Volume 8 issue 2
complimentary
The Niagara Escarpment Valmy Thresheree The Pottawatomie Lighthouse Restaurant & Lodging Guide
late summer 2010
P reMier door County P roPerties P rivAte c oMMunity • 1000-A cre P eninsuLA
g orgeous r esidentiAL s hore F rontAge
Superlative eState • 700 Ft on lake Michigan M ArshALL ’ s P oint • e Ast oF s ister B Ay • 21 A cres
top neighborhood along lake Michigan whiteFish BAy & gLidden drive • n oF sturgeon BAy
With just 30 neighbors this showcase has great spaces for entertaining family & friends. Over 9,000 sq ft of living area, plus grand 3-season room, large heated garage, workshop, & porte cochere. Great first floor master suite plus 3 guest suites. Shared 500+acre private nature preserve. For this & other listings, please visit www.marshallspoint.us
3 & 4++ bedroom homes along Glidden Drive & Bark Road offer great views of Lake Michigan & Whitefish Dunes. Sand beaches or shelf rock make for easy water access. Many year-round residents and a short drive to Sturgeon Bay make this a fine choice for your Door County home. For current listings & prices, please visit www.gliddendrive.us
12 to 120 A cres • L Arge B Arn & M ore
A s hort w ALk to the h eArt oF e PhrAiM
3+Bedroom Home & 3-Bedroom Guest House P Ainswick F ArM • n orth oF e LLison B Ay
lovinGly maintained 4-Bedroom loG Home B eAutiFuL & P rivAte w ooded s etting
Pastoral paradise: great barn, granary/studio, paddock, & more. Spectacular perennial gardens. Fine home (4300 sq ft) built in 1998. Guest (200 sq ft) rebuilt in 2001. Buildings & 12 acres $995,000. dividaBle 120 acres (80 acre private conservation easement) $1.8m For more photos & info, please visit www.painswickfarm.info
New 1st floor master suite. Remodeled eat-in kitchen, bedroom, & bathroom. 2 more bedrooms upstairs in loft & study. Great stone fireplace in 2-story great room. Detached 2-car garage with bunk room. Large enclosed porch. Many special touches. $485,000. For more photos & info, visit www.ephraimloghome.info
w onderFuL n AturAL s etting • g reAt A Menities
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Environmental Award Winning Community rollinG terrain, Prairie, Hardwoods, & Pines t own , s ingLe -L eveL P Atio , & F ree -s tAnding h oMes
Variety of styles for year-round living or vacation retreat. Convenient to parks, Green Bay, Lake Michigan, & Europe Lake. Clubhouse: lounge, indoor & outdoor pools, whirlpool, sauna, exercise & locker rooms; tennis; & trails. Community water & sanitary systems. Resident caretaker. For current listings & prices, please visit www.cottageglen.com
great coMMunity • Shared patio & Shore c row ’ s n est e stAtes c ondoMiniuM • s ister B Ay
Wonderful designs: inside & out. Tram to shore frontage & swim pier. Municipal water & sewer. Attached 2-car garages. Select gorgeous 5 or 6 bedroom homes with fantastic panoramic vistas, 4-bedroom water view, or 3 bedroom residence. Ready to move in & enjoy. For current listings & prices, visit www.crowsnest-sisterbay.info
920.854.9799 ePhrAiM • door county • wi www.premierdoorcounty.com
r egents . com l uxury r eal e state . com • e x c L u s i v e B oA r d M e M B e r • The Leading Network for Luxury Properties & Vacation Real Estate
2010 Late Summer Editor Madeline Johnson Associate Editor Sara Massey Copy Editor Allison Vroman Photography Director Dan Eggert Artist Nik Garvoille Contributing Editors Julia Chomeau, Myles Dannhausen Jr., Jacinda Duffin, Jennifer Klessig-Dupont, Dan Eggert, John Enigl Sr., Nik Garvoille, Gary Jones, Brittany Jordt, Roger Kuhns, Roy Lukes, Barbara Malcolm, Megan O’Meara, Melissa Ripp, Katie Lott Schnorr, Sally Slattery, Bonnie Spielman, Paul Wanish, Patty Williamson, Allison Vroman Advertising Sales Madeline Johnson, Bonnie Spielman, Steve Grutzmacher Publisher David Eliot Owners: Madeline Johnson & David Eliot
Door County Living magazine is published five times annually by:
ekholm Gallery
OUR 27th SEASON A gallery filled with light & color small & large
3913 Little spring Rd. Fish Creek (One block south of the Top of the Hill shops, on spring Rd - turn left)
impressionistic oil paintings also represented by Edgewood Orchard Gallery
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Door County Living, Inc. P.O. Box 695, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202
Comments We welcome your inquiries, comments, and submissions. E-mail us at: info@doorcountyliving.com or simply call us at (920) 839-2120. Advertise For advertising rates and information, please e-mail us at: advertising@doorcountyliving.com or simply call us at (920) 839-2120. Subscribe
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Why not have it delivered directly to your door? To order an annual subscription, please send $20.00 to Subscription - Door County Living, P.O. Box 695, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202. To change your address or inquire about the status of your subscription, please contact us in writing at the address above, or by e-mail at: subscription@doorcountyliving.com. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission by the publisher. Š2010 Door County Living, Inc. All rights reserved. Unsolicited materials must be accompanied with return postage. Door County Living magazine assumes no liability for damage or loss.
OPEN DAILY - CLOsED TuEsDAY 4 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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LIFE IN DOOR COUNTY
EDITOR’S NOTE By Madeline A. Johnson, Editor
T
he evil of corporate agriculture is a hot topic these days. According to a growing legion of worried authorities on the subject, the consensus is that as large farming conglomerates swallow our lands, they also swallow our ways of life, our health and our traditions. It is a real and serious concern, and there are no easy answers. But after editing this issue, I am convinced that there is hope here on our peninsula.
ported Agriculture) and how a burgeoning group of individuals is making sustainable agriculture viable on a small scale. Gary Jones, meanwhile, delves into the rising popularity of gardening on the peninsula (encouraging evidence that people are still willing to get their hands dirty). And Allison Vroman profiles Brit & Sara Unkefer, owners of the Wild Tomato, who are using bounty from the back yard to create affordable gourmet.
a side note, heed this advice: mark August 20 – 22 on your calendar, and make a point of getting yourself to Valmy. It is an education that can be had in no other way.)
This issue is brimming with stories about Door County’s stand against such threatening outside pressures. In fact, though it was not intentional in our planning, almost every article in these pages touches on this theme in some way. Katie Lott Schnorr, for example, writes eloquently about the early success of local CSAs (Community Sup-
There are also a handful of articles that evoke this theme in a celebratory way. Notably, we feature the Valmy Thresheree (page 60). You may be as surprised as I was to learn that this annual three-day tribute to our agrarian past draws over 4,000 visitors each year – proof positive that the appeal of the small family farm is alive and well. (As
The perils of mass production will continue to confront us – no question – but there is a testimonial to Door County’s resistance in these pages. So long as we have gardening clubs and Freddie Kodanko memorial tractor rides, there will be reason for optimism.
6 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
In further celebration, do not miss Paul Wanish’s story on the late Freddie Kodanko, Door County’s legendary polka king and potato farmer. Kodanko made a deep imprint on our collective identity, and it is for good reason that a band of locals have embraced him as their champion.
doorcountyliving.com
Meet Lindsay Phillips in person at our Sturgeon Bay store, Friday, July 23rd from 2-5pm
Available at
www.WilkinsandOlander.com 1-800-926-3610 120 N. Third, Sturgeon Bay 920-743-8718 Founder’s Square, Fish Creek 920-868-3168
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Milling Road Hancock & Moore Simon Pearce Rugs. Lamps. Accessories. Inspiring Classic Design & Consulting Services.
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NOW IN TWO LOCATIONS! Downtown Baileys Harbor - 8068 Highway 57 - 920.839.9779 North Ephraim (next to Summer Kitchen) - Hwy. 42 & Townline Rd - 920.854.3223
CONTENTS
20 14 20 28 32 36 42 48
LATE SUMMER 2010
42
HISTORY A Prize Worth the Journey The Pottawatomie Lighthouse FEATURE Story in the Rocks The Niagara Escarpment DOOR TO NATURE Wildlife of the Niagara Escarpment ART SCENE Stirring Ideas Into Clay Clay Bay Pottery
ART SCENE Refab Yourself Brilliant Stranger Dresses Door County MUSIC SCENE Conducting an Orchestra in Paradise
48
54 60 68 75 76 80 84
OUTSIDE IN DOOR Door County’s Garden Peninsula
FEATURE Keeping Agriculture Heritage Alive Valmy Thresheree Celebrates Life on the Farm
FAIRWAYS A New Generation Tees It Up Encouraging kids golf through junior programs
CAMEOS A True Door County Character Freddie Kodanko (1913 – 2002)
doorcountyliving.com
32
DOOR COUNTY MAP Your Guide to Door County HABITATS The Clearing Root Cellar Revived TOPSIDE A Maritime Forerunner: Past & Present Roen Salvage Company ON YOUR PLATE Fresh From the Farm Community Supported Agriculture in Door County
60
88 93 94 98 106 112
ON YOUR PLATE Passionate Influences and Local Cuisine Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille ON YOUR PLATE Door County Local Salad
ON YOUR PLATE Good Old-Fashioned American Food Behind the Scenes of Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor RESTAURANT GUIDE Where to eat in Door County LODGING GUIDE Where to stay in Door County FEATURED ACCOMMODATION The Parkwood Lodge
ON OUR COVER: Carmon Mabrey of Carmon’s Gardens in Jacksonport. Photo by Kathy Navis.
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 9
WOODWALK GALLERY WoodwalkGallery.com /news
featuring the ethereal Door County landscape paintings of Margaret Lockwood
AND
42 REGIONAL ARTISTS painting jewelry gifts sculpture assemblage photography ceramics furniture clothing beadwork glass tableware woodwork Kristen Christiansen HANDMADE 3 day and intensive papermaking workshops for PAPER all ages and levels of experience.
FRIDAY CONCERTS
Jeanne Kuhns’ Woodwalk Concert Series...live folk, jazz, blues, in an intimate setting. BYOB and we’ll keep it cold.
THEATRE M
Mark Moede and Mary White present provocative, professional theater in the barn.
ALSO restored historic 1890’s Door County barn, strawbale studio, wedding labyrinth, sculpture field, SiloSpace, fully accessible, lots of parking events, weddings & receptions for up to 200 welcome…
6746 County Road G Egg Harbor, WI 54209 920-868-2912 HOURS - open every day 10-5:00 mid-May thru mid-October, most weekends and always by appointment or chance.. call to make sure. DIRECTIONS - 2 miles North of Carlsville, 5 miles South of Egg Harbor, just off Hwy. 42 on County G (at Schartner’s Market).
The essence of Door County in an historic setting
CONTRIBUTORS Myles Dannhausen Jr. is a regular contributor to Door County Living and News Editor of the Peninsula Pulse. In this issue the Egg Harbor native gets the story behind the Valmy Thresheree, an event that celebrates Door County’s agricultural past, and provides some of its most off-beat entertainment. Pig wrestling anyone? Jacinda Duffin has lived in Door County all of her postcollegiate life, and has had the good fortune of wearing many hats: restaurateur, art gallery owner, playwright. She is an avid reader, crossword puzzler, freelance writer, and theater-goer. Jacinda spends entirely too much time buying and selling real estate – both personally and professionally – and is a broker/owner and partner at True North Real Estate in downtown Fish Creek. Jennifer Klessig-DuPont is a Door County native who has returned to the shores of the peninsula after a 20year sabbatical in Atlanta. Now admittedly half southern belle and half Door County tomboy, she’s brought her writing skills and perspective back to the county as a contributor to the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living. In her spare time she is likely to be found volunteering at the Third Avenue Playhouse, DCA, or Habitat for Humanity or traveling as a freelance stage manager in the television industry. Dan Eggert, currently the Photo Editor of the Peninsula Pulse, has been working with Door County Living from the beginning of its publication history. He is a freelance photographer working with clients ranging from local Door County businesses to artists and musicians, and will shoot an occasional wedding now and then. After a long and illustrious scholastic career in the cities of Philadelphia, Chicago and Minneapolis, Nik Garvoille, against all better judgment, landed in Door County in 2005 where he has been painting, writing, cooking, trailblazing and loving the land ever since. Gary Jones is a freelance journalist as well as a poet, dramatist, essayist, fiction writer, and occasional teacher of writing. After nearly 30 years of living in Door County, he and his wife have finally put down roots. (No small thing; a late orchard man once told Jones that because of the peninsula’s rocky soil he sometimes had to blast to plant trees.) Brittany Jordt graduated from UW-Madison in May 2009 with a BA in English and Theater. She feels excited and honored to be able to share her passion for the arts by contributing to Door County Living. Door County is a wonderful community with a variety of art forms and very talented artists, which makes it a delightfully compelling place to live and to write. Dr. Roger Kuhns is a geologist, environmental scientist, writer, and president of SustainAudit.net. Barbara Malcolm, who lives in Green Bay, had probably driven down Garrett Bay Road a hundred times (on the way to scuba dive on the wreck of the Fleetwing in Garrett Bay with her husband, son, and daughter) before she became aware of The Clearing Folk School. The catalog arrived in her mailbox in March 2001 and it changed the way she looked at Door County forever. Before then she saw Door County as the dry land where she assembled and donned her scuba gear; now it is also the place where she can spend a week away from the clamor of modern life, writing stories and poems in the haven that is The Clearing. The study of nature has been a lifelong pursuit for Roy Lukes. Learning, photographing and teaching about the natural history here since 1964 has sharpened his awareness and knowledge of the excellent biodiversity in Door County and the urgent need for stronger continuing stewardship of this great peninsula. doorcountyliving.com
Megan O’Meara started coming to Door County for family vacations as a child. During a Thanksgiving stay in 1998, she discovered that the Irish House (now O’Meara’s Irish House) was for sale and purchased it. Before moving to Door County from Chicago, she worked for an electrical contracting company. Megan graduated from St. Ambrose University with an English and French degree. Most of her time is spent in her store; however, she does find time to write, read and take in the occasional Door County view. Melissa Ripp, a native of Door County, decided to come back to the place she grew up after college graduation. The county hasn’t been the same since. Melissa lives her life by word counts and is a regular contributor to Door County Living and the Peninsula Pulse. When she’s not under deadline, Melissa enjoys working as the Marketing & Community Relations Director for the Hardy Gallery as well at her creative services company, Peapod Public Relations & Marketing. Katie Lott Schnorr lives in southern Door County with her family. She is a poet, singer, and second grade teacher. Katie is thrilled that summer is here so she can relish her favorite summer produce: heirloom tomatoes grown by her husband and local cherries for making pies and Cherry Bounce. Copy Editor and former intern of the Peninsula Pulse, Sally Slattery spends the summer seasons working at Wilson’s Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor, planning winter adventures to such places as New Zealand, Croatia, and Madison, Wisconsin. Though, as she has discovered, all roads lead back to Door County. Bonnie Spielman is currently the Sales Manager for Door County Living and the Peninsula Pulse. With a college background in English and Journalism, she has enjoyed rekindling her interest in writing in her spare time. She discovered the game of golf in her adult years and credits her husband, avid golfer and Gibraltar High School golf coach, Bob, for teaching her the game. She also authors the Peninsula Pulse’s regular golf page “Making the Turn.” Bob and Bonnie own Hat Head and reside in Fish Creek with their dog, Looper. Since setting her post-college, vagabond ways aside, Allison Vroman has settled into life along the Door Peninsula. When not editing the Peninsula Pulse or writing for Door County Living, she can be found on the soccer field coaching the Gibraltar/Sevastopol High School boys soccer team. Any spare time after that is equally divided among drinking coffee, taking naps and training for triathlons. After acquiring his mathematics degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Paul Wanish instantly forgot all that mumbo-jumbo. His secondary homes include Krakow, Poland and Las Vegas, Nevada. His primary home is that trailer with the Pabst sign on Old Stage Road. Paul enjoys bacon, punk rock, and Slavic languages (in that order). Patty Williamson grew up in the small town in North Missouri where Walt Disney spent much of his childhood. Since 1992, she and her husband have spent April through November on Kangaroo Lake, and the license on their van reads LVDCWI. Patty has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and English and a master’s and doctorate in education administration. She is the author of four books, including See You Under the Stars…The History of American Folklore Theatre, out this May. When not writing, she spends her time traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and needlework, researching her Irish roots and volunteering.
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 11
AROUND THE DOOR
Late Summer 2010 It’s finally here! Summer seems to be the raison d’etre of the peninsula. Every day is a gift that gives us more to enjoy in the county. All the flowers and trees are in full bloom, the water warms up enough to make even chilly Lake Michigan a welcome place to swim, and the days stretch into long, beautiful twilights with majestic sunsets. While we are sure you know just how to enjoy these wonderful summer days, here are a few items that may actually make you want to leave your beach chair.
enjoy the peninsula & surrounding islands
Play 72 holes in one day! It is do-able…in mini golf Washington Island Cherry Train that is. Door County has a wonderful variety of mini-golf An absolute must-do for every Door County visicourses in several towns. tor is a trip to Washington Island. You can drive, They range from large fun bike or walk onto the ferry which, during the sumparks to the small and kitchy mer, leaves every half hour from Northport Pier in hidden gems. All of them are Gills Rock. Once you have made it to the island, worth playing – you can make the Cherry Train, an open air tram, awaits to take a fun, family tournament with your you on a fifteen-mile, hour-and-a-half guided own prizes and rewards and stop for tour of Washington Island. You’ll learn about the snacks or ice cream along the way. people and industry that keeps the island up and Washington Island boasts Deer Run, running. The tour stops at various points of interalso home to the island’s only regulaest, which may include Schoolhouse Beach, the tion golf course. Continuing from Exotic Animal Farm or the Norwegian Stavkirke north to south you will hit Johnson Church. Once you have relaxed and enjoyed all Park in Sister Bay which also has gothe island has to offer, you can return to your chokarts, batting cages and an arcade. sen mode of transport and continue exploring. Right next door is Pirate’s Cove where there is one hole tucked inside a waterfall. Situated next to Joe Jo’s Pizza in Ephraim is the Red Putter, which has been a long-time local favorite. And, last but not least, head south to Egg Harbor and the Egg Harbor Fun Park for golf, arcade, snacks and much more.
12 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
AROUND THE DOOR Shore to Shore Swim/Bike-a-thon Decided that the Door County Triathlon is not for you this summer? Create your own bike-a-thon. Start in Green Bay waters with a dip at the Ephraim Beach, located right on Highway 42, then hop on your bicycle (don’t forget your helmet) for one of the peninsula’s most picturesque rides on County Road Q. This beautiful country road twists and turns its way from Ephraim to Baileys Harbor. Be aware of traffic since the shoulder is typical of back-country by-ways! You will see some of our county’s most luscious foliage as well as deer, fox and many other critters who call this area home. You can also take an exciting side trip off of County Q by following the signs to the Cana Island Lighthouse, a great place for a picnic. Back on Q you will pass Moonlight Bay and the Ridges Sanctuary. Take a left onto Highway 57, follow it into Baileys Harbor, then left again onto Ridges Road. Finally, cross your own “finish line” at the Baileys Harbor Beach on the shore of Lake Michigan. After this 13-mile ride, you will be ready for another dip in the cool waves of our beautiful Great Lake!
“Harmony by the Bay” Featuring Willy Porter Tuesday, July 20, 7:00 pm. Willy Porter headlines Sturgeon Bay’s free summer concert series in Martin Park. Porter, “perhaps best known as a down-tuned six string wonder, [merits equal regard] as a singer and a writer, and as a showman.” Bring a lawn chair and a blanket; in the event of rain, the concert will take place at the Ladder House.
Peninsula School of Art Plein Air Festival “Dockside Quick Paint” Saturday, July 24, 9:00 am www.doorcountypleinair.com (920) 868-3455 Forty Artists. Six days to paint. One incredible event. This week-long, annual event hosted by the Peninsula School of Art has developed a loyal following. One exciting event takes place in Fish Creek’s Clark Park. Starting at 9:00 am artists take part in a “quick paint” – in other words, two hours to create a piece from start to finish. Spectators can wander through Fish Creek and watch the artists’ progress. At 11:00 am, all pieces are put on display; auction at noon.
47th Annual Belgian Days Saturday, July 10, Noon – Midnight Sunday, July 11, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Located at the Town Park in Brussels, Belgian Days promises excitement for all ages. Tractor pull, softball tournament, country and polka music, firemen’s challenge and a parade round out the fun. For information call (920) 825-1450.
For the latest in Door County news, arts and entertainment check the Peninsula Pulse newspaper or www.ppulse.com.
doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 13
HISTORY BY PATTY WILLIAMSON, PH.D.
A Prize Worth the Journey The Pottawatomie Lighthouse
The Pottawatomie Light. Photo contributed by Tim Sweet.
Imagine, if
Jess Miner, lighthouse keeper from 1886 to 1898, was one of many to watch over the beacon. 14 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
you can, a time nearly 200 years ago when Green Bay and Prairie du Chien were the only two major towns in Wisconsin. When the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, the already thriving shipping trade between Green Bay and cities on the eastern Great Lakes increased dramatically. Troubled by the number of shipwrecks in Death’s Door, 30 Detroit merchants and ship owners petitioned Congress in 1834 to build a
lighthouse on Rock Island to guide ships through that treacherous passage. In 1836, a government crew selected a spot on a 129-foot bluff on the north side of the island. The Rock Island Lighthouse on Pottawatomie Point that began service in October 1837 was a 30-foot stone tower, 18 feet in diameter at the base and nine feet in diameter at the top. The Winslow Patent light had eleven oil lamps and eleven 14inch reflectors. It was the first lighthouse in what, eleven years later, would become Wisdoorcountyliving.com
HISTORY
In 1858 the lighthouse and tower fell victim to mortar failure and was replaced by a new structure, still standing today.
the light, along with ten other souls, most of them shipwreck victims. Laurie Flanigan, a long-time actor/playwright with American Folklore Theatre, spent a night at the lighthouse in 2006 researching her play, 20 Days to Find a Wife, that had its world premiere last year at St. Paul’s History Theatre.
consin. A separate 34-foot by 20-foot storyand-a-half stone house with two apartments was provided for the keeper and his assistant. David Corbin, a veteran of the War of 1812, was the first keeper of the Pottawatomie Light, from its opening until 1852. When the district inspector visited in 1845, he found Corbin desperately lonely and gave him a 20-day leave of absence with the specific assignment of finding a wife. Corbin’s search was unsuccessful, and he served his last seven years with only his horse and dog for company. He died alone, at his post, and was buried in the little cemetery south of doorcountyliving.com
Sixteen other lighthouse keepers followed Corbin from 1852 to 1946. It was not an easy life, and many of the early men lasted only one or two years. Because the dock where supplies were delivered once a year by the U.S. supply steamer Dahlia was more than a mile from the lighthouse, Corbin cut a road through the forest. Everything he used, including drinking water, had to be hauled up this steep trail. The light, like a hungry baby, demanded to be fed day and night – trips up three flights of narrow stairs with fuel ranging from the original sperm whale oil to lard oil and coal oil (kerosene). There wasn’t, and still isn’t, electricity on the island. In the early years, a hand pump in the winter kitchen brought up rainwater for bathing and washing clothes from cisterns in the basement, but in the dry summer of 1884, Keeper William Betts and his wife carried every drop of water the family used,
two bucketsful at a time, up the 154 steps from the lake. In the mid-1860s, the wife of Abraham Grover, the assistant keeper, taught Rock Island children in the basement of the lighthouse. Usually though, the keepers’ families lived on Washington Island during the school year, with the keeper joining them from December 15th through April 1st, when shipping was dormant. Some, however, opted for the more isolated life. Betts’s wife, Emily, a sea captain’s daughter, delivered the first two of their nine children in the lighthouse without the assistance of doctor, nurse or neighbor. She also served as assistant keeper during two of the 16 years of her husband’s term. In 1858, the lighthouse and tower fell victim to mortar failure and were razed and replaced by the present 33-foot by 31-foot dwelling, enclosing an 8-foot by 8-foot tower topped by a nine-sided lantern with a fourth order Fresnel lens. It produced a steady white light visible for 14 nautical miles. In 1946, the U.S. Coast Guard automated the light with a battery-powered beacon attached to the railing of the lantern deck, Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 15
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HISTORY Within two years, Thordarson had acquired all the land on the island except the government-owned spot where the lighthouse stood.
and the last keeper and assistant left the island. The Fresnel lens was stored in the basement. Its disappearance a few years later remains a mystery. In 1988, the Coast Guard erected a 41-foot skeletal steel tower west of the lighthouse and moved the beacon there. In 1910, wealthy Chicago businessman Chester Thordarson began purchasing parcels of private land on Rock Island, including, for $5,000, 661 acres from Rasmus Hanson, a Washington Island boat builder.
doorcountyliving.com
Thordarson’s dream of creating an entire village on his property was derailed by the Great Depression, but the magnificent stone boathouse that he called The Jewel House of Art and Nature, built on the southwestern shore, remains, as does one of the cottages he built for his sons, now used as the park ranger’s office. In 1965, the State of Wisconsin purchased the Thordarson estate from his heirs and created Rock Island State Park, unique among the state’s 66-site park system. The lighthouse, deserted for 58 years, was destined to be reborn because of the intense interest of Tim Sweet, a school teacher/librarian from Clintonville, Wisconsin, who first visited Rock Island in 1988, when the lighthouse and tower were boarded up. Two years later, he participated in a workshop
on lighthouse restoration at the 1872 lighthouse on St. Helena Island, ten miles west of Mackinac Island, and a dream was born. By 1994, Sweet and others had founded Friends of Rock Island to aid the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in enhancing the beauty and history of the park, and three years later restoration began. Their first focus was rebuilding the lantern room, a job completed by Tony Hodges of Sturgeon Bay in 1999. A hand-
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 17
HISTORY
Inspecting the light. Photo contributed by Tim Sweet.
polished acrylic replica of the Fresnel lens was designed by Dan Spinella of Artworks Florida. Matching grants from the state and additional money from individuals and corporations funded the restoration of the lighthouse. At first, volunteers attempted to do all the work themselves, but by 2003 they could afford to hire a contractor to complete the restoration of the building to its 1910 appearance. The 1836 Looking up the bluff on the northwestern edge of the island. Photo contributed by Tim Sweet.
