She Magazine

Door County’s Fish Creek

Opening a new Door

Published:

Story and photos by Kathleen Troher

Door County reminds me of the Chicago neighborhood where I grew up. No matter how long between visits, it always feels like home when I return.

Usually when I venture north to the thumb in the mitten that is Wisconsin, I like spending a smidgeon of time at each of the unique communities that make up that breathtaking peninsula. But during my most recent trek, I opted for a different approach. I decided to spend all my time — in this case three days — in Fish Creek. I wanted to dig a little deeper, search for some new treasures. I’m so glad I did because I found several gems I’ll be sure to visit again.

Here’s the scoop on some of my more exceptional finds.

n Peninsula State Park. The sunset from the area surrounding Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, perched atop a 40-foot bluff, is just spectacular. Be sure to climb Eagle Tower, built in 1914 and rebuilt in 1930. It’s 75-feet high and 250 feet above Green Bay.n Top of the Hill Shops. Here I found some of my new Fish Creek favorites, including A Summer Cottage, The Magic Jacket and Hart & Hart.

It’s also where I found artist Connie Glowacki in her gallery,

Watercolors with Spirit,

working on a painting. Her pieces are lovely, mostly depicting nature, with lots of colorful flowers and deep, rich landscapes. Plus they’re reasonably priced. She sells original watercolors, drawings and limited edition prints.

But the artwork is not the only reason to stop. Glowacki herself is the No. 1 attraction. Warm and genuine, she readily shares her philosophies about art and life and happiness with visitors.

She and several friends directed me to

APJ Handbags

(www.apjdesigns.com) where owner Ann Johnson sells custom purses. What does that mean? You pick your fabric, size, style, and in about two days you’ll have your purse. Or buy a ready-made one in the store.

The purses are fabulous, but it’s the “organize-her” that really makes APJ purses special. You load it with your essentials — cell phone, lipstick, business cards, etc. — roll it up and drop it in your purse. When it’s time to switch purses just yank out the organize-her and drop it in your next purse. What a great idea.

If you want to check out her purses but not make the trek to Fish Creek, visit her shop in Janesville Plaza (2475 Milton Ave.).

n The Settlement Shops south of Fish Creek, 9106 Highway 42

Make sure to visit

Sweetie Pies.

The owners are Larry and Cathy Mazurek and Lea and Dave Renny. In their cozy, vintage shop you can sip coffee and enjoy a slice of pie. They sell more than 10,000 pies annually, with their most popular being cherry. Customers purchase almost 600 per week during Sweetie Pies’ busiest time of year. Their fruit pies can be shipped frozen anywhere in the country.

Don’t miss

Great Northern by Design.

This store features beautiful furniture and home accessories, with a back room brimming with quilts, tableclothes, duvets and more. You’ll find mirrors, lamps, floral arrangements, Italian ceramics, handwoven throws, and this list goes on and on.

n Founders Square. This is the heart of Fish Creek, with more that a dozen shops, including Bath, Body and Soul Essentials, Door County Confectionery and Moccasin Works.

Of all the communities in Door County, Fish Creek offers the broadest range of recreation, entertainment and art. It is home to

American Folklore Theatre, Door Community Auditorium, Peninsula Players

and

Hands On Art Studio.

One warning: Winter months in Door County are much less active than the rest of the year. Quite a few shops, restaurants and hotels are closed or have limited hours, although far more are open on weekends. Be sure to call in advance if there’s someplace you definitely want to visit. Come Memorial Day, Fish Creek and all of Door County emerges from hibernation.

Here’s my final tip: As soon as you arrive in Fish Creek be sure to pick up your free copies of Door County Living (magazine format) and Peninsula Pulse (newspaper format). Both tell you all you need to know about activities happening during your stay and all the great shopping, dining and entertainment destinations.

The Fish Creek Welcome Center is at 4097 Main St. For more information, call (920) 868-2316 or (800) 577-1880 or e-mail vacation@fishcreekinfo.com.