There is something truly magical about Door County, especially in the Fall! Door County is such a romantic getaway, and when you travel there during the Fall season, you will feel as if you’ve jumped into a Midwest episode of Gilmore Girls. From the cute cafes, restaurants, shops, art galleries, great outdoor hiking trails, and gorgeous scenery, Door County has everything to offer to fit your autumnal travel needs.

This past fall, we traveled to Door County from October 13th through the 17th, and the timing was perfect for the foliage. There were a few minor hiccups on our travel plans that we were lucky to learn of at the last minute, but overall, the trip was everything I hoped for.

Day 1, Oct 13th

Luckily, we live in MN, so we can drive to Door County in under 5 hours. On our way, we had a lunch stop in Wausa at one of their newer restaurants, The Velveteen Plum. You can view Rib Mountain State Park from the restaurant, and the view was excellent, especially with the fall colors popping on Mt. The food and drinks were also delicious, and it was worth the stop on our way. Below is the cute espresso I had for a pick-me-up for the last leg of our drive. A quick bite, and we headed straight for Door County, waving quickly to the Lambeau Felid as we drove through Green Bay.

After a few hours on the road, our first stop was Door Peninsula Winery, where we had wine and olive oil tastings! This is where I always stop first each time I arrive on the peninsula. It’s a fun introduction to vacation; the wine is so fun to sample. We left with a few bottles of wine, olive oil, and fruity balsamic vinegar. Just down the road, we made our second stop at Anchored Roots Vineyard & Winery, which was my first time visiting, and I really enjoyed their selection.

I had my fill of wine for the day, and so it was time to check into our Airbnb. We lucked out with another great stay in Door County. On this trip, we stayed at the Peninsula Park-View Resort, across the road from Peninsula State Park. We stayed in their Sunset Meadow Anniversary Suite, which we booked through Airbnb. The suite was very romantic and cozy! I loved the jacuzzi tub, and the fireplace warmed up the cottage quickly.

Sorry this video is so shaky! But how cute is this little cottage!

For dinner, we drove to Ephraim to eat Anatolia Cuisine, DC. This food was delicious and very filling! A great end to a first day in Door County.

Day 2, Oct 14th

The next morning, we were up bright and early for a long day ahead of us. This day would mostly be filled with visiting my favorite state park, Rock Island. Thankfully, just a few days before, I had also learned that this was the last day the Rock Island would be open for the season, so I knew we couldn’t miss the earliest ferry leaving that day.

As the sun rose, we stopped quickly at the coastal byway. Vibrant fall colors surrounded the road, making it so picturesque!

While on the ferry to Washington Island, we attempted to stand outside to take in the views, but it was freezing cold and windy, so after arriving on the island, we headed for breakfast as quickly as we could for a hot cup of coffee. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at WIS-CO Washington Island Coffee. Their options were limited that day because they hadn’t received a shipment of many different goods. However, the coffee and small sandwiches were still very tasty. After breakfast, it was still too early to do much else on the Island, so we headed straight to the parking lot for the ferry.

It was good that we got there early because the ferry filled up quickly. As we were about to leave, we were reminded that this would be the last day to access the state park, and we were also informed that the last ferry back to Washington Island would leave at 2 p.m. (earlier than the usual schedule), so our day on the island would be a bit shortened. However, we were still so happy that we could make it onto the Island for the last day of the season! The boat ride over was quite choppy, as seen in the video below, but I thought it added excitment to the adventure.

Being on Rock Island again was such a fun time! We took a tour at the lighthouse and learned a lot about the history of the Island, and the tour guide was so fun to talk with as well. Then we did a complete hike around the island, where we saw a lot of sights that we had missed the last time we visited. While walking around the island, many mice ran across the paths; I think we counted up to ten that we saw. Once we arrived back at the boathouse, we watched as many of the island's staff closed up the buildings and packed their belongings to move off the island. It would be such a fascinating job to live out on Rock Island during the open season and see what that type of lifestyle is like. This state park is still one of my favorite places, and I always find myself wanting to go back. Maybe someday I’ll camp out there for an extended weekend.

