Cherries Take Top Billing
July, 2008 - Though it's been an off year for cherries in Door County, thanks to the drought last summer and a cold late spring, cherries are getting plenty of attention, especially of readers of Midwest Airlines' in flight magazine, My Midwest. In the July/August issue, an article entitled Cherries on Top features products made from our famous local fruit. That includes cherry pies from Sweetie Pies and cherry wine from Orchard Country Winery (both located in Fish Creek) and of course the White Gull's famous cherry stuffed French Toast, pictured here.
The article includes a lot of interesting facts that even we were not aware of. For example, "there are about 7,000 cherries on an average tree, which is enough for about 28 pies." That made us wonder how many trees we need just for the White Gull's cherry pies (forget the French Toast, cherry pancakes and cherry coffeecake for the moment.) Seeing that we easily make and bake more than 3,000 pies a year, we personally need an orchard of 107 trees, and that's just for pies!
Also, did you know that cherries are good for the heart? Read the whole article here
Hey, That's Not the White Gull Woodie
July 26, 2008 - No, this is not the White Gull's 1947 Chevrolet Woodie that graces the inn's front yard most summer days. But it sure is a beauty! As part of the Sesquicentennial Celebration in Fish Creek, the Cherryland Model A Club displayed members' cars at the historic Noble House in Fish Creek today. The weather cooperated beautifully, and 30 of the club members had lunch on the White Gull patio. During lunch, club member Paul Lovering parked his 1930 Model A Woodie in front of the inn for other guests to enjoy and White Gull GM Scott Kositzke to snap this photo. If the car looks familiar in this setting, it is because it is a pretty close match to the woodie depicted in Charles Peterson's painting of the inn, which hangs in the White Gull lobby.
Larry Meiller, Live from (well, actually, at) the White Gull
July 24, 2008 - Wisconsin Public Radio talk show host Larry Meiller was in Door County today, broadcasting his popular radio show live from Peninsula Players Theater in Fish Creek. Two Door County experts on the cherry industry were Meiller's guests. Bob Lautenbach, of Lautenbach's Orchard Country Winery and Orchard in Fish Creek, and Door County Extension Agriculture Agent Dean Volenberg updated listeners on thisyear's cherry crop.
Though last year's drought and a cold late spring devastated this year's crop, Lautenbach said there still are plenty of fresh cherries now available at Door Couonty markets. Volenberg pointed out that Door County farmers have diversified themselves over the years which will help them weather a bad year. Lautenbach runs a large roadside market and makes his own wine from a variety of fruits including recently planted grapes.
Other guests included Paul and Fran Burton of Ephraim, who answered calls regarding their historical books about the county and Fran's field guide on wildflowers.
How does all this relate to the White Gull Inn? Following the broadcast, Meiller, his guests and attendees of the live broadcast attended a special noon fish boil at the inn, cooked by innkeeper and your blogger Andy Coulson.
Pictured: Wisconsin Public Radio's Larry Meiller enjoy a noon fish boil served on the White Gull patio, following a live broadcast of Meiller's show at the Peninsula Players.
Weathering the Storms, Natural and Economic
July 4, 2008 - The White Gull has been mentioned in two stories lately that show that the Door Peninsula is not immune to the economy and the weather unleashed on Wisconsin this last year. Though the county has been spared the violent early summer storms and flooding that plagued other parts of the state, a front page story in the Milwaukee Journal on June 23 entitled "Weather Ruins Door County Cherry Crop" detailed the woes of cherry growers who suffered a disasterous winter coming on the heels of last summer's drought. Fortunately for the White Gull and our guests, there will be enough cherries for our pies, coffeecakes, pancakes and stuffed French Toast, but the crop is expected to be 98% lower than last year's bumper crop. What cherries there are may be earmarked for tourists who like to pick their own.
Read the full story by Karen Herzog.
Pictured at right: Door County's famous cherry blossoms, notably absent in 2008.
In a July 3 story on Milwaukee's Public radio station WUWM, entitled, "To Travel or Not to Travel", reporter Susan Bence
talked with tourist related business operators about the effects of June's storms on Wisconsin's tourism in general and the importance of tourism to the state's economy.
