Is Door County one of the best summer travel destinations in the U.S.? Voters will decide
DOOR COUNTY - We all know Door County is a tremendously popular destination for visitors in the summer – heck, all you gotta do is see the traffic heading up and down State 42 or 57 each weekend between Memorial Day and mid-October.
But now, the public can use its vote to prove to the nation that the Peninsula is one of the most popular and best places to visit in summer.
That's because Door County is one of 20 nominees in a USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice 2024 online poll that asks readers to vote for the Best Summer Travel Destination in the country. The poll is open until 11 a.m. Central time May 13, and voters can vote once per day in each of several different categories being polled.
A panel of travel experts nominated summer vacation spots from across the U.S. for consideration, and USA Today 10Best editors narrowed the field to the 20 finalists vying for the award. The winner and top 10 vote-getters will be revealed May 22.
In recognizing Door County as a nominee, the 10Best poll website cited the Peninsula's 300 miles of shoreline; numerous art galleries; five Wisconsin State Parks; plentiful opportunities for hiking, biking, paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing or water skiing; and the solid craft beer and wine scene.
For Door County to win, or even make the top 10, it will have to beat some of the most famous summer vacation sites, as well as a few lesser-known locales, from one end of the country to the other. As of deadline, Door County was in 12th place.
The Peninsula's competitors in this poll include:
Mackinac Island, Michigan, with its horse-drawn carriages in place of cars;
Bar Harbor, Maine, an art, shopping food and cruise ship destination at the entrance to Acadia National Park;
Badlands National Park and the Black Hills area of South Dakota;
The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona;
The waterside destinations of Catalina Island, California; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Ocean City, New Jersey; Ocean City, Maryland; San Juan Islands, Washington; and Gulf Shores and Ocean Beach, Alabama;
Capitol Reef Country in Utah, with Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches national parks all in close proximity;
Sevier County in Tennessee and Swain County in North Carolina, respectively on the north and south sides of Great Smoky Mountains National Park;
The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, home to numerous wineries and vineyards;
Cody, Wyoming, the "Rodeo Capital of the World" and near the southeastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park;
The outdoor activities within the Laurel Highlands area of southwestern Pennsylvania;
The eclectic mix of outdoors, wildlife, city life and Indigenous history in Juneau, Alaska;
Sandusky, Ohio, with its famed Cedar Point amusement park and downtown attractions;
The Space Coast of Florida, where Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center are located on the Atlantic Ocean shore.
If Door County wins this poll, it won't be the first time it's won a USA Today 10Best poll. In 2019, the Peninsula was elected by 10Best readers as the country's Best Destination for Fall Foliage.
That same year, a survey of baby boomers conducted by the AARP Travel Center ranked Door County as one of the top 12 fall vacation destinations for seniors in the U.S., based largely on the fall scenery. And last fall, an article on the Trips to Discover website listed Door County among its "20 Best Places in the U.S. for Fall Colors."
To vote, visit 10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel and select the "Best Summer Travel Destination" button.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [email protected].
MORE: 102-year-old antique car reported stolen in Door County, 15 months after the theft
MORE: Door County's 'goats on the roof' Swedish restaurant makes plans for its 75th anniversary
FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Public can vote for Door County as best summer destination in the U.S.
