Ask a Local: Amy Starr Banquet & Events Manager, Gordon Lodge

Amy Starr, banquet and events manager at the historic Gordon Lodge, moved to Door County from Chicago with her husband in 2018. Since then she has helped make memories for guests and guests of honor at weddings, anniversaries, memorials, and other life-changing events at the Lodge. 

What began as a single-family summer home more than 100 years ago has turned into a locally owned lakeside resort touting secluded hiking trails, cozy cottages, and a private sandy beach on North Bay. It now offers even more — complimentary bicycle, paddleboard, and kayak rentals and a breakfast buffet, plus swoon-worthy views from Top Deck Restaurant and Bar. 

And while taking care of others is Starr’s focus at the Lodge, at home she enjoys gardening and spending time with the couple’s young daughter, their elderly cat, and 15 chickens. “It’s quite a difference from our former city life,” Starr says, “and exactly where we should be.”

Q. What do you love about living here?
A. The sense of community. The privacy of our home. The reclusion of the winter. And predominantly, our change in lifestyle from the city, made fully realized by our new setting and the friends that we’ve made here.

Q. What is your favorite breakfast spot?
A. Blue Horse Café. I feel like by mentioning one, you’re dogging others, but Blue Horse is our goto, no doubt. Get the Veg-out, add bacon. And get a muffuletta for later. Do it.

Q. Where do you go for the quintessential Door County gift?
A. Clay Bay Pottery and Gallery. My husband’s family is one of the reasons we are here, and his aunt and uncle, Jeanne and David Aurelias, are master potters who have had their shop for more than 45 years. They curate not only their own work, but also the work of other superb crafters. Every piece has a story.

Q. What is your favorite on-the-water activity?
A. Boating. Fishing. Sailing. Sunning. And I guess I’m a bit of a convert to the winter slow-down… I love getting to ice fish with my husband. 

Q. What are your other favorite winter pastimes?
A. Nesting at home by the fire. Traveling somewhere warm when necessary. Maple syrup season come spring. 

Q. Besides the century-old Gordon Lodge, where do you recommend visitors go for a taste of local history? 
A. Our incredible parks offer the best insight to the area’s geologic and topographic history.