Spence checked in with Devil's Lake, the city of Superior, the Dells and the White Gull here in Door County. All four areas have adjusted and are cautiously optimistic at this point. Read the whole story here
Happy 150th Fish Creek!
June 1, 2008 - Brass Band concerts, fireworks, a model A car show, civil war singers, a replay of Peninsula Players first play in downtown Fish Creek, a visit from Michael Feldman's Radio Show "Whad'Ya Know?", talking tombstones...are just some of the events planned in Fish Creek this summer to celebrate the Town of Gibraltar's 150th anniversary. Because the village is unincorporated, we are part of the Town of Gibraltar, which is pulling out all stops in observing its Sesquicentennial. Gibraltar's Sesquicentennial website lists all the events and a lot more - photos, history and interesting facts. Visit it before you leave home to make sure you don't miss anything that won't come around again for another 150 years! Pictured at right: White Gull staffer Connie Pahl's grandmother, Martha Honold, circa 1920, dressed for work as a White Gull Inn waitress (the inn was then known as Welcker's Resort.)
Special Guests Danny and Sissy Friberg
May 5, 2008 - A lot of photos are required to keep a modern website up to date. You may have noticed that the pictures on our home and other pages are continually changing throughout the year. With my trusty digital camera, I have taken quite a few, because after all, I am often here when the moment, the sky, sunlight, the flowers...are just right. But even I find it hard to continually come up with photos that convey the perfect moment at the White Gull, in Fish Creek, or in all of Door County.
That's why I was so delighted and surprised to receive a package last year from long time guests Danny and Sissy Friberg with a CD full of beautiful shots of the inn, Fish Creek, Peninsula Park and all of the Peninsula. Danny, pictured with Sissy here in front of the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, is a great photographer, and he not only included some of his finest shots, but graciously gave me permission to use them on the website.
But that's not all the Fribergs sent. Danny is also a pretty good writer. The following poem arrived framed with one of Danny's pictures of the inn. The Fribergs celebrated their anniversary here last May, 20 years after they discovered the White Gull on their honeymoon. (The framed picture and poem are in the White Gull library on the third floor.) Congratulations to the Fribergs and thanks for sharing your White Gull and Door County memories.
"The White Gull Inn"
One hundred years and even more
The White Gull Inn upon this shore.
The lamppost there, on the sign outside;
A welcome sight from a distant ride.
With flowers hung that greet the guest;
The staff attends and give their best.
There with elegance from long ago,
Reminds each one of a time we know.
Of childhood and peaceful days,
Friends we had and simple ways.
Jan and Andy with a passion for,
the heritage...and continued lore.
Share their hearts so we may see,
A memory saved for you and me.
In quiet rooms a restful sleep;
As if a secret dream to keep.
A four post bed with steps to climb;
Sweet dreams we share, a peaceful time.
The fireplace with embers glow;
It sooths the eyes, and warms the soul.
Cherry blossoms on papered walls,
With candle scone that light the halls.
A Baby Grand for one to play,
A serenade...with love to say.
I need this time alone with you;
Rekindled hearts there for two.
Like a shoe that's worn so well,
A comfort found I wish to tell.
Twenty years have passed our way;
Seems like only it was yesterday.
A peaceful place upstairs is found;
A library small, where tales abound.
A place to read and settle in;
Reflect on thoughts, and search within.
A Fish Boil fare on weekend nights;
The folks all come to share the sights.
Throughout the year with wood they burn,
And tell the story a tale we learn.
The smell that lingers with memories made;
We watch the sun with amber fade.
And overhead the seagulls fly;
Their darkened form against the sky.
The accordion sound fills the air,
As people wait their meal prepare.
We walk the road that passes by;
So proud to see Old Glory fly.
And to the shore, the Sunset Beach;
We watch the colors, the waters reach.
I wake each morning rested well,
To the sound of birds, their song to tell.
And Coffee Cake, their specialty;
We know each morning, fresh will be.
With helpful kindness from those around,
A friendly smile on each is found.
A meal for two by candlelight;
Heart's embrace a special night.
Captured moments in time and space;
the White Gull Inn, with charm and lace.
The memories made we hold them near;
And share with others the Inn so dear.
The beauty there each time we see;
Within our hearts will forever be.
--Danny Friberg, Memorial Day '07
What Do We Do In Winter?
December, 2007 - Visitors to Door County in summer and fall love to ask those of us who live here how we spend our time in winter. It's a reasonable question, since everyone knows that there are far fewer tourists, the pace of commerce slows and many businesses even close for all or part of the winter. But it is a question that always makes us smile, because our life seems busier than ever, and soon after the last leaf falls, we are kicking it into high gear just to get ready for the "Quiet Season."
In early November, our staff begins decorating for the holidays, a job so daunting that we actually close the restaurant for a day during the second week of November. Some guests (usually men) comment that the decorations seem to be going up earlier and earlier. Actually, this is not the case. It is just that in order to have them all up and functioning by Thanksgiving weekend, we have to start that early.
Jan, assisted by White Gull staffers Connie Pahl, Tammy Krause, Sandra McMullen and Sandy Hand, tackles the lobby and dining rooms, decorating three trees, every window and just about every inch of available space. Meanwhile GM Scott Kositzke and Becky Funk put up the garlands, wreaths and lights on the outside of all White Gull buildings. Andy, with help from kitchen staffer Leonso Gomez, hauls dozens of boxes full of decorations and holiday retail items from a variety of storage areas inconveniently located in various attics and closets around the property.
You would think the kitchen staff could take the day off, but Day Chef Julie Zak heads a staff of 10 to take every piece of equipment apart for a thorough cleaning and maintainance. Just to make things all the more crazy, our Maintainance Guru Russ Smith, and flooring contractors, painters and plumbers are on premise to do repairs that can't be done when we are open.
Head Housekeeper Angie Kienhau and her staff are using the down time to begin a deep cleaning of all the rooms. Just because we're closed, the phone doesn't stop ringing. Good thing front desker Nancy Steger and Assistant Innkeeper Patrice Champeau are on hand to answer it and check email for the onslaught of online holiday gift certificate requests.
At the end of the day, a lot gets accomplished, but actually the work continues for several more weeks. Poinsettas for the rooms, Norfolk pines for the dining room tables, decorations for the individual guest rooms and cottages...the list seems endless.
Decorating for the holidays is only a small part of our winter activities, however. The winter concert season begins in November, with a Wednesday night folk concert monthly until April. Chefs John Vreeke and Dean Pahl plan and prepare a special menu for each concert. On the day of each concert, the PA system is hauled out of storage and erected, the dining rooms are rearranged for the concert, and then later reset for breakfast.
Don't forget about the Progressive Dinner weekends, which begin promptly the weekend after Thanksgiving. Planning and preparations for these weekends actually begin months ahead of time. The Progressive Dinner involves the Whistling Swan and the Thorp House Inns as well as the White Gull, so along with coordinating the events between the three inns, the menu must be planned, wines are tasted and selected, and musicians are hired. Each weekend begins with a special wine and cheese reception on Friday evenings, which requires more planning.
All of the above is interspaced with the usual holiday bookings the White Gull receives in December. Many businesses and organizations plan their special holiday dinners at the inn, and this year, we even are hosting a wedding, two days before Christmas!
By the time we reach Christmas, one of the two days of the year we are closed (the other is Thanksgiving), we are ready for a breather. After spending this special day with our families, we are back at the inn, preparing for the rush of guests who love to visit Door County between Christmas and New Year's. New Year's Eve, with its special menu and harpist Cheryl Murphy entertaining in the dining room, is always our busiest night of the year.
The day after New Year's Day is usually quiet, but by then we are preparing for the first of our two January Progressive Dinner weekends, more concerts, winter remodeling projects...did I mention taking down the holiday decorations?
Somehow in the midst of all this activity, the White Gull staff finds the time to take our annual vacations. Sometimes, if we're lucky, we make a trip to Chicago or some other city, but sometimes we're just too busy. You may have to come up and see us!
Coastal Living in Door County
November, 2007 - Most people associate Coastal Living Magazine with the East, West and Gulf coasts of this country, but actually the magazine considers the Great Lakes part of its beat as well. In an article entitled "At Ease in Door County," written by Susan Haynes in the November issue, Coastal Living reveals the beauty and appeal of the Peninsula in our Quiet Season, "after autumn peaks."
