Jamie Janosz

My dad and Door County are forever intertwined in my heart and mind.  One of my earliest memories is unzipping the heavy canvas door of our tent in Peninsula State Park in Wisconsin , climbing out into the crisp morning air, pulling on my hooded sweatshirt, and seeing my dad crouching next to the campfire.  Wisps of smoke would come from the logs and kindling as the struggling fire tried to catch. The smell of sweet pine and musty canvas mingled with campfire smoke to create a scent only true campers can recognize. My parents were not wealthy. They were both public school teachers which meant they had lots of time to spend with us kids, but very little money. Hotel vacations were foreign. Most summers, we piled into our 60s station wagon, packed the camper and headed to state parks. Our favorite destination was always Door County, Wisconsin. The drive seemed like it took hours from our home in the south suburbs of Chicago . In those days no one worri...

This is my second post from our trip to Door County, Wisconsin. We stayed in a little tiny cabin right next to the Fish Creek hotel and just steps from the bay. You could see the yachts and sailboats from our screen porch. I was a bit tardy in making reservations, so we took the last available cabin. It only had one bed, so my gracious teenage daughter agreed to sleep on the inflatable mattress. I love staying right in town because you can walk everywhere. We went star gazing on the pier one night and then to Malibu Moo's the next for cold-slab style ice cream. If you've never been to Door County, I'll give you a little visual tour. I love the noncommercial nature of the peninsula. It is a haven for artists, musicians, and theater-people. You can eat and shop your way through the peninsula that is anchored by a gorgeous State Park. Small towns dot the peninsula: Sturgeon Bay (at the base) is the largest - but don't stop there. They follow quickly: ...