Fish Creek feels like the postcard version of Door County, and it has the good sense to wear it lightly. The village sits on the shore of Green Bay at the edge of Peninsula State Park, its main street lined with old frame buildings, galleries, and cafes, while the harbour is dotted with boats. It was settled in the mid-nineteenth century by Alexander Noble, a pioneer who built a pier and a mill, and the town grew up around the needs of lake traffic and lumbering.
The state park next door is the real prize. Peninsula State Park covers thousands of acres of limestone bluff, forest, and shoreline, with the Niagara Escarpment, the same ridge that creates Niagara Falls, forming steep cliffs at the water's edge. A road winds around the park, with views over the bay, and the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, built in 1868, stands on the cliff top. Birdlife is plentiful, and the water is clear and cold. Fish Creek also has a long-running outdoor theatre in the woods, founded in the 1930s, which draws audiences each summer.
The riding is gentle and scenic. Highway 42 runs through the village, and the road to the park is narrow and winding, with trees arching overhead. It is slow going, with low speed limits and a lot of pedestrians in the summer. The best time is early morning or after the crowds thin out, in September or October, when the maples and birches turn and the light over the water is soft. Be careful of deer, which wander onto the road at dusk, and of wet leaves in autumn.
Fish Creek has plenty of food, from bakeries to restaurants, and a fish boil is again a local tradition to try. Fuel is less certain, and it is safest to fill in Sturgeon Bay before heading north, as the larger towns on the mainland, such as Menominee across the bay, are far enough away to matter. In winter, the village goes quiet, and many shops close, but the park stays open for snowshoeing and skiing. Take a jacket, whatever the season, because the breeze off the bay can be cool even on a warm afternoon.