UNCOMMONLY FINE WRITING

10 Things To Do–To Undo–While in Door County

By Marise Redman We’ve all heard this…how technology is evolving to solve human problems, make life easier and create more time. But is your life easier and do you have more time? What about the culture of technology and its […]

2019 Winter Solstice Arriving December 21

By Coggin Herringa Winter Solstice occurs at the exact same instant everywhere on planet earth. At Crossroads at Big Creek (and the rest of our Central time zone), that instant in 2019 will be 10:19 pm, on Saturday, December 21. […]

A Fifty-Year Reminiscense

A Fifty-Year Reminiscense By Hjalmar R. Holand (Abridged version of an essay written by author H. R. Holand in 1948…remembering Door County as it was in 1898.) It is fifty years this summer since I first saw the Door Peninsula. […]

A Weekend Trip to Washington Island

By Laurel Ciohon Having grown up on Door County’s ‘mainland,’ Washington Island was always a mysterious place to me. I traveled there once or twice throughout my life, but never for more than a few hours. As some city dwellers […]

Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik Embodying The Spirit of Door County

By Larry Majewski In 1973 Al Johnson sodded the roof of his restaurant and added goats to graze upon it. At some point between then and today Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik became synonymous with Door County. This Norwegian-style […]

Artist Highlight: Richard Morgan, Early American Bird Decoys

Richard A. Morgan was born in Connecticut and spent a good part of his growing up years in the southwest. He returned to New England to attend The University of Hartford Art School, majoring in wood sculpture. His decoys have been […]

As American As Belgian Pie

By Larry Majewski What do they call a Belgian pie in Belgium? They just call it ‘pie.’ That’s an old joke to accompany an old pie recipe from the old country. The old country is of course Belgium, which generated […]

Attracting Birds to Your Door County Property

By Coggin Heeringa, Director, Crossroads at Big Creek Attracting birds is near and dear to Crossroads at Big Creek. One reason is that we have been working on a Bird and Butterfly Garden around our Collins Learning Center for the […]

Creating a National Park in Door County

By Bob Bultman Famously, the Door Peninsula is part of the Niagara Escarpment, the ‘Great Arc’ of ancient dolostone cliffs that sweeps hundreds of miles from eastern Wisconsin north into the Upper Peninsula, and then arches east into the province […]

DIY…Door County-Style

By Laurel Ciohon Even on vacation, some people have to stay practically busy with a project, and that’s where DIY (do-it-yourself) art studios come in. Two new studios have recently opened in Ephraim – but they’re as different as night […]

Door County Dreamin’ – Life at the Cottage

Our family reunites annually at the family cottage on Lily Bay, close to Sturgeon Bay. We enjoy seeing the ‘cottage’ almost as much as seeing our family. Built in the 1920s, it has been in my father’s family for over […]

Door County Is Introduced to The Griffon String Quartet

New Music Group Launched Through Efforts of Midsummer’s Music, Fine Arts Institute and St. Norbert College By Laurel Ciohon In a lively press conference followed by a reception at Door County Maritime Museum on January 16, 2019, the Door County […]

Door County’s Moveable Feast

By Larry Majewski Imagine it’s 1949. You’re staying at one of Door County’s premier properties, the Alpine Resort in Egg Harbor. Your day oscillates between the golf course, the beach and a wicker chair flipping through Life Magazine. It would take an […]

Enjoy Every Moment This Holiday Season

By Door County Coffee & Tea Co. It is so special to see your children (and maybe your grandchildren) with their wide eyes and smiles as they wake on Christmas morning to eagerly find that Santa Claus has arrived. In […]

Featured Artist Clarey Wamhoff: Paintings Evoking Home

Sense of place has always been an integral part of Clarey Wamhoff’s life. From childhood drawings of cozy houses to her recreation of traditional quilt patterns, she has explored the combination of patterns and colors that evoke home. She would describe her […]

Featured Artist Sarka Evans: Contemporary Mosaics

The first half of her life, Sarka Evan’s lived in Prague, Czech Republic, a city full of art and history. Visiting galleries and theaters was part of normal life. When she found herself on the other side of the world due to […]

February Notebook

By Norbert Blei THE SAMENESS OF THE MONTH AND THE SEASON…bitter cold, ice and the unyielding snow. December, January, February are one. The calendar holds no promise. The days of the month are blank. Nameless, numberless, neither black nor red. […]

Fishstock Music Series Hosts an Incredible 2019 Line-Up

By Laurel Ciohon If you’re not familiar with Fishstock Concert Music Series, you’re missing out! Concerts at Fishstock are held in a 100-year-old Door County barn which seats 300 in the ground-level area and 150 in the hayloft acoustic area. […]

Get Out in the Cold – And Get Warm!

