Door County Selected As Best Small-Town Getaway

DOOR COUNTY, WI (April 19, 2007) – The beauty and charm of Wisconsin’s scenic Door County Peninsula earned it yet another well deserved accolade from Midwest Living magazine – that of Best Small-Town Getaway in the Midwest.

From a list of about 8,500 small towns, Midwest Living editors recently narrowed the list down to their favorites as part of a cover story in the June 2007 issue of Midwest Living magazine. The article ranks the “100 Best Small-Town Getaways” in the Midwest. Door County came in at the top of the list. Along with the entire destination, the Door County communities of Ephraim and Fish Creek are specifically mentioned in the piece.

For this official Top 100 list, the editors looked at towns with populations less than 20,000 in the Midwest and added a layer of research that spanned several months and ranked areas in 12 categories: attractions, vibe, scenery, walkability, shopping, dining, lodging, arts scene, outdoor activities, proximity to major cities, multiday potential and wild card (for special events such as festivals).

Midwest Living magazine’s new Editor-in-Chief, Greg Philby, was in Door County on April 18th to present Door County with the Best Small-Town Getaway award. He presented the award to representatives from the Door County Visitor Bureau, Fish Creek Civic Association and Ephraim Business Council, who were all on hand for a Door County Visitor Bureau event at Hands On Art Studio in Fish Creek.

Mr. Philby said what really helped push Ephraim and Fish Creek in Door County to the top of the list was the combination of great attributes throughout the Peninsula.

A sampling of the Door County segment from Midwest Living magazine’s June 2007 issue:
Who needs New England? The Midwest has its own coastal charm around the Great Lakes, and our top towns, located in Door County, are the best examples of it. The 80-mile-long Door Peninsula extends into Lake Michigan on Wisconsin’s east side, creating more than 300 miles of coastline. Tucked into this shore are lighthouses, 30 beaches, five state parks, golf courses and pretty towns seemingly plucked straight from a painting. Along the busier Green Bay side, it’s hard to tell where one white clapboard village wrapped around a blue harbor ends and another begins. But Ephraim (population: 349) and Fish Creek (population: 200), bookends to Peninsula State Park, epitomize what’s most appealing.

Wisconsin’s new Secretary of Tourism, Kelli Trumble, was also on hand to celebrate the Best Small-Town Getaway award with Door County and congratulated the crowd of over 200 after the announcement was made.

Midwest Living magazine, published by Meredith Corporation, is a regional publication that celebrates the richness of life in the Midwest. Founded in 1987, the magazine is dedicated to providing its readers a wealth of region-specific information and inspiration, focusing on travel and events, food and dining, and home and garden, as well as other editorial content categories. Midwest Living magazine, which reaches 4.1 million readers, is published bi-monthly and has a rate base of 925,000.