Driving along the Lake Michigan “bay side” in Door County, Wisconsin, feels like following beads along the string of a necklace—one winding road dotted with quaint villages all in a row, with small stretches of lake views or cherry orchards in between. Modest cottages are set back from the road, many inspired by the sommarstugas (“summer houses”) that were designed to remind Swedish immigrants of home.
From the Twin Cities, Door County is a doable distance (about six hours by car, give or take a few snack stops) but far enough to feel like a real change of scenery. And one Door County town, in particular, offers a vibe that’s equal parts lively and laidback, nostalgic and newly discovered.
The village of Sister Bay is located less than half an hour from the northernmost tip of the Door peninsula along the eastern shoreline. Visitors get a picturesque view of the harbor town as they crest the hill along Highway 42—suddenly, the village opens up below, with the sparkling bay to the left and wooded hills to the right. An anchor of the village is Waterfront Park, which offers a perfectly sized public beach for building sandcastles, looking for freshwater shells, or swimming. A huge pier extends into the bay, and teenagers spend summer afternoons showing off their leaps. The park also features a playground for younger visitors and a bandshell that’s home to a beloved summer concert series.
Perhaps the most appealing feature of the park is its proximity to most of Sister Bay’s dining scene. Parkgoers can grab a morning coffee and pastry from Sip, Analog Coffee, or Happy Coffee right up the street, or visit Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant, famous for its sod roof (modeled after Swedish farm buildings) and the goats that graze atop it. Eating at “Al’s” is a chance to connect with Sister Bay’s Scandinavian roots, from the folk-painted dining room walls to the excellent, thin Swedish pancakes, served with a traditional tart lingonberry topping. Bjorn Johnson is a third-generation member of the Johnson family and the business’s legal counsel. “I always say the best part of Sister Bay is that it’s small but vibrant,” Bjorn Johnson says. “It has a healthy balance of residents and visitors. … It is a place you will not see elsewhere in the world.” The Johnsons also operate the Stabbur, an outdoor beer garden and music venue right next to the original restaurant, plus the Butik, filled with imported Scandinavian trinkets and Door County mementos.
Lunch and dinner stops along Sister Bay’s main street include Wild Tomato for wood-fired pizzas made with locally grown produce, or Door County Creamery, which is open seasonally with artisan sandwiches, lamb gyros, soups, and salads—plus house-made goat cheese and goatmilk gelato. The Sister Bay Bowl offers old-school supper club vibes (plus bowling, of course), and Husby’s, right across the street, fills the village’s sports-bar niche. Diners looking for a more elevated dinner can find it at CHOP Steakhouse, Lure, or Boathouse on the Bay.
Lodging options are plentiful in Sister Bay, from the traditional, family-friendly Open Hearth Lodge to the modern, Scandinavian-inspired DöRR Hotel right in the heart of town. James Lohmiller is the general manager of the DöRR and says the pace of Sister Bay is what makes it just right. “Being able to step outside and be in nature within minutes keeps everything grounded,” Lohmiller says. “Sister Bay continues to evolve without losing its identity. The people here care about doing this well, whether it’s hospitality, food, or retail.” A little further up the hill on the south side of the village, Birchwood Lodge sits within walking distance of the Brown Butter Bakeshop, Northern Grill, and a handy Piggly Wiggly grocery store. (Although chain shops and restaurants aren’t explicitly banned in Door County, they are almost nonexistent in Sister Bay and its neighboring towns.)
Beyond the village center, Sister Bay serves as a convenient home base for exploring the rest of Door County’s natural beauty. A short drive north brings you to Newport State Park, which received Wisconsin’s first Dark Sky Park designation in 2017. Visitors can hike quiet trails, hunt for skipping stones along the rocky shoreline, or return after dark for some of the best stargazing in the Midwest.
Just a few minutes south of Sister Bay, Peninsula State Park offers a broader range of activities: popular biking trails, a historic lighthouse, and the park’s stunning Eagle Tower. This observation tower soars 60 feet high; the observation deck officially sits 253 feet above the water of Green Bay. If you’re not too squeamish about heights, you can climb the 100 stairs to get to the top, or take the beautiful boardwalk, which zigs and zags at a gentle slope up through the treetops (accessible for wheelchair users and others with mobility limitations, too).
The arts are alive and well, too. In summer, the amphitheater at Peninsula State Park hosts performances by American Folklore Theatre, where original musicals often draw on regional history and humor in ways that resonate with audiences. The Frykman Studio Gallery hosts woodcarvings, oil paintings, and Door County photography by a family of local artists. Or venture out to the countryside to Ingwersen Gallery, a historic studio on a beautiful 40-acre farm.
Sister Bay’s unique mix of pastoral—cherry orchards and small farms are just a few minutes’ drive inland from the bay—and coastal showcases the best of Wisconsin’s landscapes and traditions. And for the Minnesota travelers who make the trek, whether for the 40th year in a row or the very first time, the village immediately feels like a home away from home—a place where the summer sun makes spangles on the bay or warms the goats on the grass roof at a Swedish restaurant.
