Gills Rock sits at the end of the line on Door County's northern tip, a tiny fishing village of a few houses, a maritime museum, and a harbour full of working boats. The road that has carried you up the peninsula finally runs out of room here, with Green Bay on one side and the strait beyond. That strait has a name that sells itself: Porte des Morts, or Death's Door, a stretch of water between the peninsula and Washington Island where shifting currents, shoals and sudden storms have wrecked a long list of ships. Whether the French or the Potawatomi named it is debated, but the reputation is earned.
The village was settled by Scandinavians in the nineteenth century, and the fishing tradition continues. Whitefish and trout come off the boats, and a fish boil or smoked fish is the right thing to eat. The Door County Maritime Museum has a branch here, with old fishing tugs, engines and charts, and it gives a good picture of what working these waters meant. You can usually watch the boats come in, and in the evening the whole harbour glows.
The riding to get here is a pleasure. State Highway 42 runs up the Green Bay side of the peninsula through orchards, small harbour towns and woods, with views over the water through gaps in the trees. It is a quiet, slow road with gentle bends, and in the north it narrows and becomes more rural. Watch for deer, cyclists, and the odd tractor, and keep your speed down through the villages. Spring and early summer bring cherry blossom, and autumn brings the colour, but the best season for solitude is late September or early June. In midsummer the road is packed with sightseeing cars.
Both towns also have places to eat and a bed for the night. If you want to cross to Washington Island, a ferry runs from nearby Northport, and the trip takes about half an hour.
Take a minute at the shore. On a still day the strait looks harmless. It never is.