Best Places to Visit in Wisconsin

Wisconsin in the Fall

Words by Jennifer Simonson

Often referred to as the “Cape Cod of the Midwest,” Door County, Wisconsin, offers visitors 300 miles of shoreline, ten waterfront towns, hiking trails, bicycle paths, and plenty of Scandinavian food. The peninsula juts out into Lake Michigan, creating picturesque views with a water backdrop at almost every angle. 

Day One 

After landing in nearby Green Bay, rent a car and drive an hour north to Door County. Start the weekend with a trip to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant. While the traditional Swedish fare like Pickled Herring, Swedish Meatballs, and Hot Roast Beef are a big draw, the goats who graze on the restaurant’s sod roof make the restaurant one of the most popular destinations in the Midwest to snap a few photos. 

If that visit coincides with a moonless evening, grab a blanket and head to Newport State Park after dark. The park is Wisconsin’s first state park designated as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association, meaning it is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. 

Day Two

Start the day with a sugar rush at Grandma’s Swedish Bakery at Rowleys Bay Resort. For fifty years, one family has been baking breakfast favorites such as half pound pecan and cinnamon rolls, cardamom coffee cake, and cherry granola cookies from old Swedish recipes. Bring breakfast outside to eat on the patio while enjoying the waterfront view of Rowleys Bay. 

Spend the afternoon burning off breakfast while exploring Peninsula State Park, the third largest state park in Wisconsin with eight miles of shoreline. Hike along  Eagle Trail, the park’s most popular trail that climbs to jaw-dropping views along 150-foot cliffs before descending down through cedar forests. Finish the afternoon with a leisurely ten-mile bike ride along the park’s Sunset Trail. The ride, perfect for novice riders, has plenty of places to stop and snack along the way. 

While in Door County, be sure to experience a traditional fish boil. The one-of-a-kind Wisconsin tradition is a quintessential dining experience on the peninsula. A Master Boiler performs the traditional Scandinavian technique of cooking large amounts of locally caught white fish over an open fire while regaling the audience with local tall tales. Restaurants up-and-down the peninsula host fish boils, but the Old Post Office serves a Door County cherry pie that is out-of-this-world. 

Day Three

Before leaving, be sure to sample all the tasty adult beverages the peninsula has to offer. Wine lovers can spend the day on Door County Wine Trail sipping fruit wines from eight different wineries. Door County’s climate is too cold to grow conventional grapes, so much of the wine is made from local cherries, apples, or plums. Craft spirit lovers have the options of stopping at Door County Distillery to taste moonshine made with local cherries and Hatch Distilling Company to try their famous single malt whiskeys. Beer lovers can easily spend an afternoon at the Door County Brewing Co. Music Hall. The music hall serves as the tap room for both Door County Brewing Company and Hacienda Beer Co. Live music, a backyard beer garden, and a food truck makes it an ideal setting to spend an afternoon sampling the 13 plus draft beers.