On our arrival back to Washington Island, a local news channel was set up with a camera crew to catch footage of the last ferry coming back for the season. I still wonder if we ended up on some new channel somewhere.

One of the best things you can do before or after visiting Rock Island State Park is stop at Jackson Harbor Soup. This little restaurant has great food and drinks. We ate here both times we’ve been there, and it has been great each time. Just keep in mind that, like the State Park, this restaurant is also seasonal. 

Since most places were closed on Washington Island, we hopped back on the main ferry and headed back for the mainland. But once back on the peninsula, we stopped at another one of my favorites, Island Orchard Cider. Out of their selection, my favorite is the Apple Ginger Cider. I suggest ordering a flight if you stop by, and I guarantee you won’t leave empty-handed.

We wanted to get in a bit more photography before ending the day, so we headed to Door Bluff Headladounty Park and captured these gorgeous sunset photos.

It’s fair to say that we were exhausted by the end of the day, so we grabbed a takeout pizza at Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza & Grille in Sister Bay and enjoyed a cozy night at the cottage.

Day 3, Oct 15th

The morning started the best way possible in Door County: breakfast at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant. I love it here, and I think it’s safe to say almost everyone does, too. We didn’t get to see the goats on this trip, but everything else was spectacular, as always. I also never skip out on their hot cocoa with the mountain of whipped cream.

Once completely stuffed with Swedish pancakes and meatballs, we walked it off by shopping down Main Street. We spent most of the morning stopping and walking through almost every shop in Sisters Bay and between Sisters Bay and Ephriam.

Instead of going out to eat lunch, we thought it better to eat more of our leftover pizza at the cottage; then, we headed just across the road to explore Penninsula State Park. We hiked most of the trails we had on our last visit, some of the most fun trails in the park. We hiked some other trails on the park's south side while catching more photos of another beautiful sunset.

In the evening, we ate dinner at LURE Restaurant. We thought the drinks and food were just okay for the higher prices, nothing that wowed us.

Day 4, Oct 16th

I’m happy that we added Blue Horse Beach Cafe in Fish Creek to our itinerary for this trip because it was such a great breakfast! I had a delicious fall-themed coffee and a homemade breakfast sandwich. The view from the front porch of this cafe is so pretty while enjoying a nice meal.

Our next stop was to spend the morning hiking at Cave Point County Park. This park is so pretty, and this time, we explored much further down the path, which eventually merges into Whitefish Dunes State Park. Climbing and hiking these little cliffs along the lake is so fun. One downside was that many rocks were covered in orange ladybugs by the hundreds, which I am very allergic to, so I had to be very careful about what I touched or where I stepped.

We then had a bit of a foodie stop in Bailey’s Harbor, where we hit several different places to eat and drink. First, we ate lunch at the Harbor Fish Market & Grille, which was excellent!

To wear off lunch, we did a quick hike at the Ridges Sanctuary Nature Center, a very well-maintained area with a fascinating geographical history and landscaping. Then, we stopped at Lake Fire Winery and Door County Brewing Co. Taproom. Neither of which I was a massive fan of, but it was still worth the stop.

I was so excited for our next stop at Stones Throw Winery, which was our favorite last time. Unfortunately, we went on a day when their kitchen was closed, so we didn’t have the delicious salads or charcuterie board, but the wine was still so good. It's definitely the best wine of the whole trip.

To end our day, we visited Egg Harbor and walked around to do a bit more shopping at all the different shops. Then, we had a quick dinner at Shipwrecked Brew Pub & Restaurant.

Day 5, Oct 17th

It’s always sad when vacation ends, but thankfully, we had another very successful Door County visit, this time featuring beautiful fall colors.

On our way out, we ate another delicious breakfast (we really lucked out on good breakfasts) at Sip in Sister Bay.

Before leaving Door County, we made our last stop at Door County Coffee & Tea Co. to pick up some gifts for the family. 

Then we were on our way home!