Weekend Guide: Door County

I finally got around to gathering the photos I took during a bachelorette bash in Door County and wanted to share a quick recap of the weekend! Mary, who hosted the seven of us her aunt's house, has been spending summers in Ephraim for more than 20 years, so I feel like I got to experience the area with a local. Looking back at my photos, I snapped mostly pictures of the goats (and not the girls), but here's at least a taste of the trip! 

I arrived at the cottage late on Friday. The sun was setting as I winded along the picturesque peninsula and I was immediately enamored with the area. It reminded me of Bar Harbor or some idyllic east coast village—but with the friendliness and familiarity of the Northwoods—and Lake Michigan certainly looked big enough to be the Atlantic. 

Mary had an epic local charcuterie board waiting for dinner, and we popped prosecco to toast Katy and kick off the weekend. (Every corner of this stunning house buried in the woods was covered with black and white photos—it was literally bursting with family memories. I made a mental note to model at least one wall in my future home in the same fashion.) Full on prosciutto and olives and almonds, we spent the first night lazily bobbing in the heated outdoor pool (you may have seen it on Insta!).  

Saturday started early with the Door County Creamery tour—highly recommend! We got a tour of the goat farm where the cheese comes from and LOTS o' samples, including gelato! I don't necessarily consider myself a huge animal person, but it was actually fascinating to see the goats up close. I wasn't game to pick up any of the squirmy babies, but did cautiously pet one. :) The morning ended back at the shop and café where a gorgeous farmhouse table was set for lunch on the outdoor patio. There were string lights, my mozzarella sandwich was delicious and it was all perfection. 

One of three male goats on the farm. 

A couple of the babies! 

This cheesemaker in training (she studied at UW-Madison) passed around samples. Goats were constantly jumping on the table—so sprightly! 

Lunch back at the cafe! 

We had an early dinner at The Whistling Swan in Fish Creek, a white tablecloth kind of place and the peninsula's oldest operating inn, before jumping on a haunted pub crawl that evening. We whipped around on a boozy and rowdy trolley, stopping at a handful of bars and resorts where our tour guide (dressed as a priest) would entertain us with the haunted lore of that particular locale, many looking unchanged since 1970. I had my first shotski—I know, what took me so long?—and it was a super fun way to try a few different bars, all exactly what you would expect for small-town Wisconsin: lots of Packers memorabilia and hunting regalia cluttering the wood-planked walls. Loved every second. 

After such an indulgent Saturday, we all needed to move our bodies a bit on Sunday. We managed a light hike that included a great overlook of the lake, but I forgot to pack any kind of activewear, so I didn't last long in Mary's aunt's Seavees (major. blisters.). After an hour or so, some of us broke off to shop in Sister Bay. I was very tempted by all the rustic cabin decor, but resisted buying anything, having no real need for mini Adirondack chairs or On Lake Time cocktail tumblers. 

We lounged in the pool again as the sun set (gorgeous!) and Mary whipped up a gourmet grilled feast for dinner at the house. We dropped into Wilson's for ice cream, then spent the rest of the evening playing Cards Against Humanity with wine and sangria. 

Swimsuit from J.Crew. I'm obsessed with their one-pieces!  

(I mean, can you believe this pool? And view?!)

We all had long drives home the next day, and I hit the road back to Minneapolis pretty early on Monday morning (listening to How I Built This the whole way). There's so much more we could've done in Door County (kayaking, sailing, golfing, wineries, orchards), but our weekend was the perfect mix of tourism/activity and laying low. I love Wisconsin, and I'm so glad I was able to see this part of it and celebrate this lovely bride-to be! Can't wait to do it again at her October wedding! 

Since then, Chris and I have had a couple of quiet weekends! We saw IT, hit the farmers market for the first time this summer (I made BLTs), hung out at the NE food truck fair (loved the empanadas), saw Oh Wonder at First Ave, spent an evening playing board games with friends on Cedar Lake in Annandale, and have been watching a lot of football (we did a fantasy draft with my sisters! Chris has been very generous about helping me figure it all out. Not pleased about Jordy Nelson's potential injury).

I actually have some new outfit posts coming your way this week, so stop back here soon! Have a great Monday!