How and Where to See Fall Colors
By Donna Marie Pocius
Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com

See the green turning gold while also enjoying activities on the Door Peninsula.
 
Here's a suggested fall color itinerary; colors are expected to peak in Door County about Oct. 12, according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
 
Plan a colorful fall foliage getaway on Oct. 16 to 18-those are the days of the Sister Bay Fall Festival. Another idea is Oct. 24 and 25; that's when the Ellison Bay Fall Art Crawl takes place (see other story below).
 
Enjoy a pretty rural drive on the way to the festival. If you are staying in Egg Harbor or Sturgeon Bay, you can take Hwy. 42 north until you reach Plum Bottom Rd. Head east, and it's a hilly, rural and open drive. And you'll enjoy seeing the colors. When you come to Cty. Rd. A, or Hwy. 57, continue north.
 
The Fall Festival is staged on Hwy. 42, which is closed to traffic in town. And the arts and crafts exhibitors now spread out along Mill Street in Sister Bay instead of in the park.  Enjoy the tastes of the seasons: pumpkin pie and apple cider, for example. Food and beverage sales benefit local nonprofit organizations.  
 
Leave time for a hike
This is a great weekend to hike in Door County.  For colorful vistas, try the yellow trail in Whitefish Dunes State Park, Sturgeon Bay, near Jacksonport.  While on this 4.2-mile trail, you walk through a hardwood forest, cross meadows, smell a pine plantation and go past a creek.
 
Hikers must push through sand and step over rocks and tree roots. Bring your camera, because the yellow trail affords stunning colorful views of meadows framed by pine, birch and maple trees.
 
"We have a lot of open vistas. You can pull away and see a site," explains
Carolyn Rock, park naturalist.  "And we still have a lot of green in the fall because of our pine. It's green, then bam! yellow, bam! red."
 
Corn maze fun for the family
Or maybe you prefer to walk through a corn maze.  Since 2001, Dairy View Country Store, 5169 Cty. Rd. I, Carlsville, has created a maze in a portion of its corn field. This year's theme is Maze Sudoku. People of all ages annually immerse themselves in the maze; teams often compete.
 
Buy a pumpkin or homemade ice cream to celebrate finding your way out of the maze.
 
Tour options abound
On the second day of your stay, you can take a tour. Door County Trolley, Inc. offers tour travel on red trolleys, reminiscent of a bygone era. They run through the end of October and leave from one or two locations; contact organizers for details.
 
One of many options is the 60-minute scenic tour, affording views from Door County's bluffs of colorful trees along the waters. Or try the longer five-hour (including lunch at Top Deck Restaurant at Gordon Lodge) lighthouse tour.  On the way to seeing four of Door County's beacons, the trolley covers a lot of ground, giving you opportunity to go ga-ga over the green turning gold as well as orange, red and more pretty colors.  

Ellison Bay Hosts Annual Art Crawl

Linden Gallery, 12001 Mink River Rd.

Cousin's Walk, 11940 Lakeview Rd.

Turtle Ridge Gallery, 11736 Mink River Rd.

Savory Spoon Cooking School/Marketplace, 12042 Hwy. 42,

Newport House Gallery, 12044 Hwy. 42

Gills Rock Stoneware, 12020 Lakeview Rd.

The Clearing Folk School, 12171 Garrett Bay Rd.

Ellison Bay Pottery, 12156 Garrett Bay Rd.

The artists will be unveiling new artwork, according to Mary Ellen Sisulak, leather and fiber artist and owner of Turtle Ridge Gallery. Her gallery shows unique leather handbags with embossed and hand painted designs. They are made by Sisulak in the on-premises studio.   The artist also makes scarves and clothing.

Nearby is the Linden Gallery, housed in a former Lutheran Church. The two-level gallery has exotic home furnishings, accessories, ceramics, rugs, art, jewelry and more. The pieces come from China, Japan, India, Korea and Tibet and are attractively displayed. The gallery owners, Brian and Jeanee Linden, are helpful and knowledgeable of their inventory.

Also, don't miss a stop at the Savory Spoon Cooking School. Take a peek into the beautiful kitchen, where classes are offered by Chef Janice Thomas and others. And check-out the Savory Spoon Marketplace's selection of fine cheeses, sauces, breads and more. The Sweet Spot at Savory Spoon is the place to purchase homemade chocolate by Kathy McCarthy, Savory Spoon's chocolatier. Featured are caramel turtles, Sweet Spot artesian truffles, almond toffee, the biker bar and peanut butter delight.

The biker bar was inspired by--you guessed it--bike riders, who stopped at the Savory Spoon Marketplace seeking a portable and healthy food to take along on the roads and trails. Or perhaps they were on a gallery tour.