Navigator News (tm) September 2008

Fall is a great time to visit Europe, to be sure. But if traveling abroad is not possible this year, visit European-inspired places in Door County instead.

Right here on Wisconsin's Peninsula, travelers can discover shops carrying European-made gifts. Also, stay at a resort with Scandinavian-style.

A time-honored Peninsula place for Scandinavian apparel is Hjertehjem clothing, 8064 Hwy. 57, Baileys Harbor. Mary Ann Johnson, the store's owner for about 40 years, travels to Scandinavia to personally select the items-sweaters, coats, clogs, toys and

home accents.

When asked why people should think about a Scandinavian gift, Johnson speaks to the Peninsula's deep heritage. "Door County was originally settled by the Scandinavians, Germans and Irish," she says.

Continue shopping (while not worrying about the foreign currency exchange rate) at European Gifts, Main Street Shops, Hwy. 42, Egg Harbor, and at 9341 Spring Rd., Fish Creek. Check out the display of hand-carved boxes from Poland. Many come engraved with designs and are available in various sizes and colors. They can hold paper clips, jewelry and other treasures.

You can also visit England, in a way, as you shop at Made in Britain, Ltd., located in the Main Street Shops, Hwy. 42, Egg Harbor. Home accents, skin care and gourmet snacks are available. As to the latter, the owner generously shares samples of dipping sauces. And they are to-die-for--a perfect treat to bring back to the room.

Speaking of the hotel room, check in at one with Euro-style. Try the Scandinavian Lodge, 264 Hwy. 57, Sister Bay. Here, you'll find conveniences such as an indoor pool as well as d�cor true to the hotel's name.

Included in the lobby are large wooden trolls. Each room's entryway is adorned with bright scrollwork, and some interiors continue a Swedish or Norwegian look.

By the way, there are vintage wooden trolls greeting people at Trollhaugen Lodge, 10176 Hwy. 42, Ephraim. The outdoor trolls have been called one of the most photographed subjects in Door County.

Trollhaugen Lodge offers three different styles of accommodations: a bed and breakfast inn, log cabin or motel. The word "trollhaugen" is Norwegian and means trolls on a hill.

Also honoring Scandinavian heritage is Little Sweden Resort, 8984 Hwy. 42, Fish
Creek. Exteriors of buildings in a Swedish village,

located on this resort campus, are painted in bright colors. Rosemaling, natural woodwork and "valkommem" greet people in the recreation center.

The resort is owned by Clemens and Kay Hedeen. Like many other Door County business owners, Clemens' European roots grow deep in Door County. His grandfather, a Swedish Baptist minister, used to drive to the Peninsula from Chicago in a Ford Model T. When he died, he left property to Clemens's father, who moved the family to Sister Bay in the early 1950s.

"The Swedes are really into utilizing and enjoying nature, so that's what we want to do," Clemens says.