UNCOMMONLY FINE WRITING

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

The Living Past: Commercial Fishing in Door County

The Living Past: Commercial Fishing in Door County by Trygvie Jensen Commercial fishing is one of the oldest professions known to man. The industry has survived for nearly two hundred years on the Great Lakes. Commercial fishermen are our living […]

The Off-the-Beaten-Path Perspective: Ephraim Artist Fred Bridenhagen

By Laurel Ciohon Undeniably, Door County is filled with natural beauty. The water, the rock formations, the trees – we are surrounded by physical manifestations of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Among that bounty, what most inspires […]

THE WRITER’S LIFE – Roadside Gardens, Birdfeeders, Wind Chimes…Silence

THE WRITER’S LIFE Roadside Gardens, Birdfeeders, Wind Chimes…Silence -By Norbert Blei Though I’ve never been much of a gardener, flower or vegetable, I appreciate their presence in my midst, whether from a distance or visiting friends with flower gardens glowing […]

Washington Island’s Stavkirke: How a Small Island Community Came Together and Built a Dream

By Jude Genereaux It is fitting that “STAVKIRKE, The story of Washington Island’s Norwegian Replica”, comes to us from the pen of Dick Purinton, one of Washington Island’s finest writers and keeper of island history. Purinton’s fresh-off-the-press collection takes us […]