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Open the "Door" to Winter fun

My pal LA knows I'm like top gun...I feel the need for speed. So last winter he suggested we get together in upper Wisconsin for a weekend of ice fishing and snowmobiling.

I hesitated for a minute before agreeing. The last time I was on a snowmobile, it was so slow I couldnít understand why people were making a big deal out of it. But he guaranteed it would be different in "the Door". Door County Wisconsin that is.

Door County is located in the far northeast corner of Wisconsin, east of Green Bay.  The NFL refers to it as the frozen tundra. This is the same area when - about 40 years ago - the Dallas Cowboys played the Green Bay Packers is what is now referred to as the "Ice Bow".  To date it is still the coldest game ever played.

What the heck was I thinking?

Ironically, the county got its name from the ferocious waters between Door Peninsula and Washington Is. Natives and early French explorers called the waters Porte des Morts Passage or Death's Door.  Below the surface of those waters are dozens of shipwrecks.

Now Door County is influenced by its Scandinavian heritage evident in local traditions and foods.  The Door consists of nine communities on a peninsula jutting into Lake Michigan. 

We arrived through Green Bay and drove the 1.5 hours to the county. While LA chose to stay at a more rustic inn, I stayed at the charming Village Green Lodge in Ephraim.  Very comfortable and very affordable, no room costs more than $180. My winter rate was only $99. This included a filling breakfast and a seemingly endless supply of fresh homemade cookies. [NOTE: If you like cherries you can look forward to the cherry crisps!]

It was rather late when we arrived so we went to one of the areaís famous fish boils. Using whitefish caught in the cool waters around the peninsula it is a treat afforded by several hosts.

We went to perhaps the most popular, the fish boil at White Gull Inn, served every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The chef, Tom Christianson, presents an interesting spectacle as he adds the fish to a huge pot of boiling water

Chef Christianson lights the fire to boil the fish!

then reignites it with kerosene tossed into the flame. After a spectacular flare the fish is quickly cooked and ready for eating. People come from hundreds of miles to enjoy the fish boil!

The next morning we headed over to a neighboring town of Sturgeon Bay to a place called Door County Sales. There we joined a group tour of the Potawatomi State Park named after the local Native American tribe. Door County Sales is conveniently located right on the Door Drifter Trail.

When the owner brought the vehicles out I chose the first one closest to me, a slick looking black and white Arctic Cat.

After our guide explained how he wanted us to ride he came over to me and told me that mine started like a car, not like the rest of the snowmobiles. Sure enough, everyone else was pulling ripcords and jumping up and down to start their vehicles.

Yeah, that's the snowmobiling I remember - lawn mowers on skis!

He returned to me and told me to simply turn the key, which I did.

This didn't feel like the snowmobiles I remember from years gone by, this was smooth, fairly quiet with the feel of a little kick.

He immediately told me he wanted me to ride right behind him because mine had a car Geo Metro engine in it. Plus it had been turbocharged with studded treads!

Whoa!

After a brief orientation on handling, we headed out down the trail. We meandered along at about 15 miles per hour, but mine was itching to cut loose. We made a few stops to enjoy various overlooks to Lake Michigan and Sturgeon Bay. Very scenic.

We finally made it onto the frozen lake and it's wide expanses of thick ice.

I could wait no longer.

LA, who had a fairly adequate snowmobile, and I took off. It was time to see what these babies could do with no trees and other riders to hinder us.

LA's vehicle was fast, considering it was basically a souped-up lawn mower. I toyed with him before I opened it up to a cool, brisk 90 mile per hour. I went over some snowmounds and even got some air!

Weeeeeeeeeeee! Yeah baby... that's what Iím talking about! Speed.

Zoom, zoom, zoom!

The trail cuts through the Potawatomi State Park

I slowed down as the beast quickly chewed up the frozen playground and I ran out of room. I left LA in my...powder! What fun.

