Seaside Delights in Door County, Wisconsin

Cape Cod of the Midwest

Wisconsin may be known for its wacky, over-the-top family attractions, but one spot defies that stereotype: Door County.

Cana Island Lighthouse,
copyright Jeff Davis/
Door County Chamber of Commerce

Also known as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest," this Lake Michigan peninsula is blessed with 250 miles of unspoiled coastline, 19th-century fishing towns, sand beaches, and old-fashioned ice-cream shops. Not a Starbucks in sight.

Lautenbach Orchard
Country Market, copyright Door
County Chamber of Commerce

Door County does get its share of wild and crazy tourists each summer. Even so, nothing could be more removed from the hoopla of nearby Wisconsin Dells than "The Door." You can sample the area's shops, galleries, inns, restaurants, cherries, and calm bay beaches by driving up one side of the peninsula and down the other.