The Chanticleer Guest House - Door County, WI

The Chanticleer Guest House near Sturgeon Bay in Door County, WI is a gay-owned and operated Bed and Breakfast.  But it has so much more to offer than your typical B&B.  Aside from several beautiful rooms in the guest house and guest barn, the Chanticleer also offers the option of 4 private cottages.

The cottages are large, yet cozy and inviting.  We stayed at the Tamarck on our visit and could barely find a thing to complain about.  Complete privacy was the biggest perk of all.  Although the vegetarian friendly breakfasts were a close second.

The cabin had a beautiful and comfortable king-sized bed, fireplace, whirlpool tub for two, full kitchen, tv w/cable and dvd player, grill, porch with a swing and table and chairs, an amazing view, and the kind of deep comfortable couch you want to curl up on with a good book or movie and stay for the rest of the day.

The breakfasts were some of the most delicious I've ever had.  As someone who eats very little meat the vegetarian fare was perfect for me.   My wife, on the other hand, is definitely a carnivore, yet even she raved about the food.  Her favorite meal was a flavorful egg dish and a side of strawberries and cream.  Mine was the cinnamon-apple stuffed french toast with bananas and cream.  Other days included peaches and cream served with a loaf of blueberry bread, or mixed fruit and yogurt with freshly baked muffins, warm from the oven.  Although you do have to pick up breakfast at the inn if you are staying in one of the cabins, they are smartly packed in adorable picnic baskets that you can take back to your cabin.  Starting every day with an exquisitely prepared breakfast outside on my private porch is a luxury I could certainly get used to.

The grounds were gorgeous.  Our cabin was surrounded by trees and looked down to small pond.  There are great paths around the property for some easy to mild hiking.  It was fun to see the sheep out in the pasture.  The pool was nice, with pretty gardens.  The inn keepers were friendly, helpful and instantly put this shy girl at ease.

The location is a bit out of the way, but everything in upper Door County was less than an hour drive away.  WiFi was not yet enabled in the cabins.  Although the inn keepers indicated it would be in the near future.  However we were able to access it from the sitting room where you check in, as well by the pool.

I would love to say that we will be going back to The Chanticleer on a regular basis, but the cost is a bit prohibitive, at least for the cabins.  The inn rooms are quite a bit less and appeared nearly as nice.  The next time we visit we will likely stay in the inn, and probably keep our visits to the cabins limited to very special occasions.   That said, it is worth every penny.