Stepping out of the car at Fragrant Isle lavender farm on Washington Island at the tip of Door County, Wis., I was enveloped in a sweet floral scent that I’ll never forget.

It is a bit of an endeavor to get to this place, requiring a long drive interrupted by a ferry ride across Death’s Door — so named for the treacherous currents that took the lives of many early residents and explorers — but that first whiff made it all worthwhile.

The farm, started in 2013 by France native Martine Anderson and her husband, Edgar Anderson, is situated near exactly nothing, which is the way people prefer it on the pastoral island, where the pace of life is slow and change comes even slower.

The popularity of the farm has rankled some of the 700-or-so residents of the island, many of whom prefer visitors stay on Door County’s mainland. But the bucolic 20 acres continue to draw fans of the iconic purple plant, which loves the rocky, loamy soil of the Niagara Escarpment upon which the entire county is situated. The limestone bedrock encourages deep root growth, which is great for grape vines, and, it turns out, cherry trees and lavender plants.

Fragrant Isle was just one of the stops on a recent tour I took of the Door County peninsula, highlighting the lavender and cherry harvests, which take place during roughly the same period (usually in late July and early August), sponsored by Destination Door County.

Cherries are king

Balaton cherries at Lautenbach’s Orchard Country in Fish Creek, Wis. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Earlier in the trip, we visited Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery and Market in Fish Creek, Wis., where we learned about the different types of cherries grown on the peninsula, picked our own bucket and turned some of our spoils into cherry bounce — a traditional (and strong!) Door County drink.

Lautenbach’s grows tart Montmorency cherries, which account for most of the cherries grown on the peninsula, but also sweeter the sweeter Balaton, which were ready for picking when we were there.

The cherry pit spit runway at Lautenbach’s Orchard Country in Fish Creek, Wis. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

On our drive through the picturesque orchard to the trees we’d pick from, we encountered the cherry-picking vehicle Lautenbach’s uses, which surrounds the trunk with an umbrella-like catcher while shaking the tree, gently releasing the fruits. It takes just a few minutes to harvest an entire tree, which produces around 7,000 cherries.

The orchard also makes a bunch of cherry products and wines, available in their shop and other retail establishments throughout the state. And if you feel like a challenge, there’s a cherry pit spitting runway out back — the state record is just more than 48 feet, but my longest spit was less than 30.

We also learned how to make cherry bounce, a drink/treat enjoyed by locals during the long winters. Essentially, you place washed and unpitted cherries in a mason jar, add some sugar and fill it the rest of the way with brandy, whiskey or vodka. Shake occasionally and enjoy after it sits for a few months. The booze is sweet and delicious and the cherries make a great drink garnish or ice cream topping.

Cherry-stuffed French toast at White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, Wis. The restaurant also hosts a delicious fish boil. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

You can’t miss the peninsula’s cherry-producing identity. From cherry pie to cherry-stuffed French toast and pancakes at the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, Wis., to cherry flavors at all of the many ice cream shops to cherry socks, t-shirts and even hand-made coasters, if it’s cherry, you’ll find it here.

At least a dozen orchards in Door County offer cherry-picking experiences. Destination Door County has a helpful list at doorcounty.com/experience/cherries.

Cheese, fish, bitters and more

No trip to Door County would be complete without a stop at Renard’s in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

The family-owned, third-generation creamery is the perfect lunch stop on your way up the peninsula — try samples of their award-winning aged or flavored cheddars, trendy cheese whips (thinner string cheese) and my favorite, the Terrific Trio, a mix of Parmesan, cheddar and gouda.

After sampling, grab an oozy grilled sandwich or a bowl of house-made mac and cheese at Melt Bistro. If you’re driving, don’t forget a cooler to load up on cheese on your way out.

The dramatic boilover at a fish boil at Pelletier’s Restaurant & Fish Boil in Fish Creek, Wis. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Another don’t-miss tradition: The fish boil. Door County has many options, but we hit Pelletier’s Restaurant & Fish Boil, a no-frills, cabin-esque Fish Creek, Wis., eatery where you order your drinks (beer and wine only here) at the bar before heading outside to watch the show.

A tradition started by Scandinavian settlers on the peninsula, the fish boil begins with an enormous pot of water, brought to a boil over an open flame. Potatoes and salt are added first, followed by whitefish caught in Lake Michigan and finally, corn. When the fish are fully cooked, the cook causes a “boilover,” during which he pours a small amount of kerosene onto the fire, causing it to shoot flames at least 10 feet into the air. Diners are invited to watch the process — and feel the heat. The whole plate is doused in butter before being served with lemon wedges and coleslaw, and dinner ends with a slice of cherry pie.