"It's November in Door County, Wisconsin," Haynes writes, "and the residents are starting to play. All summer and into autumn leaf-peeping season, vacationers have thronged the 75-mile peninsula between the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan, about 150 miles north of Milwaukee. But now is the in-between time."
With beautiful photos and descriptions of several Door County icons, including the White Gull Inn, Haynes reveals what locals have always known - Door County has a lot to offer between November and April. Read the full Story
Fish Creek - No. 1 in the Midwest
June, 2007 - We all would like to think our home town is the best, but when someone else, someone as prestigious as Midwest Living Magazine thinks so, it gets our attention! In the June, 2007, issue of the magazine, the editors have compiled a list of the 100 Best Small-Town Getaways in the Midwest. Number 1 out of the top 100: Ephraim/Fish Creek, WI. "Who needs New England?" writes Midwest. "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." Accompanying the story is a classic photo of Ephraim, (church steeples, white buildings, harbor and all) taken from Peninsula State Park. (Our accompanying photo is of Fish Creek and its harbor.) Describing the peninsula's "signature" meal, the Door County fish boil, Midwest Living writes, "Fish Creek's White Gull Inn, known for first-class hospitality and one of more than a dozen lodging choices in Fish Creek alone, stages one of the best." Of course there are plenty of great small towns to visit in the Midwest, and 99 others are featured in the article, so if you don't already subscribe to Midwest Living, we recommend you pick up a copy. If it has disappeared from the newsstands, you can read it online
Greetings from Fish Creek
Greetings, and welcome to the White Gull blog. We'll use this space to introduce ourselves, the White Gull innkeepers, and to keep you up to date on happenings here at the White Gull and in Door County.
The White Gull Inn has been our pride and joy since we arrived as young and inexperienced innkeepers more than 36 years ago. Our three daughters, Meredith, Emilie and Hannah, have loved growing up in Door County and working their summer school breaks at the inn. We have seen and participated in many changes over the years both at the inn and in Door County. But some things don't change. Door County is still a beautiful and restful spot to visit in all four seasons. And the White Gull Inn, though updated through the years, remains a favorite place to stay and dine for both the visitors and residents of the Door Peninsula. We hope to see you soon on your next visit to the Peninsula.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our recently updated website, which, as you can see, gives us the flexibility to keep it (and you) continually updated.
Other improvements are the addition of online reservations and the ability to order gift certificates, White Gull products and other retail items online. This means of course that you don’t have to worry about our “regular hours”. Make your reservations and order items from our lobby store and gift certificates when it’s convenient for you.
Your feedback so far has been positive, but we will never stop trying to improve it, so please let us know where you think it can be improved.
If you have experienced Door County’s “Quiet Season” – that time between the fall color and spring blossoms – we hope our new website brings back fond memories. However, whether you are planning a return visit or a first time getaway, you can look forward to hearty White Gull breakfasts, days spent exploring the park trails and back roads of the Peninsula, and cozy, candlelight dinners in our dining room. Evenings are for curling up before the fireplace in your antique-decorated room or suite. Although Door County offers plenty of activities in winter, from concerts and festivals to gallery browsing and shopping, remember that the only crowds you are likely to encounter are the deer.
The White Gull is open every day in winter except Thanksgiving and Christmas Days. Plan a visit now with your whole family or that special someone you need to spend time alone with. Our Winter Midweek Packages, Romance Packages and other specials make a two or three-day getaway very affordable.
Ten years ago we began the Fish Creek Historic Inns Progressive Dinners, as a way to showcase the Christmas decorations of the White Gull and the village’s two other historic inns. They have become so popular that three are scheduled next December, and one more in January. Details on them and on our current Winter Folk Concert Series can be found on this website under Packages and Special Events. Also included is a continually updated calendar of upcoming events. Don’t forget to regularly visit our website as the winter calendar is continually expanded and updated, and news from the inn is posted on this blog.
As always, our famous White Gull granola, hot fudge and preserves and other items from our gift area can be shipped to you or someone on your gift list, via the White Gull Store on this website or by calling us toll free at 888-364-9542. And don’t forget White Gull Gift Certificates, also available on line or by phone.
