Every Season, A New Reason
There’s no time like summertime in Northern Michigan. Or fall.
Then of course there’s winter and spring, too.
The changing landscape and seasons of life at the top of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula create reasons for visiting (and staying) around the calendar.
A glimpse into the annual allure of the lifestyle here ….
Golf
Among the biggest draws to the region are the dozens of distinguished golf courses found throughout the countryside. Among them, they offer challenging holes for better-than-par golfers, perfect spots for families and weekend warriors, and everything in between. (The views that open up at many of the courses may cause a shank or two, however.)
Top names in the local golf resort industry include Boyne resorts’ Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs and Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, plus Bay Harbor Golf Club in the exclusive Bay Harbor community; True North; Hidden River along the crystal-clear Maple River; semi-private Harbor Point; the perennially challenging Dunmaglas in Charlevoix; and Little Traverse Bay Golf Club, with arguably the best views of any area course and the fairways to match.
Emmet County parks
The abundant wilderness that categorizes Northern Michigan is available for everyone to enjoy, thanks in large part to the foresight of county leaders who have established parks and playgrounds on tracts of the most pristine recreational lands.
Spend time at the Headlands property, west of Mackinaw City on Lake Michigan, best known for its thick, vast and remote acreage. Beach access, hiking and wildlife viewing, including bears, make this unparalleled terrain. Cecil Bay, also on the northern tip of the lower Peninsula on the Lake Michigan shore, boasts sandy beach and Carp River access.
Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga, east of Petoskey, is another local gem. After recent, extensive renovations, guests will find a new bathhouse, wildlife viewing areas, four renovated cabins for overnight stays and improved handicapped access to the beach.
For more county parks info, visit www.emmetcounty.org.
Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and winter fun
Don’t forget to pack the skis and snowboards.
Three award-winning ski resorts are located within a tight radius of Petoskey, offering visitors the opportunity for wintertime sports without having to travel out West.
Boyne resorts, celebrating more than 60 years up north, operates Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls (where there’s also the region’s only indoor waterpark, Avalanche Bay) and Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs. Both have impressive arrays of runs and lifts, activities for young and old, miles and miles of cross-country terrain, ziplines, tubing parks and more. (www.boyne.com)
Across the valley from the Highlands in Harbor Springs is Nub’s Nob, consistently ranked among the nation’s best for its grooming and snowmaking and its snowboarding terrain parks. Nub’s offerings have drawn skiers and boarders to its vast number of hills of varying skill levels for more than 50 years. (www.nubsnob.com)
Hiking and biking trails
An incredible 23-mile stretch of paved trail is one of the most remarkable recreational outlets in Northern Michigan: The Little Traverse Wheelway. Ringing Little Traverse Bay, a protected harbor of Lake Michigan, the wheelway is among the best routes for biking, walking, inline skating and simply enjoying the outdoors.
The trail ends are in Charlevoix and Harbor Springs, and the 20-plus miles in between travels through Petoskey and mostly wooded vistas. Dozens more hiking and biking trails criss-cross the region, too. ML
Motorcoach Living » Every Season, A New Reason
