Eat in Door County:  Sweetie Pies, in a way, is a Door County icon. Here, the owner and staff create mouth-watering pies in a quaint vintage building located in Fish Creek. 

Step inside and marvel at the display of pies available for the day. You can buy pie by the slice, half-pie, five-inch cutie pie or a whole pie.

We really enjoyed the apple pie-so fresh this time of year. You can also go for the apple cherry or apple caramel or apple blackberry.

Other varieties include cherry, of course. And raspberry, pumpkin, chocolate pecan and a three-berry (black, blue and raspberry).  There are more than 30 flavors to choose from.  The light and succulent crust complements the filling just right.  Also, check out the sugar free and frozen bake-at-home pies.

There is seating for a few inside.

Stay in Door County:  Ah, open year round. Three small words that are so nice to hear in Door County this time of year. Actually, many hotels and inns in Door County are open year round. And with a name like Open Hearth, you can bet that Open Hearth Lodge of Sister Bay is one of them. 

Here, there are 30 rooms in one two-level building (with a welcoming fireplace near the entrance). Each room has a private bathroom. Included are:

5 lodge rooms with king size beds

22 lodge rooms with two queen size beds

2 lodge rooms with a king size and whirlpool tub

1 two-bedroom unit

Also available are complimentary continental breakfast, mini-refrigerator, TV/cable, free wireless Internet service and an indoor pool.

During our summer 2011 review, we noted that many rooms have new linens with pleasant and popular colors as well as lovely dark wood furnishings.  There's a new breakfast room (including tables and chairs for guests' convenience) as well as an expanded continental breakfast menu. Even the lodge's sign-made from logs--is new and eye-catching.

The indoor pool (with depths from three to five feet) is a nice attraction.  The lodge sits on six acres in Sister Bay (2669 Bay Shore Dr.). A paved trail abuts the property and takes guests north to Sister Bay downtown area.  The hosts are John and Nora Zacek, who took over the lodge in 2004.  Learn more about Open Hearth Lodge--and many other fine places to stay that are open year round in Door County--at www.doorcountynavigator.com

Explore in Door County:  Whether you a looking for casual clothing or something for work, Country Lady, at 7828 Hwy. 42 Egg Harbor (in the Main Street shops lower level) is a wonderful place to shop. The boutique, at this time of year, has a large selection of coats and jackets. Also available are sweaters, slacks, blouses, accessories and more.

Brigitte Sonne, the owner, focuses on carrying quality clothing.  She said she buys things for her store that appeal to her and, coincidentally, they also appeal to her customers.  And Brigitte is very savvy about women's clothing.

Before getting into retail, Brigitte had a career as a designer of women's apparel for one of Germany's largest manufacturers, which exported throughout Europe.

The prices at Country Lady are reasonable, and there are sales on coats and clothing fairly often.  And, best of all, the atmosphere here is pleasant.  As Brigitte says, "My style is not to be a pushy salesperson. What is important is to earn the trust of my customers."  Country Lady is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday.