In the tiny town of Baileys Harbor, snug along Lake Michigan, with its “main drag” on Highway 57, are all the components of the perfect autumn getaway.
Although Baileys Harbor’s year-round population hovers around 1,000 residents, there’s enough to do within a few square miles to fill an entire weekend. Start by checking into Beachfront Inn, a darling motel right on the beach. Fresh off a renovation and appearance on Hotel Impossible (a Travel Channel show), rooms feature pretty blues, yellows and whites. Thirsty for a beer or glass of wine during your stay? Selections from local wineries and breweries are sold in the lobby, where a complimentary continental breakfast is also served. Clusters of Adirondack chairs on the sand are a great spot to warm up next to a fire pit on chilly nights.
Start your first night in Baileys Harbor right with a visit to Chives, a fine-dining restaurant across the street from the inn. (The owners also operate a second Chives location in Suamico.) It’s often considered Door County’s best eatery — and for good reason. Much of the ingredients are sourced locally, including Wisconsin cheddar with house-made grilled sausages as a starter, or a side of Washington Island potatoes with lamb porterhouse, and the dining room’s perch a story up affords nice views of Lake Michigan. Items on the menu rotate based on what’s fresh and in-season. Innovative cocktails and a stellar wine list are two other reasons to book a table here.
Wind down the evening with a visit down the block to the new tap room for Door County Brewing Company, celebrating its first season. Built to resemble a barn with lofted ceilings and lots of rough woodwork, patrons sip beer while engaged in board games or conversation. Live music fills the tap room on weekend evenings and a fire pit is often crackling in the beer garden.
The Ridges Sanctuary, also in Baileys Harbor, is a private reserve that established a LEED-certified Gold visitor center (Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center) two summers ago. Start here to get your bearings and pay the $5 trail fee. Then, be prepared to pull out your camera or smartphone every five minutes on a short hike — distances on clearly marked trails range from a third of a mile to five miles — because the scenery is that stunning. Naturalist-led, two-hour hikes teach you more about the sanctuary’s flora and fauna, departing daily at 10 a.m.
Post-hike, drop by Bearded Heart Coffee, a quirky little coffee shop tucked into a tiny house. Locally famous is its lavender latte. Beans are roasted from Ruby Coffee, another Wisconsin business, and nibbles include avocado toast with a poached organic egg, sprinkled with Hawaiian sea salt.
Two more dinner options in Baileys Harbor: Try Harbor Fish Market & Grille for a lobster bake (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday only), or its casual cousin Pizza 57, a to-go pizzeria located inside a gas station (but don’t let that fool you). If it’s a warm night, take your pizza pie out to the grassy lawn behind. This is Anclam Park.
In Bailey’s Harbor during a Packers game? The best spot to watch the game is at The Blue Ox Bar & Grill, piled to the roof with antiques, including horse saddles over the bar stools. In business since 1975, this is a no-frills spot (inside a structure dating back to 1887) with a good line-up of craft beers and, yes, even food, from bratwurst patties to slices of Italian roast beef stacked on a bun.
Before heading back to Milwaukee, pay a visit to Koepsel’s, an indoor farmers market, where jars of pickled vegetables, fruit salsas, maple syrup, jams and cherry-pie fillings line the walls. There’s also a decent selection of craft beer and artisan cheese from around the state. During the autumn months, you might be lucky enough to score bags of just-picked apples. If you’re into old-fashioned sodas, especially ones with offbeat flavors, a selection of several dozen near the check-out could be your dream. An antiques vendor next door provides another reason to stop at this farm stand.