M ARTI N E Z STU DIO
native plants sustainable landscapes intelligent design
nursery open daily 9—4 185 species · mulch · compost stone · topsoil · leopold style benches delivery available 6329 hwy 42 · 5 mi south of egg harbor 920-746-9770 www.doorlandscape.com 18 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Tapestry / / Photography / / Paintings / / Scarves / / Bags Weaving Classes / / Featured Artist Weekends ASSEMBLED HERE PAINTED COLLAGES Neva sills / / July 23 – 26 Reception: Saturday July 24; 2 – 6 PM TRACE OF SPIRIT WORKS ON PAPER Sandra Martinez featured at Mr. Helsinki Downtown Fish Creek / / July 1 – 31 M A RT I N E Z S T U D I O.CO M / / C A S A P I C AC H O.CO M 9 2 0 . 8 2 3 . 215 4 / / 1 0 – 5 D A I LY I N S E A S O N 587 7 HW Y 57 (1 M I LE SO UTH OF JAC KSON P ORT )
doorcountyliving.com
HISTORY
The light today.
privy, thought to be the oldest building in Door County, was also restored, although there’s now a composting toilet on the site. The Rock Island Lighthouse Museum was dedicated and ready for visitors in 2004, but there was a major problem – the state had no money to hire tour guides. The lack of funds resulted in the establishment of one of the most unique features of the park. Vol-
unteers sign up to live in the lighthouse for a week at a time, serving as docents for the 5,000-plus visitors who tour the lighthouse each season and keeping the house and toilet clean. There are, park property manager Kirby Foss says, far more applicants than can be used during the weeks from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. The lighthouse is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily during that time.
The park has 35 campsites close to the boat dock, five backpack sites requiring a hike of over a mile and two large-group sites. All have pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings. Reservations are required through reserveamerica.com, and all sites fill quickly. About half the island is virgin forest with plants that grow nowhere else in Door County. There are 10 miles of hiking trails and 5,000 feet of beach. No vehicles, not even bicycles, are permitted on the island. The over 25,000 annual visitors to the park are evidence that the journey – a ferry ride from Northport to Washington Island, a drive to the dock for the Rock Island ferry, and a 1.2-mile uphill trek to the lighthouse – is well worth the effort. For more information, go to www.dnr.wi.gov/org/land/ parks/specific/rockisland/ or call Kirby Foss at (920) 847-2235. To contact the Friends of Rock Island, now 200 strong, go to www. wctc.net/~cmarlspc/.
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 19
NIAGARA ESCARPMENT
The Story in the Rocks The Niagara Escarpment
By Roger Kuhns
I
t’s called the cliff, the Great Arch, or simply the ledge. It’s a 650-mile curve linear cliff exposure of up-ended Niagara Dolomite that stretches through eastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, arcs around the top of Lakes Michigan and Huron, and on through Niagara Falls. In geological circles it’s known as the Niagara Escarpment, and it’s one of the most significant features on the Door Peninsula.
20 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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NIAGARA ESCARPMENT It’s importance was recognized this year by the Wisconsin Legislature, which proclaimed 2010 the “Year of the Escarpment,” and the Door County Board of Supervisors, which recognized it in May. The escarpment is not a continuous ridge, but intermittent exposures broken by valleys and bays. The Niagara Dolomite rock that forms the escarpment reveals a fascinating story of geology, natural history, and human endeavor. The story starts with oceans, and culminates in rocks and forests and settlements. Like a book, the fossils and textures in the Niagara Dolomite are akin to words on a page that geologists read to decipher the past. These pages are part of an intricate story that helps put our lives in context with the natural history of
eastern Wisconsin. This context can help us protect our natural areas and better manage our resources and protect water supplies. If we could get a bird’s eye view of the early Paleozoic world (those chapters in time between 450 and 350 million years ago) we would find a series of small basins or connected shallow seas from the Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian periods. The shallow sea that gave us the Niagara Dolomite is called the Michigan Basin. At that time Wisconsin was underwater and situated at a latitude of 16 degrees south of the Equator. It was a time of coral seas inhabited by reefs of colonial corals, exotic bug-like trilobites, lily-like crinoids, and tentacled torpedoshaped cephalopods. As the Michigan Basin’s floor sunk, more sediment was deposited, and the resultant rock tipped up like the rim of a saucer all around the state of Michigan, exposing soft shale under the dolomite. The dolomite would form a ledge as the shale weathered out. The sau-
cer’s edge would ultimately become the Niagara Escarpment – but only after hundreds of millions of years of erosion. Plate tectonics would carry this patch of earth north to our present latitude. There is no record in Wisconsin of the hundreds of millions of years that existed between the formation of the dolomite and the much younger glacial tills and outwash deposits. This was largely the time of the dinosaurs, which thrived in the seas when marine incursions flooded the land, and tromped around on the dry or forested uplands. But even then the land was being uplifted, and that means everything was eroding – especially dinosaur bones. We know this about the dinosaurs and erosion by comparing neighboring geologic environments and reconstructing the continents through time. In eastern Wisconsin the Niagara Escarpment would have existed further west than today’s location. Two million years ago the Earth experienced an ice age. Great sheets of ice accumulated in Canada. There were at least five significant ice accumulation regions that helped the Laurentian Ice Sheet grow more than 6,000 feet thick. The ice on Greenland is the last vestige of that era. The thick ice moved very slowly across the landscape, scraping off the soils and rubble, and carving into the softer rocks of Canada and the northern United States. The gla-
Ellison Bay Bluff County Park. Photo by Dan Eggert.
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 21
NIAGARA ESCARPMENT ciers acted as sculptors, putting the finishing touches on a deeply eroded land. The Green Bay Lobe of the Laurentian Ice Sheet further carved the eroding edge of the Niagara Dolomite. Some valleys were filled, others scoured, and the meltwater filled our lakes and groundwater aquifers. The abundance of water continued dissolving the dolomite to create caves and karst. Karst is a geologic and topographic terrain that results from a rainwater solution of limestone and dolomite. This dissolving process creates holes and caves, some of which collapse and open to the surface to make sink holes. Door County is a bit like a block of Swiss cheese – full of holes – from this karst formation process. Geologist and Door County caver Bob Bultman frequents one such cave, the Horseshoe Bay Cave, which is exposed in the escarpment south of Egg Harbor. Bultman notes that the cave follows the karst and joint features deep into Door County. “After storms it runs like an underground river,” he said. By the end of the glacial era, some 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, the Niagara Escarpment stood as a stubborn reminder of the Earth’s legacy – born from warm equatorial seas and sculpted by continental glaciation. The First Peoples in Wisconsin gazed from this rocky loft about that time, maybe as early as 14,000 years ago. They brought early tools and knowledge of the transitional climate and environments immediately Courtesy of Roger Kuhns.
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NIAGARA ESCARPMENT liances and conduct trade. Corn became important after A.D. 1000, and this led to the agriculture-based communities of the Oneota and other tribal groups.
One of the many rare snails living on the escarpment.
following the glacial times. They would have seen the ice sheets retreating northward, benefited from the abundant life fed by the incredible melt waters, and hunted mammoth and other surviving species. These earliest people may not have settled here, but those that followed did, and some found sacred sites along the Niagara Escarpment. Dr. Robert Jeske, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Department of Anthropology, has been studying Wisconsin’s effigy mounds. Important ones occur at the Nitchke Site just west of Lake Winnebago within the Niagara Escarpment region. Findings from these sites, which date from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1200, indicate these were ritual spaces for the early inhabitants of Wisconsin.
The escarpment also represents a natural barrier between the oak savannas and prairie. Native Americans burned portions of the savanna to establish prairie lands for agriculture, but the fires seldom reached east of the Niagara Escarpment, which acted as a natural firebreak. The Europeans who settled in Wisconsin after 1634 found abundant woodlands as a source for lumber and game for food. In time, the industrious ones mined the extensive sand and gravel deposits and quarried dolomite for building materials.
“The lack of significant architecture, and prevalence of wild rice, nuts, deer and fish suggest these people moved around a lot – they were hunters and gathers,” Jeske said.
Today, the habitats surviving on the escarpment are fragile and of great scientific importance. Biologists have identified 241 rare species and natural communities along the escarpment in Wisconsin. Ancient White and Eastern Red Cedar trees grow on the exposed vertical faces and on top of the cliff zones. In 1996, researcher Doug Larsen discovered a 1,200-year-old Eastern Red Cedar on the Brown County segment of the escarpment. Gary Fewless, curator for the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay (UWGB) Herbarium Center, reports finding dead trees that were 1,800 years old. These cedars represent some of Wisconsin’s truly ancient forests.
They came together periodically to build mounds to bury their dead, and make al-
The Niagara Escarpment is host to five important habitats: 1) exposed verti-
cal faces, 2) shallow-dipping cuesta slopes above the cliff that host thin-soil alvars and bedrock glade communities, 3) algific zones cooled by air flowing through fractures in the dolomite at the cliff base, 4) rock talus also accumulates at the cliff base, and 5) alkaline rock shores develop where the escarpment meets the lakes, bays and rivers (see diagram next page). Examples of these habitats can be seen in Door and Kewaunee Counties at a number of county and state parks, including Door Bluff Headlands County Park, Peninsula State Park, White Cliff Fen and Forest State
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NIAGARA ESCARPMENT
24 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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NIAGARA ESCARPMENT
Graphic courtesy of Roger Kuhns.
Natural Area, Potawatomi State Park, Bayshore County Park, and Wequiock Falls Park. Thin soils, rocky cliff faces, and rugged talus all create challenging environments for plants and animals. A variety of algae eke out an existence on the cliff by growing into the rock as much as an eighth of an inch. This rugged alga maintains about 15 percent of its biomass within the porosity of the dolomite. Other plants, such as the cedars, also cling to the vertical faces. These trees are characteristically stunted compared to the normal forest environment because they put their energy into survival, not vertical growth. Plants on the vertical faces struggle just to maintain footing, as evidenced by their gnarled character. The cliff environment provides nesting sites for birds, notably the Peregrine Falcon, and gliding birds take advantage of cliff-side updrafts. Bats and even Turkey Vultures utilize the caves doorcountyliving.com
and crevices in the dolomite for shelter. At the base of the escarpment we find the algific and talus environments. Here warm air from the cliff-tops moves through joints, fractures and karst holes in the dolomite to the base of the cliff. The air is cooled on this short journey, and maintains a very localized, cool microclimate in the sheltered cliff base and talus. It is in this algific environment that scientists have discovered a number of tiny snails. One could fit a half dozen of these snails on the head of a dime. Professors Bob Howe and Jeff Nekola from UWGB’s Cofrin Center for Biodiversity found these tiny snails surviving amid the moss and ferns in an environment that mimics 10,000 year-old Pleistocene-like conditions. Twelve rare snail species have been identified, and six of these are considered glacial era survivors. The algific habitat is restricted to within three feet of the cliff base – that’s it. This
narrow zone is home to several species of salamanders and the Red Belly Snake that depend on the environment for winter survival. Howe notes that the snail habitat is destroyed wherever trails have been constructed along the cliff. Because of these sensitive habitats many people are concerned about human activity on the escarpment, where there is a long history of building, quarrying, and recreation. Gary Fewless said at a recent Niagara Escarpment Resource Network (NERN) gathering, “We like to stand on top of it and look at something else – views!” But, he noted, “When you cut down a cedar for a view from the escarpment what have we lost? We have to think of all the pieces.” The Niagara Escarpment’s importance as a recreational and educational resource remains critically important to the region. Dr. Joanne Kluessendorf of the Weis Earth Science Museum is a proponent for a Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 25
NIAGARA ESCARPMENT
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Door County Land Trust
Bob Bultman leads a group of explorers in the Horseshoe Bay Cave. Photo by Dan Eggert.
strong geo-tourism industry in Wisconsin, especially along the escarpment. “Residents can learn more about where they live, and host communities can give visitors a better experience while bringing economic benefit to the area,” Kluessendorf said.
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve, est. 2009
Since 1986, the Door County Land Trust has been protecting Door County’s finest open spaces and wild places. Please visit our website for directions to our preserves and to make an on-line, tax-deductible contribution of support. P.O. Box 65DCL Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 920.746.1359
www.doorcountylandtrust.org 26 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
But integrating preservation with geotourism requires businesses to emphasize the character of the local environment, and become active in the protection of these valuable resources. The escarpment is of international significance and, in fact, the Ontario segment is part of the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Here in Wisconsin numerous local groups strive to protect the escarpment with help from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Action Plan. NERN has gathered information that helps promote balanced land use of the escarpment and its resources. Mark Walter, a co-chair for NERN and Director of Bay-
Lake Regional Planning Commission, said that some of the issues NERN looks into include historic and cultural resources, wildlife habitat, wind energy potential, surface and groundwater resources, and impacts from large farming operations and development projects. Mike Grimm, the Executive Director of the Door County Nature Conservancy, reminds us that, “The escarpment, shore and wetland environments so prevalent in Door [and Kewaunee] Counties are the result of water, bedrock geology and glacial history.” The escarpment may technically be a cliff, but this cliff and related local and regional habitats are connected to our hydrologic, geologic and biologic systems. An impact to one is an impact to all. Sustainable practices for preserving and protecting the Niagara Escarpment are of the utmost importance today so that this natural treasure can continue to add important value to our lives here in Wisconsin. doorcountyliving.com
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DOOR TO NATURE ARTICLE & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROY LUKES
The author’s wife, Charlotte, holds a Blue-spotted Salamander.
Wildlife of the Niagara Escarpment Wisconsin has
cuesta (pronounced “kway-stah”) formed topography. A cuesta is a land elevation with a gentle slope on one side and a steep cliff on the other. Undoubtedly Wisconsin’s best known, understood and used cuesta is the entire landmass of Door County itself, stretching from the bay of Green Bay on the west to Lake Michigan on the east. The gentle slope of the county runs from the high bluffs bordering Green Bay eastward and downward to the shores of Lake Michigan. The steep cliff of the cuesta is what I prefer to call the Niagara Escarpment, rich with fascinating wildlife. My first major introduction to the Niagara Escarpment was when I attended the “Door County and the Niagara Escarpment: Foundations for the Future” con-
ference held in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on October 19, 1989, sponsored by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Notable and experienced speakers included Ronald D. Stieglitz, Allan F. Schneider, Kenneth R. Bradbury, James H. Zimmerman, William H. Tishler, Robert W. Florence and Larry J. Smith. The entire landmass of Door County was referred to as the Niagara Escarpment. There was no mention by any of the speakers of wildlife associated with the escarpment. The most recent and very informative Niagara Escarpment conference I attended was held at the University of WisconsinGreen Bay (UWGB) on January 14, 2010. A thought-provoking statement was given by one of the presenters, Gary Fewless, botanist at UWGB. Speaking about the majestic and towering escarpment he said,
28 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
“[People come] to stand on top of it and look at something else!” Another of his poignant comments was: “Can we raise awareness and appreciation [of the escarpment] without destroying some of its unique features.” I was immediately reminded of May 12, 2006, the day I photographed the nest of Northern Ravens situated on a narrow ledge about 40 or so feet directly below the famous Sven’s Bluff Overlook at Peninsula State Park. All the while I photographed the two young ravens in the nest from a distance, tourists were standing against the railing directly above and admiring the awesome panoramic view, totally unaware of the birds’ presence. The scenic overlook is actually slightly cantilevered outward so one cannot see what is directly below. It was in August of 1989 that we were alerted to a strange-looking baby bird doorcountyliving.com
DOOR TO NATURE
(Above left) Two immature ravens in the nest below Sven’s Bluff in Peninsula State Park. (Above right) An adult Turkey Vulture. Notice the clear opening through the top of its beak.
around 15 inches tall, unable to fly, perched on the trail close to the water directly below the steep escarpment at Little Sister Bay. It turned out to be a baby Turkey Vulture, proof of the first nesting of these carrioneaters in the county. The nest was discovered the following day in a narrow crevice at the very top of the escarpment. With fishing being of such high commercial and recreational value in the county, little thought is given to the value of the escarpment to the fish. Stand on the observation platform at the Ellison Bay Bluff County Park where one can clearly see how the narrow shoreline quickly falls off into deeper water. The top of the bluff at this park is roughly 180 feet above the water. It was Dr. Allan Schneider, professional geologist, who made the following comment at the 1989 Niagara Escarpment Conference: “The full height of the escarpment cannot be seen, however, because the base of the escarpment is commonly concealed beneath the water. The floor of the Green Bay basin
is generally 65 to 80 feet below water level; in some places it is 30 to 40 feet deeper. The total height of the escarpment, therefore, ranges from 200 to 300 feet. The character of the Green Bay shoreline is well displayed in many places, particularly in Peninsula State Park, at Ellison Bluff County Park, at Death’s Door County Park, and at Boyer Bluff on Washington Island.” Dr. Bob Howe, Director of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity at UWGB, in speaking about the escarpment at the Green Bay conference this past January, said, “Cliff faces and bases are very fragile. Much research is needed.” There are about 85 species of land snails in Wisconsin. Professor Jeff Nekola, formerly of UWGB, found 26 snail species at one site, most within three feet of the base of the escarpment. Prior to his study, one of these species had only been found in Scotland. Twelve of them are considered to be very rare and tend to be extremely small, like the size of a caraway seed. Six of the species are glacial relics – cool crevices of the
A rare Ringneck Snake.
escarpment mimic the Ice Age conditions where these snails thrived. The richest snail fauna in the entire Great Lakes Region exists near the base of the Niagara Escarpment. While these tiny land snails are not a tourist attraction, they nevertheless constitute an important segment of the overall ecosystem of this outstanding land feature. Salamanders, including the Blue-spotted and the Red-backed, are often found in
Read Roy’s “Door to Nature” column each week in the Peninsula Pulse or online at www.ppulse.com. doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 29
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A fledgling Turkey Vulture at the base of the Little Sister Bay bluffs.
proximity of the base of the escarpment. Also found there are the DeKay’s Snake and the Red-bellied Snake. Natural openings in the escarpment provide these reptiles with suitable wintering hibernacula. A snake more likely to be accidentally uncovered when moving small rocks in the woods bordering the very top of the escarpment is the rarely seen Ring-necked Snake. The study of bats needs much more attention in light of problems they are experiencing. One of the largest bat hibernaculum in the Midwest is the Neda Mine State Natural Area near the southern end of the Niagara Escarpment. Four of the state’s seven bat species – the Big Brown, Little Brown, Northern Myotis and the Eastern Pipistrelle – hibernate in caves in the winter, quite common in the face of the escarpment. The smallest of all seven species, sometimes confused with a moth, is the Northern Myotis which should be receiving special study. One of the six species of swallows that nest in Door County, the Roughwinged, frequently makes use of shallow crevices in the face of the escarpment for nesting. This Dusky-throated Swallow can frequently be seen, for example, at the Cave Point County Park south of Jacksonport on the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula. Here the 20-foot-high doorcountyliving.com
Express yourself Express Express yourself yourself
escarpment provides them with numerous nesting sites while the abundant insects flying over the water provide them with food. I was a member of a hiking group this past January which explored one of the Door County Land Trust’s properties, the White Cliff Fen. It was near the end of our trekking through the deep snow that we explored a small wetland at the base of the steep escarpment. Springs were keeping a portion of the water open allowing us to discover and examine the wintering forms of several aquatic insects on the surface of the clay-like marl. Undoubtedly, many similar miniature wetlands exist along the base of the steep incline and play vital roles in the overall ecology there. Invaluable groups including The Nature Conservancy and the Door County Land Trust will continue to be of great importance in the preservation of the fascinating wildlife whose homes are on or near the great Niagara Escarpment. It is vital that we work to maintain healthy natural systems while, at the same time, meet the material needs and aspirations of an increasing number of people, all the while striving to maintain a balanced relationship between humans and the escarpment.
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 31
ART SCENE BY BRITTANY JORDT
Stirring Ideas Into Clay Clay Bay Pottery
W
armth emanates from David and Jeanne Aurelius. Soft light and fresh air fills their studio and gallery and makes customers feel right at home. As part of their daily routine, they wake early in the morning
and drink coffee out of one of their handmade mugs. Next, they walk their black lab a couple of miles down the road at the Ellison Bluff County Park. Sometimes they get out there in time for sunrise. Always, they give their ideas time to stir and surface while they walk through the woods on a winding dirt
path, exploring and reveling in the many varieties of trees and flowers. They delight in the ever-changing scenery, the mad rush of summertime and the solace of winter. “Just looking at the leaf forms, patterns and shapes…” Jeanne says. “The ideas! There’s not enough time in the day.” For Jeanne and David, a productive workday consists of a balance between making art and selling art. They rise early and throw, decorate a piece with intricate patterns and designs, glaze, paint and fire… and all this before they even open the gallery. “We’re producing probably even more in the summertime, but we’ve had the winter to sit down, digest, and think, ‘How is next season’s work going to be different?’ We change the variation on a theme or shape, go back to something old or try something new,” Jeanne says. Location plays an important role in their work and their inspiration. “For both of us, Door County is just as beautiful as it always
32 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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ART SCENE
has been. Think of the places you only go once in a while, like Cave Point. Just go to the water to be inspired,” David says.
hold your coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Handmade bowls hold your soup and cereal.
Their studio, located just south of Ellison Bay, opened in the spring of 1976. Inside, one finds all manner of projects in various stages of completion. “We opened a couple days before Memorial Day. We bought the place, with the two buildings, put up our sign, sat and looked out the window and hoped and prayed someone would come,” Jeanne says.
Nancy Davis, another patron of Clay Bay Pottery since early times, says, “They have a great variety of sizes and shapes. And highly usable! I have them at two houses, and I use them all the time.”
“They make every day a special occasion,” David says. “It shows human ingenuity in a world that’s mass produced, pumped out, and
There are plenty of choices at Clay Bay Pottery: lady vases, lamps, coffee mugs, bowls and platters. All items add a personal touch to any home. Other artists represented in the gallery offer still more options: photographs, brightly colored paintings, and jewelry.
Think Field of Dreams and the mantra, “If you build it, they will come.” They did come: slowly driving up the Door Peninsula to Clay Bay Pottery. “They’re very good potters, very creative. We’ve been friends for nearly 25 years, so we know them well. I think they’re a very credible artistic couple, and a great talent added to what we have up here in Door County,” says John Maring, long-time friend and patron of the Aureliuses’ work Most of the Aureliuses’ beautiful art also serves a purpose. Their handmade mugs doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 33
ART SCENE
Jeanne Aurelius and students at the unveiling of the “Shore to Shore” mural project at Sevastopol School. Photo by Dan Eggert.
glitzy, where everyone’s got to have the latest toy. But we’re just making everyday ware. ”
participate in shows at the Peninsula School of Art. Their work will be featured among many other prominent Door County artists in the October exhibit, “Norse Mythology, the Muse.” The Aureliuses also participated in the “Daybreak” exhibit at Edgewood Orchard Galleries.
Jeanne and David met at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where they learned Marguerite Wildenhain’s (master potter of the Bauhaus School of Design) technique of pottery. From there, they applied and were accepted to attend a summer workshop with Wildenhain herself at Pond Farm in Guerneville, California. This proved to be such an inspirational and unique opportunity to pursue their craft and apprentice with the master that they returned four more times.
They have, however, performed some of their most outstanding and influential work in the community alongside Wisconsin schools. Together with students, parents, faculty and staff, the Aureliuses have created 19 murals at various schools, and one at Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church.
“It was fun to be learning and struggling with everyone else,” David says. “I think of it as my graduate school.”
“Murals are great because you’re all working toward one goal. The community members are volunteering their own time to help.
Jeanne and David also teach classes and
They become addicted to the project, and they want to see it finish,” David says. In the beginning, the idea of creating a 14 or 16-foot mural seems impossible to students. With a little faith and a lot of hard work, it all comes together. Their largest mural, at Lake Bluff School in Shorewood, Wisconsin, with the help of some 650 students, was 22 feet long. Jeanne says, “When we’re at the schools we are really asking a lot of the students. Having them think of a theme that the schools decide upon, and create images from their mind’s eye about the theme on the spot; it’s just phenomenal how creative they are – and diverse.” Through these endeavors, the Aureliuses have been able to
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ART SCENE successfully incorporate art outreach into their lives.
