You really can’t beat the fall colors in Door County, Wisconsin! I took a drive up there last week, just as the foliage was starting to peak, not necessarily for a photography session, but really just to get away for a weekend with my wife. Wine tastings, hiking, eating, relaxing, and sleeping in! Ahhh… Of course, I don’t really go anywhere without a camera of some kind, so it was also a good excuse to shoot a little bit too. (Beware, phone pics ahead…)
Traditional fish boil 
More great food! 
Wineries
This particular weekend was the Fall Festival in Sister Bay, so it was packed! Since we weren’t there for the festival, and preferred to stay away from crowds and traffic, we stayed in Baileys Harbor, on the East side of the peninsula. One of my favorite roads in the country is Route 42 between Gills Rock and Northport, also known as Jens Jensen Winding Road. I fired up my drone to get a different perspective (above). I also battled the mobs of people stopping along the road to capture a few traditional images.
Speaking of drone… I also decided to forgo sleeping in one morning to capture the sunrise light on the Cana Island Lighthouse near Baileys Harbor. My intent was to focus on aerial images on and around the island. When I got there, however, I was disappointed to see that the land bridge to the island is now covered up by Lake Michigan’s higher water level. Regardless, I gave it a try and pushed my little DJI Spark drone to its transmission limits! It paid off because I got a few great shots.
Rounding out the weekend were a few great hikes, one in the pleasantly quiet Newport State Park, and the other in a traffic ridden Peninsula State Park, where I was at least able to capture this image of Eagle Bluff Lighthouse which overlooks Green Bay. All in all, a great weekend!
Travel Log
Towns visited:
Algoma, Sturgeon Bay, Baileys Harbor, Gills Rock, Ephraim, Sister Bay, Ellison Bay, Fish Creek, Egg Harbor
Restaurants:
Old Post Office (Ephraim) – Great traditional Fish Boil on Friday night.
The Viking Grill (Ellison Bay) – Ok for a quick lunch, but nothing fancy.
Glacier Ledge (Egg Harbor) – Fantastic small plates restaurant on the water, but not exactly cheap eats.
Thyme Cuisine (Baileys Harbor) – Good breakfast if you’re staying at Maxwelton Braes Lodge.
Bearded Heart Coffee (Baileys Harbor) – Awesome (tiny!) coffee shop with great avocado toast, tasty coffee, and fresh cookies. Come early, or wait in a long line!
Wineries:
von Stiehl Winery (Algoma) – Great little winery, very nice staff, good selection of tasty wines. Our favorite of the weekend.
Stone’s Throw Winery (Baileys Harbor) – Packed! And, quite frankly, kind of fell flat. Most of the wines didn’t live up to the wait for a tasting.
Door Peninsula Winery (Sturgeon Bay) – The Amazon of wineries, this tourist trap stop was packed with people and every flavor fruit wine imaginable. Saving grace – great fudge, and attached distillery.
