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Issue 36December 2010
In This Issue
Door County Getaway: Gills Rock
Home for the Holidays at AFT
A Special Place: On a Horse-Drawn Carriage


Door County - Lookin' Good!    
Man Taking Winter Pic
Winter Photo Opp!


Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree, Egg Harbor


Gills Rock
Gills Rock in Winter


Winter Shore
Winter Shoreline

Stone Quarry
Quarry in Winter


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Greetings!
Winter is upon us, and the Holidays too!  Door County in winter is a beautiful place - come up and see for yourself!
Here's your December issue of Navigator News(tm), our monthly publication, finishing up our third year already!

2010: We end the year with our final town in our feature article.  In 2010, we took a look each month at a different Door County town, and featured it in our Door County Getaway town or village profiles.  If you missed your favorite town check our "archived" copies of Navigator News(tm).  Read all the back issues and you'll continue to learn a lot more about Door County.  Enjoy!

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Thank you all for another wonderful year!  We at DoorCountyNavigator.com would not be wrapping up our 11th year without you, our faithful users!  We hope that we help you have a better time in Door County through all we offer on our unique website.  Thanks and Happy Holidays!


Dan Silvestri
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Door County Getaway:

Gills Rock
       
          By Donna Marie Pocius             
Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com

 

  

Gills Rock, located on the tip of the Door Peninsula, is a small town that's big in commercial fishing and water sports. The destination offers abundant opportunities for having fun on land, too.  It's a great place for a summer vacation, but be sure to make plans to come soon.

 

What's to do?  A good thing to do, especially on the first visit to Gills Rock, is to take a sighting cruise. Shoreline Charters offers scenic tours by boat. From the spaciousScandinavian Lodge Banner passenger vessel, you can observe tall cliffs, caves, islands, lighthouses, shipwrecks and coastal villages.  

 

Many people who visit Door County talk about Cana Island Lighthouse. But when you stay in Gills Rock and take a sightseeing cruise, you get a rare opportunity to see Plum and Pilot Islands and their lighthouses.

 

The tours are narrated, and be sure to bring your camera as the captain tries to get as close as possible to lighthouses and natural sites.

 

You may have heard about the shipwrecks in the waters surrounding Door County. You can take a look for yourself by participating in a Scuba Charter to Shipwrecks on the Dive Diva.  These dive charters are available from the Shoreline Resort Marina.  The depth of the wrecks varies from about 20 feet to 110 feet.

 

Also through Shoreline Charters, you can go charter fishing for salmon and trout. 

 

Back on shore, a fun thing to do with the kids on a rainy day is visit the Door County Maritime Museum in Gills Rock. It's affiliated with the Sturgeon Bay site, but has a totally different collection. 

 

From Gills Rock, you can also take advantage of the nearby ferry service and spend a day on Washington Island. Or head south to Ellison Bay to hike and explore Newport State Park. 

 

What to buy:  There are nautical-inspired gifts to buy. Charlene's Gallery Ten is a Gills Rock-based gallery sellingThe Shallows Resort Banner art in vast media on two levels. A gallery caf� has indoor and outdoor seating and tempting sweets as well as a beverage menu.

 

Where to eat:  The Shoreline Restaurant is a Gills Rock favorite. And there are many other nearby places to eat in Ellison Bay. Find out more at www.DoorCountyNavigator.com.

 

Historical highlights: Gills Rock is actually within the town of Liberty Grove and formerly known as Hedgehog Harbor, according to available research. The area was reportedly named for Elias Gill, a local 19th century landowner.  Gills Rock has a strong history and tradition of commercial fishing, which lives on today.

 

Where to stay:  Many places afford peaceful views of the water.  Choose from Anchors Aweigh Inn, Harbor House Inn, Shoreline Village, The Shoreline Resort or Terra Cottages. Learn more about each property and many others at www.DoorCountyNavigator.com.

AFT comes inside
 Home for the Holidays
By Donna Marie Pocius

Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com

 

    

The American Folklore Theatre (AFT) is coming indoors for performances of "Home for the Holidays with AFT."  

 

Six performances will take place from Dec. 28 to Jan. 1 at the Old Gibraltar Town Hall in Fish Creek.  "Home for theParkwood Lodge 2010 banner Holidays" celebrates holiday music and features AFT co-founder Doc Heide and long-time AFT performer Eric Lewis.  Holly Feldman will perform as well.

 

The audience will hear traditional holiday music, original works and some of Heide's and Lewis's favorites from their CD, "Christmas in Door County." There will also be opportunities to participate in sing-a-longs as well as a drawing for gift certificates from local businesses.   

 

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 and 30 and Jan. 1 with matinee performances at 4 p.m. Dec.Newport Resort Banner 29, 31 and Jan. 1. The cost is $18 for adults and $11 for children, and more information is available by calling 920-854-6117. 

 A Special Place: 

 On a Horse-Drawn Carriage 

 

By Donna Marie Pocius

Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com


 

What's it about:  The D.C. Carriage Co. takes people on horse-drawn carriage rides through Sturgeon Bay's historic and waterfront areas. Tours run year-round and the pretty white carriages, pulled by strong horses, are also available for weddings, family reunions, company parties and more.

 

Passengers have a choice of three routes lasting from 15 minutes to one hour. The most popular, called the waterfront route, takes passengers through Sturgeon BayBridgeport Waterfront Resort and along Memorial Drive and the waterfront.  Another choice is the historic area, focusing on the city's architecture and downtown area. A 15-minute ride gives people a feel for the carriage and runs up to the historic area. 

 

Why it's special: This is an opportunity to get a whole new perspective of Sturgeon Bay, or to simply relax and enjoy nature as well as pretty architecture. 

 

As Brian Betz, owner of D.C. Carriage Co., put it, "It's relaxing.  It's different from the everyday grind. A horse-drawn carriage ride has nothing to do with modern life. People have fallen asleep in the back of the carriage, listening to the gait of the horse and feeling the motion of the carriage."

 

The tours are well-planned, and the carriages are lovely and spotless-both on the outside and inside.  Brian and his team also work hard to make a carriage ride special for a bride and groom or a group participating in a special event. 

 

Oh, by the way, one of the best times to take a carriage ride is during a light snowfall. Brian provides warm blankets inside the cozy carriage. "You would be surprised how warm it actually is in the carriage. We had big fluffy snowflakes on a Saturday night in February, and it was like a Norman Rockwell scene downtown in Sturgeon Bay. And I had people standing in line just waiting for the carriages," Brain recalls.

 

Quick Facts: Passengers can make reservations or hail the carriage at pick-up/drop off areas of Third Avenue and Louisiana (near Inn at Cedar Crossing) and First Avenue and Kentucky (at Stone Harbor Resort), or call 920-743-4343.  And please tell them that DoorCountyNavigaator.com sent you!