Port as 'Gateway' to Door County? It's Possible

Here is one for the Port Washington Chamber, City Hall and even Main Street! I have a fantastic idea that should be implemented immediately that will save Port Washington!

In a nut's shell ... here it is. Let's spin Port as the "Gateway to Door County."

The truth is this: Port is the same as Door County except for the tourism (and tourist dollars.) We have a Lake. We have boats. We have fishing.

We have beaches that are as big if not bigger than many in Door. We have ice cream stores and cafes and funky clothes stores. We even now have a store you can rent bicycles in to take it all in! And, if you dont want to go anywhere ... you can just sit there and spin your wheels in an excercise class!

We have funky local people ... artists, poets, former revolutionaries, religious folk, accountants and civil war re-enactment people. We have, in a word, everything Door has except for money and boots on the ground ... or Minnetonka moccassins, flip flops, etc. So — how to get in on a little of the Door-geist?

My idea is simple. We dig up I-43 between the Saukville exit and exit 100 (the northern exit for Port.) There are no other exits involved, no one lives on that stretch and we would save a lot of deer. Then, at the Saukville end we make an arch over the interstate with big letters, Hollywood size, that say, "Gateway to Door County," with a big arrow pointing right toward the lake.

Everyone driving up from Chicago to find their Wisconsin hit and hideaway would have to drive right through downtown Port!!!  We don't even need a gate on the north end, because no one will go all the way to Door County anymore!

All along the route through Port we will have educational signage, explaining why the tourists don't need to go to Door. Signs like "avoid the crowds!"  and "just how many antique stores do you need to see?"

Billboards could compare photos taken in Door to photos off our beaches and breakwater, etc. We could even suggest it was rather chic to hit Port, that Door is — well — old and out-moded.  

Of course, some changes would have to occur. We would  have to learn to grow cherries here, and cranberries. We would need more parking and more ATM'S. We might need a ferry. We could build a manmade island a few miles offshore with primitive camping. We could call it Port Washington Island! 

Aside from this — and this may be the caveat — we would have to change our minds. To make Port work — and it is not working now ... it is in trouble — we have to believe in Port and in the ability to change. We have to save the businesses we have, we have to take pride in Port's History, but become visionary about Port's future.

It can not remain as is — the economy is killing this town. The original families are slowly vanishing, and, if there is a chance of a bright future in this town, it will be through an influx of creative people who are willing to take risks, try the untried and invent this next century here. We have to think out of the box because the box is falling apart. The box is leaving us. 

I say, start by convincing everyone south that Port is what it is ... a beautiful place for an inexpensive refreshing get away from urban life. Patronize the local stores and shops before they all go out of business. Talk Port up. At some point, instead of being that town that used to have a great fish restaurant ... Port just might become the closest place to grab an economical vacation. 

I have a shovel and I am heading out to I-43. Anyone game?