Delightful Door County

In the winter, the cross country skiing is superb in the many state parks. In the summer, visit Newport Beach State Park for swimming and hiking. Al Johnson's restaurant in Sister Bay features wonderful Swedish food and the infamous goats on the roof. The bowling alley in Sister Bay has the best fish fry on Fridays.

Perhaps the most memorable moments, though, come from strolling the many quaint towns and seeing a slice of mid-American life.

Quick Tips:

Door County is convenient from many places in the midwest. If you have to fly, fly into Chicago or Milwaukee and drive up the Lake Michigan coast for some wonderful scenery.

If visiting in the off-season, expect hardly any crowds, but also shorter operational hours. The scenery is equally beautiful in every season.

Best Way To Get Around:

It's hard to "do" Door County without a car as the sights are relatively spread out and there isn't much public transportation. If you have to visit without a car, try to stay in one of the downtown areas where you'll be able to walk to restaurants, the harbor, and shops.

The Wagon Trail Resort is our family favorite. Rooms are tastefully and thoughtfully decorated. All have Queen beds and "Country" design, with nicely sized bathrooms. The rooms at the back, "Woodside view", are much cheaper and are still nice views.

What really sells The Wagon Trail are the large amounts of thoughtful amenities the owners have assembled. From cross country skiing onsite in the winter, to boat rentals and fishing in the summer, you can experience the best of the outdoors without leaving the resort.

One of the definite highlights is kayaking through the nearby bird and fish reserve. You can rent kayaks onsite for a reasonable rate, and it's only a short paddle to the reserve.

Other amenities include a lovely buffet/dining room (try the apple crisp - it's great!), a nice indoor pool, and a fun rec room for kids.

Although we've always stayed in the main lodge, The Wagon Trail has approximately 30 rental houses and cottages on its property, each nestled into the woods.

For homey comfort at reasonable prices, you can't ask for more than The Wagon Trail Resort.

Al Johnson's is a breakfast tradition for our family. A typical morning would go like this:

• Arrive at 9:00 and put our names in
• Browse the very expensive but fun gift shop, trying on traditional-style Swedish dresses
• Check our watches, salivating at the thought of Swedish pancakes and blueberry coffeecake
• Go outside and photograph the goats munching on the grass-covered roof
• Check our watches again
• Finally get called and have a wonderful Swedish-style breakfast in the crowded but comfortable dining room

Al Johnson's is the quintessential Door County experience and is a tradition for many visitors. On top of being a bit of a campy attraction, they also have wonderful food and are a great place to sample Swedish pancakes, Lingonberries, and more!

A must on even the shortest itinerary, and well worth the cost!