“Even if they don’t speak our language, they understand that we appreciate their work and creativity. There are so many people out there in the world, doing and creating! Sometimes it seems overwhelming. Then I remember that we give some kind of joy to the everyday person drinking out of a mug, or using a plate or a bowl,” Jeanne says. For now, they plan to let all the new images from their trip slowly infuse their work and follow where the inspiration leads. They know their materials well, and David and Jeanne prepared to learn from and go beyond what they have done in the past with innovative new designs and shapes. According the Aureliuses, it’s an exciting struggle. “This is our life, and we really love it. Luckily people come and buy our work,” David says. “We satisfy people’s spirits and their souls.”
Jill Verbick Abler Glass
The Aureliuses just returned from visiting their daughter in China. During the course of their trip, they spent a fair amount of time being inspired by art from another culture. They’ve also spent time in Mexico and parts of Europe, and everywhere they go, they seek out native artwork.
Garden Plants & Landscape Art
Josie Sibold
In addition to the work found in the Clay Bay Pottery showroom, special orders can be placed for tiles for cabinet tops, wine racks, kitchen or bathroom back splashes, or home murals. Nancy Davis, who occasionally places special orders with the Aureliuses, says that she was very excited to see David’s innovative work with stencils, a technique he learned while studying at Pond Farm with Marguerite Wildenhain. Davis is particularly fond of David’s bird designs, though he does a variety of beautiful patterns, trees, and abstract decorations. Davis says, “I ordered a casserole dish and without my ever saying anything he put the birds on the inside. It was lovely.”
Gallery & Coffee Shop
the flying pig
LLC
gallery & greenspace
920-487-9902 www.theflyingpig.biz
2 miles south of Algoma on Hwy 42
OPEN DAILY 9-6 doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 35
ART SCENE BY JACINDA DUFFIN
The 2010 line of Refab Clothing. Photos by Alacrity Photography.
Refab Yourself
Brilliant Stranger Dresses Door County
“One should either be a work of art,” Oscar Wilde tells us, “or wear a work of art.”
Perhaps not so
difficult for a flamboyant, 20th Century playwright, but such pressure – such pressure! – for us modern day, more conventional folk. If you’ve found that lack of time, talent, or good taste (or some days all three) distracts you from these loftier goals, take heart: Brilliant Stranger, located in downtown Fish Creek, is packed with unique clothing and accessories to get you well on your way to if not being, at least wearing a work of art. Dawn Patel, resident artist, seamstress and entrepreneur has, quite literally, got your back.
is not your average Door County clothier. There are no name brand items or wardrobe staples here. But if you’re looking for something unusual (a merit badge circle scarf ), inspiring (a black and white polka dot dress made partially with men’s ties) or just plain fun (a red hot chili pepper wide-waisted skirt), you’ve stumbled upon the right place. Arrive early and grab a cup of coffee at the adjacent Luna Café, owned by Patel’s brother and sister-in-law, have a bite to eat and get ready to shop. Enter through the store’s arch, and two vibrant pink mannequins usher you into this tiny but brilliant, funky and friendly boutique.
Part clothing store, part art gallery, part resale and all fabulous, Brilliant Stranger
Brilliant Stranger’s fashion-forward style is directly attributable to Patel, who found-
36 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
ed her first store in 2003 and spends the majority of her time creating the product she sells. While she does carry some imported items, mainly jewelry and accessories, the bulk of her clothing is made here at home, actually in her home, and guarantees you a one-of-a-kind garment with real handiwork involved. It’s understandable if the terms embroidery, appliqué, and stencil bring to mind country kitchen aprons and holiday sweaters, but take a look at how Patel uses these techniques to turn ordinary clothing into fresh, hip designer items. Take for instance, her “Science Class Skirt” – “This wrap skirt is made from absolutely gorgeous fabric purchased directly from the vendors at the fabric markets in Accra, Ghana. The doorcountyliving.com
ART SCENE
doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 37
38 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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ART SCENE sha, Wisconsin, Patel has a wide streak of talent and a work ethic to match. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, she matriculated to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to obtain her Masters in Fine Arts. After decades of wearing many hats – artist, mother, fast food cook, barista, waitress, bartender, teacher and social worker – Patel has found her calling in fabric.
Owner-artist Dawn Patel under the arch at Brilliant Stranger in downtown Fish Creek.
fabric is dyed and batiked with very permanent high quality dyes. It will not run, even in warm water! It is a joy to behold, with vibrant colors and remarkably inventive designs. This one reminds me of models of mitochondria and such in biology class junior year!” Or, her “Wrapped in Charlie Monkey Skirt” – “The monkey appliqué is a hand sewn felt monkey design inspired by the art of the famous poster artist, Charley Harper. I have machine sewn the monkey onto a polyester/rayon wrap, above-the-knee classic style skirt. The wrap design buttons on each side for clean lines. I have accompanied the monkey with two iron-ons made from swatches of African fabric …” Patel’s
INFORMATION HOURS: Open daily 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, later on weekends ADDRESS: 4192 Main Street, Fish Creek (under the Whistling Swan) PHONE: (920) 868-3420 WEB SITE: www.BrilliantStranger.com or www. Etsy.com
descriptions are as lively as her designs. “My background in fine arts makes me love creating images on clothing. I print, appliqué, add beads, whatever the garments needs to make it not so ordinary and something worth a customer’s interest. Everything I do is time consuming and hard work, but it’s fun and rewarding for me. I make stencil prints out of Mylar, block print with oil-based ink, and create what looks like handmade graffiti,” she says, holding up a rust colored t-shirt with an almost gauzylooking white bird across the front. “Actually,” she says, “this is sort of a reverse stencil. I used bleach to remove color rather than adding color.” She continues around the store, describing beading techniques, and showing off her popular vintage cotton fabric sundresses and cuffed shorts.
“The Etsy site is fun. There’s a challenge there because you have to do a good job describing the article, have specific information about sizing, and have a great return policy. It’s a growing part of my business and currently supplements my sales,” Patel comments. “It is exciting though, because items that I couldn’t sell in Fish Creek – or anywhere in Wisconsin for that matter – are selling to people from Australia, New York, L.A., all who’ve found me on the Etsy site. It’s fun to realize that my clothing is making its way around the world.”
“Remember that always dressing in understated good taste is the same as playing dead.” –Susan Catherine
Born in England and raised in Kenodoorcountyliving.com
In addition to the Fish Creek bricks-andmortar store, Patel has a thriving online business on the popular artisan Web site, Etsy. She’s created two lines: Artifactory, which is vintage-only clothing and accessories (she used to sell the Artifactory line in her Door County store but found it was not for the average shopper, who confused the line with thrift store garments), and Refab (a term Patel has smartly trademarked), her handmade, recycled and refurbished products that are a combination of new and old, sold both in Fish Creek and online.
Here in Fish Creek, Patel can most often be found in her store. She currently has two employees (both, incidentally, who’ve launched their own lines since working there), and relies on both her mother and daughter to contribute to the business. Her Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 39
Whitefish Bay Farm Gallery
Fiber Art – Paintings Photography – Pottery Jewelry – Wood
Open Noon to 5 PM daily (closed Tues.)
3831 Clark Lake Road Sturgeon Bay – Jacksonport
1 ½ miles east of Hwy 57 on County WD www.whitefishbayfarm.com/gallery.htm
Our 58th Season
August 3-21, 2010
Tickets start at $30 STudenTS & Children juST $10
Nine Different Concerts in Three Weeks on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8 P.M. (Except August 14th at 7:30 P.M.) in the Door Community Auditorium, Fish Creek
920-854-4060
www.musicfestival.com
Ticket Office: 3045 Cedar Street, Ephraim INDOORS
40 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
• AIR CONDITIONED • RESERVED SEATS
doorcountyliving.com
SILENT ARTSPORTS SCENE daughter, Candance Patel, has a degree in marketing and helps with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Candance is currently also working with refugee women to make accessories like scarves and wrapped bangles. This organization is called Cloth and the products are sold at Brilliant Stranger. Patel’s mother, Sheila Patel, is an excellent seamstress, and creates many of the wrap skirts and sundresses for the store.
reasons, stating that the more we buy and sell something made in our own country, our own town, the better it is for us and for the environment. A proud thrifter, she’s been collecting fabrics and clothing for years. “My home is piled high with clothing, materials, sewing machines, a Serger, printing supplies, mannequins and clothes racks. I am constantly surrounded by my work. I love it!”
“Adornment is never anything except a reflection of the heart.” –Coco Chanel
“My mom is the reason I sew. She sewed all of my clothing when I was growing up, which I never appreciated; I ran off to the mall as much as I could to buy clothes so that I could dress like everyone else. Now I can’t imagine doing that,” says Patel. Patel is passionate about Refab for many
Some people are hesitant to purchase Refab clothing due to concerns about care, but Patel sets their minds at ease. Because she doesn’t know what to expect when she combines several materials, she prewashes everything prior to working on it. All clothes have tags with washing instructions. “Hand wash and line dry is fine for most [except] the occasional
dry clean piece. As much as I love clothes, I throw most of mine right in the washing machine and everything survives,” she laughs. She also works hard to keep most of her pieces retailing under $50, and her very popular sundresses retail under $30. She is committed to keeping her inventory fresh, fun and accessibly priced. “It’s such a personal business. Some days I feel like I make a hundred new friends a day, and it’s a real ego boost. Other days, people walk in, look somewhat uncomfortable, and walk out again. People have strong reactions to the store, but I must say that there is no one category for my customers. They are all ages, all kinds of tastes, and from different walks of life. I think each one shares the fact that they don’t want to dress or think like everyone else; they embrace change and are curious about life.” If you’re looking to renew, refresh or Refab, take your curious self to Fish Creek and don’t be a stranger. Be a brilliant one instead.
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Hats
Purses
Apparel
Shoes Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 41
MUSIC SCENE BY MELISSA RIPP
Victor Yampolsky in the Door Community Auditorium. Photo by Dan Eggert. 42 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
MUSIC SCENE
Conducting an Orchestra . . . in Paradise Maestro Victor Yampolsky celebrates 25 years with the Peninsula Music Festival
Before I speak
to Victor Yampolsky, Music Director of the Peninsula Music Festival (PMF), I get more than a little nervous. The questions that I’ve jotted down to ask him just seem so simple, especially for a man who in 2010 will celebrate 25 years as PMF’s Music Director – a post that he has held longer than Thor Johnson, the founding director of the orchestra. What could I possibly ask this man in an interview that he hasn’t been asked before? I ponder this for days before calling. It turns out that I needn’t have worried. Yampolsky, a man who has conducted just under 80 symphonies, has every right to be smug – but every question I ask is met with an honest excitement, from his early start in music right up to his involvement with the music festival.
school enabled Yampolsky to study all of his regular school subjects as well as follow an intensive curriculum for the violin. By the age of 17 he was on his way to the Moscow Conservatory to study under the legendary violin master David Oistrakh. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1966, and began playing violin with the Moscow Philharmonic. It was around this time that Yampolsky began to realize that he was interested in symphonic conducting. “Both David and my father had realized that my music interests were deeper and wider than simply playing the violin,” Yampolsky says. “Even when I was playing in the orchestra, my friends
would say, ‘Victor, you should be conducting us!’” Yampolsky decided to go back to school in 1968, studying Symphonic Conduction with Maestro Nicolai Rabinovich at the Leningrad Conservatory in Russia until he graduated in 1972. Just when one thinks Yampolsky’s life and early career couldn’t possibly be any more jam-packed with activity, we reach a crucial point in his story – his emigration from the Soviet Union to the United States in 1973. On a recommendation from conductor Zubin Mehta, Yampolsky found himself auditioning for one of the most famous American conductors of all time, Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein offered Yampolsky a
Stewart Goodyear rehearses with Victor Yampolsky. Photo provided by the Peninsula Music Festival.
The son of two professional musicians – one of them being the famed pianist Vladimir Yampolsky – Yampolsky was born in the Soviet Union in 1942 and says he learned to read music around the same time he learned to read and write. “My favorite melody when I was a child was Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and, at four years old, I managed to find those notes on my father’s piano,” he says, laughing. “I played those two notes all of the time!” For his seventh birthday, Yampolsky asked for and received a small violin, and a short time after began studying at a special school for gifted music students. The doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 43
44 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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MUSIC SCENE very special place. They have this little music festival, and they happen to be looking for a music director.’” A year later, Yampolsky was in Door County conducting the final week of the 1985 Peninsula Music Festival season as part of his audition. A short while later, the PMF Board of Directors voted unanimously to appoint him. Yampolsky is quick to point out that while he is a music conductor at both his posts at Northwestern and at the Peninsula Music Festival, there is a major difference between his two roles. “The PMF consists of professional, hand-picked musicians that are devoted to their craft and come very well prepared,” Yampolsky says. “It is one of the best orchestras I’ve ever conducted. At Northwestern, I have to be a teacher, an interpreter.” He laughs before continuing, “When we’re in Door County going through our first reading of music, the level of quality is so high that we go through it at an astronomical speed – it’s like comparing a Boeing 747 to a turtle!”
scholarship to the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood, Massachusetts, and two weeks later, a position in the violin section of the Boston Symphony. Yampolsky’s history with the Peninsula Music Festival begins in August 1985, when Robert Marcellus recommended him as one of the finalists for the PMF Music Director position. Marcellus was on the faculty at Northwestern University at the time and also served as one of the PMF’s board mem-
bers. Yampolsky met Marcellus in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1979 while participating in the annual Scotia Festival of Music. The two became good friends, and, eventually, Yampolsky found himself moving to Evanston, Illinois in 1984, where he became the director of the Orchestral Program at Northwestern. “One day, Robert asked me if I had ever heard of Door County,” Yampolsky says. “I told him I had not, and he said, ‘Oh, it’s a
Part of that level of quality has to do with the enormous amount of trust that exists between Yampolsky and the PMF orchestra. Sharon Grutzmacher, who has served at the Executive Director of PMF for over 18 years, is quick to say that there are more than a few reasons for this high level of trust. “First off, he’s a string player, which I think plays a huge role in his sensitivity on the podium. Second, he makes phenomenal use of rehearsal time, which is a huge deal to many professional musicians. Third, he honestly understands the orchestra as a business. He realizes the value of putting funds into commissioning an orchestral work or in securing
Victor Yampolsky will celebrate his 25th year on the Peninsula Music Festival podium during the festival’s 2010 season, which takes place this summer from August 3rd through August 21st. Season subscriptions and single tickets for each of the nine concerts are available by calling the PMF office at (920) 854-4060 or by visiting www.musicfestival.com. doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 45
J
E
W
E
L R Y
•
F
I
N
E
A R
T
Contemporary, Multi-media Fine Art Gallery
OPEN DAILY MAY - OCTOBER & WINTER WEEKENDS
4175 Main Street • Fish Creek, WI 920-868-3033 www.jjeffreytaylor.com
46 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Newport House Gallery
American Antiques and Contemporary Folk Art Highway 42 at Lakeview Road Ellison Bay 920-854-2621
doorcountyliving.com
MUSIC SCENE a nationally-known guest artist to perform with the festival.” David Bell, a professional clarinetist who has been playing with the Peninsula Music Festival since before Yampolsky auditioned, shares Grutzmacher’s sentiment about the use of rehearsal time. “What I find most amazing about Victor is how much we can get done in a short time. He’s incredibly well prepared – a trait that’s difficult to have in an orchestra where you often see the music the day before a particular performance. He knows when to concentrate on something and when to let it go.”
PENINSULA MUSIC FESTIVAL COMMISSIONS SYMPHONY Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear to present 25-minute original piano concerto as part of PMF’s 2010 Season
Yampolsky elaborates, saying, “My ears notice imperfections, and I need to calculate immediately: ‘Is this something that can be corrected? Is it because they don’t know my phrasing or my signals?’ I have to immediately decide – what is the most important thing to concentrate on?” In the 25 years that Yampolsky has served as Music Director of the Peninsula Music Festival, the orchestra has grown from a chamber orchestra to a full symphony of 64 musicians. Grutzmacher does not mince words about his impact on the PMF. “To be honest, we are so lucky that he’s here,” she says. “He is of such high quality that he could choose to conduct anywhere during the summer – but he chooses to be in Door County, conducting the festival.” Yampolsky confirms this, saying, “It’s not only a wonderful professional environment, but a personal one as well. There’s so much love and support from the orchestra members, from the board and the Sustaining Committee, and our audiences. Short of being in paradise, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” He pauses, laughing, “Now that I think about it, that’s kind of ironic. When most people think of three weeks in Door County, they think of sitting on the beach every day – not three weeks of intense practice and the presentation of nine professional concerts. I guess we all have different views of paradise!” doorcountyliving.com
When the Peninsula Music Festival was founded in 1953, its board of directors made a commitment to commissioning and premiering a variety of original works for the orchestra. In his 22 years on the podium, founder Thor Johnson often used the PMF as a showcase for musical works: seven world premieres, 29 American premieres, and 34 commissioned world premieres were heard throughout his career. Over the next 35 years, however, PMF commissioned only a handful of works. “The sheer work it took just to keep the festival running each year took most of our financial resources,” says PMF Executive Director Sharon Grutzmacher. “We were looking at a cost of about $1,000 per minute for a commissioned concerto. It just got to be too cost prohibitive.” Grutzmacher relayed these thoughts to pianist Stewart Goodyear while the two were sitting backstage at the Door Community Auditorium after one of PMF’s summer concerts. Goodyear was at PMF for a one-week residency, and instantly became very excited about writing a piano concerto for orchestra that would be heard by an excited audience who had “welcomed him like family.” In spite of the economic issues facing the organization – and symphonies in general across the United States – the PMF Board of Directors was thrilled to return to the festival’s mission of presenting new works by young composers. Goodyear’s 25-minute concerto has been completed and will receive its world premiere on Thursday, August 19. Every principal in the orchestra will have a solo in Goodyear’s piece, and Grutzmacher is very excited about sharing this part of the organization’s mission with new and old audiences alike. “These kinds of pieces are a lot of time and work – but are so rewarding,” Grutzmacher says. “We hope that this concerto opens up the possibilities of doing even more with commissioned work in the future.” Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 47
CAMEOS BY PAUL WANISH
Freddie Kodanko, the Polka King. Photo courtesy of the AC Tap.
48 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
CAMEOS
A True Door County Character
Freddie Kodanko (1913 – 2002)
The late Freddie
Kodanko (or Freddie K, as he is remembered around these parts) was a man who wore many hats: potato farmer, spider dancer, crate builder, bean farmer, ballpark DJ, cat lover, among others. The hat I’ll always remember was a large, blue, puffy, jewel-studded crown. This crown was also accompanied by a long majestic blue cape and generous amounts of quality ear candy: polka music. For many county folks Freddie K will always be remembered as the Door County Polka King, and that’s a big hat to fill. My first Freddie K experience is a vivid and happy memory. Some friends and I were strolling around Fish Creek during the Winter Games when we happened upon a truly unforgettable sight. Here was an old man wearing a blue crown and cape over his heavy winter jacket sitting on a rickety old folding chair outside of the Bayside Tavern. His battered boombox was blaring the various oompahs of his favorite polkas while he shook a box of beans to the rhythm. He then handed me two short planks of wood which he asked me to clap together. One was scrawled with “Freddie K” and the other with “Polka Timer.” I marveled at the genius in simplicity, at his obvious unshakable love of polka, and at the visual treat we were all being asked to join in on. Freddie K was a grass roots polka DJ, but not exactly for hire. He would share his polka recordings where and when he wanted to. In earlier years his “sound system” consisted of vinyl records and an old phonograph player. Sometime in the 1990s he switched doorcountyliving.com
Freddie with one of his handmade crates. Photo courtesy of the AC Tap.
to a more convenient hand-held boombox with polka cassette tapes. He would routinely bring his portable audio polka show to local baseball games, various Door County festivals, Valmy’s Thresheree, and even through holiday parades on his own rolling polka float! Wherever he brought his polkas, people couldn’t help but smile and accept the simple joy he offered. Almost as iconic as Freddie himself was his old orange tractor. One friend explained to me how longtime Door County Sheriff Hollis “Baldy” Bridenhagen had taken away Freddie’s driver’s license back when he
drove a ‘49 Ford pickup. From that point on, Freddie’s tractor became his slow but effective legal mode of transportation. Another friend recalls, “Only two things made Freddie mad – if you messed with his music or with his tractor.” Most locals will recall seeing his tractor parked outside the A.C. Tap, a somewhat calming sign that Door County still retained some eccentric character and Old World charm. Among the cozy clean inns and fancy art galleries around the county, Freddie’s tractor was a reminder that his was a rural community of real people, at times oblivious of the bustling tourism industry surrounding his potato farm. Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 49
from the Ordinary!
Celebrate in Egg Harbor! July 3
1-3pm Birch Creek Free Family Concert 2pm Food and refreshments in Harborview Park 5pm Live music with the Mango Brothers Dusk Fireworks!
July 4
1:30pm Independence Day Parade 6pm Live music featuring Chris Kasper, Joe and Vicki Price, Sara Thomsen and the Jennie DeVoe Band. Concert is free to the public.
Other Egg Harbor Events
July 18-19 6th Annual Door County Triathlon July 18 Birch Creek free family concert July 31 Carlsville Day August 14 Egg Harbor Marina Grand Opening Celebration
Summer-Wide Events Concerts in the Park July 8, 15, 17, 18, 22, 29, 31 August 5, 12, 19 Free concerts at 5pm at Harborview Park Sunset Concert Series July 11, 18, 25 August 1, 8, 15 Free Concerts at 7pm at Peg Egan PAC
For details and more events call 920-868-3717 or visit us on the web at www.eggharbordoorcounty.org facebook.com/eggharbordoorcounty eggharbor_wi
2010 SEASON - June 15 - October 17
Heroes
A witty, heartwarming comedy by Gérald Sibleyras, adapted by Tom Stoppard. Olivier Award for Best New Comedy
JUNE 15 to JULY 4
Over the Tavern
Tom Dudzick’s hilarious comedy. “With a heart as big as its belly laughs, is the nearest Catholic equivalent to date of Neil Simon.”
JULY 7 to JULY 25
A Little Night Music
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece.
JULY 28 to AUGUST 15
Comic Potential
Alan Ayckbourn’s sci-fi comedy. Top 10 of Time Magazine’s best plays of the decade.
AUGUST 18 to SEPTEMBER 5
Panic
Joseph Goodrich’s thrilling mystery. 2008 Winner of Mystery Writer’s of America Edgar Award for Best Play.
SEPTEMBER 8 to OCTOBER 17
New Pavilion features In-floor Radiant Heat
Between Fish Creek & Egg Harbor off Highway 42
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50 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
920.868.3287
doorcountyliving.com
CAMEOS
Photo courtesy of the AC Tap.
Just as dear to Freddie was his polka music. The sheer joy that polka brought him made it near impossible for Freddie to stand still when his polka was in the air. To his old friends, Freddie was known to be incredibly light on his feet. Karl Kodanko (Freddie’s cousin) recalls one night at the old Parkway (now the English Inn). The music drew Freddie alone onto the dance floor. He danced and floated solo about the floor, drawing a crowd around him. Soon people were throwing their tap glasses down near Freddie’s feet. He continued dancing and happily jumping around, carried by his love of music. The place really came alive and Freddie continued his dance, never once cutting his feet on the broken glass. To some, Freddie is remembered as the originator of the “Spider Dance.” Greg “Fuzzy” Sunstrom (current owner of Freddie’s famed tractor) explained the dance to me as a sort of crabwalk stance, down on all fours, where Freddie would alternately high-kick each leg with his opposing arm while happily shimmying around the floor. Karl Kodanko remembers Freddie pulling out “The Spider” at the Greenwood Supper Club. Bobby Schultz, another friend, witnessed Freddie doing The Spider on the ferry deck to Washington Island, but that’s another story. One could say that the Spider Dance is as Door County as fish boils doorcountyliving.com
and goats on the roof, though a little less known to some. In researching this article, I couldn’t help but smile wider with each phone call I made. One could say that the Freddie K story is more like an unending list of individual stories, and, up here, it seems everyone has one. In the last few weeks I acquired pages and pages of these stories. Bobby Schultz of Baileys Harbor works with the Baileys Harbor A’s, a local Door County League baseball team. In his later years, Freddie was the self-appointed ballpark entertainment for the team. They set aside a special area for Freddie and his sound system. Freddie would play the national anthem to start each game and then various polkas during game breaks. Freddie K, as the local ballpark polka DJ, was a genuine slice of true local culture. He would usually bring himself and his music to the home games via his famed tractor. For the away games, Freddie would often catch a ride with Bobby Schultz or Butch Hugenroth. Bringing Freddie to the games alone was the seed to many good stories. Bobby recalls many years ago that he and Mark Jonas carted Freddie and his sound system up to Washington Island for the A’s to play the Islanders. Freddie’s sound system at that time was an old phonograph player, which more resembled a centerpiece furniLate Summer 2010 Door County Living 51
Connie Glowacki - Artist “Watercolors with Spirit”
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Morning Stillness by Jerry Gadamus Largest selection of Charles L. Peterson prints in Door County! Other artist prints available: Bateman, Doolittle, Coleman, Layton, Kloetzke, Zoellick, Capser, Isaac, Pence, Bush,White, Lumbers, Hanks,Wysocki Photos by: Roy Lukes and Clarence Scherer 52 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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ture console and rode in the back of Bobby’s pickup truck. While racing up to catch the ferry, a small car darting across the road forced Bobby to slam the breaks, bringing Freddie’s beloved music player crashing into the back of the truck bed. Freddie was angered that his player might be broken. Once aboard the ferry to the island, he finally was able to test the monstrous turntable. When tested, joyous polka still flowed from the antique music player. Overcome with happiness, Freddie began dancing around the ferry deck. As Bobby recalls, Freddie started doing The Spider and all the islanders and tourists aboard circled around and clapped, joining in on Freddie’s celebration. Butch Hugenroth, Bobby Schultz’s half brother, would also transport Freddie to some away games. After certain festive Saturday nights, Butch would like to sleep in a little before going to the Sunday game. Well, Freddie would be right outside Butch’s bedroom window at 7:00 am blaring polka music till Butch would wake up and take
him to the game. Then, sometime in the mid ‘80s, Freddie got his first telephone. He excitedly made his first call to Butch and played him polka music over the phone for a full hour! Another Sunday, Butch was taking him home from a game down in Kolberg. While passing through Baileys Harbor, Freddie (in his usual sport coat) asked Butch to pull over and let him out to “stop by the boys” (Jeff and Jerry Kwaterski at the Florian Supper Club). While getting out of the car Freddie commented, “I’d invite you in, too, but you’re not dressed for the occasion!” Steve Mueller, current owner of the A.C. Tap, recalls how Freddie rigged an AC adapter to his tractor so he could play his phonograph records while riding on his tractor! Steve couldn’t help but laugh as he fondly remembered Freddie pulling away on his tractor and his polka records skipping on every bump. Steve also has happy memories of his father accompanying Freddie’s polka music with his “polka cello” (or
“stump fiddle,” depending on who you ask). Freddie Kodanko’s garden vegetables were sometimes seen for sale on a small table inside the A.C. Tap. Steve said some people would even call in and special order Freddie’s potatoes. The list of stories goes on and, yet, when trying to explain Freddie’s charm, they never seem enough. How can you say enough about a man who once was the main potato supplier for all the northern Door County fish boils? How can one fully convey Freddie’s ties with local history without mentioning how his family lived in the last farmhouse in what is now Peninsula State Park? (See Kodanko Field on Middle Road.) Freddie’s now famed potato crates exist all over the county, quiet reminders of a happy dancing potato farmer who became Door County’s Polka King. At the conclusion of his funeral in Sister Bay his casket was rolled out while the stereo played Roll Out the Barrel. Memories of Freddie and his polkas will no doubt live on forever.
