Fall Color Trip to Door County

Fall Color Trip to Door County, Wisconsin

Hubby and I have wanted to go visit Door County, Wisconsin for years. It just never seemed like we had time. Life gets so busy! However, I found this website that shows the fall color peak in different areas of Wisconsin earlier this fall. I kept track and when the peak of color was approaching in Door County, we decided to pack up and go!

I think we were just a few days too early to see the best color. But we had a fun trip just the same!

We also took a fun trip to Colorado this summer!

Bailey’s Harbor, Door County

It took about 4 hours to get to Bailey’s Harbor where we spent the first night. We rented a little ‘bunkhouse’ at a campground. It had a full bathroom, which was really nice.

We unpacked and drove down to the center of town. There was a nice little park on the fringe of Bailey’s Harbor where we saw pretty views of the lake and some colorful Sumacs.

All through town, there were little shops and hotels decorated for fall. It was fun to see the colorful pumpkins and autumn wreaths.

We talked about what it would be like to run a bed and breakfast or other tourist attractions. For now, we just want to visit them!

We walked around the marina and saw this pretty mural of different points of interest in Bailey’s Harbor.

The wind was brisk and it got pretty chilly, but the views from the docks were amazing!

We walked all the way through town and stopped to see anything that caught our eye. The homes were so pretty and the inns looked so inviting.

It was fun taking photos of Bailey’s Harbor!

I would love to live in a historic home…although I don’t think we will be moving anytime soon. I don’t think I would like living in town. I prefer my chickens to the crowds!

Taking a Rustic Drive

We got back in our car and drove along a ‘Rustic Road’ to see views of Lake Michigan. There was a county park with a nice beach…but it was a bit chilly to swim!

We walked along the road to see this historic lighthouse at Toft Point. It was interesting to read the historic information. The lighthouse was restored and the lamp replaced in 1975.

Driving North to the Tip of Door County Peninsula

Since we missed the height of the tourist season and were visiting during the week, there weren’t as many things to do. It was also quite cold for outdoor activities. So we got back in our car and drove up along the southeastern coast of the Door County peninsula until we reached its northern tip.

We got out and stretched our legs in Gill’s Rock and then continued on to the dock where you can take a ferry out to Washington Island. The water looked pretty choppy and we didn’t want to take the ferry that day. But we’d like to go back in the summer to take the trip.

Driving South Along the Coast

We drove back along the northwestern coast of Door County and noticed that the fall colors were much nicer along that route. I tried to capture the beauty of the drive on video, but it pales in comparison to what we saw. Sorry, it is choppy, the roads were a bit bumpy.

There was a nice place called Grand View Farm on our way. We pulled into their parking lot to try and get a nice shot of the water and trees, but the farm was closed and I didn’t want to go traipsing around on their property uninvited. But they had this neat little cabin that I just had to capture.

The afternoon was winding down. Evening approached and the skies started to cloud over. So we made our way back to the cabin outside of Bailey’s Harbor to make some dinner and build a campfire. It got very cold sitting next to the fire and we were so glad to have the cabin with a little space heater for the night!

In the morning we headed back to the northern coast of Door County. The weather forecast was calling for rain all day, but we made our way to the town of Fish Creek by way of this pretty fall field, above.

Fish Creek Views

Fish Creek has a beautiful harbor and marina with wonderful views of the bay. Although it was cold and I could feel the rain on its way, we had time to walk around a little bit and take some pretty photos.

The water was quite still in the harbor and the grey sky looked ominous.

The view north across the water was fantastic! Imagine being an early explorer and wondering what adventures await you on your travels. 🙂

The views looking back at the town of Fish Creek were stunning! The color of the trees and the quaint buildings made for some great fall photos.

I would love to go back again when we can spend more time. But we started to feel a few sprinkles in the air and decided it was time to head back to the car.

Back on the road again with a fun stop at this great country store. They had wine, cheese, jams, jellies, salsa, bbq sauce, baked goods, fall decor, and all manner of touristy trinkets for sale. I don’t go much for the trinkets, but I wanted to take all of the pumpkins home!

There were plenty of colorful pumpkins and gourds to drool over! I got plenty of ideas for fall decor I’d like to grow in my garden next year. 🙂

On Our Way Home Again!

We bought some hard apple cider and cheese to enjoy this week while my parents are visiting from New York! Now that’s another state with gorgeous fall colors!

I wanted to walk around outside a bit more, but that’s about the time the heavens really opened up and told us it was time to head for home. Drat!

Door County, Wisconsin is a lovely place to visit in the fall. We had to watch out for our fellow leaf peepers while we were driving. People pull off on the side of the road to take photos and sometimes they aren’t very careful. In their excitement to get the perfect shot, they may step out in the road!

I hope to get out for a drive around our area in the next couple of weeks to see more fall colors. Perhaps my parents will be up for a Sunday drive!

Do you like to go ‘leaf peeping’ in fall? Have you ever been to Door County, Wisconsin? Leave a comment and tell us where you like to go to see fall colors!