Archive for the ‘Door County Wineries’ Category

Cloudy with a chance of fun…

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Oh, what to do, what to do on a cloudy and/or rainy day?  In Door County the answer is… plenty!  Oh, there the usual things, plenty of boutiques and galleries which are great, but there are other things to do too.  Why not take a turn off the main drag and search for the hidden gallery or antique shop?  Bet you haven’t been bowling in awhile… check out the Sister Bay Bowl and refresh your memory on how to keep score by hand.  Then walk across the street to Husby’s and grab a cold beer and a burger.  Got an artsy side?  Even if you don’t, at Hands On Art Studio, paint, sculpt or weld yourself a masterpiece.

Why not take a class at the Savory Spoon Cooking School in Ellison Bay?  My friend Ronald and I took a wild game cooking class that was out of this world.  And the best part? The class sits down to eat the scrumptious dishes at the end.

If the weather is making you lazy, take a day and drive through one or more of Door County’s beautiful  state parks.  Even in the rain, there is nothing like a ride through the park.

Have you ever been to the Door County  Historical Museum?  Didn’t think so.  This free museum, yes free, is truly a Door County gem.  Our friend and neighbor, Mike Orthober, created a wildlife diorama that is so life like you won’t believe it.  Mike is an award winning taxidermist and artist.

wildlife diorama

Also at the museum,  check out the Pioneer Fire Company exhibit complete with old firetrucks, an antique hearse and an old jail cell.  Pretty unusual stuff, right?

Another museum located in Sturgeon Bay, is the Door County Maritime Museum who sponsors the annual Door County Lighthouse Walk that is scheduled for June 11-13.  Inside the Maritime Museum you will find the latest exhibit “GHOSTS! Haunted Lighthouses of the Great Lakes”.  That’s right, haunted lighthouses… too cool.

Still not satisfied? How about a trolley ride?  The Door County Trolley is celebrating their 10th year and we are headed to a party tonight at The Orchard’s to celebrate the fact.  The Door County Trolley offers winery tours, lighthouse tours, scenic tours and even a ghost tour.  Apparently, Door County is haven for ghosts… who knew!  Everybody loves the trolley not only for the places it can take you but also for the trolley drivers.  They are local folks who know everything about Door County and make the trip extra fun.  Congratulations AJ, on your ten year anniversary!

So, nothing to do on a rainy day?  That’s just crazy talk!

Fall in Door County…

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Yes, it is coming to an end, fall that is.  We had a rainier and colder than usual October which was kind of a drag but guests still got out and toured Door County.  There are plenty of indoor activities so all was not lost.

I played tourist a couple of weeks ago.  My friend Kelly, a close friend I have known since I was 11 years old, stayed at Egg Harbor Lodge along with her parents.  One of the days they were here, we took a ride up to Northport using most of the back roads.  We stopped at Bayside and the Oilerie in Fish Creek with our final stop being at Orchard Country Winery where we did a little wine tasting.

Playing tourist...

Playing tourist...

Kelly and her husband Tom were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.  We had a blast…I hope they are able to come next year too.

Speaking of anniversaries, Mark and I celebrated our 30th on Tuesday.  We decided to go to Green Bay for the night.  We ended up staying at the Radisson at the Oneida Bingo and Casino.  Not much of a gambler, it took me awhile to figure out the slots.  You know the arm that you pull… well it doesn’t pull (you press a button instead)  and did you also know videoing is not allowed?  Apparently, I am the only one who didn’t know that.  Anyway, I got in a bit of trouble.  I want to post the video cause it’s kind of funny but I don’t want any more T-R-O-U-B-L-E.  Los Lonely Boys were playing there that night so we got to see them in concert as well.  Oh well, I’ll take my chances… here’s the video…

Right after I stopped at the craps table is when I got busted with “SECURITY”!  There was no way I was letting them have my FLIP however.  After that, the security guards were very attentive to me and I don’t think it was because they liked my sweater.

Today is our last day open until May 1, 2010.   I want to send out a sincere thank you to all of our guests for staying with us this year and every year.  We had a really great season and we look forward to  next year and many more years.   We start taking reservations in January for next year.  Stay tuned for winter in Door County through my blog… winter isn’t super exciting but it is really beautiful… even in November.  We have our annual Deer Hunters Venison Stew in a couple of weeks in anticipation of the deer hunt which is the one of our absolute favorite times of year.

Don’t forget Egg Harbor’s Holly Days is November 27 & 28… more on that later!

Door County Trolley

Sunday, September 13th, 2009
Door County Trolley

Door County Trolley

One of the newest, cool things to do in Door County is to take the Door County TrolleyThe Door County Trolley has a number of different tours including the Lighthouse Tour, The Premier Wine Tour, The Scenic Tour and even a Ghost Tour.   One of the Ghost Tours is a tour of haunted Door County Bars (must be 21 or older obviously) which is really popular in the fall.  In the winter (January through May) they offer a Progressive Dinner Tour which includes dinner at The Inn at Kristofer’s and two other surprise locations for cocktails/hors d’ oevres and dessert.  We are definitely getting a group together this winter to check out this tour… it sounds like fun.

Our guests love the Trolley… I think most of them choose the Winery Tour or the Scenic Tour which takes them  around the county and through the park.  The main pick up area is in Fish Creek at Orchard County Winery which is only a few miles up the road.

Next time you are in the county and are looking for something new and fun to do, check out the Door County Trolley… you won’t be sorry.