I say this is a must-do in Door County.
I never expected to love it as much as I do, and I would love to go back!
History
There is so much history in Door County.
I already mentioned the beautiful Victorian inns, most of which date from the 19th century.
In my favorite town, Fish Creek, there is an area called Founder’s Square, where you can find the little Thorp Cabin. The cabin was built in 1849 by the founder of Fish Creek and still stands in the middle of town.
One of my favorite pieces of history that we were able to explore was the Door County Maritime Museum.
The museum is built into a tower overlooking the beautiful waterfront, and each floor of the museum tells a different part of Door County’s history.
My favorite parts were learning about the early American Indians in the area and how huge ships were built in the bay and transported all the way from Lake Michigan to the ocean.
This was definitely another must add to your list of places to visit in Door County.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
