Door County: Lighthouses, Lake Views, Orchards & Artists

Jutting out of Wisconsin into the blue waters of Lake Michigan, the scenic peninsula of Door County is endowed with the longest coastline of any county in the nation. Since the mid-1800s, the region has boasted a strong maritime industry, dependent on the constant vigilance and efforts of U.S. Coast Guard units. The county has been home to as many as 12 historic light stations, as well as three life-saving stations. Beginning with Pottawatomie Light in 1837 and Sturgeon Bay Canal Life-Saving Station in 1886, keepers and surfmen survived both boredom and peril to ensure safe navigation and commerce, while rescuing those in distress. Through archival photographs, stories of shipwrecks, rescues, service, and pride spring to life. Rare rescue images of the Otter, a schooner which wrecked in 1895, are especially noteworthy.

The shores of Door County, Wisconsin have long served as an idyllic retreat for Midwestern families. The region's scenic beauty is augmented by a rich history that reflects the classic American experience and John Fraser Hart now pays homage to the "Cape Cod of the Midwest" in this engaging chronicle. A renowned scholar and a summer home owner in Door County for over fifty years, Hart possesses intimate knowledge of the physical geography and cultural history of the region. With his incisive geographer's eye, he charts the gorgeously sprawling landscape that draws more than two million visitors annually, including the limestone bluffs along Green Bay that loom as high as 200 feet. He also explores Door County's agricultural heritage -- including the famous cherry orchards -- was well as the difference between the Green Bay and Lake Michigan sides of the peninsula, and the quiet interior region. The book then turns to the cultural aspects of the region, examining diverse topics such as the history of the first ethnic European settlers, the tourist economy, and the settlements' primarily Belgian architecture. Detailed maps and vibrant photographs complement Hart's engaging prose, making "My Kind of County" the perfect gift for day trippers, summer residents, and geographers alike.

Emily and Stan Remington's maiden voyage in their newly inherited RV takes a lethal turn when a body fall off the top of their vehicle. The retired couple find themselves at the center of a murder investigation involving a politician, a corporate executive, and a hippie priest. The rookie RVers inevitably butt heads with the local sheriff as their investigation takes them from a backwoods cabin in Wisconsin's scenic Door County to the Bishop's Chancery in Madison to an abandoned island in the infamous Death's Door Straits.

Befitting its role as Wisconsin's thumb, Door County has its own unique pulse. It is the idyllic paradise "north of the tension line," that sends many unsuspecting tourists spiraling into an addiction that lands them in a summer home. It is also the "Door of the Dead," which some historians blame for more shipwrecks than any other body of fresh water in the world. The variety of nature's splendors and terrors is matched by the cast of characters that has risen up among them. In "Door County Tales," these characters are given free rein, which seems only proper in a place where one might walk out of a restaurant and see goats grazing on the roof.

Published annually, this visitors guide is your key to everything happening in Door County. Order online at www.doorcounty.com or call toll-free 1-800-527-3529. You'll find recommendations for restaurants and activities throughout the peninsula.