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  Perhaps the best thing about vacationing in northern Door County is: you're in an incredibly peaceful, remote location, and yet you can find civilization and fun activities just a few minutes down the road. Northern Door County offers serenity and tourist activities in the same day. Dining options include a piano wine bar, hot dogs and fries, fine prime rib, fish boils, and burgers delivered on a model railroad train. Here's a little bit about what there is to do:
On Premises: You can hike in the woods or in the meadow at Fernwood Farm. It's a peaceful place to read a book, take a nap under the maple tree, or just watch the grass grow. The low-traffic backroads  in our area are great for bicycle rides. The Nature Conservancy's Mink River Estuary is a half mile away on County NP. And Newport State Park, home of some of Wisconsin's most natural, unblemished land, is about two miles away. Newport offers hiking trails, beaches on Lake Michigan, camping, and terrific sunrises over Lake Michigan at Europe Bay Beach.
Nearby Villages: Ellison Bay offers the original Door County Fish Boil at The Viking. You can also dine at T. Ashwell's piano wine bar, the Hillside Inn, or Mink River Basin. Shop at The Berch Branch, The Silly Goose, or one of many artisan shops. Ellison Bay is also home to The Clearing. The Clearing offers unique and diverse classes that are sure to enlighten you. Ellison Bay Bluff Park lets visitors stand on top of a fenced in bluff, overlooking the waters of Green Bay and has some terrific views.  And Uncle Tom's Fudge Shop offers candies and gifts in a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse near Newport State Park.
Gills Rock is a picturesque fishing village. Hundreds of seagulls fly over the bay while fishing boats and ferries come and go. The Shoreline Restaurant is a great place to have dinner and a drink while watching the sunset over the waters of Green Bay. The Door County Maritime Museum, based in Sturgeon Bay, has a branch in Gills Rock too. Next to the Museum, kids delight in the new park boasting different types of slides, bridges, swings, and activities. On the north end of Gills Rock, you'll find Bea's Ho-made Products. Bea's offers hundreds of unique jams, jellies, pickles, relishes, pies, cookies, and gifts. Continue north (east) on Highway 42 and you'll enjoy the scenic winding road that leads through beautiful deciduous trees to the waters of Death's Door. On the way to Gills Rock, stop by Teske's for fresh fish, fruits, baked goods, and a walk through the fishing boat that is half indoors, half outside. Washington Island, one of more than 40 islands surrounding mainland Door County, is accessible by ferry at Newport Pier (a.k.a. the end of Highway 42). The ferries cross Porte Des Mortes (Death's Door), named because the waters of Lake Michigan and Green Bay meet there; unpredictable winds and shifting currents caused early French settlers to lose control of their vessels while going around the tip of the peninsula of Door County. In fact, Door County ultimately got its name from this piece of geography. Today's ferries safely carry autos, passengers, bikes, trucks, buses, and supplies 365 days a year. The trip lasts about 30 minutes each way. The Restaurant at Newport Pier offers views of the mainland ferry dock and the path the ferry takes to/from the Island. The island offers the Viking Train Tour and the Islander Bus/Luncheon Tour for those who wish to leave their car in Gills Rock. Lookout Tower in the middle of the island offers views of much of the island. You'll find the County's oldest lighthouse on the Island (Pottawatomie Lighthouse) and a variety of small museums: Jackson Harbor Maritime Museum, Jacobson Museum, and the Farm Museum). Rock Island is just beyond Washington Island. The entire island is a state park. No motor vehicles are allowed. Other Nearby Activities and Attractions: Sister Bay, Ephraim, Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, and Bailey's Harbor offer dozens of shops and restaurants. You'll also find golf courses, mini-golf courses, batting cages, go karting, beaches, ice cream shops, boating, fishing, a drive-in movie theater, entertainment like Ray Charles, Alison Krauss, the  Alvin Ailey Repertory Company, or Koko Taylor & the Blues Machine at the Door Community Auditorium, performing arts shows at the Birch Creek Performance Center and Peninsula Players, more state parks, and apple/cherry orchards galore. Shopping includes galleries, artisan shops, clothing, furniture, antiques, woodworkers, and gourmet foods.
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