Exploring the Door

I had no expectations going into my visit to Door County, WI. I couldn’t even pinpoint the area on a map. But after visiting for just six days, I feel like part of it belongs to me now, and it is a place I will defend and promote to the grave. It’slike the Cape Cod of the Midwest, without all the hoity toity Rolls Royces, miniature dog “accessories” or traffic, and with Wisconsin hospitality to boot.

The 70-mile long peninsula extends into Green Bay and Lake Michigan, and both of its sides have very distinct personalities. Stay and play on the Bay Side, where bike paths connect a series of picturesque villages (my favorites were Fish Creek, Ephraim,and Sister Bay.) Quaint shops, friendly faces, delicious food, live music in the parks, a refreshing breeze off the Bay, and it seriously looks like God vomited flowers over every home and building.

So what was I so impressed with? The people. Generations of them, all of whom call the Peninsula home. They embrace you as one of their own. Out of all the people I met, there was not one negative word or phrase to be said about their county. I was also quite astonished by the lack of McDonalds and Wal-Marts polluting the roadsides. Then I learned that north of Sturgeon Bay, on the peninsula itself, there are no corporate chains. I saw a few gas stations, one Pamida, and a couple of True Value hardware stores and that was it. That’s how proud the residents are of their family and privately-owned businesses.

Okay, so the activities on this trip were the best of any Geiger trip I’ve participated in. I tuned in to my creative, spiritual, physical, and gluttonous sides. I ate fried cheese curds with wild abandon. I kayaked across a bay to practice yoga on an uninhabited island. I got my hands dirty while creating a ceramic vessel on the potter’s wheel, something I’ve always wanted to try my hand at. I hiked the “difficult” Eagle Trail at Peninsula State Park (by myself) and became acquainted with the beauty that is Wisconsin. I ate cherries picked straight from the tree (Wisconsin is the third highest producer of cherries in the nation.) I felt at home. Door County has not seen the last of me, or my family and friends.



P.S. Stay tuned for some exciting new damen news! We have a brand new initiate!