Fish Boils, Art and Theater

Another essential remains the fish boil, a superb way to end the day. A huge black pot full of fresh whitefish, potatoes and onions bubbles and hisses over an open fire. Earl Jones, the "boil master" at the Old Post Office Restaurant in Ephraim, one of the restaurants specializing in the tradition, mesmerizes diners with tales of the Icelandic fishermen who settled here along with Swedish farmers. In the midst of this fireside reverie, Earl tosses kerosene on the fire. The flames whoosh up and the pot overboils'a technique early lakeside dwellers used to ensure their food was clean. Startled, the crowd recovers in time for a whitefish feast and a dessert of cherry pie, oozing with locally grown fruit.

Earl, who has been part of Door County since the 1950s, also feeds ideas to guests, handing them a Door County to-do list that includes the well-known as well as a few things that even frequent visitors may miss. One oft-overlooked gem, for instance, is Ellison Bay Bluff County Park, a wooded preserve featuring a far-reaching view of Green Bay.

In recent years, Door County has emerged even more as an area that caters to family visits. You find new bike trails, condo resorts made for extended families, an interior lake (Kangaroo Lake) where kids can fish from a causeway, maritime museums, and the Ridges Sanctuary, with trails and wildlife. New golf courses and shops appear almost each year.

Even the studios, where you often can watch artists at work, are great for families, especially the Hands On Art Studio, where adults and kids create their own masterpieces. How appropriate for a region that burgeons with artists. Some are new, some are long-timers, like John Dietrick, who sells his exquisite creations at Ellison Bay Pottery.

It follows that the performing arts have flourished as well, with six different live theaters, one that's nestled deep in the woods. The American Folklore Theatre, its outdoor stage under towering Peninsula State Park hardwoods, even provides bug spray for the audience.

Many summers, Door County history comes alive in a favorite show called Loose Lips Sink Ships. The musical depicts life during World War II, when women worked in the local shipyards while men were away.

The lively show ends, the crowd trails off, and a still, woodland night settles in--just one more blending of Door County's varied charms. (Continued)

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