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 53
OUTSIDE IN DOOR BY GARY JONES
Door County’s Garden Peninsula Members of the Garden Angels explore the Hendersons’ garden. Photo by Dan Eggert.
The Door
Peninsula is well known for orchards and art galleries, for shorelines and parks, for fish boils and the performing arts. But less celebrated is the county’s identity as a gar-
the gardening culture that thrives in Door
launched. The Visitor Bureau continues to
County.
sell bulbs.
An important development in the con-
The culture of gardening that exists in Door
cept of a garden peninsula originated with
County is the result of a number of interre-
past Door County Chamber of Commerce
lated elements fortuitously coming together. A
Executive Director Bob Hastings. Under his
primary factor is the tourist industry, a major
den peninsula. However, as the area’s pub-
guidance in 1993 the chamber purchased
contributor to the local economy. Landscape
lic and private garden spaces continue to
bulk orders of spring bulbs that were made
gardening draws visitors to the villages and
be featured on television and in magazines,
available to local businesses and residents
public spaces, and creates curb appeal for busi-
and as more and more day-trippers enjoy
at reasonable prices, and the following year
nesses that in turn attract customers. Local
garden walks, appreciation will grow for
the annual May Festival of Blossoms was
and seasonal residents become aware of gar-
54 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
OUTSIDE IN DOOR Chriss Daubner currently serves as president of the Door County Master Gardener’s Association, a group that numbers approximately 180 members who have completed the required hours of class work and volunteer service to be officially designated Master Gardeners. “The goal of the organization,” Daubner said, “is to beautify the county.” A secondary goal, she noted, is to provide free educational programs, most presented at the Crossroads at Big Creek facility in Sturgeon Bay. These lectures on horticulture are funded in part by the organization’s plant sale that is held every year on the last Saturday in May. An especially ambitious project of the Master Gardeners was the creation of Garden Door at the Peninsular Research Station on Highway 42 north of Sturgeon Bay. This public garden is designed to entertain, inspire, and educate visitors who are interested in more than foundation planting and lawn maintenance. Located near that plot is The Garden Next Door, a community garden with plots maintained by Master Gardeners. The organization sponsors a youth program at this garden with plots available for young people. “Our Master Gardener’s group is respected throughout the state,” Daubner said. “We are the only one that maintains a public garden.”
dening possibilities and incorporate designs and plantings into their home landscapes. Garden installation and maintenance creates a need for gardening services, for classes and workshops in horticulture and landscape design, for greenhouses and nurseries, and for organizations that bring together people who share an interest in plants. The end result is a garden peninsula that offers sensory beauty to visitors and residents alike. doorcountyliving.com
While the Master Gardeners have the largest gardening organization in the county, other groups abound, official gardening clubs as well as volunteer groups who tend plantings at performance and educational facilities and at municipal spaces. While tourism offers an impetus for gardening, the population demographics of the county provide potential gardeners. In addition to being a favorite vacation destination, the peninsula is a popular retirement area as well. Kathleen Blankenburg, who with her husband Ralph owns The Gardening Angel,
Garden created by Kathleen and Ralph Blankenburg.
a personal garden design and service business, pointed out that nationwide statistics have shown “gardening is the number one activity for people over 50.” Subsequently, a large pool of gardening volunteers is available in the county, as are potential students interested in taking classes, clients who make use of professional gardening services, and customers for nurseries and greenhouses like Jerry’s Flowers. Since 1960, Jerry’s Flowers has been a fixture in Sister Bay; Joy and Fred Lang have operated the greenhouse from 1988. Joy divides her diverse base of customers into three groups: the permanent residents; the summer residents; and the weekend residents. All are gardeners but with different approaches because of their varying lifestyles. For years Door County has enjoyed a reputation as an artists’ colony. Artistic people usually have an affinity for gardens; Daubner feels that “creative people often have better gardens, not just with plants but with hardscapes and artistic touches that add a lot of diversity.” Barbara and Doug Henderson, for example, artists who work with fused glass, maintain “an eclectic and whimsical primarily shade garden with about 75 containers of annuals” located on Bay Shore Drive north of Sturgeon Bay. The Hendersons bring their sensibilities to a garden that incorporates architectural features they have built along with “many re-purposed found objects.” Their garden has been featured in Country Living Gardens, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and other publications and has been host to tours and fundraising events. Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 55
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OUTSIDE IN DOOR
Master Gardener Youth Program. Photo by Jan Gigstead.
Another artist’s garden is that of Karin Overbeck who works in mosaics and stained glass. Because of exposed bedrock her twoacre plot is, of necessity, a rock garden; this foundation provides a setting for her workspace in the former Evergreen School (not far from the nursery of the same name). Her garden displays her artwork in part “because I don’t have the money to buy the plants I would like,” she said. But she also enjoys the year-round sound and color that result from her mosaics and found objects.
ful experience,” Julie said, “meeting people with the same love of gardening.”
10 cent plant in a 10 dollar hole, than placing a 10 dollar plant in a 10 cent hole.”
Amy and Marc Savard’s penchant for gardening has taken them in a different direction: community supported agriculture. Wildwood Farm, located north of Sister Bay, is one of the “truck gardens” in the county that sells produce through farmers’ markets as well as to restaurants and to customers who come to the gardens. While not certified, the Savard farm employs sustainable organic practices.
Lhost agreed, recommending soil testing. Because her gardens were created on poor soil near new construction, she amended them with peat moss, composted cow manure, and compost of her own making.
Like the Hendersons’ garden, hers had been featured in a number of publications, including the May-June issue of Midwest Living, and on public television and HGTV. Both gardens are open to the public by appointment with donations requested.
Gardeners who enjoy fresh produce but lack growing spaces are taking advantage of community gardens, such as those offered in Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay. First-time gardeners find different growing conditions in the southern part of the county than do their neighbors farther north.
More traditional are the gardens of Gary and Julie Lhost, situated east of Ephraim. Gary is the vegetable gardener while Julie tends perennial mixed borders, a cutting bed, and a prairie garden. Last summer they were featured on the Sister Bay Historical Society’s garden walk – “A wonderdoorcountyliving.com
Daubner, who lives in the Brussels area, has a deep moisture-retaining clay-based topsoil; Lhost, on the other hand, works in earth that is light and shallow. A common consideration, though, is soil amendment. Lang said that novice gardeners have more success “putting a
Blankenburg often advises raised beds, bringing in new soil. These beds, she noted, allow people with mobility problems to garden. Presently she and her husband are creating a garden of this type as a teaching station at their home; she is a horticultural instructor for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Irrigation has become a primary concern, especially during recent summer droughts. Lang noted that properly amended soil holds more moisture. Lhost recommended using a wand to water at the base of plants, counting to 10 for each. Amy Savard said Wildwood Farm uses drip tapes for their 300-foot rows; other gardeners use soaker hoses. Blankenburg suggests drought tolerant plants, and has developed a “Door Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 57
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OUTSIDE IN DOOR County Dozen” list that she provides to her classes. Many gardeners use mulch both to conserve moisture and to control weeds. Lang likes to use cocoa bean shells; Lhost prefers finely textured bark; and Iva Grasse who gardens near Ellison Bay uses layers of newspaper covered with straw for her vegetable plot.
FERRY LINE
Door County’s experienced gardeners see trends in peninsula gardening such as an ecologically friendly approach regarding pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Gardeners are gaining an appreciation of native species, hence the popularity of prairie and butterfly gardens and memberships in environmentally conscious groups such as Wild Ones. They are more likely to select plants appropriate for their growing conditions and to purchase them locally from greenhouses that offer stock from Upper Midwest growers. And because of space limitations, container gardening is becoming more common.
Gardeners scour the Master Gardener’s Annual Plant Sale on Memorial Day weekend.
“Flowers are tied to almost every life event that people experience,” Blankenburg noted, adding that plants also play a role in meditation and healing gardens. While Door County has always been a lovely place, with
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THE THRESHEREE
Keeping Agriculture Valmy Thresheree Celebrates Life on the Farm
By Myles Dannhausen Jr. Photography By Dan Eggert
60 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
THE THRESHEREE
Heritage Alive
Subtly, over the last quarter of the 20th century, American farming as we had known it disappeared. Pastoral images of the family farmer in the heartland were supplanted by the logos and marketing slogans of corporate agriculture, high science, and maximized yields. As the changes accelerated in the early 1980s, a group of peninsula farmers sensed that a way of life was slipping away, and they set out to preserve the traditions and lessons of the small family farm.
Tractors in line for the tractor pull competition. Photo by Dan Eggert. doorcountyliving.com
Caption. Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 61
THE THRESHEREE
Man vs. Pig The art of pig wrestling
P
erhaps the most popular event at the Valmy Thresheree weekend is the Pig Wrestling Competition. Each year, 15 to 20 teams in men’s and women’s divisions compete in a foot or two of mud for cash prizes. Teams have come from as far away as Iowa, Southern Indiana and Milwaukee for a shot. Teams of four have one minute to corral the pig and place it on top of a 55-gallon drum in the middle of the pit. If they don’t get it done in a minute, the pig wins. To have a chance at the money, a team has to finish in less than 15 seconds, says Ralph Bochek, the director of the event. The record for the guys is 9.2 seconds, by a team from Dart Farms of Brussels in 2009. The
62 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Geisel girls are in the running every year, and they’ve tapped out at about 11 seconds.
it, but a team of 120-pound women did it fast enough to get fourth place.”
Though there’s some technique involved (Bochek says it helps to have a plan for who is going to grab the pig where, and to work as a team in corralling it) it’s also a bit of a crap shoot. “Some pigs are more lively than others, and some are heavier,” Bochek says. “To some extent, success comes down to the pig your team draws.”
Greg Ebel of the Greystone Castle in Sturgeon Bay has been one of the event’s biggest boosters, Bochek says, but he almost scared Ebel away before he got started.
Each pig runs once in the men’s competition and once in the women’s. They usually come in between 180 and 240 pounds, with a 150-pound minimum, but sometimes they run a little large.
Folks need not worry about the pigs, Bochek says. His pig handlers pride themselves in treating the pigs better than the wrestlers.
“The largest we used was 375 pounds,” Bochek says. “A team of guys couldn’t corral
“We brought in an 800-pound pig and told him that was his pig to wrestle,” Bochek recalls. “Ebel turned around and went running for his car.”
“We don’t prod, don’t kick,” he says. “And if any of the wrestlers tries to or is cruel to the pig, they’ll be disqualified.”
doorcountyliving.com
DOS AND DON’TS OF LIFE IN THE PIG PIT
Do: • Expect to get dirty. Nobody’s coming out of the pit clean. • Tape up. “Duct tape is your best friend,” says Bochek. “It’s the best way to protect your feet, and if you don’t use it on your clothes, guys will lose their pants. The tape keeps ‘em up.” • Dress to win. For girls, Bochek recommends shorts and a tank top or halter-top, and an old pair of shoes or socks. For guys, shorts and a tightfitting shirt, taped on.
Don’t: • Wear sweats. “Those will get waterlogged and weigh you down.” • Overdo it before the bell. “I’ve seen teams that had a pretty good one on by the time they hopped in the mud. With some of those guys, the pig could be dead and they couldn’t get it on the barrel.” • Barefoot it. “I try to talk guys out of it. You never know what’s under the mud.
THE THRESHEREE Each August, the Valmy Thresheree and Antique Machinery Show takes visitors into the past for a look at old ways of the hardened rural farmer. Launched in 1983 by Bernie and Shirley Geisel, the show is now organized by the Northeastern Wisconsin Antique Power Association and has become a surprisingly popular draw. An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people visit the grounds each year. “We wanted to keep the old agricultural heritage alive,” says Shirley Geisel. “Bernie’s father and uncles would go from farm to farm and thrash, and we didn’t want the old ways forgotten.” Kathy Massart grew up on her grandparents’ farm in Brussels and is a member of the association. She says it’s important to remember the techniques of the past and the hard work they required. “Nowadays we can bail 100 acres of hay in a day,” Massart says. “Back then, you were lucky if you could do 20 acres with a horse in three days. You lose a lot if you let this history disappear. People don’t realize how much work it was back then and how much detail went into things.” The Geisels hosted the thresheree for its first 15 years, and still supply much of the old equipment. Visitors can see an old-style stationary hay press, stone crushers, a potato picker, and horse-drawn equipment. These reminders of farming’s labor-intensive past aren’t just put on display, explains association member Ralph Bochek. “We try to keep it an operating museum, keep things in working condition so people can see how it was used.”
TO GET IN THE MUD Fee: $25 Prizes:
Winner takes half the pot, second place gets 30 percent, and third place gets 20 percent.
To Register:
Call Ralph Bochek at (920) 559-0466 or email bocheksales@hotmail.com by August 1st to secure a spot.
doorcountyliving.com
In 1997, the association bought 40 acres just down the road from the Geisel farm, giving the thresheree a home of its own. For the Massarts, like many who take part, it’s a family affair. Kathy’s daughter Marie, 22, helps with publicity, and has been to the show every year she can remember. “It never occurred to me not to be a part of it,” she says. “My parents have always been in the club. I just love being Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 63
The Last Thresher: John Carmody
F
By John Enigl Sr.
arming has come a long way since Albert Carmody began operating a threshing machine with his brother-inlaw, Bill Simonar, over a century ago. Using a steamer to pull his Red River Special on the road, he traveled as far as Hainesville servicing farms with a machine that changed farm work for many. The thresher mechanized the process of separating grain from stalks and husks, a formerly laborious process done by hand. Carmody earned a reputation for doing a clean job of separating from the chaff. His son John continued the family tradition as long as he could, perhaps longer than anyone else in the area, putting the old thresher to work until 1980. For keeping tradition alive, Carmody was named the Thresherman of the Year
at the 2009 Valmy Thresheree by the Northeastern Wisconsin Antique Power Association. “It was great to recognize him,” said Shirley Geisel, a charter member of the association. “And I think it was special for him.” Albert used the steamer to power his threshing machine until 1931, when he bought a powerful Allis Chalmers tractor, the most powerful tractor in Door County into the 1960s. John still has it, stored away on the farm. John learned every aspect of operating the machine at the foot of his father, who worked the farm into his 70s. John entered the service during the Korean War and, when he was finally discharged, he took over the farm and found a new way to use the old threshing machine.
64 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
He removed the blades from a chopper, allowing him to cut down the grain and blow it into a chopper wagon. Then he would reverse the procedure, blowing the grain into the threshing machine that was set up to blow the straw into the barn. It wasn’t until Albert died in 1978 that John gave in and bought a combine, ending the long run of his father’s threshing machine. John had kept it running until 1980, making him the last farmer in Egg Harbor, and possibly all of Door County, using the old machine. Only three years later, the Valmy Thresheree was staged for the first time to keep memories and knowledge of peninsula farming’s formative years alive, as the Carmodys had for nearly a century. doorcountyliving.com
THE THRESHEREE with all the people and family. It’s a nice way for people to get to know how farming was done years ago.” Geisel says the connection the thresheree helps to forge among generations is among her favorite parts of the weekend. “You see people who bring their families, and when they see an old machine being dem-
onstrated they’ll say to their kids, ‘This is what your great grandpa used to do.’” The show paints rural history with a more vivid brush, full of sounds and smells that create images that words never could. But Geisel says they’ve realized there are limits. “Times have changed. We have a lot of machinery now from the 1940s, 1950s, and even ‘60s.
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THE THRESHEREE
Dozens of tractors are on display on the grounds. Organizers feature a different model each year. 2010 will feature the Minneapolis Moline Tractor.
But the stuff from the early 1900s is so different that people have a hard time even relating to it.” Though created to showcase farming traditions, the weekend features attractions for all ages that take revelers outside the constraints of the normal festival activities. There’s a chainsaw competition, an antique tractor pull, and lots of polka music. Kids get their own tractor pull, a little farmer dress-up contest, and other contests. And,
doorcountyliving.com
of course, there’s the mud pig wrestling competition, which might be more fun to watch than to compete in. “It’s nice to see, “ Geisel says with a chuckle, “if you don’t sit too close to the mud.” The pig wrestling makes for great photos and has earned the thresheree a bit of notoriety, but the event’s purpose remains steeped in its rural roots.
VALMY THRESHEREE AND ANTIQUE MACHINERY SHOW August 20 – 22, 2010 5505 Country View Road Valmy, WI 54235 (920) 743-4859 valmythresheree@yahoo.com
Schedule of Events Throughout the day Saturday and Sunday: Kids activities; classic machinery demonstrations and displays; food and beverage stands. Friday 6:00 pm – Gates open 8:00 pm – midnight. Bobby Darren Country Show Saturday 9:30 am – Chainsaw competition 11:30 am – Antique tractor pull 1:00 pm –Thresherman of the Year Award presentation 2:00 – 5:00 pm – Barn dance with the Jerry Voelker Orchestra 5:30 pm – Polka Mass with Jerry Voelker and Rev. Tony Birdsell 7:30 – 11:30 pm – Modern Day Drifters country music Sunday 8:30 am – Lutheran Service 10:00 am – Kids games, pedal tractor pull, straw-stack hunt 10:30 am – Barefoot horse pull Noon – 3:00 pm – Bittorf Brothers country, western and polka music 1:00 pm – Cavalcade of Power 2:00 pm – Tractor barrel race 3:30 pm – Mud pig wrestling Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 67
FAIRWAYS BY BONNIE SPIELMAN
A New Generation Tees It Up Encouraging kids golf through junior programs
Door County high school golfers warm up at the practice range before their meet at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club. 68 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
FAIRWAYS
For you 30-
something and older golfers out there, think back to your childhood golf experience. Did you even have one? Were you taught by one of your parents or were you just dropped off at the course to figure out the game on your own? Many of us can probably tell a different tale of a non-existent or loose way of being brought up in the game. But chances are none of us had an experience as elevated as the youth of today. “Kids golf was almost discouraged,” recalled Baileys Harbor native Randy Meyer who grew up playing Maxwelton Braes. “There wasn’t a junior program at [Peninsula State Park Golf Course] at the time. I think my dad went to the Park to see if I could get a reduced rate,” recalls Meyer, who is now the head golf professional at Idlewild Golf Course in Sturgeon Bay. Golf was a different game back then. It was an adult game. In the summertime, kids were taking swim lessons, playing Little League baseball, or participating in team sports camps. Most were not taking golf lessons, let alone getting out on the course and playing the game. But times have changed. And never before has the game of golf become as accessi-
Adult volunteer, Ernie Schluter, teaches putting fundamentals at Peninsula State Park’s kid’s program. doorcountyliving.com
Young golfers participate in Randy Meyer’s (back row, left) junior golf program at IdleWild Golf Course. Pictured also are adult volunteers Mary Aiken (far left) and Tony Smith (back row, right).
ble as it is today for our younger generation – thanks in large part to the PGA’s concerted efforts on a national level for shattering golf ’s image as an elite sport reserved only for the wealthy and privileged adult. Their heavily marketed “Play Golf America!” campaign has been their latest battle cry in breaking down perceptions and recruiting fresh faces. An array of PGA-sponsored programs have emerged in the last decade, all geared toward making golf fun, affordable, and accessible for kids. One of the more well known is the The First Tee, a developmental program dedicated to providing young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to build character through the game of golf. The Littlest Golfer puts golf clubs in the hands of kids who can barely walk, targeting ages 3 through 12 and rallying, “Start Younger, Play Longer!” Playing with cut-off adult clubs is a thing of the past thanks to programs like U.S. Kids’s Golf, providing quality, age-appropriate equipment, as well as instruction and competition. Some area pro shops are U.S. Kid’s Golf dealers, offering a varied selection of kid-specific equipment.
Just recently, Alexis Thompson, a 12-yearold girl from Florida became the youngest female to qualify for the U.S. Open. On the men’s tour, a slew of young guns in their early 20s have burst onto the scene, with Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and American Anthony Kim topping the list. These incredibly young superstars playing at the world’s highest level is proof that kids are picking up clubs at a younger age, and that a new generation of phenomenal, young golfers has arrived. It is an exciting time for kids playing the game of golf, not just on the national level, but on the local level as well. Door County has mirrored this new embracement of the next generation. “We need to spark interest and excitement for kids and their families,” cited Jason Daubner, head professional at Peninsula State Park Golf Course. “Let’s face it, they are our future.” Golf courses now offer highly demanded, affordable and structured golf programs for boys and girls of all ages and skill levels. Six years ago, Meyer took over and built on the existing junior program at Idlewild. “I wanted to make it better for kids than when I grew up,” said Meyer of his motivation for running his popular, instructional camps. Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 69
FAIRWAYS
Sturgeon Bay High School golf coach, Tony Smith, instructs one of his golfers, senior Alex Bourneville.
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FAIRWAYS “Randy is one of those soft-spoken, under-the-radar guys, but he is a real supporter of junior golf,” said Sturgeon Bay High School golf coach Tony Smith. “If a kid’s parents can’t afford equipment or something, I send them to Randy and he finds ways to help them out.” Devoting his life to kids as a Sturgeon Bay elementary teacher, Smith himself has been a strong supporter of junior golf in Door County for decades. He started the Sturgeon Bay golf team in 1987 and continues to coach as well as volunteer at Meyer’s summer junior programs. While private lessons for adults can run upwards of $30 to $40 per hour, kids between 6 and 17 can enjoy a summer-long program at Idlewild for just $125 to $150. Preceding each weekly lesson, all kids get out on the course and play either 3 or 9 holes depending on their level. “It’s important to get the kids out there playing,” ad-
vised Meyer. “One of the biggest mistakes is to over-teach. Let them go play and have fun.” Throughout the duration of the camp, on non-lesson days, kids accompanied by an adult can enjoy a 9-hole round on the course for a mere $5. Last year, the program introduced a free golf fitness test led by Aurora Medical Center, testing for flexibility and mobility. Meyer’s program was recently awarded a grant by “Sticks For Kids” in which 10 sets of kid’s clubs are available free of charge for any youth golfers playing at Idlewild. They also were recently awarded a Family Course Grant through the PGA and the National Recreation and Park Association in which they will receive support for family-friendly outings at the course. Cherry Hills Golf Course in Sturgeon Bay has emulated a similar program as that of Idlewild’s, offering a summer-long, week-
Young golfers tee off at the driving range at Peninsula State Park’s summer kid’s program.
ly instructional session followed by play on the course. At the direction of head pro Mike Pfannenstiel and his assistants, boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 17 can enjoy a summer’s worth of instructional golf at the low rate of $75 to $80.
NO ESTATE IS TOO SMALL Sadly, many families don’t do proper estate planning because they don’t believe they have “a lot of assets” or otherwise believe that their kids can just come in and divide their assets by themselves. If you don’t make proper legal arrangements for the management of your assets and affairs after your passing, the state’s intestacy laws will take over. This often results in the wrong people getting your assets , and very often results in much higher estate taxes. Please feel free to contact the Ross Estate Planning Team anytime by calling 920-743-9117. 55 South Third Ave, Sturgeon Bay, WI
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 71
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FAIRWAYS Peninsula State Park Golf Course has had a long-standing, youth golf program that always seems to fill its 30-kid capacity quickly. As a non-profit, Peninsula has been able to offer the two summer sessions for free to all participants. Funding for this program comes partially from the Peninsula Golf Association’s member dues and partially from an endowment that was set up by the family of the beloved Peninsula golfer, the late Carolyn Bell of Gills Rock.