By Coggin Heeringa It’s January and it’s cold outside. We have our regular dog walkers each day at Crossroads, but there is a significant drop in hikers this time of year. When the trails are icy or the wind chill is severe, […]

Glowacki’s Art Represents U.S at Embassy in Czech Republic

Connie Glowacki’s art represents the unique spirit of Door County, she says. Featuring people of varied ages and backgrounds, the figures are united, even briefly, in specific landscapes and also in their enjoyment of the beautiful surrounding natural scenes and […]

Goose and Guns

(From the just-published book “Stories From Yesteryear” by Elaine Johnson. Available at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik in Sister Bay.) Author Elaine Johnson, 90 years old, founded Northern Lights Fish & Caviar with cousin Gretna Johns (d: 2014) in […]

Handverks Music: Celebrating the Beauty of Celtic Harps

Playing the harp is an amazing gift that you can give to yourself and to others. And as the adage goes, it’s a gift that keeps on giving. The harp appeals to people of all ages and all walks of life. Uniquely among musical […]

Heritage and History: Enriching the Door Peninsula Experience

Cemetery and village walks. Chapel tours. Family history presentations. School reunions. Historic barn events. The creation of a traveling ‘Historymobile’ – it’s just a sampling of recent initiatives by local historic entities. While each historic group stands alone, they benefit […]

In Memoriam to a Beautiful Spirit: Ann Gamble

By Jude Genereaux One of the most recognizable and friendly personalities Door County visitors looked forward to seeing in Fish Creek each year was Ann Gamble, whose father once owned the former C&C Club (now Juniper’s Gin Joint). Her early […]

Jacksonport’s 150th Anniversary

By Jude Genereaux What better way to honor the past and celebrate the continuing energy of the little Town that COULD, than with the opening of a new Town Hall in January of their 150th year? In preparation for the […]

Laurel Grey: Renaissance Glass Artist

Laurel Gray grew up in Japan, Germany and Texas and spent most of her adult life in Washington State and the central coast of California, moving to Wisconsin in 2007. Her glass reflects a blend of all these various geographies and […]

Making Childhood Memories in Door County

By Laurel Ciohon Growing up as a child in northern Door County, there were two words that would make me (and every other kid) squirm with excitement: Thumb Fun. Thumb Fun Amusement Park was the only park of its kind […]

Memories of a Door County Childhood: A Budding Artist Remembers His Peninsula Youth

By Laurel Ciohon A Door County native, Joe Risch says growing up on the Peninsula clearly shaped his “artistic soul.” The youngest of three siblings, and raised on a former cherry orchard in Gills Rock, Joe fondly remembers his childhood […]

Midsummer’s Music Donations Matched Up to $50,000

By David Perry When Allyson Fleck and the Midsummer’s Music Board asked me to write to you, I was glad for the opportunity. In July, Jim surprised me with a certificate for 20 summers of performing at Midsummer’s. (I knew […]

Midsummer’s Music: Powerful Music, Brilliant Musicians, Intimate Settings

By Beverly Ann Conroy I just came from the final performance of the Midsummer’s Music summer festival – a splendid gala at Björklunden that was so delightful – and I couldn’t wait to tell you about it! The bittersweet Ashokan […]

My Experience with Community-Minded Wellness Care

By Laurel Ciohon As someone who has always been blessed with good health, Door County Medical Center was not a place I’ve spent much time, at least not since I was born there in 1982. I’ve had a few health […]

North of the Tension Line

North of the Tension Line Musings about Washington Island by musician Julian Hagen It’s just a different pace. When you get on the boat at Northport, a weight is just lifted off your shoulders. North of the Tension Line is […]

Northern Sky Theater’s Season in the Park

When it comes to theater companies, Northern Sky is like no other. At first glance, one might think that their most unique feature is that they perform their summer season in the middle of a state park, beneath red pine […]

Our Fascination with Lighthouses

Towers play an essential role in our nation’s maritime history. Active signal towers, watch towers, and light towers once dotted America’s coastlines, including Lake Michigan. These historic maritime structures continue to fascinate, and those that are still standing are treasured […]

Reserve Your Spot Early: Dinner and a Movie at Greens N Grains

Greens N Grains has been offering Dinner and a Movie for several years. I was always curious and eager to attend one, but could never fit it in my schedule. I recently had a Thursday night available and was excited […]

Riley Bridenhagen: Up-and-Coming Artist

Growing up in an artistic family, it’s no wonder Riley Bridenhagen followed suit. Surrounded by painting, photography, and overall creativity, the Bridenhagen family (Fred, Stacy, and sons Marshal and Riley) all offer something unique to the Door County art world. […]

Scents of the Season in Door County

By Coggin Heeringa Throughout the year, people tell us that they are thankful for Crossroads. But during gun/deer hunting season, people seem especially grateful for a safe place to hike and walk their dogs. Around Thanksgiving, the forest also seems to […]

Successful Carlsville Retail Property Is Ready for Its Next Life

Door County is an incredible place to own a business, and what better time than now? The beautiful, spacious building and property on Hwy 42 in Carlsville that recently housed Door County General Store and Pet Expressions has recently been […]

Take a Fall Hike: Door County Has Parks Galore!

By Coggin Heeringa, Director, Crossroads at Big Creek Fall is such a great time to hike at Crossroads at Big Creek, Ida Bay Preserves and, of course, throughout Door County as a whole. The leaves are turning. The scent of autumn […]

The Birdman of Baileys Harbor: Albert Zahn

Folk artist? Outsider? Visionary? Vernacular artist? Baileys Harbor resident Albert Zahn (1864-1953) was all of these. The labels point to a unusual genre of art — art made by natively talented, untrained artists whose work contains a unique vision. The […]