If you have been anywhere in eastern Wisconsin, you know that the old-fashioned is the drink of choice, and whether you take yours with brandy or whiskey, the dominant flavor is bitters.

A bartender pours a shot of bitters at Nelsen’s Hall and Bitters Club on Washington Island, Wis. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

If you’re a fan (and I am), it’s worth a stop at 125-year-old Nelsen’s Hall and Bitters Club on Washington Island, where original owner Tom Nelsen skirted Prohibition rules with bitters, which were purported to calm an upset stomach. Nelsen is said to have ingested an entire pint of the stuff daily.

In his honor, you can be an honorary member of the Bitters Club by taking a shot of 90-proof Angostura bitters. When you do, you are given a card declaring you a member, and you sign that year’s guest book. While you’re there, ask the staff about their ongoing encounters with Mr. Nelsen, who apparently doesn’t want to leave the establishment, even though he’s been dead since 1960.

A dog patiently waits for his owner to finish having coffee inside Wis-Co coffee shop on Washington Island, Wis. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

You can also get your bitters fix in a fun way by ordering the tasty old-fashioned latte from the Wis-Co coffee shop on the island. Locals gathered in the shop the morning we were there were jolly enough at 8. that I think they’d had a few! (Their ginger-cherry scone is also heavenly.)

The last ferry off Washington Island leaves at 6 p.m., but if you stay overnight, I highly recommend having dinner at the Hotel Washington, which has been serving guests since 1904. The property, which has eight rooms, has been fully renovated — though, like most accommodations on the island, it still doesn’t have air conditioning.

The Washington Hotel on Washington Island at dusk. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

The restaurant has a gorgeous patio, though, which gets a great breeze off Lake Michigan, and the menu is full of locally sourced ingredients — the kitchen works closely with local farmers and serves meat and produce at its freshest. Every dish we tried here was fantastic, from a smoked whitefish spread to roasted beets in an earthy/tart black currant sauce to tender chicken served with the freshest vegetables and pan-seared gnocchi.

Is lavender the future?

At Fragrant Isle, the lavender farm on Washington Island, visitors stream in not just to walk in the fields or pick their own bouquet, but also to wander through the fabulous red barn that houses its gift shop.

Co-owner Martine Anderson knows retail. She worked in haute couture for both Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus and owned several businesses in France and the U.S. She’s so particular about how the multitude of farm-made products are displayed that she doesn’t sell much outside her own doors.

Clearly, though, visitors and locals are aware of the quality of the products, mostly made from lavender oil lovingly distilled in big copper stills on site. There was a wait to get into the shop, as it was at full capacity on a recent weekday.

A retail display at Fragrant Isle on Washington Island, Wis. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

The products — everything from soap to perfume to macarons made and shipped overnight from a fellow French ex-pat and chocolatier in Las Vegas who Anderson convinced to make the delicate cookies for her — smell and taste far better than any lavender I have encountered anywhere, including in the south of France.

And a walk through those fields of the plant, which is said to have relaxing properties, is like live aromatherapy.

When you’re done in the gift shop, be sure to stop for lunch or an early dinner at the farm’s outdoor cafe, where you eat amidst all those great smells.

We sampled the lavender lemonade, lavender rose slushie, chicken salad (with a hint of lavender), lavender vanilla ice cream and those impeccable lavender macarons, and I can heartily recommend them all.

If you go

Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm & Shop: 1350 Airport Road, Washington Island, Wis.; fragrantisle.com

Lautenbach’s Orchard Country: 9197 State Highway 42, Fish Creek, Wis.; orchardcountry.com

White Gull Inn: 4225 Main St., Fish Creek, Wis.; whitegullinn.com

Renard’s Artisan Cheese: 2189 County Road DK, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; renardscheese.com

Pelletier’s Restaurant & Fish Boil: 4199 Main St., Fish Creek, Wis; doorcountyfishboil.com

Nelsen’s Hall & Bitters Club: 1201 Main Road, Washington Island, Wis.; facebook.com/nelsenshallandbittersclub

Wis-Co Coffee: 1219 Main Road, Washington Island, Wis.; wisco54246.my.canva.site

Hotel Washington: 354 Range Line Road, Washington Island, Wis.; hotelwashingtonandstudio.com

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