Peninsula’s current head pro, Daubner, was a product of the junior golf program himself, under the tutelage of former pro Sylvia Ferdon. “It’s great to give back to the same program that I benefitted from as a kid,” said Daubner.
sonal rate as low as $200 to $300. “More kids are playing golf these days,” conjectured Daubner. “It has become more affordable and with the addition of executive courses like Stonehedge, it’s not as intimidating for kids.”
“Jason is a great example of how this junior program has come full circle,” added Smith. “If he didn’t get involved at a young age, he may never have pursued a career in golf.”
Different than Idlewild, Peninsula offers two four-day sessions, one in June and one in July, with a day of play and competition on the final day. “We teach all aspects of the game, from rules and etiquette to safety and mechanics,” stated Paul Schloemich who has run the camps for the past seven years along with wife and former co-director of Peninsula, Mynn Lanphier.
Both Daubner and Meyer serve on the board of the Door County Golf Association (DCGA), whose mission in part is to promote youth golf in Door County. In doing so, the DCGA each year donates seed money to the five Door County high school golf programs. They also host the annual “Door County Cup” where all high school teams compete in a tournament at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club, a private golf course where many of the kids have never before set foot. In addition, each year, the organization awards thousands of dollars in scholarship money to select Door County high school golfer graduates.
Door County is definitely doing its part in making the game of golf fun, affordable and accessible for our youth, and in doing so has opened the door for so many young adults, perhaps in ways unexpected. The county’s junior program has been an excellent building block throughout the years for the strong county high school golf teams.
“Golf is a great tool to teach so many of those lifelong skills to kids…patience, honesty, perseverance, manners, self-reliance,” commented Lanphier. As retired and lifelong teachers from the Milwaukee area, running the summer kids program seemed like a natural fit for Schloemich and Lanphier. “It was great to be working with kids again,” stated Lanphier, “and we had so many wonderful volunteers helping us.”
Many of those same kids have gone on to notable college golf careers. Also, the county has churned out an impressive amount of those in the golf profession. “Golf opens up a whole world to kids…social and business connections that they will have the rest of their lives,” cited Smith. Door County’s investment in junior golf has reaped its rewards. Thanks is due to the many local pros and volunteers who over the years have realized that golf is more than just a sport, it is a game of a lifetime.
While adult seasonal passes at the local golf courses average approximately $1,000, some of the same courses offer a junior sea-
Stay on top of your golf game by reading the Peninsula Pulse’s regularly published golf page. “Making The Turn” is Door County’s one and only resource for local golf news. Check it out and enjoy up to date golf news, highlights, events, photos, player profiles, tips from the pro and more. Feel free to drop us a line at golf@ppulse.com.
Home Decor, Pies, Weaving, Apparel, Jewelry, Art Gallery, Beads & Classes, Acupuncture Farmer’s Market each Wednesday 10-2 doorcountyliving.com
Most shops are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Highway 42, 1 mile south of downtown Fish Creek Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 73
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 75
HABITATS BY BARBARA MALCOLM
76 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
HABITATS
The Clearing Root Cellar Revived
The Root Cellar prior to renovation. Photo courtesy of The Clearing.
About a half
mile off Highway 42 on Garrett Bay Road in Ellison Bay is the well-hidden driveway into The Clearing Folk School with a sign that says, “Student Entrance.” On weekend afternoons you’re welcome to turn in. You’ll be on a twisty, tree-shaded drive that forces you to slow down and enjoy the scenery. Get out of your car and you realize that you are in a very different place. You hear birds
Wilson Richardson aided Jens Jensen with construction of the Root Cellar during the summer of 1947. doorcountyliving.com
and the wind in the trees, no traffic, no cell phones. Picture an 87-year-old man swinging a pickaxe to carve a root cellar on the grounds of The Clearing. Though it’s nearly unimaginable, you would have seen just that in the summer of 1947 if you had been around back then. Jens Jensen found the perfect location for a root cellar in the ancient beach ridge, more limestone than soil, across the path from the kitchen, so he dug right in. The Root Cellar was the last project that the Danish founder of The Clearing worked on before his death in October of 1951. “It had to have been a gruesome job to dig it out,” said Mike Schneider, the current Executive Director of The Clearing, “and I know just what he did with what he dug out. He didn’t move it far. I cleared brush from around the entrance to the Root Cellar on my knees, and that area’s one big heap of rock shards.”
Jensen laid the first few courses of the Root Cellar walls and discovered that the stones were too heavy, so he asked Wilson Richardson, his assistant Mertha Fulkerson’s nephew, to help. Wilson was home from serving in World War II and he was happy to lend his muscle to the project. “Mr. Jensen would point to a rock,” Richardson said, “saying ‘that might fit’ and I’d put it up there. He’d take a look, shake his head, and say, ‘no, no, try that one’ and he’d point to a different one. It took a while.” Richardson said he and Jensen worked together and built the wall to head-height before the younger man had to return home to Illinois. “The next time I came up to visit Aunt Mertha, Mr. Jensen had gotten someone to put logs across the top of the walls, cover the logs with plywood sheathing, and lay sod over the top.” Once the roof was on and the door fitted, Mertha would order a season’s worth Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 77
HABITATS
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of potatoes, onions, and carrots to be stored in bags in the cool dampness. The bags sat on the dirt floor under shelves of canned foods. There surely was a path worn between the kitchen and the root cellar. In the early 1980s the Shingle Shack was built over, but not connected to, the Root Cellar. The small building was originally meant to be another room for students but hooking up water and sewage proved to be too expensive, so it became The Gallery in the Woods, a bookstore and gift shop run by Jean DeWalt. After the Jensen Center was built in 1997, the bookstore and gift shop moved over there. A refrigerator was installed in the Shingle Shack for students to use and a few snacks were available for sale (not that anyone is ever hungry between meals at The Clearing) leading Mike’s young children to change the name to Snack Shack. The name stuck. By the time Mike Schneider became Executive Director of The Clearing in 2000, only junk, garden hoses, and spiders lived in the Root Cellar, but he was eager to return it to its early usefulness. Years passed and a computer and printer were added to the Snack Shack for the convenience of the many writing students on campus. Candy bars, sodas, and snacks were phased out to be replaced by bottled water in the fridge. Underneath, the Root Cellar remained a haven for spiders. For years the West Dorm rebuild and building the Workshop took precedence in construction plans and fundraising, but this year it was finally the Root Cellar’s turn for a bit of renovation. The goal was to remove the building on top, build a new roof and door using old photos as a guide, tuck point, clean up and expose the original stone walls as much as possible, and create a much-needed public restroom, a vending area, and a bit of storage. 2010 is the 75th anniversary of the founding of The Clearing and re-creating the look of the original Root Cellar this year is a fitting tribute to Jens Jensen. In February 2010, demolition of the Snack Shack began. Jim Creed and his crew carefully removed the roof, walls, and the floor, exposing the Root Cellar interior to sunlight for the first
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HABITATS time since 1947 and evicting any hibernating spiders. By the end of the day on February 12th, all that was left of the Snack Shack were memories. First to go in was the new plumbing for the restroom facilities, followed quickly by the roof’s center beam on February 15th. On February 19th the new cedar shingles went on, and they perfumed the area in the heat of the weak winter sunshine. By the last week of March, the ground had warmed enough to allow the new concrete floor to be poured. The following week the interior spaces were framed in and electrical work began. Toward the middle of April a mason was brought in to repair and finish off exterior stonework around the doorway. In early May, Landscape Architecture students from the University of Minnesota cleared brush around the entrance, re-laid the flagstones, and rebuilt the retaining walls. The original door had been saved, framed with new wood to fit the rebuilt opening, and replaced. A screen door was added to aid in ventilation, and that was that. The Root Cellar renovation was complete and open for business.
The Clearing is a folk school, in the Danish tradition, located outside of Ellison Bay in Door County. It offers week-long summer residence classes, during which time the campus is closed to visitors to preserve the retreat atmosphere. Visitors are welcome to visit the Jens Jensen Center, where information about resident and workshop classes can be obtained. Also in the Jensen Center is a 75th anniversary exhibit entitled “The Clearing Speaks,” showcasing art and writings by students. The Clearing campus is open to visitors on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm and a staff member is in the Lodge to answer questions. A guided tour can be arranged by calling (877) 854-3225 or stopping in at the Jensen Center ahead of time, and there are miles of hiking trails offering breathtaking views along the bay, through the woods and meadows.
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Celebrating 55 Years! Abraham & Ginka Cohn welcome you to their studio gallery north of Fish Creek off Hwy 42. 3915 Gibraltar Road Fish Creek, WI 920.868.3371 Open 11am to 4pm - Closed Thursday (except by appointment)
www.lampertyards.com OR www.washingtonisland.com and click Lampert’s
Lumber • Building Materials Your Start-to-Finish Island Building Connections 1851 Townline Rd. • Washington Island (920) 847-2326
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 79
TOPSIDE BY JENNIFER DUPONT
(Above left) Sonia Roen stands with her father, Captain John Roen, just before she christens the tug John Roen IV. Photo courtesy of Roen Salvage. (Above right) John Roen Asher stands before the John R. Asher tug in Sturgeon Bay.
A Maritime Forerunner: Past & Present
Roen Salvage Company
2009 was the
most successful year yet for Roen Salvage in Sturgeon Bay, and 2010 is looking up as well. Earlier this year, Roen received the Industry of the Year award from the Door County Economic Development Corporation in recognition of the company’s longstanding impact and accomplishments in the community. They also recently announced they had secured a $2.1 million contract to dredge the Port of Green Bay. While the sign outside their Redwood Street offices reads “Established in 1949,” the company’s ties to this community run much deeper than that. Current President and CEO John Roen Asher is proud of the continued success but knows the company’s
roots stretch back through the generations to his parents Charles and Hilda Asher and, ultimately, to his grandfather and namesake John Roen. John Roen came to this country a Norwegian immigrant whose life and professional experience met opportunity at the crossroads of history. His is a maritime tale that bears repeating and understanding his journey makes the current success of the company that still bears his name all the more sweet. John Roen was an affable young man with eyes as clear and blue as the Norwegian Sea when he came to the United States from Tysse, Norway in 1906 as an 18-year-old. Young John had very few resources, but he was a hard worker and spent two years in Illinois as a farm hand to pay off his passage.
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Once he had satisfied his obligation and was free to move on, Roen returned to the water and took a job as a deckhand on a lumber barge on the Mackinac Straits. With some savings to fortify him, Roen branched out on his own and built a gaspowered, wooden tug, the Redwing, which he used to make money towing pulpwood. As his business grew, each season he added another vessel, including the wooden tug Marquis Roen, named after his son, that he and his men built by hand at his small sawmill at Charlevoix, Michigan. His growing success allowed Roen to travel to Norway to see his family, and on each trip he would bring back hard-working men from his village who became known as “Captain Roen’s Norwegian Navy.” These doorcountyliving.com
TOPSIDE
Salvaging a boat. Photo courtesy of Roen Salvage.
were men of solid character, possessing physical attributes, who knew the sea and were in search of a better life. In exchange for passage to the United States, they agreed to work off their debt on Captain Roen’s tugs and barges, after which they were free to leave, although none of them ever did. John treated his men well and in return he received their loyalty, hard work, and ingenuity – strengths that would be vital in the years to come. By the time he moved his company from Charlevoix to Sturgeon Bay in 1931, “Cap” Roen was a successful businessman who had parlayed his work ethic and keen business sense into a fleet of barges and tugs. His company, Roen Steamship, was one of the largest and most well-respected shipping doorcountyliving.com
Captain Roen’s “Norwegian Navy.” Photo courtesy of Roen Salvage. Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 81
TOPSIDE companies on the Great Lakes. Already successful beyond his dreams, Cap Roen’s most legendary accomplishments were yet to come, and Sturgeon Bay would serve well as the headquarters of his growing maritime company. In 1933, Captain Roen remarried a Norwegian woman, Solveig Veseth, and added two more children to his family of son Marquis and daughter Hilda. John Roen Jr. was born in 1936 and his sister Sonia was born in 1942. Always a visionary, Cap recognized an opportunity to diversify his salvage, transport and construction operations and, in 1934, purchased a half interest in the Sturgeon Bay Ship Building and Drydock Company, which is still in business in Sturgeon Bay under the Fincantieri Group. Although he had no way of knowing it then, with Hitler in power in Germany and World War II just over the horizon, owning a shipbuilding business would prove to be a very profitable venture. Over the course of the war, his company secured government contracts and built $10 million worth of ships a year for the Army and Navy, solidifying Roen’s place as a major employer of local workers.
Use the Dragonfly ad we ran in v7i3 but days/hours to:
For all of his success, John Roen was not immune to tragedy. In July 1943, his sevenyear-old son, John Roen Jr., struck his head and drowned while playing near a dock. Grief stricken, Captain Roen would channel his loss into the greatest accomplishment of his career and, in doing so, would bring a change the sense of pride to his company, tremendous
his family, and his hometown of Sturgeon Bay. A month before the loss of his son, Captain Roen had been asked to bid on a salvage job to raise the George M. Humphrey from the Mackinac Straits. The 600-foot freighter had gone down loaded with nearly 14,000 tons of iron ore in dense fog after colliding with the D.M. Clemson on June 15, 1943. The ship lay in approximately 75 feet of water in the middle of a shipping lane of treacherous currents and presented many problems for navigation. Although a salvage expert who knew those waters better than almost anyone, Captain Roen declined to bid on the project. It was not until after John Jr.’s death that Roen reconsidered, and in the fall of 1943 John Roen agreed to take on the task of raising the Humphrey. If he could raise her, he would own her. If not, he would get nothing and would have to absorb the salvage costs. There was much to lose, and even more to gain. That fall, Captain Roen and his crews salvaged 9,000 tons of ore from the freighter, lightening her load significantly. Through the winter of 1944, Roen sketched out calculations and drawings and built models of how he would raise the Humphrey. He practiced in his bathtub and later in tanks with scale models until he and his crew were sure they knew how to raise the ship. In the spring, buoyed by months of practice, Captain Roen and his men set out to raise the Humphrey. In a series of maneuvers, Roen positioned a barge over the wreckage
“ Weds - Sat 10 - 5 Sun 11 - 4 “ That’s it. --Steve Inspiration for Home & Gardens Open Wednesday - Saturday 10 - 5 Sunday 11 - 4 125 Hwy 57 Sister Bay 920-854-9900 www.doorsdragonfly.com 82 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
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TOPSIDE
The tug John Roen, Jr.. Photo courtesy of Roen Salvage.
and filled her ballast tanks with water, effectively sinking the barge to its lowest point in the water. Divers then tightened the cables that attached the barge to the Humphrey and the water was pumped out of the barge’s ballasts, thus raising her from the floor of the straits by six to eight feet. The Humphrey could then be towed to shallower water and gently touched down. The maneuver would be repeated, eventually using two barges, one on either side of the sunken freighter. After much careful work, the ship was raised to the point that the hole in her starboard side could be patched. On September 18, 1944, the Humphrey arrived under the tow of the tug John Roen III into the Bay of
Sturgeon Bay. The freighter was welcomed to town by an enthusiastic crowd that had gathered along the route to celebrate what Popular Mechanics called “a feat unparalleled in American Marine history.” John Roen would continue to be a forerunner in maritime accomplishments, winning the tug races in Detroit in 1952 and 1953 and launching an Atlantic fishing fleet out of Boston, which was run from Sturgeon Bay. Roen would also be on the forefront of another Door County industry when he purchased 425 acres of cherry and apple trees in Ellison Bay, called Roen’s Orchard.
John Roen’s daughter Hilda and her husband Charles Asher would launch Roen Salvage in 1949 and run it until 1985 when their son and current President, John Roen Asher, took over. There have been lean years for the company, but by diversifying and providing great service and end results, Roen Salvage has managed to survive and thrive as Great Lakes marine contractors. In the process, the company has provided long-term, well-paying jobs to county residents and has remained very active in the community. To learn more about John Roen’s maritime legacy, visit the John R. Asher Gallery at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay and take a tour of the tug John Purves, a vessel brought back to Sturgeon Bay and refurbished in large part due to the Asher family’s efforts. Roen Salvage is a marine construction company specializing in dredging, stone breakwater and offshore construction, and hydrographic surveys. They provide jobs for 21 full-time employees and up to 25 seasonal workers and have been recognized as Contractor of the Year by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 83
ON YOUR PLATE BY KATIE LOTT SCHNORR
Fresh From the Farm Community Supported Agriculture in Door County
Meg Goettelman in the Steep Creek Farm greenhouse. Photo by Dan Eggert.
M
eg Goettelman recently discovered that her great-grandfather was a gardening fanatic. “Maybe it’s in my DNA,” says Meg, which could explain why
she and her husband Adam launched a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm from their home in the Clay Banks area of Sturgeon Bay last summer. CSAs are a farming model in which community members pay a weekly fee to receive a “share” of the farm’s produce throughout the growing season. In Door County, the season begins in mid-June and continues through October. A weekly share consists of a three-quarter bushel box, and contents vary throughout the season. A June box might include spinach, radishes, greens, and wild ramps while October’s share is full of hardy winter squash, cauliflower, carrots, and parsnips.
84 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
ON YOUR PLATE
Meg began experimenting with raised beds 12 years ago, and her passion for gardening has grown steadily since. The mother of three young boys, Meg wanted her kids to “see how food grows.” When she and Adam heard a radio feature on CSAs during the winter of 2009, they looked at each other and said, “That’s it! That’s what we want to do.” They attended a course through the Agricultural Department at University of Wisconsin-Madison, invested in a tractor, and “got lucky and bought an old cooler” from a restaurant going out of business. They haven’t looked back since. The CSA model is a win-win situation for farmers and customers alike, and it’s a growing phenomenon throughout the country. Of the 2,500 CSAs listed on a comprehensive national database, almost 900 opened for business in the last three years. Unlike growers who sell to restaurants or hock their wares at farmer’s markets, CSAs can count on a predictable income throughout the season. Once a CSA has sold its subscriptions for the summer, farmers can focus their efforts on the hard work of planting, growing, and harvesting. Customers pay upfront to support the cost of seed, equipment, and labor. In exchange, they are entitled to a share of the farm’s bounty as well as a share of the risk. For the customer, membership in a CSA provides access to fresh vegetables and fruits, usually grown without chemical pesticides and exempt from the costly shipping expense of most grocery store produce. For many customers, part of the appeal is being able to connect personally with their local growers. The customers of Steep Creek Farm, Meg’s Farm, are enthusiastic, sharing recipes with her to print in the farm’s weekly newsletter. One woman even took color photographs of each box she received throughout the summer to document a season’s worth of local eating. A few members even barter their own labor to pay for part of their weekly share. doorcountyliving.com
Carmon Mabrey of Carmon’s Gardens in Jacksonport. Photo by Kathy Navis.
Last summer, Steep Creek Farm grew 20 full shares of produce, and served 33 families. Like the other CSAs in the county, they offer different sized shares for singles, small families, and larger clans. This year, they’ve increased their growing capacity to 40 full shares, thanks to a new hoophouse and expanded planting space. Their clientele is a diverse bunch: families with small children, sustainably thinking people, and, according to Meg, “folks who would really love to garden but don’t have the time.” Steep Creek customers visit the farm to pick up their produce, or they can get it at a pick-up site in Sturgeon Bay. Farming, like all work, has its challenges. “I can look out my back window and think,
‘I have to get out there and weed.’” And, of course, Meg and Adam have learned from their mistakes. “Now I know I don’t need 300 row feet of beans,” laughs Meg. The rewards, however, are enormous. Meg’s proudest moments are when she hears her sons telling their friends, “We have a big garden. You should come. I will give you cucumbers!” In northern Door County, two more CSAs have recently taken root. Corinne Lea, owner of Door to Door Local Harvest, describes her CSA as having a “local food distribution” focus, rather than a strict farm-to-consumer model. No stranger to Door County business, Corinne used to run
Steep Creek Farm www.steepcreekfarm.com Door to Door Local Harvest www.door2doorlocalharvest.wordpress.com Carmon’s Gardens www.greens-n-grains.com/csa
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 85
ON YOUR PLATE the venerable shop Sweetie Pies. Her CSA is now in its second season, and she makes personal deliveries to all of her customers, knowing “how busy people are up north in the summertime.” Although Corinne grows plenty of her own produce at garden plots in Southern Door, she also trades surplus crops with other growers in the county and sources their products to her clientele. Shareholders in Corinne’s CSA can “add on” local eggs, bread, fruit, berries, and flowers from various local producers. Corrine is passionate about the possibilities for a sustainable Door County. “Being part of a CSA is a stepping stone to learning more about your area’s growing season and introducing a more sustainable way of life to you and your family,” she says. Carmon Mabrey of Jacksonport began his CSA this summer. After several years of selling his produce to restaurants and through a local “green” grocery store, Carmon was
ready to do less marketing and more farming. He’ll distribute his shares through Greens N’ Grains, a natural foods store in Egg Harbor. “It’s just me,” says Carmon, who enjoys working on his own and admits that he loves being on his hands and knees. He’s planting enough seed to produce 40 shares, which is “just about the right size for me.” Like Corrine and Meg, he is a lifelong gardener who began learning his trade as a boy from his Appalachian grandparents. Carmon isn’t sure what has brought people back around to wanting local, seasonal produce, but he’s grateful that they do. “Maybe people just want something real,” he ponders. “There’s not much that’s real these days.” Membership in Door County’s CSAs ranges from $500 to $600 for about 20 weeks of full weekly shares, and about half that for a bi-weekly share. CSA customers believe that the benefits of receiving fresh,
naturally-grown food is well worth the cost. In a nation where most of our food travels over 1,000 miles to reach grocery stores, and where the cost of transportation is skyrocketing, buying locally is a choice that makes both nutritional and economic sense for many. All three of these CSA farms in Door County are, no doubt, benefiting from the surging interest in locally-produced foods and a sustainable lifestyle. While all three are diverse in their business models, the farmers running them share a commitment to growing quality food and a deep love for being in the garden. “I get to work outside doing what I’m passionate about, and then I get to share with people, and they’re so happy!” says Meg. If growing vegetables isn’t in your DNA, get in touch with a CSA and let your palate reap the benefits.
Rainbow over Steep Creek Farm. Photo by Meg Goettelman. 86 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
ON YOUR PLATE
STEEP CREEK PANZANELLA Serves 4 to 6 • 6 cups stale country style bread • 6 cups tomatoes cut into chunks • 4 large cloves garlic, sliced thin • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh Oregano, Marjoram, or Summer Savory • 1/2 cup roughly torn fresh basil leaves • 2 Tbs. red wine or balsamic vinegar • 1/2 cup olive oil • Salt & pepper to taste
(Above) Corrine Lea of Door to Door Local Harvest delivers a weekly share to Pat Palmer at Novel Ideas. Photo by Dan Eggert. (Right) Lettuce at Carmon’s Gardens. Photo by Kathy Navis.
Place the bread in a large salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and herbs and toss to mix. Pour in the vinegar and oil and toss again. Season with salt and pepper and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes so flavors can blend.
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 87
ON YOUR PLATE BY ALLISON VROMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN EGGERT
Passionate Influences and Local Cuisine
Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille
Most business
deals that start with a bet don’t end happily ever after, but Sara and Britton Unkefer are beating the odds. Two years after purchasing iconic Digger’s restaurant in Fish Creek, the couple has transformed it into Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille with a following as rich as the local ingredients used in their menu. “We made a bet to ourselves that if we wanted to move back to Door County, we weren’t going to do it until we could own our own restaurant,” said Sara. Britton and Sara Unkefer.
She and Britton had left the peninsula in the fall of 2003 to attend culinary school
88 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
at DCT Swiss Hotel Management School (now DCT University Center). When they returned to the States – she with plentiful experience in European pastries and chocolate and he with a wealth of knowledge surrounding European cooking – they moved to Milwaukee. Sara opened her own business, Cake Lady and Petite Pastries, and Britton worked first as the executive chef and general manager at Sticks and Stones in Brookfield, and then as corporate executive chef for Water Street Brewery Restaurant Group. They had been looking at restaurants in Door County for a few years when they made the move in March of 2008. Britton and Sara worked quickly toward making doorcountyliving.com
ONON YOUR YOUR PLATE PLATE
Behind the bar, JJ and Kristine smile for the camera.
INFORMATION the restaurant their own. Not only did they change the exterior appearance and interior décor, they also added a wood-fired oven, which would become the focal piece of their restaurant and menu. However, as all of the changes took place, Sara and Britton aimed to keep the family-friendly appeal of the former establishment. “We have a family,” said Britton. “We know how important it is for us to go to a restaurant and feel comfortable having our kids.” The wood-fired oven created part of this appeal, as pizzas are prepared in the open in the style of the old pizzerias, providing kids with something to watch as soon as they arrive and providing parents a respite
to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer before their meal. Britton and Sara also felt passionate about integrating the high standards they had become accustomed to in their previous culinary experiences into Wild Tomato. Britton grew up in the restaurant world, as his parents owned the ever-popular Nelsen’s Hall on Washington Island for seven years. Better known to most as the Bitter’s Pub, the restaurant and bar were bustling, exposing Britton to the rigors of owning a restaurant early on. “I worked from eight in the morning until midnight when I was a kid,” he said. “I would get a break here and
WILD TOMATO WOOD-FIRED PIZZA AND GRILLE ADDRESS: 4023 State Highway 42, Fish Creek PHONE: (920) 868-3095 WEB SITE: www.wildtomatopizza.com
there during the day, but not much of one.” Despite the long hours, the lifestyle seemed to suit Britton, who continued his venture into the world of food at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. After graduation, he worked at Wolfgang Puck’s award-
General Manager, Karl Bradley, behind the bar.
