Open Door county

9 or 10 months of the year, Door County is a pretty quiet place.

In the summer months, though, it starts hopping and the population swells.

In the 2010 census, the combined citizenry was listed as just shy of 28,000.  The largest city, Sturgeon Bay, posting 9,144 folks.

Egg Harbor hugs the Green Bay coastline in an idyllic setting, with historic dining venues and plenty of art galleries and high-end shopping.

And condos.  Condos, apartments, and homes for rent may sit idle through most of the winter and early spring, but come June, July, and August and this vacation haven gets big.

The county extension agent tried to quantify the actual numbers in a report, but short of talking to everyone entering the open Door; it meant finding a different way to count.

To use Egg Harbor as an example, researchers determined the regular population of 1,291 booms to more than 7,000 - a jump of 5,700!

Beside those tourists are the workers.  Lots of workers - many of them college students looking for summer employment - come to the towns and need a place to live.

Egg Harbor, Ephraim, Sister Bay, and the like all have luxurious summer homes and efficient apartments and hotels for shorter stays.

There are multiple theaters providing nightly shows, including a Shakespeare troupe and professional theater players.

Our visit to this beautiful part of the country was the week before Memorial Day, as the county was in full preparation mode for the hordes of tourists to come.

Staff at the four State Parks as well as new hires in restaurants for every taste use this crucial time to learn the lay of the land as well as their menus to become the kind of hosts their guests deserve.

Remarkably and thankfully, all these people - visitors, workers, and locals alike - seem to fit and create a welcoming and elegant culture on a spit of land as you will find anywhere.