We all went to a small pub located on the lake. It was filled with ice fishermen and other snowmobilers. Quite a crowd as it was the only place for miles. A nice captive audience. I had my usual, a Coke no-ice.

[NOTE: AFROTREK DOES NOT ENCOURAGE CONSUMING ALCOHOL AND OPERATING A SNOWMOBILE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!]

The ride continued for another hour through the forest again and back to the rental office. We covered 34 miles all together - and three of those miles very quickly.

The next morning LA headed over to another local favorite, again borrowing from area heritage, Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant noted for the tradition use of goats on the grass roof. Johnson's is more famous for the delicious lingonberry pancakes. Square and nearly crepe thin, the pancakes have delighted locals and visitors for almost 60 years.

Why lingonberries?  The states of Wisconsin and Michigan have the perfect environment for the tasty berry.  At Johnson's those wonderful tasting berries are served with just about every dish. 

After a delightful breakfast we again drove down to the frozen lake to go ice fishing.

I remember ice fishing in my youth. My dad and I froze in a small shack waiting for the fish to bite. I remember spending hours staring into the darkness of a small hole in the ice.

Again we met out guide and hoped into his four-wheel drive pick-up for a brief drive on the lake to the shack weíd be using.

We arrived at what looked like a small village on the lake. Several fishermen were out this day, trying their luck. Most of the shacks looked exactly like what I remembered from my youth. But our guide took us over to a different type of shack.

Instead of skids it had wheels. Inside it was carpeted, warm and cozy. Two holes where neatly drilled in the ice with a power auger. There were comfortable seats, a built in stove, built in beds, even sconces on the wall!

How comfortable.

This is not the crumby shack I remember. Better still we had what was called Fish-TV. This was a small television with a camera in the water so we could see ìthe actionî. Very cool. It proved quite entertaining when my minnow seemingly fought off a small perch trying to eat it.

Just a few small perch for frying!

We didn't catch much that day, just a few small perch to fry up. But it did change my mind about ice fishing.

On our way back to our accommodations we stopped at the Door County Bakery in Sister Bay which a local gal told us we had to check out. We were instructed to sample a piece of the Corsican loaf.

Oh this is good bread! The Corsican Loaf is a hefty 6 pound loaf of the greatest bread this writer has ever tasted.

Created by the energetic owners Don and Jean Thompson it nearly melts in your mouth and requires no jams or coverings to improve the taste. It is fabulous just as it is.

According to Don, its unique taste is derived from his secret mix of various olive oils and sesame seeds. No one else knows the mix. And Don is happy to keep it that way.

After mixing the oils and developing the dough, the bread is baked in special ovens in an 'oil bath' until its perfectly done - crisp on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.

You can literally eat an entire loaf in one sitting if you are so inclined.

But we had to go. We browsed a few other establishments with interesting wares, including the Door County Olive Oil Company, which has the largest selections of various olive oils and balsamic vinegars Iíve ever seen!

I could have used another day in Door County but time didn't allow for it

 Door County is great excursion from Green Bay or Chicago; so plan on spending at least two or three nights.  This is easy to do given the myriad of choice outdoor activities available year round. During the winter try ice fishing, Nordic Skiing, snowmobiling or snowshoeing.  The summer offers fishing, skiing, off-road exploring, hiking and other eco friendly activities.

The towns of Door County are about 275 miles north of Chicago IL and 75 miles northeast of Green Bay WI.

Door County Bakery is located at 10048 Hwy 57, Sister Bay, WI 54234  (LAT 45.15870100 LON -87.13244800)

Al Johnson's is located at 10698 N Bay Shore, Sister Bay, WI 54234 (LAT 45.185417 LON -87.118774)

"White Hull Inn" is located at 4225 Main Street, Fish Creek, WI 54212 (LAT 45.128564 LON -87.250172)

"Village Green Lodge" is located on Cedar Street in Ephraim, WI

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