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 89
ON YOUR PLATE
THE DONATION CREATION Sara and Britton Unkefer aim to contribute to society with their sustainable business model, but they also aim to make an impact on the community they call home in other ways. Through their “Donation Creation” – a monthly pizza special where a dollar from each purchase is donated to an area non-profit organization – Wild Tomato donated $1,865 back to all facets of the Door County community in 2009. The non-profit organizations benefitting from Wild Tomato’s generosity in 2010 include: • May – Gibraltar Historical Association • June – Peninsula Players Theatre • July – Wellness Center of Door County • August – Sustain Door • September – Gibraltar Improvement Council • October – Hardy Gallery
winning San Francisco restaurant, Postrio. It was there that he was introduced not only to wood-fired ovens but also to impeccably high standards. “There is probably not any restaurant in the state that even comes close to the quality that we put out and the ingredients that came in,” said Britton. “It was a 165-seat restaurant, and we had two little walk-in coolers. They were emptied every day and restocked every day…The volume was so great, and the quality just had to be there.” As the head baker, Britton would make 200 loaves of bread a day from scratch, in addition to a slew of other items for the restaurant. As he went about his daily baking, he would watch the purchaser receive food.
90 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
“That guy tasted everything that walked in the door,” said Britton. “He had his nose in the chicken, in the ducks, in the fish, everything…It was just a standard that we had.” Sara was also entrenched in the culinary scene near San Francisco, although at a different time than Britton. She had an apprenticeship in Petaluma, California under Alan Scott who, according to his obituary in the New York Times, played a vital role in the revival of wood-fired ovens across the United States. In addition to working under Scott to build and repair wood-fired ovens, Sara continued his weekly tradition of making and delivering bread in the community. She also made connections with pasdoorcountyliving.com
ON YOUR PLATE try chef Elisabeth Prueitt and baker Chad Robertson, owners of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, currently one of the most respected bakeries in the country. Sara worked in Prueitt’s pastry shop and helped sell bread at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market with Robertson.
The desire to accommodate everyone, once again, stemmed from their previous experiences. While at Sticks and Stones, Britton would get anywhere from two to six requests a night for gluten-free meals, and Sara’s bakery was getting more and more inquiries for wedding cakes sans wheat.
“Those people who were my first inspiration, who were just so wildly passionate about food – that was their life – those were my influences,” she said. “Those people drove that standard into us, [and] that’s what we do here. There are very few things that are not made from scratch here.” Off the top of her head, only ketchup and barbecue sauce came to mind.
“We thought it was a natural thing to do,” she said. “We really have a huge crowd that comes here knowing that they can eat gluten free.” This year Wild Tomato will also offer a couple of gluten-free beers.
In addition to making things from scratch, the couple also strives to source as much of their food locally as possible. “I started using local ingredients for selfish reasons because I wanted the best product I could possibly get – and the freshest,” Britton said. “What comes out of it is actually that you help your neighbors and the local economy.” “And, it’s sustainable,” added Sara. “Food is not traveling from millions of miles away. The local growers that we use are using sustainable practices that are revitalizing the land and soil instead of stripping it.” Wild Tomato sources produce from a number of areas, as one grower could not likely provide them with all of the produce that they need nor could they take all of the produce from a single grower at one time. In addition to making purchases at local farm markets and utilizing Getaway Car Farm to Kitchen, a distribution service for local growers operated by Nick Devily, they have worked quite a bit with Mark and Amy Savard of Wildwood Farms, and this year they will get all of their beef from Jonathan Orrick of Narrow Gate Farm. Wild Tomato’s menu also caters to varying dietary needs. Vegans, vegetarians and people who are gluten-intolerant have options from sandwiches and salads to pizzas. doorcountyliving.com
While the standards they have set for themselves are high – Britton’s philosophy on cooking being: “It doesn’t matter what you are cooking; just make sure that it’s the best” – they want to make sure that the restaurant continues to feel comfortable. “We didn’t want anyone to think that we were going to start going to these upscale, gourmet pizzas because that’s not what we have ever intended to be,” Britton said. “We want to have [Wild Tomato] for everyone.” And, thus far, everyone seems to enjoy Wild Tomato. The couple finds value in the silent compliment of a return customer, such as vacationers eating at the restaurant four or five times in their week-long stay or locals with what could be described as regular appointments. They also take pride in their customers’ verbal accolades proclaiming, “This is the best pizza I’ve ever had!” (Last year by June the restaurant had tallied 40 such remarks before they got too busy to keep track.) The word of mouth advertising they have received is further proof of Wild Tomato’s established, loyal customer base.
bathrooms. However, four months into the process, Britton and Sara received news from the zoning administrator that they were in a FEMA-designated flood plain; they would not be able to expand their footprint. The process was halted, tied up in the red tape of a $20,000-plus engineering study, a $5,000 FEMA application for a Letter of Map Amendment, conversations with attorneys at Senator Feingold’s office, flood insurance, etc. “I don’t ever know if we’ll do that addition now,” said Britton. However, the couple knew that doing nothing to accommodate the growing demand for Wild Tomato was not an option. Before re-opening in the spring of 2010, they remodeled their kitchen in an effort to make it as efficient as possible. By re-organizing the back of house operations, such as reorienting their line and installing an ondemand hot water heater, they were able to make the most of the space they did have. “Maybe there is something to be said about a small spot and just keeping it small,” said Sara. She continued, “We are really passionate about what we do, and we’re just happy that people are very receptive to [it]…We love what we do. Absolutely love it.”
It’s that loyalty that prompted Sara and Britton to explore the option of an addition to the building during the winter of 2009. They were working with an architect to create a more comfortable, winterized space for their customers, as well as their staff, that would include a larger kitchen and bakery area, a designated waiting area, a to-go pickup window and indoor, handicap-accessible Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 91
Cover Painting Auctioned for Charity
entary
D
1/2 mile east of Gills Rock on Hwy 42 Ellison Bay
All Our Pies Just $12.95 Everyday! We invite you to watch us make your product... Gift boxes and corporate gifts are our specialty! 920-854-2268 Fax: 920-854-7299 www.beashomadeproducts.com
Open 7 days a week (Closed Sundays Nov. 1 to May 20)
complim
oor County Living is devoted entirely to the spirit of giving, a thread that runs strong through the fabric of the Door County community. It is in this spirit that Judi Ekholm, the artist behind our cover image of our annual Philanthropy issue, has generously offered this work for auction to benefit a local cause. Door County Living will auction the Ekholm original painting, “A Whispered Invitation,” (oil on linen, framed 31” wide x 38” tall) by mail bid through August 15, 2010. The painting, completed in early 2010, is of the Meisner Land Trust Property. All proceeds from the winning bid will go to the Door County charity of the bidder’s choice. The minimum bid for “A Whispered Invitation” is $2,200, and the winner will be notified by telephone and announced in local publications. Ekholm is a well known Door County artist whose work will be on display at Edgewood Orchard Galleries in Fish Creek in the summer of 2010 as well as at her studio gallery. She can often be found painting in her studio gallery in Fish Creek on Little Spring Road.
local fruits…local flavor Visit Our Winery
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“A Whispered Invitation,” oil on linen, framed 31” wide x 38” tall, by Judi Ekholm, 2010.
All bid submissions should be mailed to: “A Whispered Invitation” C/O Door County Living PO Box 404 Sister Bay, WI, 54234
PROUDLY SUPPORTING
PROUDLY SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1937 OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1937
Celebrating 25 years! Guided Winery Tours Daily 11am, 1pm, 3pm
Tasting Room
6th Annual!
Complimentary Wine & Product Tasting Open Daily 9 am-5:30 pm
Summer Harvest Fest Saturday, July 24th 10 am-5 pm Fun for the whole family! Farm Market...Featuring Door Country cherries, fresh bakery, artisan cheese, salsas, dressings and great gifts! Garden Tours, Annual Festivals, Fruit Picking, Cherry Pit Spit Picnic Area & Playground
Orchard Country 1/2 mi. south of Fish Creek on Hwy 42 (920) 868-3479 • www.orchardcountry.com 92 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Experienced. Loyal. Local.
454 Kentucky St., Sturgeon Bay, WI Experienced. Loyal. Local. Sturgeon Bay: 920-743-6505 Sister Bay: 920-854-2616
454 Kentucky St., Sturgeon Bay, WI www.pinkertlawfirm.com Sturgeon Bay: 920-743-6505 Sister Bay: 920-854-2616 doorcountyliving.com
ON YOUR PLATE BY NIK GARVOILLE
Door County Local Salad
W
ith fresh salad greens available year round from Cherrydale Farms and mostly year round from Pat’s Patch, a leafy, local foundation can be used to build any salad. This version of the Italian bread salad (panzella) can be made local with crusty bread from Crusty Uprising. This salad features sweet and sour Montmorency dried cherries enhanced by a few bitter greens (either fresh arugula or young dandelion greens) and the salty tang of a hard Wisconsin cheese, all against the chewy marinated bread.
Serves 3-4 For the salad: 4 cups leftover French bread, cubed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup dried Montmorency cherries 2 handfuls of mixed greens 2 handfuls of baby spinach 1 handful of dandelion greens or arugula 1/4 cup sunflower kernels or blanched (skinless) almonds shaved parmesan or extra-sharp cheddar For the vinaigrette: 1 tablespoon minced scallions 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard pinch of salt cracked black pepper Preheat your oven to 350° F. Drizzle the bread cubes with olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the bread is browned on the edges. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette until emulsified. Gently toss the bread cubes and the cherries with the vinaigrette, and let them marinate for 5 to 10 minutes, until the bread has just softened, yet the crust is still crunchy. This also allows the bread to cool as to not wilt the salad greens. Toss the greens and nuts in the bowl to coat with the vinaigrette. Serve with shaved cheese on top, to taste.
Photo by Nik Garvoille. doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 93
ON YOUR PLATE BY SALLY SLATTERY
94 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
ON YOUR PLATE
Good Old-Fashioned American Food Behind the Scenes of Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor
I navigate my way over the
glossy wooden floor, wearing my red Wilson’s t-shirt and khaki shorts, holding a tray of hamburger baskets above my head. A toddler bobs up and down by the neon-lit jukebox. American Pie by Don McLean plays from the speakers. A white-haired woman tells the cashier about her days as a “Wilson’s Girl” while browsing through postcards, a dozen depictions of the historic white building accented by red and white awnings. A man sips from his liter-sized frosty mug of homemade root beer. A teenage boy shakes hands with a statue of Uncle Sam. The girls serving ice cream behind the white marble counter shout customers’ numbers, “Eleven! I can help eleven!”
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Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 95
ON YOUR PLATE
I set the hamburger baskets before the family of three, a young girl coloring an epic sundae complete with cherries and whip cream on the back of her placemat while her father flips through song selections and her mother takes in a spoonful of chocolate malt.
“Enjoy,” I say, setting a red ketchup bottle and yellow mustard bottle at the end of the table. A collage of many collective moments, this describes a typical lunch shift at Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor in
Ephraim, where I have been serving for three seasons. The atmosphere is nostalgic Americana, like a Norman Rockwell painting: blue booths, mini jukeboxes, and classic food. The scene is so visually stimulating, customers usually spend three to four minutes gazing left and right, up and down before even approaching the host stand. Established in 1906 by Oscar and Mattie Wilson as an ice cream and candy shop, Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor stands as one of Door County’s most famous and recognizable restaurants. After decades of various owners, Roy and Diane Elquist took on the busy establishment in 1997 and play a very active role in Wilson’s day-to-day operations, greeting and seating customers, maintaining the old-fashioned root beer machine and historic building, and learning the names of over 60 employees every summer. There is something special about Wilson’s, for everyone. Generations of families who visit Door County stop at Wilson’s ev-
96 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
ON YOUR PLATE ery summer for the Dark Secret Sundae (hot fudge, chocolate ice cream, and marshmallow topping) or the All-American Cheeseburger they crave all winter long. For others, the music, the retro signs, the shakes and malts, remind them of their childhoods. And the rest just enjoy some good atmosphere, classic food, and the choice of over a dozen flavors of ice cream. At the end of their meal, as I clear the table and set down the check, the customers ask where I went to school and how I discovered Door County. They wonder if I ever get tired of ice cream and burgers. “No, not really,” I say. Honest. Between taking and delivering orders, brewing coffee or clearing tables, conversations with my fellow servers usually go between the latest Door County gossip and what we might order at the end of our shift. We stand by the kitchen window, sipping our Cokes and wonder, “A Wilson’s Burger or a BLT? A chocolate malt or a Junior Sundae?” But that’s only the front line. That’s what I see. The kitchen is another scene entirely. If the host seats you in the indoor patio, you have a chance to catch a glimpse of the cooks placing patties on the broiler or hear the sizzle of the fryer as they dunk French fries and cheese curds. The cook you see may be Edrik Engberg, a Door County local and employee of Wilson’s since 2002. While Engberg is cooking, he will have a number in his head, the number of burgers currently in the broiler. This number stays in his head as he jokes with the other two cooks, sings along with Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd, or the Rolling Stones, and retrieves sides of mayo
Author Sally Slattery picks up an order at the Wilson’s window. Photo by Dan Eggert.
or extra plates for the servers calling through the window. The kitchen can be chaotic, and very hot. “The beginning of a shift is like preparing for battle,” says Engberg. “There are three people making a lot of food during the day.” He describes the kitchen, which can reach temperatures of 100 to 110 degrees on a hot summer day, as a “little zone.” “It helps to have good people to work with. We all like each other a lot,” he says. Spending winters as a student in Madison, Wisconsin, Engberg says that working for Wilson’s each summer “is like a totally different world, like coming back to be with friends. I love Door County so much and am so happy to be home. When I go back to school, I have the urban culture and live the city life, it’s a good change.” So what’s the cook’s favorite meal during the season? “You can’t go wrong with a club [three toasted pieces of white bread with turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise],” says Engberg. “But they are the worst to get swamped in. When you see you have a line of tickets with BLTs or clubs we call it ‘getting burned.’ It’s a terrifying experience. Sometimes the tickets get so long, you feel like you are never going to get out of the club sandwich pile.”
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Engberg believes that there are many reasons Wilson’s remains a popular destination: “Reasonable prices, good service, historical place. People like to come back.” As do the employees. Like myself, Engberg feels “a sense of pride after a long day’s work.” We make plans to meet for a bonfire, a late night swim, or simply a drink to relax. Wilson’s, I have realized, is so much more than food or atmosphere, but people and memories. There is something special about that place, and as far as recommendations go: my favorite is the BLT on wheat.
INFORMATION WILSON’S RESTAURANT AND ICE CREAM PARLOR ADDRESS: 9990 Water Street (Highway 42), Ephraim PHONE: (920) 854-2041 WEB SITE: www.wilsonsicecream.com HOURS: Open 11:00 am – 11:00 pm during peak summer season. Call for closing times in September and October.
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• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY
RestaurantGuide Restaurant Guide Key: $ $$ $$$ $$$$ Â BW { J B L D ( T
$5-10* $10-15* $15-20* $20* Full Bar Beer & Wine only Outdoor Seating available Kid’s Menu available Offering Breakfast Offering Lunch Offering Dinner Reservations Accepted Open during winter (hours may vary)
Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order by town. Information is subject to change. Contact individual restaurants for hours of operation. Inclusion in this directory should not be considered an unqualified endorsement by Door County Living. Restaurants are encouraged to e-mail us with up-to-date information at: dining@doorcountyliving.com.
*price range based on average dinner entrée (if available)
Bruce Alexander Chef, Owner AMAZING CUISINE CASUAL SCENE Seafood / Steaks
Fine Spirits
Open nightly for dinner Lounge opens at 4:00 pm | Dining room at 5:00 pm
Champagne Sunday Brunch
Locally Owned Family Restaurant! Serving omelette wraps, fresh bakery, and coffee
Catering & Special Events
Open Daily 7am
Serving from 9:30 am
Open Year Round | Reservations Accepted | 920.868.3532
Hwy 42, N. of Fish Creek www.alexandersofdoorcounty.com
98 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
located on Hwy 42 in Ephraim, just south of the beach
920-854-6621 www.goodeggsdoorcounty.com doorcountyliving.com
• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY Algoma Caffe’ Tlazo 607 4th. St. Hwy. 42 (920) 487-7240 www.caffetlazo.com $ Â{ B L D T
Sturgeon Bay Birmingham’s 4709 N Bay Shore Dr. (920) 743-5215 $$ ÂJ L D T Blue Front Café 86 W. Maple (920) 743-9218 $$ BW J L D T( Company Store Café 306 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 746-8000 $ BW { B L D T Cherry Hills Lodge & Golf Course 5905 Dunn Rd. (920) 743-4222 www.golfdoorcounty.com $$ Â{ J B L D (T
Donny’s Glidden Lodge Restaurant 4670 Glidden Dr. (920) 746-9460 $$$ Â{ J D (T Fatso’s 46 Green Bay Rd. (920) 743-6300 ${JLDT Gilmo’s Bar & Bistro Wavepoint Marina Resort 3600 County CC (920) 824-5440 $ { Â J L D (T Hot Tamales 26 E. Oak St. Sturgeon Bay (920) 746-0600 $ BW T J B L D Idlewild Pub & Grill 4146 Golf Valley Dr. Sturgeon Bay (920) 743-5630 $ Â{ L D ( The Inn At Cedar Crossing 336 Louisiana St (920) 743-4200 www.innatcedarcrossing.com $$$ Â J B L D (T
Java on Jefferson 232 N. 5th Ave. (920) 746-1719 ${BT
Neighborhood Pub & Grill 1407 Egg Harbor Rd. (920) 743-7018 ÂJ L D T
Kick Coffee 148 N. 3rd Ave. (920)746-1122 ${BLT
The Nightingale Supper Club 1541 Egg Harbor Rd. (920) 743-5593 $$$ ÂJ D T
Ladder House 38 S. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-3315 $$ ÂJ L D (T Mandarin Garden 512 S. Lansing Ave. (920) 746-9122 $$ BW L D T Mill Supper Club 4128 Hwy 42/57 N (920) 743-5044 $$ ÂD (T My Sister’s Café 325 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-1991 $BLT The Nautical Inn 234 Kentucky St (920) 743-3399 www.andysnautical.com $$$ Â L D ( T
Sunset Grill 3810 Rileys Point Rd. (920) 824-5130 www.sunsetgrilldoorcounty.com $$ Â{ J D (T The Cabin 4680 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 743-2421 $$ ÂJ D (T
Scaturo’s Café 19 Green Bay Rd. (920) 746-8727 $ BW { J B L D (T
Trattoria Dal Santo 147 N. 3rd Ave. (920) 743-6100 $$$ BW D (T
Sonny’s Pizzeria 43 N. Madison (920) 743-2300 $$ L D BW J(T
Egg Harbor
Stone Harbor 107 N 1st St. (920) 746-0700 www.stoneharbor-resort.com $$$ Â{ J B L D (T Stone Harbor’s full-service restaurant & pub offers beautiful water views for elegant yet casual dining. With an all-youcan-eat lunch salad bar seven days a week and live entertainment every weekend, you’re sure to have a great experience here at Stone Harbor.
Bistro at Liberty Square 7755 Hwy. 42 (920) 868-4848 www.libertysquareshops.com $$$ Â { J B L D ( We strive to bring you the best food, wine, and beer in Door County with variety to please everyone. Our menu features tasty breakfast items, specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizzas, and daily selected entrées. Everything made fresh with quality ingredients while you enjoy the ambience of Door County.
Live Entertainment Every Weekend! Classic Cuisine • Spectacular Sunsets Outdoor Dining • Live Music • Tiki Bar Fantastic Room Rates! Across from the Sister Bay Marina TransientOff-Season Boat Slips Available Outdoor Dining • Live Music • Tiki Bar Check website for schedules & rates. Transient Boat Available Check outout our our website forSlips weekend entertainment www.stoneharbor-resort.com www.stoneharbor-resort.com 107 North First Ave • Sturgeon Bay, WI • 54235 Check out our website for schedules & rates.
877-746-0700 Allwww.stoneharbor-resort.com you can eat salad 107 North Firstlunch Ave • Sturgeon bar for andBay, WI • 54235 920-746-0700 or 877-746-0700 casual fine dining for dinner. doorcountyliving.com
Dinner from 5:00 p.m.
Open Nightly Reservations accepted 920-854-9419 Visit our website for our monthly on-line cooking class
innatkristofers.com Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 99
• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY Bistro 42 5806 Hwy 42 (920) 743-9463 $$$ BW L D ( J
Door County Coffee & Tea Co. 5773 Hwy 42 (920) 743 8930 ${JBLT
Boneyard Texas Pit BBQ 6214 Hwy 42 (920) 746-0093
Double Delites 7818 Hwy. 42 (920) 868-2221 $T
Carlsville Roadhouse 5790 Hwy 42 (920) 743-4966 ÂLDT Carrington Pub & Grill 7643 Hillside Rd. (920) 868-3205 www.thelandmarkresort.com $$$ Â{ J B L D (T Casey’s BBQ and Smokehouse 7855 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3038 $$ ÂJ L D (T Chocolate Chicken 7821 Horseshoe Bay Rd (920) 868-3983 www.chocolatechicken.com ${ Cupola Café 7836 Hwy. 42 (920) 868-2354 ${
Greens N Grains Deli 7821 Hwy. 42 (920) 868-9999 $ L T{ The Greens N Grains Deli features a wonderful selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and raw food cuisine. In its second year, the new deli also highlights a juice bar with freshly-pressed veggie juices, fruit smoothies, healthy bakery, a tea bar and organic coffees. Hof Restaurant at the Alpine Resort 7715 Alpine Rd (920) 868-3000 www.alpineresort.com $$$ Â { J B L D ( John Henry’s 7740 Hwy. 42 (920) 868-1303 $$ Â { L D T
Log Den 6626 Hwy. 42 (920) 868-3888 www.thelogden.com $$ Â {J L D (T Mojo Rosa’s Cantina 7778 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3247 $Â{J L D (T The Orchards at Egg Harbor 8125 Heritage Lake Rd. (920) 868-2483 orchardsateggharbor.com $ L Â { Shipwrecked Brew Pub & Inn 7791 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2767 shipwreckedmicrobrew.com $$$ Â{ J L D T Stonehedge Golf Course 4320 Cty. E (920) 868-1861 $ Â{ J L D Trio Restaurant Hwy 42 & County E (920) 868-2090 $$$ BW D Country French/Italian cuisine served in a casual bistro atmosphere nightly May - Oc-
tober. Enhance your dinner with a selection from our international wine & beer list. Finish with one of our homemade desserts. Limited reservations available for large parties. The Village Café 7918 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3342 $ BW { J B L D T Whatcha Have 7821 Horseshoe Bay Rd. (920) 868-2724 $ BW { L D
Jacksonport JJ’s of Jacksonport Hwy V and Hwy 57 (920) 823-2700 $ ÂJ L D { T Travel to Jacksonport for the liveliest setting around! Enjoy Mexican and American dishes and fantastic margaritas – a local favorite! Mike’s Port Pub & Grille 6269 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2081 $ ÂJ L D T
Mr. G’s Logan Creek Grill 5890 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2112 $$ ÂJ D T Square Rigger Galley 6332 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2404 $ ÂJ B Town Hall Bakery 6225 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2116 $ BWJ B L
Baileys Harbor AC Tap 9322 Highway 57 (920) 839-2426 $ Â{ L D T The Blue Ox 8051 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2771 $ ÂL D { Cornerstone Pub & Restaurant 8123 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9001 $$ Â { J B L D T
unty Tradition Since 190 A Door Co 6 Great Food Ice Cream Specialties
Wilson’s Home-Brewed Draft Root Beer
& IC EOutdoor CR E A MSeating P A R LO R Family Atmoshere Open Daily 11am May-Oct.
Wilson’s & IC E CR E A M P A R LO R
9990 Water Street • Ephraim 920-854-2041 • www. www.WilsonsIceCream WilsonsIceCream.com WilsonsIceCream .com 100 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ~ Traditional Fish Boils Overnight Lodging
4225 Main Street • Fish Creek • (800) 624-1987 • whitegullinn.com doorcountyliving.com
• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY Coyote Roadhouse 3026 County E (920) 839-9192 $$ Â{ J L D T Custard’s Last Stan 8080 Hwy. 57 (920) 839-9999 ${ Espresso Lane 8037 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2647 ${BLT Florian II Supper Club 8048 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2361 $$ Â J D Gordon Lodge Restaurant & Bar 1420 Pine Dr. (920) 839-2331 www.gordonlodge.com $$$$ Â { B L D ( Harbor Fish Market & Grille 8080 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9999 www.harborfishmarket-grille. com $$$$ Â{ J B L D (T Highland Club at Maxwelton Braes 7670 Hwy 57
(920) 839-2321 www.maxwelton-braes.com $ ÂL D (T P C Junction Corner of A & E (920) 839-2048 $Â{JLDT Pen Pub County Hwys A & E (920) 839-2141 $ Â{ L D T Restaurant Saveur 8041 Hwy. 57 (920) 839-2708 $$$$ ÂJ{ L D (T Our cuisine draws from flavors from around the world with strong Latin influences and a foundation based on classic French technique. From South American churrasco to Italian Osso Buco, we truly endeavor to offer an experience that awakens your palate and excites your senses. Our wine list features hand-picked wines from around the world with strong emphasis on Chile and Argentina. We also offer a full bar with specialty items such as Brazilian cachaca, Chilean pisco, and housemade sangria. It is with utmost sincerity that we welcome you
to our establishment. Closed Mondays. Sandpiper Restaurant 8166 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2528 $ { J B L Yum Yum Tree 8054 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2993 $LD
Fish Creek
Eclectic World Cuisine
Alexander’s Contemporary Cuisine & Fine Spirits 3667 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3532 www.alexandersofdoorcounty.com $$$$ Â{ J D (T Specializing in seafood, steaks, contemporary cuisine, catering and special events (fully licensed and insured). Bar opens at 4:00pm, dinner at 5:00pm. Sunday brunch starting at 9:30am.
