Area: Door County
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Palmer Johnson: Building the World’s Finest Yachts
Back in 1918, a company called Johnson and Gmack was busy building and repairing boats for the Great Lakes commercial fishing fleet. But it wasn’t until 1928, when a man named Palmer Johnson, the founder’s son, built the company’s first wooden pleasure boat that an entirely new era began. Its history has had many chapters […]
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Behind the Curtain of Fall Colors: A Horticulturist Explains What’s in a Leaf
Door County has been blessed with natural beauty far beyond that of most places. Although this is plain to see on any given day in any given month, it is most evident at particular times, like on a perfect day in May when the world is new and the woods and meadows are alive with […]
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As politicians, lobbyists and policy makers in Washington and Madison continue to dance around the issue of healthcare coverage for all, and as fewer and fewer small businesses are fiscally able to provide even minimal insurance coverage for their employees, there is a relatively new organization in Door County that is endeavoring to make sure […]
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Local Designer Gives Baileys Harbor a Facelift
My regular daily “commute” rarely takes me to Baileys Harbor, so I drove slowly through the village, taking in the stores and restaurants, some new to me and some that have been there for as long as I can remember. As I came upon Nathan Nichols & Company’s renovated storefront, I had the feelings simultaneously […]
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With Horses in Mind: Designing a Door County Ranch
As you drive through the gate and pass along a row of young sugar maples, the A & A Ranch comes serenely into view. Made up of a stable/lounge, a large indoor training ring, a ranch house, and several out buildings surrounded by pastures, this ranch is new to Sister Bay but feels as if […]
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A Tiki Bar…Northwoods Style: Fred & Fuzzy’s
The delicious smells of an open grill wafting through the air, the sounds of waves washing upon the shore, sunshine on your face and an ice cold margarita sweating on the table in front of you – no, this is not some Caribbean island fantasy. You are sitting at one of the outdoor tables at […]
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Keeping Fairways Fair and Greens Green
Rolling hills, miles of perfectly manicured, green, green grass views of crystal blue waters…sound like the perfect vacation? Well, if you consider 18 holes a vacation, then you are in luck. Door County’s golf courses contain some of most beautiful landscapes, and landscaping, in our area. Whether you are walking or riding it is inevitable […]
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Collaborative Art: Popelka Trenchard Glass
Since ancient times the human species has been drawn to the ethereal beauty of glass. We have imbued its cool transparency with almost mystic meanings. Some believed magicians could predict the future by gazing into a crystal ball; others used glass images to impart cultural and religious values. Glass beads and trinkets were buried with […]
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Sharing Life’s Colors: Bob & Judi Ekholm
You might think two artists living under one roof would get to be a bit crowded sometimes, especially when both are using the same medium to express themselves. However, for Bob and Judi Ekholm their painting is just as enmeshed as their 25-year marriage. They work side-by-side focusing on the canvases in front of them, […]
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Chambers Island: An Escape to Simpler Pleasures
On the horizon, most directly across the waters off of Fish Creek and Ephraim, lies an island that vacationers to Door County rarely visit. Chambers Island is situated approximately 7.5 miles northwest of Fish Creek, west of Horseshoe Island, and 11.5 miles northeast of Marinette. Chambers Island is about 3,200 acres and boasts a 350-acre […]
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The Spirit Renewed: Wooden Boat Restoration
Sturgeon Bay is a boat town and has been ever since the area was settled in the mid-1800s. A trip through the Founder’s Gallery at the Door County Maritime Museum demonstrates the fierce pride this bustling little city of 10,000 has in its maritime heritage to even the most casual observer, and justifiably so. During […]
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With the Wind: Kiteboarding the County
When people envision extreme sports, Door County usually is not the backdrop in their brain; however, there is a group of individuals who have rejuvenated the notion of what Door County could be. No longer just the picturesque surroundings for fine dining, art galleries, and antique shops, this crew has found a new vitality in […]
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As artists, John and Sally Guger see the world a bit differently from most people. For them, what might ordinarily be mundane becomes inspirational. They see the possibility for exploration in the comings and goings of everyday life. They take the time to see the possibilities in every detail. The Gugers, along with their children, […]
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Door County League Baseball – A Local Tradition
The Door County League is an amateur baseball league made up of eight teams with contests held each Sunday at 1 :30 p.m., always beginning on Mother’s Day. Most estimate the level of competition is somewhere near or just a notch below Division III college baseball, with players ranging in age from about 14 to […]
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The Leap: A Photographic Essay of Door County Weddings
With its serene atmosphere and changing seasons, Door County has become a popular location for destination weddings. Beyond choosing among the numerous venues within the county, couples have also found alternative ways to bring the area’s traditions into their ceremonies and receptions, be it in a field of flowers, on a century-old farm or along […]
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“There’s no business like show business!” “Two planks, a board, and a passion!” “The show must go on!” No other art form has traditions like those of the theatre. The stories are legion of how, in the midst of impossible conditions, the curtain always goes up. Actors tease that if they don’t show up for […]
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Bring Your Yard to Life: Plant Door County Native Species
As the days get longer and warmer the county comes to life. Grass is growing, flowers are blooming, tree buds are bursting open, and people are getting their yards and flowerbeds ready to plant. As you go through this annual routine, consider how much wildlife is dependent upon your yard for survival. No matter how […]
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Local birding experts all agree that Door County is a special place for birds and bird watchers. Consider Door County’s geological diversity: the combination of limestone cliffs, sand dunes, boreal forest, deciduous forest, cedar swamps, bogs, lakes, bays, and open farmland; “all of those things spell multiple species,” says local birder Willard A. Hartman. “We’re […]
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Lands End: Preserved for All Time
When Charlie and Katie Brumder sold their log home in Marshall’s Point in the early 1990s they knew it would not be their last Door County home. Charlie, whose family once owned a cabin on Chambers Island, has been vacationing in Door County for as long as he can remember and both he and Katie […]
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Clearing the Virgin Forests: Door County’s Logging Past
More than a century ago, just as today, the splendor of Door County’s natural resources attracted droves of people to the peninsula. But in the last half of the 19th century, they came not to appreciate and relax, but to chop and clear the area’s towering virgin forests. When Door County was established by the […]