Before I was even “A twinkle in my father’s eye” my mom held Door County, the “thumb” penninsula of the mitten that is Wisconsin, as a holy place. She spent her summers there with her Aunt. She recently sent me this poem:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some come to the Door as Tourist

I come as a pilgrim

         I restore with familiar sights of rocks - water - sky

                 trees and ferns

To hear the silent skipping stones

         the children’s freedom and gulls

                 the so gentle lapping of the lake nudging the rocky beach

I take communion with

         smokey fish and tart red berries

I offer silent prayers of thanks

         for the assurance of the eternal 

I will return to the sacred of the Door.

-KC Laycock

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was brought to the alter of the Door probably in womb, and every year we would go there to “refresh and commune”. It was always a highlight of our summers. we usually camped at Penninsula State Park, or Potowatami Park (which I did not like as much, mostly because of pit toilets). Sometimes we camped at Wagon Wheel. One of my favorite outings was always the walk at The Ridges, a park that features a boardwalk over the eerie and beautiful topographic feature that is literally ridges in the earth, as if a giant took a rake and drew it along the sandy ground. The Ridges is my favorite place on the county to this day.

Other pilgrimages include Cave Point, where the breakers bang up against the cliffs and hollowed out booming caves below. We’d walk to the end of the pier at Gill’s Rock and… spit! Sometimes we’d take the ferry across to Washington Island.

For me though, the primary interest of Door County always revolved around food. The ultimate feature was Al Johnson’s in Sister Bay for Swedish pancakes and meatballs with tangy lingonberry sauce. There was often a wait of over an hour, but oh, so worth the wait. The Country Kitchen had amazing breakfasts. Ice cream at Wilson’s. Delicious soups at The Summer Kitchen. Crumbly sweet maple candy from the Red Barn Shops. Fish boils at The White Gull.

Door County is as pleasant in winter as well as summer, and Autumn is especially magical.

It’s been a few years since I was in the county. Perhaps it’s time for a pilgrimage.