Obama Yard Signs, Door County Style...

Door County is without a doubt, one of the most unique places in the midwest. While its initial appeal is certainly the natural beauty of its beaches and shoreline, historic lighthouses, and rustic feel, there really is so much more which draws people here.

Door County has an appreciation of the arts which is unrivaled for a community of its size. Over 80 galleries dot the landscape. There are several professional theatre companies and many other amateur ones. Door County hosts a number of music festivals and is home to both highly acclaimed art and music schools.

Artists of all kinds call Door County home and that makes it a true cultural gem of a community.



What is truly unusual is that Door County is such a remarkable draw to tourists when you consider it is home to less than 30 thousand people year 'round.

Think of that. We have less than 30 thousand residents, but will host over 2 million visitors over the course of the next year. That's a ratio of nearly 70 tourists each year for every 1 full-time resident.

To give you an idea of just how incredible a ratio that it, consider two other tourist destinations in which we once lived.

Las Vegas, the Sin City playground for grown-ups, has about 2 million residents but is visited by 40 million tourists each year. To equal the Door County ratio of 70 visitors to 1 resident, another 100 million people more than usual would have to go to Vegas next year to lose their wallets.

Or consider Hawaii, the birthplace of the Bicoy family, the ultimate tourist paradise, and the dream vacation for most Americans. A little more than 1 million residents of Hawaii host 7 million toursits. To match the Door County ratio, more than 60 million extra people would have to fly to paradise next year.

Door County is a really unique and special place - and that's why people from throughout the Midwest flock to our community.

So when it comes to political yard signs, the artists of Door County would be ashamed to display something so average and boring like this...



Some enterprising artist came up with their own version of a Barack Obama yard sign for Door County...



It's really just a simple sketch that has been painted on a giant piece of plywood.

But you can now find them everywhere in Door County.

On the sides of buildings...



Along rural county roads...



In the windows of businesses...



And even in people's front yards...



In an attempt to be non-partisan, I'd be glad to post the John McCain counterpart. Unfortunately, there isn't one. I guess McCain doesn't generate as much enthusiasm and inspiration among Door County artists. However, Sarah Palin seems to be picking up the slack and is inspiring some computer graphic design artists all on her own.