Item From the Past: Cana Island, Door County

July 2001

Door County, the hangnail peninsula off the shape of Wisconsin), is very lush in July, and away from the coasts, I was surprised by the number of working farms -- especially along County EE, which cuts across the peninsula about halfway toward the top. For a few miles, you could have been driving on any rural road in central Wisconsin.

At a place called Cana Island -- which is really a peninsula off the peninsula, since a rocky bit of land connects it to the rest of Door County -- we stopped for a look around. Lilly was in the mood for a roam around the high hedges.

Cana Island sports a fine old 1880s lighthouse. We could go into the former light house keeper's house, but not the lighthouse, since it's still in operation.

Cherries, a local crop in season, were on every menu. We had them in the form of pie and a milk shake. One evening we attended a fish boil in a town on the Lake Michigan side, with the fish-boil master building a large wood fire in a fire ring outside to heat the black kettle, which is full of potatoes and onions and locally caught fish. To make the thing boil over, the fish-boil master adds a spot of accelerant to the fire. Whoosh!

Afterward, the fish and other ingredients are served up in mass quantities for some good eating.