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Wisconsin's Door County |
Dates: (7 days, 6 nights; Sun-Sat) |
Assembly Point: |
Tour Cost: $2,195 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, Timberline shuttles between Milwaukee and Port Washington, ferry tolls, leaders, tour maps and narratives) |
Like a giant thumb on a mitten jutting into the waters of Lake Michigan, Door County is Wisconsin's unparalleled Great Lakes fantasyland. With more miles of shoreline, more lighthouses and more state parks than any other county in the nation, Door County rivals Cape Cod, minus the smell of salt. Scenic similarities do exist, but the peninsula has a distinct personality of its own.
The Lake Michigan shoreline along the peninsula's eastern side is relatively unsettled — wild and exposed, and pounded by crashing waves. The Green Bay waters on the western side are calmer and the coastline is dotted with numerous sheltered coves and quaint Victorian lakeside villages.
In the course of this 7-day adventure, we'll cycle much of the peninsula's 250 miles of coastline, often along the quiet county roads for which this region is noted as a favorite cycling destination. We'll visit Washington Island off the peninsula's northern tip, and the many charming villages that reflect the history and culture of Door County.
Although our primary focus is Door County, we refuse to ignore the proximity of the beautiful Kettle Moraine, one of the region's natural wonders. Nowhere else in the U.S. are the steep ridges, sparkling lakes and other unique landforms created by the Wisconsin Glacier more evident and better preserved than in the Kettle Moraine and we'll tour the northern unit.
Our program assembles in Port Washington and we'll cycle north along the Lake Michigan shoreline on Day 1. We'll stop in Sheboygan's harbor area for lunch — the first of many opportunities for a famous Wisconsin brat — and continue on to Manitowoc, where we'll spend the evening at the Maritime Inn. On Day 2, we're headed to Sturgeon Bay, considered the gateway to Door County, and we'll spend the evening at the Latham Smith Lodge.
Early morning of Day 3, we'll begin to trace the peninsula's eastern shore through Whitefish Dunes State Park and on to Bailey's Harbor. Following a visit to the Cana Island Lighthouse, we'll board a ferry across the swift currents of Porte des Mortes (Door of Death), for which the peninsula was named, to Washington Island and an overnight at Findlay's Holiday Inn.
We’ll explore Washington Island early morning of Day 4, returning by ferry to the mainland, and then trace the peninsula’s western shoreline along Green Bay through the continuum of charming lakeside villages. We’ll visit Ellison Bay, Sister Bay, Ephraim and Fish Creek on our way to Egg Harbor, where we’ll spend the night. We’ll continue along the bay the following morning through Sturgeon Bay before touring the rural countryside of Kewaunee County. We’ll cycle beyond Green Bay to De Pere and an overnight at the extraordinary James Street Inn.
On Day 6, we’ll continue along the region’s quiet county roads to the resort village of Elkhart Lake, the northern gateway to the Kettle Moraine. Following an overnight at the Victorian Village, we’re headed for the Kettle Moraine State Forest. We’ll cycle the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive to the fascinating Henry Reuss Ice Age Visitor Center and explore the unique landforms carved by the Wisconsin Glacier some 10,000 years ago. We’ll return to Port Washington late-afternoon.
Total Mileage — 370
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