Lunch & Dinner Closed Mondays
Bayside Tavern Main St. (920) 868-3441 $ÂJLDT For an unpredictably great time, visit Fish Creek’s favor-
8041 Hwy. 57 Baileys Harbor 839-2708 www.restaurantsaveur.com
It’s a... A Door County Favorite for Over 20 Years A Lunch Door County Favorite Over 20 Years & Dinner Daily •for Sunday Brunch Lunch & Dinner Daily • Sunday Brunch
Innovative New American Cuisine Wine Spectator Award Tapas,Wine and Martini Bar
RESTAURANT WITH GAS Breakfast Sandwiches & PUMPS! Subs Made Fresh to Order! located in front of Pamida
DELIVERY NOW AVAILABLE TO LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS in Sister Bay & Ephraim
Now Serving Chicken!
Patio Dining Available
Sister Bay Mobil • (920) 854-6700 doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 101
• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY ite tavern. Serving cocktails, beer and our famous Bayside Coffee. Our short-order menu features hearty homemade soups, sandwiches, burgers, home-made pizza, Friday fish fry and Smilin’ Bob’s Chili. Open daily, year round! Blue Horse Bistro & Espresso 4158 Main St. (920) 868-1471 ${BLT Cooper’s Corner Corner of Main St. and Hwy 42 (920) 868-2667 $$ ÂJ LD{ T The Cookery, Inc 4135 S. Main St. (920) 868-3634 www.cookeryfishcreek.com $$ BW { J B L D T Offering a fresh twist on classic dishes, The Cookery’s menu features entrées prepared from start to finish in the restaurant’s kitchen. Lunch and dinner are prepared with fresh, local (when available) ingredients and served daily. Saturday
and Sunday breakfast menu featuring whole wheat oatmeal pancakes, house made biscuits and jam, and omelets with seasonal ingredients. Outdoor porch seating available. Waterview wine bar offering light fare and desserts. Certified by Travel Green Wisconsin. English Inn 3713 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3076 $$$ ÂJ D (T Randy and Lisa Daubner cordially invite you to enjoy Olde World Class with traditional supper club portions at The English Inn. “A Door County dining tradition.” Open year round. Live entertainment 5 nights a week in summer, weekends in winter. Gibraltar Grill 3993 Main St. (920) 868-4745 $$ BW J { L D Greenwood Supper Club Intersection of County A & County F (920) 839-2451 $$$ ÂJ D T
Julie’s Park Cafe & Motel 4020 Hwy. 42 (920) 868-2999 $$ { BW J B L D( Julie’s Park Cafe & Motel is a family owned and operated business located at the entrance to Peninsula State Park. Since 1998, we have been offering breakfast (all day), lunch and dinner along with free wireless Internet, vegetarian options, and beautiful outdoor patio dining. We are also pet friendly and kid friendly. Reservations accepted. Luna Café 4192 Main St. (920) 868-1133 www.lunacafe.com $ Mr. Helsinki 4164 Hwy 42 (920) 868-9898 $$$ BW D T Not Licked Yet 4054 Main St. (920) 868-2617 {LD
“Best Perch in Door County” – Door Audio Tours
Country FrenCh & ItalIan hwy 42 egg harbor • (920) 868-2090 • trIodoorCounty.Com
Experience a Classic Family-Owned American Supper Club
Joe Jo’s Pizza and Gelato
Specializing in home-made thin crust pizza made to order
since
1964
Put your taste buds to the test: offering 18 gelato flavors! Open Daily at 11:00 am
Wi-Fi Accessible
Dine In until 9:00 pm Carry Out until 10:00 pm
Vot ed piz best z No a in rth Do ern or!
(920) 854-5455 • 10420 Water St. • North Ephraim 102 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Family-friendly dining! Our family welcomes yours!
920-854-2841 SisterBayBowl.com
lunch|cocktails|dinner doorcountyliving.com
• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY Pelletier’s Restaurant Founder’s Square (920) 868-3313 $$ BW { J B L D ( Stillwater’s by the Bay 4149 Main St. (920) 868-9962 ${JLD Sonny’s Pizzeria 3931 Hwy 42 (920)868-1900 ${LDÂ( Summertime Restaurant 1 N Spruce St. (920) 868-3738 www.thesummertime.com $$$$ ÂJ BLD{ (T Villaggio’s 4240 Juddville Rd. (920) 868-4646 $$ BW { J D ( Whistling Swan 4192 Main St. www.whistlingswan.com (920) 868-3442 $$$$ BW D (T White Gull Inn 4225 Main St. (920) 868-3517 www.whitegullinn.com $$$$ BW J B L D (T Serving breakfast (including America’s Favorite, White Gull Cherry Stuffed French Toast, as featured on Good Morning America) as well as a full menu daily 7:30 – noon; sumptuous lunches served daily noon – 2:30; traditional Door County fish boils served Wed., Fri., Sat. and Sun. evenings in summer and fall and on Fri. evenings in winter; candlelight dinner served from the menu on the evenings when there is no fish boil. Reservations recommended for evening meals. Wild Tomato Wood Fired Pizza and Grille 4023 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3095 $ BW { J L D Newly re-opened in 2009, the Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille (formerly Digger’s Pizza) is a fresh new restaurant with not only great wood-fired pizzas, salads, sandwiches and burgers, but also a new attitude toward giving to the community, using sustainable products and creating an affordable restaurant using the best ingredients available. Gluten free options available.
Ephraim Chef’s Hat 9998 Pioneer Lane (920) 854-2034 $$ {JB L D (T
doorcountyliving.com
Good Eggs South Ephraim (920) 854-6621 ${BL Good Eggs: You are one! Breakfast cabana across from the water in south Ephraim. Joe Jo’s 10420 Water St. (920) 854-5455 $JLDT Specializing in home-made thin crust pizza made to order. Put your taste buds to the test – offering 18 gelato flavors! Leroy’s Waterstreet Coffee 9922 Hwy 42 (920) 854-4044 ${BLT Old Post Office Restaurant 10040 Water St. (920) 854-4034 www.oldpostoffice-doorcounty. com $$ B D { J( Second Story Restaurant 10018 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2371 www.ephraimshores.com $$ J B L D ( Summer Kitchen 10425 Water St. (920) 854-2131 $$ { J B L D Wilson’s Restaurant 9990 Water St. (920) 854-2041 ${JLD Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor has been located in the heart of Ephraim since 1906. A classic Door County landmark that possesses the enchantment to take even the youngest visitors back in time with its old-fashioned soda fountain and ice cream specialties, home-brewed draft root beer, flame broiled burgers and juke boxes playing the classics.
Sister Bay Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant 10698 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2626 $$ BW J B L D T Base Camp Coffee Bar 10904 Hwy 42 (920) 854-7894 ${BLT Carroll House 2445 S. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-7997 $JBL DC Deli 10663 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-4514 $ BW { J B L D
Sterling Silver
Open Daily Downtown Sister Bay (920)-854-2429 • www.solbjorg.com
and
LaPuerta of Sister
Bay
Hwy. 42, North end of Sister Bay 920.854.4513 OPEN 5:00 Tuesday-Thursday 11:00 Friday-Saturday Closed Sunday & Monday
of
Jacksonport
6301 Hwy. 57, Jacksonport 920.823.2700 OPEN 5:00 Tuesday-Wednesday 11:00 Thursday-Saturday Closed Sunday-Monday
MEXICAN & AMERICAN FOOD ~ World Renowned Margaritas ~
www.jjswaterfront.com
Where The Food Is As Excellent As The View InnovatIve Menu • Full Bar • extensIve WIne lIst
open tuesday through sunday at 5 p.m. 10947 n. Bay shore Drive, sister Bay 920.854.5491 reservations recommended www.jjswaterfront.com
he English Inn BAR & Dining Room Open THE ENGLISH INN Daily: May - November $1.00 OFF Weekends: December - April Any Dinner or Special (Nightly: Christmas - New Year’s Eve) NIGHTLY FEATURES Plus Full Menu Including Over 60 Entrees. Beef Wellington served Nightly $16.95 Friday Night Fish Fry: All-you-can-eat Perch, Whitefish, Walleye, Cod, Bluegill, or Smelt 3713 Hwy. 42 Fish Creek • Call For Reservations • Gift Certificates Available 920-868-3076 •theenglishinn.com Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 103
• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY Husby’s Food & Spirits 10641 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2624 $ Â{ J L D T
Door County Ice Cream Factory 11051 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9693 ${JLD
The Inn At Kristofer’s 10716 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-9419 www.innatkristofers.com $$$$ BW D (T The Inn at Kristofer’s offers waterfront fine dining at its best. Situated at the north end of the picturesque village of Sister Bay adjacent to the scenic Sister Bay Marina, patrons can take full advantage of the spectacular Door County sunsets over the waters of Green Bay as they enjoy the restaurant’s exceptional fine dining cuisine. Featuring Midwestern dishes inspired by French culinary traditions.
th
Mission Grille Intersection of Hwy 42 & 57 (920) 854-9070 www.missiongrille.com $$$$ Â{ J L D (T Exceptional cuisine and fine spirits, Gourmet Magazine Selection, Wine Spectator Award past 11 years. Moretti’s 10649 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-6610 $ BW { J L D Northern Grill & Pizza 10573 Country Walk Dr. (920) 854-9590 $ Â{ J L D T
Bowl features a full dining room, grill and bar, and Northern Door’s only bowling alley. Sister Bay Café 10667 N Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2429 www.solbjorg.com $$ BW { J B L D T Located in the heart of the village, the Sister Bay Café is a full service restaurant with a Scandinavian flair. Serving three meals a day and nightly dinner specials. Beer and wine available.
Express at Sister Bay ish • watch Sub Mobil tef i h Patio Motel & Restaurant t2579 he S. Bay Shore Dr. w (920) 854-6700 10440 Orchard Dr. e sL DT $ {JB u (920) 854-1978
JJ’s/La Puerta Restaurant 10961 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-4513 $ Â{ J L D T Travel to the north end of Sister Bay for the liveliest setting around! Enjoy Mexican and American dishes and fantastic margaritas – a local favorite!
${BLD Sarah’s Snack Shop Hwy 42, Cedar Shops (920) 854-5977
Sister Bay Bowl 10640 N Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-2841 $$$ ÂJ L D T Famous for its Friday Night Perch Fry and its Prime Rib, this throwback to yesteryear is located in the heart of Sister Bay. Open year round, the Sister Bay
It’s a restaurant with gas pumps! Daily lunch specials, fresh subs, pizza, breakfast bagels, muffin sandwiches, smoothies, and more. Drivethru service available.
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Fred & Fuzzy’s Waterfront Bar & Grill 10620 Little Sister Rd. (920) 854-6699 www.LittleSisterResort.com $ Â{ J L D Door County’s best kept secret. A place to dine on our scenic shoreline. Sit outside or under our awning which is enclosed and heated for spring and fall. Grilled sandwiches, full bar, Friday and Wednesday fish fry, boat tieups, awesome sunsets and storm watching. Open daily at 11:30 am. Located at Little Sister Resort adjacent to Bay Ridge Golf Course, in Sister Bay.
•e
Drink Coffee 10647 N. Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-1155 ${BLT
at
Door County Bakery 10048 Hwy. 57 (920) 854-1137 www.doorcountybakery.com $$ { B L T
The Shoreline Restaurant
ish • watch
The Waterfront 10961 Bay Shore Dr. (920) 854-5491 $$$$ { ÂD( T “The Waterfront” features upscale elegant dining overlooking the beautiful Sister Bay waterfront. Our menu
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INOpen GILLSFor ROCK Lunch The Shoreline & Dinner Open Daily For Lunch & Dinner e
hi
Restaurant IN GILLS ROCK
Full Full Bar Bar
920.854.2950 Sorry No Reservations
features Door County’s finest steaks, and innovative fresh fish and seafood. Look for The Waterfront when you’re in Door County. It promises to be a memorable dining experience!
Ellison Bay Chef Andy’s Hillside Inn 11934 Hwy 42 (920) 854-4477 $$$ Â D J ( Mink River Basin 12010 Hwy 42 Ellison Bay (920) 854-2250 $$ Â{ J B L D (T Rowleys Bay Restaurant 1041 Hwy ZZ Rowleys Bay (920) 854-2385 www.wagontrail.com $$ Â B L D ( T. Ashwell’s 11976 Mink River Rd. (920) 854-4306 $$$$ Â{ J D (T The Viking Grill 12029 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2998 door-county-fish-boil.com $$ ÂJ B L D
Gills Rock/ Northport GT Coffee 12625 Highway 42 (262) 719-5104 www.GalleryTen.com $BL{T Northport Pier Restaurant 215 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9911 www.wisferry.com $ BW B L
Open Daily For Lunch & Dinner Full Bar
920.854.2950 Live Music Every Tuesday Featuring “The Nicks” from 7-10 Sorry No Reservations
Mid-June through Mid-September
Located at Little Sister Resort (adjacent to Bay Ridge Golf Course) 10620 Little Sister Rd • Sister Bay • (920) 854-6699 • www.fredandfuzzys.com
… A Destination Worth Finding! G r i l l e d S a n d w i c h e s • F u l l B a r • B o a t T i e - U p s • A w e s o m e S u n s e t s & S t o r m Wa t c h i n g
104 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
doorcountyliving.com
• • • DINING IN DOOR COUNTY Shoreline Restaurant 12747 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2950 www.doorcountydining.com/ shoreline $$$ Â { J L D Start at the top of the county in Gills Rock. Come to the Shoreline Restaurant, where every meal is served with a view overlooking the western waters of Green Bay. We serve lunch and dinner from 11am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm, May through October,
featuring whitefish and nightly specials. Along with our numerous whitefish specialties, we have many other nightly features.
Washington Island Albatross N7W1910 Lobdells Point Rd. (920) 847-2203
Bread and Water 1275 Main Rd. (920) 847-2400 ${BLDT Cellar Restaurant Main Rd. (920) 847-2655 $$ { J L D (T Deer Run Golf Course and Resort Main & Michigan Rds. (920) 847-2017
Fiddler’s Green 1699 Jackson Harbor Rd. (920) 847-2610 $ BW { L D T
Sailor’s Pub 1475 South Shore Dr. (920) 847-2105 $$$ Â{ D (
Karly’s Bar 1265 Main Rd. (920) 847-2655 $$ Â{J L DT
Sunset Resort 889 Old West Harbor Rd. (920) 847-2531 $B
Nelsen’s Hall Bitters Pub W19N1205 Main Rd. (920) 847-2496 $ Â{ L D T
Washington Hotel 354 Range Line Rd. (920) 847-2169 $$$$ BW { L D (
Opening April 29!
Open Daily
6:59 am to 9:01 pm!
FOR AN UNPREDIC TABLY
G R E AT T I M E
• vegetarian items • breakfast all day • outdoor patio
• reservations welcome • children’s menu FREE s • espresso bar wireles t
interne
Home of the Bayside Coffee and
Smilin’ Bob’s Chili DOWNTOWN FISH CREEK (920) 868-3441
Located at the Fish Creek entrance to the Peninsula State Park (920) 868-2999 • www.juliesmotel.com relax@juliesmotel.com
have you been to our wine bar?
serving great small plates like bison sliders with cabernet onions, bacon wrapped dates, and a door county cherry and apple salad. and that’s not to mention the wine flights, wisconsin microbrews, desserts and espresso. all with a great view. lunch & dinner daily / breakfast on weekends / wine bar 4135 main street / fish creek / 920.868.3634 / cookeryfishcreek.com doorcountyliving.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 105
lodgingGuide • • • STAYING IN DOOR COUNTY
Lodging facilities are listed in alphabetical order by town. Information is subject to change. We encourage readers to contact these establishments for more specific information. Inclusion in this directory should not be considered an unqualified endorsement by Door County Living. Innkeepers are encouraged to e-mail us with up-to-date information at: lodging@doorcountyliving.com.
Sturgeon Bay Along The Beach B & B 3122 Lake Forest Park Road (920) 746-0476 Bed & Breakfast $105 - $135 Amenities: Cable, Full Breakfast, Waterfront AmericInn Lodge & Suites of Sturgeon Bay 622 S Ashland Ave (920) 743-5898 Hotel/Motel $59-$175 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Indoor Pool, Sauna, Pets With Approval, Meeting Rooms The Barbican 132 N 2nd Ave (920) 743-4854 Bed & Breakfast $115-$220 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Cable/Movies Bay Shore Inn 4205 Bay Shore Dr (920) 743-4551 Resort $79-$309 Amenities: Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Waterfront, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Tennis, Boating, Fishing, Playground, Bike Trails, Meeting Rooms Beach Harbor Resort 3662 N Duluth Ave (920) 743-3191 Resort/Hotel/Motel $69-$210 Amenities: Smoke Free, Waterfront/Beach, Jet Ski & Bike Rentals, Cottages & Rooms
Black Walnut Guest House 454 N 7th Ave (920) 743-8892 Bed & Breakfast $135 - $145 Amenities: Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Smoke Free Bridgeport Resort 50 W Larch St (920) 746-9919 Resort $69-$299 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, High-Speed Internet, Smoke Free, Waterfront/ Beach, Wheelchair Accessible, Fitness Center, Outdoor Pool, Indoor Pool/ Water Park, Sauna, Tennis, Fishing The Chadwick Inn 25 N 8th Ave (920) 743-2771 Bed & Breakfast $110-$135 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Movies Chal A Motel 3910 Hwy 42/57 (920) 743-6788 Hotel/Motel $34-$64 Amenities: Non-Smoking Rooms, Museum Chanticleer Guest House 4072 Cherry Rd (920) 746-0334 Bed & Breakfast $120-$275 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Continental Breakfast Cherry Hills Lodge & Golf Course 5905 Dunn Rd (920) 743-4222 Resort $89-$155
106 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Amenities: Restaurant, Full Breakfast, Smoke Free, Outdoor Pool, Golf Course, AAA Official Appointment Program Member The Cliff Dwellers 3540 N Duluth Ave (920) 743-4260 Resort 85-$230 Amenities: Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Waterfront, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Boating, Fishing, Bike Trails, Townhouses, Cottages & Rooms
Hearthside Inn B & B 2136 Taube Rd (920) 746-2136 Bed & Breakfast $65-$750 Amenities: Full Breakfast, TV/ VCR, Country Dance Barn Holiday Motel 29 N 2nd Ave (920) 743-5571 Hotel/Motel $39-$70 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, Refrigerators, Cable, Pets with Approval
Colonial Gardens B & B 344 N 3rd Ave (920) 746-9192 Bed & Breakfast $100-$175 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Full Breakfast
The Inn At Cedar Crossing 336 Louisiana St (920) 743-4200 Bed & Breakfast $75 - $190 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Restaurant, Continental Breakfast Cable/Movies, Smoke Free
Comfort Inn 923 Green Bay Rd (920) 743-7846 Hotel/Motel $89-$145 Amenities: Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Internet, Indoor Pool, Microwaves & Refrigerators
Inn The Pines 3750 Bay Shore Dr (920) 743-9319 Bed & Breakfast $120 - $150 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Continental Breakfast, Cable/ Movies, Smoke Free
Garden Gate B & B 434 N 3rd Ave (920) 743-9618 Bed & Breakfast $50-$120 Amenities: Full Breakfast, Cable/DVD/CD, Smoke Free
Little Harbor Inn 5100 Bay Shore Dr (920) 743-3789 Bed & Breakfast $120 - $175 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Smoke Free, Waterfront
Glidden Lodge Beach Resort 4676 Glidden Dr (920) 746-3900 Resort $140-$375 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Waterfront/Beach, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Sauna, Tennis, Meeting Rooms
The Pembrooke Inn 410 N 4th St (920) 746-9776 Bed & Breakfast $80-$120 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Breakfast, Smoke Free
Quiet Cottage B & B 4608 Glidden Dr (920) 743-4526 Bed & Breakfast $180-$225 Amenities: Full Breakfast TV/ VCR/DVD/CD, High Speed Internet The Reynolds House B & B 111 S 7th Ave (920) 746-9771 Bed & Breakfast $69 - $160 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Smoke Free Sand Bay Beach Resort & Suites 3798 Sand Bay Point Rd (920) 743-5731 Resort $85-$299 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Kitchen or Snack Bar, Indoor Pool, Sauna, Game Room, Fish Cleaning Facilities, Coin Operated Laundry, Meeting Facilities, Library Lounge Sawyer House B & B 101 S Lansing Ave (920) 746-1640 Bed & Breakfast $90-$200 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Breakfast, TV/CD Scofield House B & B 908 Michigan St (920) 743-7727 Bed & Breakfast $84 - $220 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free Snug Harbor Resort 1627 Memorial Dr (920) 743-2337 Resort $50-$169 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirldoorcountyliving.com
STAYING IN DOOR COUNTY • • • pool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront, Boating, Fishing, Water Skiing, Playground, Cottages & Rooms, Pets With Approval Stone Harbor Resort & Conference Center 107 N 1st Ave (920) 746-0700 Resort $99-$501 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Restaurant, Lounge/ Bar, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Boating, Bike Trails, Hiking Trails, Snow Shoeing, Meeting Rooms, Business Traveler Services Stroh Haus B & B 608 Kentucky St (920) 743-2286 Bed & Breakfast $60 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Breakfast, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Wedding Garden, Gathering Room Westwood Shores Waterfront Resort 4303 Bay Shore Dr (920) 746-4057 Resort $79-$289 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Waterfront, Wheelchair Accessible, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Boating, Fishing, ATV Trails, Snowmobiling, Meeting Rooms, Business Traveler Services White Lace Inn 16 N 5th Ave (920) 743-1105 Bed & Breakfast $70 - $135 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Breakfast, Cable/ Movies, Wheelchair Accessible White Pines Victorian Lodge 114 N 7th Ave (920) 746-8264 Bed & Breakfast $85-$150 Amenities: Fireplace, Full Breakfast, Cable. Certified Green, Chemical and Fragrance Free
doorcountyliving.com
Egg Harbor Alpine Resort 7715 Alpine Rd (920) 868-3000 Resort $70-$186 Amenities: Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Kitchen Facilities, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront/Beach, Outdoor Pool, Tennis, Boating, Fishing, Golf Course, Playground, Bike Trails, Hiking Trails, Cottages & Rooms, Meeting Rooms The Ashbrooke 7942 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3113 Resort $99-$210 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Sauna Bay Point Inn 7933 Hwy 42 (800) 707-6660 Resort $225-$259 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Continental Breakfast, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, NonSmoking Rooms, Waterfront, Meeting Rooms
An elegant all seasons adult retreat with ample amenities to relax & refresh. For all the intimate details visit www.ashbrooke.net 7942 Egg Harbor Road, Egg Harbor, WI ~ 920-868-3113
Toll free 877-868-3113
Proud to be completely smoke free!
