Door County 2009 Visitor Guide - (Page 18) It may be the question most commonly asked by Door County visitors. “What do you do up here in the winter?” Certainly, it’s a valid question, given our perceived isolation and the common misperception that the entire County’s populace shutters the doors and windows to head south shortly after the last Ping-Pong balls are dropped on Fall Fest Sunday. But our isolation is part of our culture, and we’ve created some pretty unique forms of entertainment over the years to make our winter wonderland one of the Midwest’s most popular winter weekend getaways. For many locals, it’s a favorite time of year for socializing and getting out in the community. It starts with the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim in Jacksonport, where thousands gather to watch hundreds of hearty (crazy?) souls brave the icy waters. Later in the day, Egg Harbor hosts its famously off-beat New Year’s Day Parade — a taste of small-town America at its best. Then there’s Fish Creek’s Winter Festival, a celebration with such time-honored traditions as the bike-toss, cherry-pit spit, snowshoe jitterbug contest and sleigh rides. But we don’t spring to life only on weekends or holidays. Our five beautiful State Parks offer beautiful scenery and trails for cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and sightseeing. For a special experience, Newport, Potawatomi, Peninsula, and Whitefish Dunes State Parks all offer candlelight ski outings throughout the winter. A climb up 18 Eagle Tower can be as awe-inspiring in winter as any time while the waters of Lake Michigan lie still before you, as if Mother Nature has been put on pause. And of course there’s Hill 17, every kid’s favorite excursion. The 17th hole at Peninsula Atate Parks Golf Course becomes a great sledding and toboganning hill come winter, and the first good snowfall even draws a few adults out to rekindle childhood thrills. While there you’ll hear the buzz of snowmobiles taking advantage of the efforts of the local snowmobile club that works diligently to maintain over 250 miles of groomed trails. There are two lighted ice rinks on the peninsula, with hockey and recreation skating. The Teresa K. Hilander Community Ice Rink is the pride of Sister Bay and home to the Door County Broomball League. Equipment is available on-site if you want to give the sport, a Northern Door tradition, a shot. You can also lace up your skates at the Memorial Field Ice Rink in Sturgeon Bay. Hundreds of us take to the frozen bay each winter to form ice fishing “villages” along the shore. The Washington Island Fish Derby is a week-long tribute to the hearty souls who find pleasure in this cold weather sport. Stop by any local tavern and it shouldn¹t take long to find a good place to experience ice fishing, though it might not be the exact location where the fish are biting. And when we’re through playing, we gather in our favorite coffee shops to warm up and catch up. There are more than a dozen in the County. A few of the favorites are Blue Horse Bistro in Fish Creek, Espresso Lane in Baileys Harbor and Door County Coffee & Tea in Carlsville. In Egg Harbor it’s the Bridge and Harbor Landing. On Washington Island it’s the Red Cup where you can sit and have spirited conversations with an interesting mélange of residents and visitors. If you¹re looking to avoid the chill altogether there are few better samples of Door County than the venerable Sister Bay Bowl, a Wisconsin landmark. It’s one of the few remaining bowling alleys without electronic scoring, and a glimpse at the alley will take you back, as the six lanes are the originals installed by Earl Willems over 40 years ago. The lanes are open for non-league play Friday through Sunday nights and during the day. On Washington Island there is a four lane alley with manual scoring at Karly’s, but be sure to call ahead for availability. Those of us who work long hours through the busy summer use the winter as an opportunity to take in some of the cultural activities we miss out on all summer, like The Clearing, Hands On Art Studio, the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay or classes at Peninsula Art School. There are other benefits to visiting Door County in winter as well. The thinner crowds mean quick and personal service at restaurants and shops, where you’re likely to meet someone who’s more than happy to share with you what makes this community so great even when the roads and sidewalks clear. Chances are, your new friend will be here to greet you in dozens of future visits as well. - Myles Dannhausen, Jr The Official Door County Visitor Guide
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.