Door County recommendations in July

May 30, 2023 3:56 PM

My wife and I celebrated our honeymoon in Door County 10 years ago. In July, we're taking our 7 and 6 year old kids (plus my parents, brother, sister in law, and their few months old kid) up there to show them the sights. We have some spots in mind like Al Johnson's, cherry picking, and a fish boil that we fondly remember, but what would be your suggestions for either family friendly things or new things from the last 10 years? (Admittedly I'm sure we will also have kid free time, so other suggestions are appreciated.)
posted by RyanAdams to Travel & Transportation around Door County, WI (6 answers total)

The main things I remember doing in Door County when the kids were about that age were feeding the various animals at Plum Loco Animal Farm (a bit south of Egg Harbor), riding the go-carts and eating (surprisingly decent) food delivered by model train at PC Junction (at the junction of County A and County E, basically right in the middle of the peninsula), and exploring the various towns, beaches, and state parks. Oh, and driving the various county roads with the kids in the car seats to get them to nap. I distinctly remember County ZZ as being especially good for this (and thus aptly named).
posted by sesquipedalia at 8:35 PM on May 30, 2023

If you don't have a place already in mind, we really enjoyed Westwood Shores Resort in Sturgeon Bay. It's not in the heart of things and you'll have to drive a bit up to the major towns. However, it has one major plus - apart from the outdoor pool it has an indoor pool. That's a lifesaver on a rainout day when you have small kids.

Are you boating people or at least like to be on one? On our last trip we rented a pontoon boat in Sister Bay for an afternoon and everyone had a great time. Might not be the best with an infant but if you're kidless for an afternoon swimming off a boat, towing an innertube, and cruising around the bay is a heckuva lot of fun lemme tell ya.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:15 PM on May 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

(sorry wrong thread please delete, thanks)
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:11 AM on May 31, 2023

Can everyone ride a bike? Biking at Peninsula Park is really lovely. It has been a few years since I was there, but I remember the trails being wide and flat, with maybe a few small hills, so nothing strenuous. There is a bike rental place right by the south entrance to the park, so you can just park there, rent bikes and then bike in.
posted by Sabby at 10:40 AM on May 31, 2023

Response by poster: Good suggestions so far. We were thinking about doing a sunset cruise (as we went on one before), but the pontoon boat could also work.
posted by RyanAdams at 4:04 PM on May 31, 2023

Forgot to mention, if you were born before 1/1/1989 you're exempt from the WI law that says you need a boating safety certificate to rent and/or pilot watercraft. Otherwise you need to take the online course. Takes a few hours and a $10 fee.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:11 AM on June 1, 2023