Relax & Refresh
AWAKEN YOUR SENSES IN DOOR COUNTY
Cape Cod Motel 7682 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3271 Hotel/Motel $69-$79 Amenities: TV/ Movies, Refrigerator, Playground The Cornerstone Suites 6960 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3005 Resort $130-$220 Amenities: Whirlpool, Full kitchen, Deck Door County Lighthouse Inn B&B 4639 Orchard Rd (920) 868-9088 Bed & Breakfast $105-$175 Amenities: Whirlpool, Full Breakfast, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Private Deck Egg Harbor Lodge 7965 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3115 Resort $100-$325
Awaken to the sound of waves lapping the shore. Linger over breakfast as the morning light glistens on the water. Kayak the harbor, bike to a lighthouse. Fifteen guest rooms each with in-room whirlpool, fireplace, balcony & a view of the harbor. Romance & relaxation are yours! Visit our website for honeymoon packages and virtual tours. On the shore of Baileys Harbor Door County, Wisconsin
1-800-769-8619
www.theblacksmithinn.com
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 107
• • • STAYING IN DOOR COUNTY Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Non-Smoking Rooms, Outdoor Pool, Tennis The Feathered Star 6202 Hwy 42 (920) 743-4066 Bed & Breakfast $110-$130 Amenities: Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, TV/ VCR, Refrigerator, Wheelchair Accessible, Pets Allowed The Landing 7741 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3282 Resort $61-$233 Amenities: Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Playground, Bike Trails, Snowmobiling Landmark Resort 7643 Hillside Road (920) 868-3205 Resort $89-$240 Amenities: Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Balcony/ Patio, Steam Room, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Tennis, Shuffleboard, Playground, Game Room, Fitness Center, DVD/TV, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Wireless Internet, Library, Lounge, Restaurant, Laundry, Meeting Rooms Lull-Abi Inn of Egg Harbor 7928 Egg Harbor Rd (866) 251-0749 Hotel/Motel $89-$189 Amenities: Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Non-Smoking Rooms, Bike Trail Mariner Motel & Cottages 7505 Mariner Rd (920) 868-3131 Resort $60-$140 Amenities: Kitchen Facilities, Smoke Free, Outdoor Pool, Waterfront/Beach, Walking Trails, Bikes, Canoes and Row Boats, Cottages & Rooms Meadow Ridge 7573 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3884 Resort $130-$350 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Indoor/Outdoor Aquatic Center, Exercise Room, Recreation Center
Newport Resort 7888 Church St (920) 868-9900 Resort $79-$257 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, High-Speed Internet, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Meeting Rooms Shallows Resort 7353 Horseshoe Bay Rd (920) 868-3458 Resort $65-$350 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, High-Speed Internet, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront, Outdoor Pool, Tennis, Boating, Fishing, Playground, Bike Trails, Cottages & Rooms, Pets With Approval, AAA Official Appointment Program Member Shipwrecked Brew Pub & Inn 7791 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2767 Bed & Breakfast $69 - $129 Amenities: Restaurant, NonSmoking Rooms
Jacksonport Innlet Motel 6259 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2499 Hotel/Motel $50-$150 Amenities: Whirlpool, Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Wheelchair Accessible, Snowmobiling Square Rigger Lodge & Galley 6332 Hwy 57 (920) 823-2404 Hotel/Motel $75-$250 Amenities: Whirlpool, Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront/Beach, Sauna, Cottages & Rooms Whitefish Bay Farm 3831 Clark Lake Rd (920) 743-1560 Bed & Breakfast $115 - $125
108 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Amenities: Full Breakfast, Smoke Free
Baileys Harbor Baileys Harbor Ridges Resort & Lakeview Suite 8252 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2127 Resort $52-$210 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Wheelchair Accessible, Playground, Bike Trails, Hiking Trails, Snow Shoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling, Cottages & Rooms, Meeting Rooms, Pets with Approval Baileys Harbor Yacht Club Resort 8151 Ridges Rd (920) 839-2336 Resort $79-$249 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Boating, Fishing, Tennis, Playground, Bike Trails Baileys Sunset Motel & Cottages 8404 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2218 Resort $38-$120 Amenities: Kitchen Facilities, Non-Smoking Rooms, Playground, Hiking Trails, Cottages & Rooms Beachfront Inn at Baileys Harbor 8040 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2345 Hotel/Motel $67-$169 Amenities: In-Room Coffee, TV, Internet, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront/Beach, Indoor Pool/Water Park, Sauna, Pets with Approval Blacksmith Inn 8152 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9222 Bed & Breakfast $115-$275 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast
Gustave’s Getaway, 1887 Historic Log Home 2604 Grove Road - Office (920) 839-2288 Cottage $135-$195 Amenities: Seclusion, Privacy, Fireplace, A/C, Full Kitchen/ Bath, Coffee/Tea, WiFi, Pets with Approval, Satellite TV, DVD, Picnic-Campfire areas w/ firewood, 50 acres w/private year-round Nature Trails, Wildlife Viewing, Sports trailer parking area, Smoke-free. Gordon Lodge Resort 1420 Pine Dr (920) 839-2331 Resort $130-$250 Amenities: Whirlpool, Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Cable/Movies, Waterfront/Beach, Fitness Center, Outdoor Pool, Boating, Fishing, Tennis The Inn at Windmill Farm 3829 Fairview Rd (920) 868-9282 Bed & Breakfast $110-$125 Amenities: Fireplace & Library, Full Breakfast, Smoke Free Journey’s End Motel 8271 Journey’s End Ln (920) 839-2887 Hotel/Motel $50-$150 Amenities: Fireplace, Kitchen Facilities, Limited Food Service, Non-Smoking Rooms, Cottages & Rooms, Pets With Approval Kangaroo Lake Resort 2799 North Kangaroo Lake Dr. (920) 839-2341 Resort $125-$175 Amenities: Cottages, Kitchens, Smoke Free, Water/beach, Fireplaces, Playground, Fishing, Boating Maxwelton Braes Golf Resort 7670 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2321 Resort $80-$115 Amenities: Whirlpool, Restaurant, Bar/Lounge, Outdoor Pool, Golf Course, Banquet Hall, Cottages & Rooms The New Yardley Inn 3360 County E (920) 839-9487 Bed & Breakfast $105-$150
Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Breakfast Orphan Annie’s 7254 Hwy 57 (920) 839-9156 Hotel/Motel $95-$125 Amenities: Kitchen Facilities, Wheelchair Accessible, Smoke Free The Rushes Resort Western Shore of Kangaroo Lake (920) 839-2730 Resort $139-$295 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Waterfront, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Boating, Fishing, Tennis, Cross Country Skiing, Playground Square Rigger Harbor 7950 Hwy 57 (920) 839-2016 Hotel/Motel $90-$120 Amenities: Microwave, Refrigerator, Water View
Fish Creek AppleCreek Resort Hwy 42 & F (920) 868-3525 Resort $52 - $250 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, High-Speed Internet, Indoor Pool, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling, Cottages & Rooms By-The-Bay Motel Hwy 42 (920) 868-3456 Hotel/Motel $59-$155 Amenities: Smoke Free, Water View Cedar Court Inn 9429 Cedar St (920) 868-3361 Hotel/Motel $69-$325 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Outdoor Pool, Cottages & Rooms Evergreen Hill Condominium 3932 Evergreen Road (800) 686-6621 Resort doorcountyliving.com
STAYING IN DOOR COUNTY • • • $89-$204 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Kitchen, Cable/ Movies/VCR, Smoke Free, Indoor Pool Fish Creek Motel & Cottages 9479 Spruce St (920) 868-3448 Hotel/Motel $58-$175 Amenities: Complimentary Coffee, Cable, Water View, Cottages & Rooms Harbor Guest House 9480 Spruce St (920) 868-2284 Resort $115-$275 Amenities: Fireplaces, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Waterfront, Boating, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling Hilltop Inn Hwy 42 & County F (920) 868-3556 Resort $79-$199 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Restaurant, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Outdoor Pool, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling Homestead Suites 4006 Hwy 42 (800) 686-6621 Resort $75-$189 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Continental Breakfast, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling, Playground, Meeting Rooms
doorcountyliving.com
Julie’s Park Café & Motel 4020 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2999 Hotel/Motel $49-$71 Amenities: Restaurant, Cable, Smoke Free, Pets Allowed, Trailer Parking Little Sweden Vacation Resort Hwy 42 (920) 868-9950 Resort $175-$350 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Fitness Center, Outdoor Pool, Indoor Pool, Sauna, Tennis, Playground, Bike Trails, Hiking Trails, Snow Shoeing, Cross Country Skiing Main Street Motel 4209 Main St (920) 868-2201 Hotel/Motel $49-$96 Amenities: Cable, Themed Rooms, Smoke Free Parkwood Lodge 3775 Hwy 42 (920) 868-2046 www.parkwoodlodge.com Resort $55-$217 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Wheelchair Accessible, Indoor Pool, Tennis, Playground, Bike Trails, Hiking Trails, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling Peninsula Park-View Resort W3397 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2633 Resort $49-$199
Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, HighSpeed Internet, Non-Smoking Rooms, Wheelchair Accessible, Outdoor Pool, Cottages & Rooms Settlement Courtyard Inn 9126 Hwy 42 (920) 868-3524 Resort $72-$224 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Continental Breakfast, Kitchen Facilities, Lounge/Bar, Cable/Movies, High-Speed Internet, Wheelchair Accessible, Smoke Free, Outdoor Pool, Bike Trails, Hiking Trails, Snow Shoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Snowmobiling Thorp House Inn & Cottages 4135 Bluff Ln (920) 868-2444 Bed & Breakfast $75-$215 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Breakfast, TV/VCR, Cottages, Rooms & Beach House The Whistling Swan Hotel 4192 Main St (920) 868-3442 Bed & Breakfast $135 - $185 Amenities: Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Continental Breakfast, Cable/Movies, HighSpeed Internet, Smoke Free White Gull Inn 4225 Main St (920) 868-3517 Bed & Breakfast $155-$295 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Breakfast, Restaurant, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible
Ephraim Bay Breeze Resort 9844 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9066 Resort $53-$169 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Cable/Movies, NonSmoking Rooms, Waterfront/ Beach, Outdoor Pool, Cottages & Rooms Eagle Harbor Inn 9914 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2121 Bed & Breakfast $69-$237 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Kitchen Facilities, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Sauna, Meeting Rooms Edgewater Resort 10040 Water Street (920) 854-2734 Resort $79-$419 Amenities: Whirlpool, Restaurant, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront/ Beach, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Cottages & Rooms Ephraim Guest House 3042 Cedar St (920) 854-2319 Resort $75-$185 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Smoke Free The Ephraim Inn 9994 Pioneer Lane (920) 854-4515 Bed & Breakfast $110-$195 Amenities: Full Breakfast, Smoke Free
Ephraim Motel 10407 Hwy 42 (920) 854-5959 Hotel/Motel $45-$95 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Outdoor Pool, Playground Ephraim Shores 10018 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2371 Resort $75-$210 Amenities: Whirlpool, Restaurant, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Smoke Free, Waterfront/Beach, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Playground Evergreen Beach Resort 9944 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2831 Resort $75-$140 Amenities: Cable/Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront/Beach, Outdoor Pool, Playground French Country Inn of Ephraim 3052 Spruce Lane (920) 854-4001 Bed & Breakfast $65-$100 Amenities: Fireplace, Breakfast, Smoke Free, Common Area Harbor View Resort 9971 S Dane St (920) 854-2425 Resort $130-$185 Amenities: Fireplace, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Cottages & Rooms High Point Inn 10386 Hwy 42
Late Summer 2010 Door County Living 109
• • • STAYING IN DOOR COUNTY (920) 854-9773 Resort $80-$328 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Playground, Meeting Rooms The Juniper Inn B & B N9432 Maple Grove Rd (920) 839-2629 Bed & Breakfast $85 - $195 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Breakfast, TV/VCR Lodgings at Pioneer Lane 9996A Pioneer Lane (800) 588-3565 Hotel/Motel $65-$175 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool Cable/Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Wheelchair Accessible Pine Grove Motel 10080 Hwy 42 (800) 292-9494 Hotel/Motel $91-$108 Amenities: Whirlpool, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Wheelchair Accessible, Waterfront/Beach, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool Somerset Inn 10401 Hwy 42 (920) 854-1819 Resort $59-$169 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Smoke Free, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool Spruce Lane Lodge 3038 Spruce Lane (920) 854-7380 Hotel/Motel Amenities: Studio Suites with Kitchen Trollhaugen Lodge 10176 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2713 Hotel/Motel $67 -$155 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Breakfast, Kitchen Facilities, Smoke Free, Cottages & Rooms, Hiking Trail, Cable/ DVD/CD, AAA Approved, Log Cabin, Wi-Fi Village Green Lodge Cedar Street (920) 854-2515
Bed & Breakfast $85-$170 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Continental Breakfast, Cable / Movies, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Outdoor Pool Waterbury Inn 10321 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2821 Resort $85-$187 Amenities: Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Playground, Snowmobiling
Sister Bay
Birchwood Lodge 10571 Hwy 57 (920) 854-7195 Resort $79-$219 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Fitness Center, Outdoor Pool, Indoor Pool, Sauna, Tennis, Snowmobiling, Meeting Rooms
Country House Resort 2468 Sunnyside Road (920) 854-4551 Resort $70-$330 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Continental Breakfast, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, HighSpeed Internet, Non-Smoking Rooms, Wheelchair Accessible, Waterfront, Outdoor Pool, Tennis, Meeting Rooms Edge of Town Motel 11902 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2012 Hotel/Motel $40-$80 Amenities: Cable/Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Pets with Approval The Inn At Little Sister Hill 2715 Little Sister Hill Rd (920) 854-2328 Resort $79-$179 Amenities: Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Outdoor Pool, Playground, Bike Trails
Bluffside Motel 10641 Bluffside Ln (920) 854-2530 Hotel/Motel $39-$150 Amenities: Coffee & Doughnuts, Cable/TV, Refrigerator
Inn On Maple 2378 Maple Dr (920) 854-5107 Bed & Breakfast $85 - $125 Amenities: Full Breakfast, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free
Century Farm Motel 10068 Hwy 57 (920) 854-4069 Hotel/Motel Amenities: Pets Allowed
Liberty Park Lodge 11034 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2025 Resort $65-$149 Amenities: Fireplace, Continental Breakfast, Cable TV, Use of Boat Slips, Beach, Game Room, Cottages & Rooms
Church Hill Inn 2393 Gateway Dr (920) 854-4885 Resort $65-$174 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Limited Food Service, Full Breakfast, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Fitness Center, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Meeting Rooms Coachlite Inn of Sister Bay 2544 S Bay Shore Dr (920) 854-5503 Hotel/Motel $45-$125 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Continental Breakfast, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms
110 Door County Living Late Summer 2010
Little Sister Resort 10620 Little Sister Rd (920) 854-4013 Resort $75-$165 Amenities: Fireplace, Limited Food Service, Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Waterfront, Tennis, Boating, Fishing, Playground, Bike Trails, Cottages & Rooms, Meeting Rooms Moore Property Services 10553 Country Walk Drive (920) 854-1900
Resort $120-$455 Amenities: Kitchen Facilities, Cable/TV, Non-Smoking Units, Waterview, Indoor Pool, Tennis, Washer/Dryer, Dock Nordic Lodge 2721 Nordic Dr (920) 854-5432 Resort $60-$160 Amenities: Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Indoor Pool, Bike Trails, Cottages & Rooms Open Hearth Lodge 2669 S Bay Shore Dr (920) 854-4890 Resort/Hotel/Motel $59-$125 Amenities: Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Indoor Pool Patio Motel 10440 Orchard Dr (920) 854-1978 Hotel/Motel $42-$74 Amenities: Restaurant, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Playground Pheasant Park Resort 130 Park Ln. (920) 854-7287 Resort $88-$274 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Kitchen, Smoke Free, Outdoor Pool, Indoor Pool, Exercise Facilities, Game Room, Children’s Play Area, Conference Room Scandinavian Lodge 10506 Hwy 57 (920) 854-7123 Resort $90-$260 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Tennis, Playground, Bike Trails, Meeting Rooms Village View Inn 10628 N Bay Shore Dr (920) 854-2813 Hotel/Motel $45-$95 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, Cable/Movies, All
Non-Smoking Rooms , Refrigerators, Downtown Location Voyager Inn 10490 Hwy 57 (920) 854-4242 Hotel/Motel $55-$95 Amenities: Whirlpool, Cable/ Movies, Non-Smoking Rooms, Outdoor Pool, Sauna Woodenheart Inn 11086 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9097 Bed & Breakfast $85-$129 Amenities: Fireplace, Full Breakfast, TV Yacht Club at Sister Bay 10673 Regatta Way (866) 951-0974 Resort $107-500 Full kitchen, Fireplace, Indoor Pool, Fitness Center, Tennis, Marina, Waterfront, Hiking Trails, Non-smoking, Cable/ Movies
Ellison Bay Anderson’s Retreat 12621 Woodland Drive (920) 854-2746 Resort Amenities: Swimming Pool, Fishing, Outdoor activities Cedar Grove Resort P.O. Box 73 (920) 854-2006 Resort $275-$2350 Amenities: Full Kitchen, Beach, Tennis, Boat Slip Rental, Exercise Room, Playground Hillside Inn of Ellison Bay 11934 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2928 Hotel/Motel $48-$98 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, Restaurant, Lounge/ Bar, Smoke Free, Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Disgarden B & B 12013 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9888 Bed & Breakfast $65 - $125 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, TV/VCR, Smoke Free, Waterfront
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STAYING IN DOOR COUNTY • • • Maple Grove Motel of Gills Rock 809 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2587 Hotel/Motel $65-$85 Amenities: Non-Smoking Rooms, Pets with Approval The Parkside Inn 11946 Hwy 42 (920) 854-9050 Hotel/Motel $59 - $79 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, TV/VCR Wagon Trail Resort & Conference Center 1041 Hwy ZZ (920) 854-2385 Resort $59-$359 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Restaurant, Kitchen Facilities, Cable/ Movies, Smoke Free, Waterfront, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Sauna, Tennis, Boating, Fishing, Playground, Bike Trails, Hiking Trails, Cross Coun-
try Skiing, Snowmobiling, Cottages & Rooms, Meeting Rooms
Gills Rock Harbor House Inn 12666 Hwy 42 (920) 854-5196 Bed & Breakfast $129-$159 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Continental Breakfast, Refrigerator, Microwave, Gas Grill, Satellite TV, Sauna, Bike Rental, Pets Allowed, Cottages & Rooms On The Rocks Cliffside Lodge 849 Wisconsin Bay Road (888) 840-4162 Hotel/Motel $305 - $775 Amenities: Fireplace, Whirlpool, Full Kitchen, TV/VCR, Waterview
Spect acular
Experience the Best Sunsets & Total Relaxation On the Shore of Eagle Harbor
Shoreline Waterfront Motel 12747 Hwy 42 (920) 854-2606 Hotel/Motel $59-$119 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Smoke Free, Waterfront
Washington Island Bitter End Motel 1201 Main Rd. (920) 847-2496 Hotel/Motel Amenities: Refrigerator, Microwave, Restaurant Deer Run Golf Course and Resort 1885 Michigan Road (920) 847-2017 Resort $79-$100 Amenities: Continental Breakfast, Restaurant, Lounge/Bar, Cable/Movies, Smoke Free, Golf Course
Dor Cros Inn 1922 Lobdell Pt. Rd. (920) 847-2126 Resort $78-$157 Amenities: Kitchenettes, Grills, Cabins & Rooms Findlay’s Holiday Inn 1861 The Inn Road (920) 847-2526 Hotel/Motel $95-$135 Amenities: Full-Service Restaurant Gibson’s West Harbor Resort & Cottages 2206 West Harbor Road (920) 847-2225 Resort $30-$90 Amenities: Waterfront, Family-Friendly, Rooms & Cottages Sunset Resort 889 Old West Harbor Rd. (920) 847-2531 Resort $94-$112 Amenities: Breakfast, Non-Smoking, Tennis,
Waterfront/Beach, No Phone & TV in Rooms, Bonfire Pit, Nature Trail The Townliner 1930 Townline Rd (920) 847-2422 Hotel/Motel $64-$115 Amenities: Kitchen, Refrigerator, TV Viking Village Motel Main Rd. (920) 847-2551 Hotel/Motel $65-$120 Amenities: Fireplace, Kitchen Facilities, PetFriendly, Grills The Washington Hotel, Restaurant & Culinary School 354 Range Line Rd (920) 847-2169 Hotel/Motel $89-$179 Amenities: Fireplace, Continental Breakfast, Restaurant, Cooking School, Private 3-Bedroom Cottage on Property.
Acquaint Yourself With The Warm Hospitality At The Attractively Priced Village View Inn
Open May - October
Located on Bay Shore Drive In the Heart of Sister Bay - Tour Our Website At www.village-view.com (800) 854-2813
In the Heart of Door County’s Favorite Vacation Village, Overlooking Peninsula State Park Family Owned & Operated Family Friendly, Affordable
Relax & Recharge
Visit Our Website for Details About Our Onsite Waterview Restaurant & Great Amenities
www.ephraimshores.com 920.854.2371 • 1.877.854.2371 P.O. Box 166 • Ephraim, WI 54211 doorcountyliving.com
Gustave’s Getaway, a restored historic 1887 Door County Log Cabin, is your all season vacation home retreat. Privacy and seclusion is yours on our 50-acre retreat. Pets on approval, fireplace, air conditioned, full kitchen/ bath, picnic-campfire area, WiFi, Satellite TV/DVD, 3 miles private recreational trails, wildlife viewing, hunting (inquire), seasonal specials.
2602 Grove Road, Baileys Harbor | 920-839-2288 For full details, visit: www.gustavesgetaway.com
Mention this ad for a complimentary welcome gift – not valid with other offers – expires 12-31-10.
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• • • STAYING IN DOOR COUNTY
FEATURED ACCOMMODATION BY MEGAN O’MEARA
The Parkwood Lodge
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FEATURED ACCOMMODATION
The north end
of Fish Creek has become a lot brighter since the Stillmans purchased The Parkwood Lodge (formally Beowulf Lodge) in the spring of 2008. The lighter colored exterior and new signs leap into view when driving north out of town. Upon further inspection, travelers have found that a much bigger renovation was undertaken. To sum it up succinctly: new owners, new name, new logo, and a new vision for an established motel in need of a little tender loving care. When Greg and Denise Stillman bought their 60-unit motel, they knew exactly what
they were getting into. Having spent nearly their whole careers in the Door County lodging industry, Greg and Denise set about making the changes essential to the Parkwood’s success. Not daunted, they began replacing every single window on the property, added new siding and signage, upgraded some of the mechanical systems and overhauled one of the most popular features of the place – the indoor pool. Greg’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Stout was in hotel and restaurant management. Denise studied marketing and tourism. When the couple met in college, they shared a lot of the same interests, both professionally and personally. Before making Door County their home, they worked in hotels in other parts of the country. “We tried wearing suits and having real jobs [in the corporate hotel world], but it really wasn’t for us,” Denise recalled. “We decided to give Door County a try for five years and we’ve been here just about 20 now.” Denise’s first time to the county was actually when they moved here. Greg had vacationed here as a child; however, Denise only had Greg’s description of the county to rely on before agreeing to relocate. Denise felt instantly that Greg was right. “We met the best people here right away and said that we’d never leave.” It is evident that they still feel the same way today. When the Stillmans first moved here, they began managing several hotel properties through their management company, Foremost Management Services. They still have management contracts with Newport Resort, The Inn at Little Sister Hill and Westwood Shores. After 17 years of managing other people’s properties, Greg and Denise decided it was time to find something of their own as well. To say that they were qualified might be a little too obvious. “We had been looking on and off for several years,” Greg related. “One of the first things we noticed about the Beowulf was the potential. It is so near to Peninsula State
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Park, it’s centrally located in the center of the peninsula, and we knew it had much room for improvement. Thankfully, our banker agreed.” The Beowulf Lodge was built in 1983 which was reflected in the dark décor and furnishings. “Greg and I have always managed brand new hotels, so remodeling and repairing four older buildings was something new for us and that aspect has been more challenging,” Denise explained. They filmed several podcasts which can be found on their Web site as well as YouTube showing some of the before and after progress. The Stillmans describe their place as “the we don’t need all that” hotel. There aren’t jetted tubs and full kitchens in the rooms; the rooms instead offer the simple basics at an affordable price. The Lodge Rooms have two queen beds, cable TV, refrigerator, microwave and a coffee maker. The Kitchenette Rooms have the same amenities as well as a two-burner range. There are also kingsized bed rooms and full suites available. But, the “we don’t need all that” hotel description might be a little deceptive. The nine-acre wooded property has an extensive list of offerings for their guests. There are the indoor pool and whirlpool, tennis courts, outdoor charcoal grills and picnic tables, a playground area for children, bike racks, a game room with a pool table and video games, and a large sun deck near the indoor pool complete with chaise lounge chairs. Some of the rooms also have sliding
INFORMATION ADDRESS: 3775 Highway 42 Fish Creek, WI 54212 PHONE: (920) 868-2046 or (800) 433-7592 WEB SITE: www.parkwoodlodge.com
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doors that open up to an outside patio and the back courtyard. Greg and Denise are assisted in their efforts by their eight-year-old son, Brandon. He has been very helpful in giving advice along the way. Denise laughed, “My son and I were walking through the hardware store and he pointed out some lights and said, ‘Mom, those would be really good for the backyard.’” Apart from offering decorating advice, Brandon also has begun to show a knack for marketing. When they were recently on Washington Island, he overheard a lady talking about needing a hotel when she got back to the peninsula. He promptly sought his mom out for a brochure and returned to the woman to tell her all about the Parkwood and why it would be the perfect choice for her. “Greg and I are very lucky that he has adapted so well. Brandon tells everyone that he lives in a hotel in Fish Creek and he has his very own indoor pool,”
Denise said. His enthusiasm is matched by his generosity as he allows the guests to share his private pool. “He also doesn’t mind the hours we put in. He knows that one of us will be at his soccer game, but not necessarily both of us. He totally gets it.” Not really cause for wonder since it’s in the Stillman blood. It’s a little premature to predict if Brandon will take over one day. Until then, Greg and Denise will ensure that his legacy is secure.
tural items which are, frankly, a little boring. Now we get to focus on the fun stuff, like the lobby that we just finished remodeling and make some more improvements to the guest rooms and outdoor spaces.” Greg agreed, saying, “We have achieved what we set out to which was to put this great place on the map. It’s essentially an announcement saying ‘Hello! We’re here!’”
The past two years have brought a lot of change and growth for the Parkwood as well as the Stillman family. They have assimilated smoothly into Fish Creek life (or Fish “Crick” life depending on where you fall geographically) and struck a balance between their work, home and community involvement. “We’re really excited about everything that has happened and especially about what is still to come,” Denise exclaimed. “We’ve done the major struc-
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BICYCLE THE BACKROADS OF DOOR COUNTY
Ride for Nature To benefit The Ridges Sanctuary Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin
June 18, 2011
Century Ride | 50 mile | 25 mile | 15 mile family ride visit ridefornature.com for more information or call 920.421.1509.
PRESENTED BY:
doorcountyliving.com MAJOR SPONSORS:
Supporting Sponsors: True North Real Estate • Baileys Harbor Community Association • Markey Springs The Ride for Nature is a Peninsula Pacers/Door County Half Marathon event