Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Drive time: 4 hours 30 minutes

The best way to see the splendor of Door County’s shore? The roughly four-mile-round-trip trek from Sturgeon Bay to Whitefish Dunes State Park led by Door County Kayak Tours ($145). On the way, you’ll explore the region’s rocky dolomite features and paddle near a blowhole at Cave Point County Park. Nicknamed Death’s Door for their shipwreck history, the waters around Door County’s peninsula are home to more than 275 lost ships, including the Australasia, a wooden freighter that sunk in 1896 that you can paddle over. Closer to shore, tourgoers can jump from a cliff into a bowl-shaped swimming hole known as the Devil’s Bathtub, which is less foreboding than it sounds. If you are up for more adventure, finish with a challenging two-mile out-and-back hike to the top of Old Baldy, the tallest dune in the park, at 93 feet above lake level.

While there Head north to Washington Island, home to the largest lavender fields in the Midwest. During peak season, July and August, you can sip apple-lavender cider at Island Orchard Cider and dine at Fragrant Isle, which uses the flowering plant in its Wednesday night summer dinners ($50 a person).