It is never too early to begin planning your next spring or summer visit to Door County, because now is when we still have the best selection. You can check out our current Bed & (Full) Breakfast rates, as well as those for next summer, along with photos and virtual tours, by clicking on Lodging.
We hope to see you soon.
Andy and Jan Coulson
Innkeepers
1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die
June 7, 2007 - Three and a half years ago, travel writer Patricia Schultz wrote 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. An instant phenomenon, it is one of the bestselling travel books ever published with 2.4 million copies in print.
Schultz's new book - 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die - has just been published, and we are delighted to have been included.
In a chapter entitled "The Cape Cod of the Midwest", Door County, Wisconsin, Schultz writes, "The bustling town of Fish Creek is the epicenter of the county's busy 'bayside' and one of the upper Midwest's earliest resort communities. Tucked at the end of Main Street, the White Gull Inn has drawn vacationers for more than a century. The carefully tended white clapboard inn is still a lovely place to stay, and serves some of the finest meals in town, its menu often boasting whitefish and lake trout pulled from local waters."
We recommend picking up a copy of this fascinating book, published by Workman Publishing, New York, New York.
Where the Boats Dance
June 2, 2007 - Midwest Living Magazine has recently brought attention to Fish Creek by including our village as the Number 1 Small Town destination in the Midwest. Now comes national recognition. Yesterday's New York Times, in a feature on Waterfront Towns, entitled "Where the Boats Dance," quotes Ann McCullagh, from Elgin, Illinois, about her family's one-bedroom seasonal cottage in Fish Creek.
"They call this area the Cape Cod of the Midwest," says McCullagh. "The town is quaint. And there are always boats dancing on the water. When we arrive, the kids drop their bags and within minutes, they're jumping off the town pier. There are white clapboard cottages, ice cream shops and candy shops." Read the whole article
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Recognizes White Gull in its Best Recipes of 2006
January 4, 2007 - Each year the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asks its regular recipe testers to keep track of their favorite recipes published throughout the year in the newspaper. On New Year's Eve, the paper published its "Best Recipes of 2006", and we are delighted to see that our Cherry Almond Bread Pudding, a creation of White Gull Pastry Chef Steve Glabe, was included. Steve originally provided the recipe for a story the Journal Sentinel ran last summer on Chefs at Play (what Door County chefs like to create using our locally grown Montmorency cherries.) It's great to see Steve receive this recognition, since he's been turning out wonderful desserts for the White Gull since 1981. We hope you enjoy his creation as much as our dining guests.
White Gull Salad on Midwest Living’s 20 Best Recipes List
January 1, 2007 - “Combing through more than 2500 recipes was easy; choosing only 20 was the hard part!” according to Midwest Living’s Senior Food Editor Diana McMillen, who used readers’ responses during the magazine’s 20 years of publishing to come up with its 20 Best Recipes of all time. When it was all said and done, there in the February, 2007 issue of Midwest Living is the White Gull’s tossed salad. The magazine reprined the recipe, which was originally featured in the December, 2000 issue. Along with mixed salad greens, ingredients include dried cherries, toasted pecan halves, shaved Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Nineteen other mouthwatering recipes from around the Midwest are also featured, including Tagliatelle pasta (from Zona Spray’s cooking school in Hudson, Ohio) which is pictured with the White Gull salad on page 58. Still featured on our lunch and dinner menus, the White Gull tossed salad continues to be one of our most popular menu items.
White Gull Best of 2006
November 25, 2006 - The winter issue of Door County Magazine is out, and we are delighted that the magazine's readers voted the White Gull one of their two favorite restaurants of 2006. (The other is the Inn at Kristopher's in Sister Bay.) We are delighted to have been so honored by readers and to add this honor to previous years' "Best of's": Best Restaurant, 2003, Best Breakfast, 2005, Best Fish Boil, 2003 and Best Bed & Breakfast, 2003.
If you have a chance, pick up a copy of this issue. Not only does it include the usual excellent features on life and the people in Door County, but the Best of article has some fun categories: Coldest Beer (Coyote Roadhouse, Baileys Harbor); Best Buck Spent (Not Licked Yet, Fish Creek); Best Cherry Pickin' (Seaquist Orchard, Ellison Bay); Most Beautiful Church (Ephraim Moravian.)
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