Quintessential summertime destinations

Nothing says summer like a crawfish boil. Photo: iStockphoto

Summer, thank goodness, is in full swing, ushering in a host of small-town activities that highlight the season’s best. Whether you’re considering a quick weekend getaway or an impromptu road trip, these timely destinations more than suffice.

Among the country’s most appealing lake regions is Door County, Wisconsin, a peninsula with ample dunes-fringed shorelines and a penchant for fish boils. The dramatic presentation of the latter—which takes cues from Scandinavia—involves simmering hunks of local fish with potatoes. When the fish oil rises to the top of the simply salted water, flames are ignited and a “boil-over” occurs. Among the local go-tos for the feast are Pelletier’s (4199 Main St., Fish Creek, 920-868-3313), and the Old Post Office Restaurant, Edgewater Resort (10040 Water Street, Hwy. 42, Post Office Box 128, Ephraim, 920-854-4034).

If crawfish are your thing, there’s arguably no better joint than Hawk’s (415 Hawks Rd., Rayne, Louisiana, 337-788-3266). The rural eatery has earned a following for its “purged,” headily seasoned crawfish. Score a hotel in nearby Lafayette. Situated on southwestern Louisiana’s Vermilion River, it’s where French, Spanish and Caribbean ancestry meld, and street festivals, spicy po’boys and crawfish etouffee are de rigueur.

Bigfork, Montana, is an artsy option, where summertime Sundays see the Riverbend Concert Series, vendor-laden Big Fork Festival of the Arts in early August and jaunt-worthy Wild Horse Island, reached by chartered boat. Take in the scenery—and tasty prime rib—from the deck at Bigfork Inn (604 Electric Ave., 406-837-6680).

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