Guy’s, this trip was the best. If you know me you know I love all things fall. And for us Wisco folks, Door county is the “it” place, come September/October.
My birthday being in October I decided I finally wanted to pull the trigger and go. I turned the big “25”, which really means a whole lot of nothing. Well besides copious amounts of overthinking what you haven’t done with your life thus far and you can finally rent a car, wahoo! 😛
That aside I wanted to celebrate big and there was no better way than to bring all my friends with me. So, that’s exactly what I did.
Door county is filled with all sorts of cool little towns to go adventure to. Some popular ones include Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, and Sturgeon Bay.
We chose to stay in Sister Bay.
Sister Bay is full of all sorts of fun things to do and literally has something for everyone.
Hiking, kayaking, swimming, go-carting, shopping, dining, and the list goes on and on. And while everyone’s lists’ were full of super fun things they wanted to do, we only had two days to try and pack as much in as we could. One of which was rainy. BOO.
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Through pure luck I found this cute little A-frame cabin right on the lake and it couldn’t have been any more perfect. (I highly recommend using Airbnb when booking a trip with friends. You can find some really cool stuff and spend way more time together.) This is where we stayed.
Is this not the BEST?! As if staying right on the lake wasn’t enough, this cabin also came equipped with kayaks, a hammock, a grill, and fire wood for a stacked campfire outside or a cozy fire inside.
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The best weather we had was the day we arrived. We stopped at Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market right when we got in, kind of as a “meeting” spot, and man, this place was awesome. As if salsa tasting, apple picking, contest cherry pit spitting, art gallery gazing, and shopping weren’t enough, they also have a FREE wine tasting.
Guys. It’s FREE. Like C’mon. Hook, line and sinker. Count me in.
After stocking up at the market we decided our first night we would stay in, enjoy the cabin, watch the sunset, and have a campfire. (S’mores and pudgy pies included)
Seeing as the next day called for rain, we decided to set our alarms to wake up early and get a hike in before the storm passed through.
I knew going in that a hike was a must. I had done some research on Eagle Trail in Peninsula State Park and thought it was a great fit for our outdoorsy group.
I highly recommend this trail. It’s a two mile loop that isn’t too long where you begin to wonder when the hell the end will ever come, but it’s not too short where you don’t feel satisfied. The trail is listed as moderate – difficult which is a fair description, although it’s really not too tough. You just have to keep an eye out for where you step.
After our hike we planned to catch a ferry ride over to Washington Island but just as we finished up hiking, the rain began to move in.
Plan B was initiated and we hopped in our cars and went out on a quest for a cute little lunch spot.
Choosing where to eat in Door County is like trying to decide what dress to wear to a wedding. How on earth do you choose?
I think Wilson’s speaks for itself as to why we stopped. How could one possibly pass this up!? If there’s one thing everyone in a group can usually agree on, it’s burgers and shakes. Especially at a retro diner.
The rest of the day was spend shopping, exploring, playing games and bowling. Our day didn’t go according to plan, but when you’re surrounded by the best people, it doesn’t really matter what you do, right?
That night we wrapped up our weekend with a BBQ, birthday cake, and too much wine,
Way too much wine.
If you are only in Door County for a short weekend, here are my top 3 suggestions:
- Hike Eagle Trail
- Drink wine. All of it. (The pear wine from Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market is seriously the best. I bought multiple bottles to bring home with no shame. Plus there are a ton of other things there too!)
- Kayak though the sea caves (We actually didn’t get to do this because of weather and I was super bummed, but I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews. I fully intend to go next time as well as a ferry ride to Washington Island.)
