Door County with a Dog - trip in progress

Old Sep 9th, 2014, 01:05 PM
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Door County with a Dog - trip in progress

This is a trip report in progress but I wanted to get my thoughts on paper or screen when they were fresh in my mind.

This trip was planned on short notice; DH decided to do a century bike ride on the peninsula and I was able to drive up after the ride and join him. We can both work from 'anywhere' so we decided to book a place for a week, work and have a getaway.

Our puppy is a wheaten terrier; he's a therapy/delta dog so very mild mannered, friendly, quiet, etc. No barking or shedding....very sweet to have around. However, lodging options can be few with a pet in tow. I started looking at condos and was hoping to find one with internet, laundry and pet friendly. Those three criteria seemed mutually exclusive. So, I began making some phone calls based on the 'bringfido' website recommendations and found the Edgewater Resort in Ephraim. We have a one bedroom suite, first floor with a porch and rocking chairs; full kitchen, fireplace, etc. Very nice, as quiet as can be expected on route 42 but with a beautiful view of Eagle Bay. Internet and pet friendly were options here - laundry seemed the toughest to find so either people don't get dirty clothes on vacation or they use the one and only laundromat in Sister Bay! With a lot of cycling planned, we'll use the laundromat.

Pet Friendly Restaurants so far: (even with outdoor seating, some places dont' allow pets so its best to ask - some looked like they wouldn't fit the bill and were very nice (more on those later after we've been there)

Grasse in Sister Bay: nice for lunch or dinner; pets are welcome at the sidewalk tables; full menu of sandwiches and dinners; reasonable prices and great staff

Chef's Hat in Ephraim: nice for breakfast and lunches; seating outside but beware of the bees!! Opens around 7:30 and is about 2 blocks from our hotel so its a good walk to get coffee in the morning

Old Post Office in Ephraim - outdoor patio seating for the pets; nice breakfast (cherry pancakes and an omlete combo); will be going there tonight for the fish boil. staff was very accommodating with our pooch

Door County Creamery in Sister Bay - deck/outdoor seating for pets; limited sandwich menu for lunch but adequate

Gibralter Grille in Fish Creek - not only do they allow pets, they welcome them! we sat outdoors near a fireplace with tent roof and tons of tiny lights. The pup was welcomed with a bowl of water and treats....yes, we will go back! Food was very good as well - DH had their pork schnitzel and I had a whitefish special.

Pet friendly activities:

Dog Park in Sister Bay - lovely fenced area with room to run and play; a shed with lots of frisbee's, tennis balls and two chuck-its to borrow; jugs of water and a poop bag dispenser in case anyone forgets. Come early if you want to see a lot of dogs or later in the morning if your dog doesn't care for a ton of interaction; its off route 42 in the recreation complex a few blocks inland

Fish Creek Scenic Boat Tours - we did the sunset cruise with live music...wish we'd had a bit more narration and less music (translation..I hope he didn't quit his day job). there were two dogs on board with us; soft drinks and water were available to purchase for $1 or you were allowed to bring your own beverages and snacks on board which everyone did.
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Old Sep 9th, 2014, 01:48 PM
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Wonderful. This is an area high on my target list.

I will bet your sweet Wheaten is a hit!
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Old Sep 11th, 2014, 11:55 AM
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So...we were told that a Fish Boil is a 'must do' in Door County. We asked virtually every cashier, server and stranger on the street where they would take an out of town relative for a fish boil and we got tons of answers. However, the Old Post Office got more votes than others so we made the reservation and walked the 100' or so from our room to the cooking area.

The choice ultimately came down to finding a casual atmosphere where the fish boil story would be told...and it had to be pet friendly. We were able to sit around the fire with our pup, listen and watch. Then, since the restaurant had outdoor seating, we were given our own table - easy peasy.

The food is served cafeteria style - but there is a server who dishes it out so don't worry if you're at the back of the line - they won't run out...and there are usually leftovers (except the cherry pie) which are brought out after everyone has stuffed themselves to the gills (pun intended). Ephraim is a dry community so you can't buy a beer in any of the restaurants but you are welcome to bring your own.

The winds have been howling (think Edmund Fitzgerald) last night and today, so we decided to just take a meandering drive until the daily conference calls started.

Stopped at Newport State Park. They are dog friendly as long as your pal is on a leash. The cost to enter the park for 90 minutes (plenty of time) for $5. There are three parking areas - all of which have walking trails through the woods or down to the beaches. The gusts weren't so bad when we were in the shelter of the trees.
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Old Sep 11th, 2014, 12:29 PM
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This is terrific!
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Old Sep 12th, 2014, 08:44 AM
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Adding another pet friendly restaurant to the list: Chop in Sister Bay. This is a nicer, pricier place but worth the time and $$. On the back side of the Marketplace Shops just off 42 on the north end of town. Maybe 10-12 tables inside and the same number outside with plastic screens to protect against wind/rain and heaters to keep you toasty. Very nice - mostly steaks with a decent variety of fish, duck, chicken and pork. Wine and beer only - no mixed drinks.
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Old Sep 14th, 2014, 05:48 PM
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A couple of final pet friendly things:
Door County Brewery - they cook their bar food outside so pets are welcome INSIDE the brewery...leashed and well behaved of course. Good selection of beers, cheese curds and when we were there, they were making BBQ pork tacos outside. Live music a couple of nights each week as well.

Coast Guard Station near Sturgeon Bay - you can walk the dog down from the parking area and out on the break wall. Be sure to stay on the side of the road that says 'public' - the young men manning the lighthouse and surrounding govt area are extremely earnest. There are no garbage cans for poop bags, tho and that was a bit of an issue. The young man offered to take the bag up to the building and throw it away for us.

Cana Island Lighthouse - again, just walk with a leash and you'll be fine. We tried to pay the fee but there was nobody in the guard trailer.

Overall - fun trip. Yes, with a pet you do have to make compromises and plan ahead. Clearly, we could not take him along when outside seating was not possible. During one of the rainstorms, we had to leave him in the car but he got plenty of attention from other diners looking out the window at him. His favorite place to sit was the driver's seat!!
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Old Sep 17th, 2014, 08:52 AM
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and one more pet friendly restaurant - Summertime in Fish Creek. The patio is very nice and you are a block off the main drag and a block or so from the harbor. I had a 'lobster roll' for $12.99. Seemed like a good deal, right? The 'lobester" was chopped so finely that it was more like a smooth tuna salad - none of the large chuncks you get out east so I'm not sure if it was really lobster or the imitation stuff from a grocery. They also served it with lettuce and tomato - the ones out east are just the lobster piled into a bun and there you go. It was fine - just not a real lobster roll as far as I was concerned.
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