What To Do In Door County

We just got back from our first vacation as a family of four and it was a success! We took a road trip to Door County in Wisconsin. Door Country is located on a peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan in Wisconsin It’s about a 4.5 hour drive from Chicago. It’s famous for its little towns, cute beaches and state parks. The peninsula has over 300 miles of shoreline, five state parks, 11 lighthouses and is made up of 19 communities. There is a lot to do and see!

Our trip was family focused and slow. Since Maggie is so little we wanted to be sure we had enough time to rest and get acclimated with traveling with two small kids. We also knew that having down time in the hotel room was a good thing for both kids and planned our days accordingly.

Door County Travel Guide

Door County is made up of 19 unique communities, which gives you a lot of options to pick a home base when visiting. Each community is about 7 to 45 minutes from each other. So it’s easy to take a look around each community. While they all offer something different they all have a beach and harbor, which makes spending time on the lake easy to do. We hit up the most popular ones on our visit.

Sister Bay

We chose to stay in Sister Bay on our trip. My main reason was the hotel and the size of the town. Sister Bay’s main drag has shopping, dinning, a playground and harbor. Here are some must see and do’s in Sister Bay.

Restaurants

Chop – Delicious steakhouse in town and reservations are highly recommended. We actually did take out from here and it was quick.
Lure – Small plates, sushi, fresh fish and steaks with a great outdoor patio.
Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant – They have live goats on the roof grazing, it’s a great sight to see. The breakfast at this places comes out fast, however there are long lines to get a table so get there early.
Wild Tomato – Local pizza place with two locations (Sister Bay and Fish Creek). Grab a pizza and cheese curds, they have the best ones in town.

Shopping

On Deck Clothing – A contemporary men’s and women’s clothing store. They also offer the biggest and best selection of Door County resort wear. I picked up the cutest sweatshirts for me and Lizzie here.
Kind Goods – This shop offers rare, affordable, free trade goods. The jewelry here is on trend and affordable.
Spot – A fun gift shop with unique gifts for all occasions.

Activities

Concerts in the park – check local listings when you arrive for dates and times when you arrive
Bay Shoes Outfitters – One stop shop for all outdoor activities from kayaking to guided water tours.
Sister Bay Boat Rental – Located in the marina you can rent various boats or jet skies to enjoy a day on the water.

Egg Harbor

Egg Harbor is more spread out than the other communities we visited. While you can park your car and go to a few shops, you really need to drive from place to place. They have the most modern and updated eateries on the peninsula. With several breweries with large outdoor patios. Egg Harbor is also home to Door County Trolley which offers a kids trolley ride daily. It’s 30 minutes and super cute for the kiddos. Call ahead to reserve your spot. They also offer 15 other tours that have unique themes and destinations.

Ephraim

One of the smallest communities on the peninsula, you can easily see it all in an hour. The main street is small, but has a great view of the harbor. It’s very quaint in Ephraim, especially at the beach. I would grab lunch or an ice cream cone at Wilson’s and head across the street to enjoy it on a picnic table looking at the water. On your way into town be sure to stop by Anderson Dock to see the graffiti wall.

Fish Creek

If you love small shops and boutiques, this is your town. I was very impressed by the number and quality of the shops here. The clothing boutiques had upscale items that you would find in the boutiques in Chicago. My favorite store was Sister Golden. I could have bought everything here.

Fish Creek is also home to the famous Fish Boil. While you can find a traditional fish boil in multiple communities in Door County, the boils at White Pelletier’s Restaurant and White Gull Inn are the most popular. Dates and times vary at each place depending on the season and reservations are recommended for both.

Washington Island

Ferry tickest in door county

This island is only accessible via ferry and it’s worth the ride. At the northern end of Door County is the ferry line to Washington Island. The ferry ride is such a cool experience. You can take your car on the ferry and get out to enjoy the 30 minute boat ride through “death’s door” to the island. Once on the island there is plenty to see and do. We only spent a few hours on the island, but you could easily spend a half day there. Must do’s include:

School House Beach – There is no sand on this beach, only stones. It’s one of five beaches like this in the world and it’s a sight to see. The water is crystal clear and the shoreline has the most gorgeous trees. But don’t plan on taking any stones home with you, it’s a $250 fine per stone for removing them from the beach.
Lavender Fields – It’s worth the stop to see the lavender fields lined up and in full bloom. The fragrant smell on the property will have you buying everything lavender in the gift shop.
Stavkirke – A replica of a Stavkirke found in Europe. This replica brings the Scandinavian culture of the area to life.

Door County Lodging

where to stay in door county

Lodging in Door County is mixed with tiny Inns, airbnb’s of condos and homes and a few larger hotels. If you are booking a vacation rental through VRBO or airbnb book early, at least 6 months out. Prices generally range from $300 to $500 a night during peak season.

We stayed at the Dorr Hotel in Sister Bay and loved it! It was clean, modern and offered a larger floor plan to accommodate us. We stayed in a one bedroom suite and enjoyed having a separate living area. The hotel had several sitting spaces in the lobby and lower level as well as a huge lawn out front and firepit. It is great for kids to run around and burn off some energy. It’s on the main strip which made for easy access to the town and no need to use our car.

Door County Itinerary

First Day

Stop at the visitors center to grab maps and pamphlets
Arrive and check in to hotel
Explore Sister Bay
Dinner at Wild Tomatoes
Playtime at the playground and waterfront walk

Second Day

Breakfast at Al Johnson’s
Shopping – mainly for me
Relax time at the hotel
Dinner at Chop – we did takeout in our hotel

Third Day

Breakfast at the hotel
Washington Island (Ferry, School House Beach, Lavender Fields)
Explore Egg Harbor
Trolley Ride in Egg Harbor
Explore Fish Creek
Dinner at Al Johnson’s Stabbur Beer Garden

Fourth Day

Breakfast at the hotel
Drive home

This was our first trip to Door County and while it was inline with what I had expected I didn’t realize the communities would be so tiny. It’s definitely a place to go and relax. I found it was more geared towards families, however that’s the cycle of life I’m in right now. Having a small playground in each town was nice and I love being so close to the water. I don’t know when we will be back, but I do know we will be back!