DOOR COUNTY - Wisconsin - page 252

Thisisn'ttodenigratethelovelyvillageatall,builtonariseoverlookingoneofthemost
accessible and well-protected harbors along either coast. The harbor had long been in use
by the Winnebago before military materiel and trade ships necessarily anchored here—the
only safe spot between Fish Creek and Little Sturgeon Bay. In the 1850s, Jacob and Levi
Thorp,twobrothersofthefounderofFishCreek,collaboratedtobuildapiertoallowtrans-
port of local cordwood.
Oh, and that name. It doesn't stem from any ovoid land configuration, but from a le-
gendary 1825 battle between vacationing rich folk. While rowing to shore in longboats,
boredom apparently got the best of the well-to-do, who started winging picnic-packed eggs
back and forth. And they do celebrate this with occasional staged—and eminently delight-
ful—egg throws, whether individual or locally sponsored. (Yes, they do call the place—get
ready to groan—an “eggscape.”)
Sights
As you wind off WIS 42 and down the hillside, your first sight is probably the most pictur-
esque village park in the county, this one with a small strand of smooth-stoned and sand
beach. There are lovely free concerts Thursdays and Sundays in summer.
A couple of miles farther south, you'll find a good view of Horseshoe Bay and a very
sandy beach at Frank E. Murphy County Park (7119 Bay Shore Dr.).
Just east of Egg Harbor, a quaint, aged dairy barn now houses the Birch Creek Music
Center (Hwy.E,920/868-3763, www.birchcreek.org ) .Acoustics areextraordinary,consid-
ering that cows once lived here. Evening concerts by budding students and national names
in the big barn are regularly scheduled (generally mid-July-Labor Day) and are something
ofaninstitutioninthearea.Thebigbandseriesisparticularlypopular.Percussionperform-
ances are the specialty.
Sight of sights and a landmark for denizens of the Door is the Gothic revival Cupola
House (7836 WIS 42, 920/868-3941), a massive building constructed in 1871 by Levi
Thorp, as local cordwood made him among the wealthiest men in the county. During the
summer, resident artists at the Birch Creek Center give performances at the house.
Ultra-premium wines (made through microvinification) are at Stone's Throw Winery
(3382 Hwy. E, stonesthrowwinery.com , 920/839-9660), in a cool old barn.
In town, Door County's newest winery, Harbor Ridge (Harbor Ridge Ct., harbor-
ridgewinery.com , 920/868-4321) has as many cheeses and soaps as wines. They deserve
kudos for their dedication to charities.