Land of the Million-Dollar Sunsets

Rich history, thriving present, exciting future

Around Michigan and much of the Midwest, heading “Up North” has carried special meaning for families for generations. Resorters have long flocked to the northern reaches of Michigan for its unparalleled beauty, natural resources, upscale shopping, and fresh, clean air and waters.

Since the 1800s, in fact, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Mackinaw City and other surrounding communities have been known as resort towns, drawing generations back year after year, decade after decade.

Scattered throughout the region are associations the likes of Bay View, known for its Victorian “gingerbread houses,” academic offerings and theatrical and musical performances.

In nearby Harbor Springs, the exclusive Harbor Point enclave has been the escape of the well-to-do, who summer in majestic historic homes lining the narrow strip of land that helps shape the quiet harbor of this picturesque, quaint town. Wequetonsing and Menonaqua, too, have been lakeside destinations for more than a century.

Charlevoix boasts the same long-time ties, with moms and dads and their children taking the trains from Chicago and Cincinnati to summer at the Chicago Club, the Belvedere Club and Sequanota association.

While the region has long catered to the summer visitors who swell the small year ‘round population into the tens of thousands June through September, Northern Michigan still feels like an undiscovered secret.

It’s the place that inspired one of America’s literary greats, Ernest Hemingway, who summered on the shores of Walloon Lake and found inspiration intrinsic in his favorite local hang-outs. In fact, the Hemingway family cottage is still owned and occupied by Ernest’s descendants today.

Connections like these are common in Northern Michigan. The leaders of huge international companies, founders of popular every-day products (the Procters, the Gambles and the Upjohns are some local names), celebrities, professional athletes, well-known authors, famous musicians and people who could literally live anywhere in the world choose to call this area home.

It’s been this way for more than a century — and counting.

Downtowns that bring you back

The quaint downtowns of Northwest Michigan have individual personalities of their own. The retail and restaurant mix reflects each town’s charm and history, while offering four seasons of hospitality along every Main Street. (Be sure to stop in at the family-run fudge and ice cream shops found in each city, too.)

In Petoskey, the Gaslight District and Mitchell Street retailers are home to long-established shops like Cutler’s housewares, Reid Furniture, Symons General Store, McLean & Eakin Booksellers and Grandpa Shorter’s souvenirs and gift items. Restaurants range from casual like Roast & Toast coffee and cafe to the upscale Chandler’s, with a nationally recognized wine cellar and menu. More dining opportunities include City Park Grill (a favorite stop of Hemingway), the Mitchell Street Pub and Stafford’s Perry Hotel, with a more formal dining room and a casual restaurant, the Noggin Room.

About 15 minutes from Petoskey, downtown Harbor Springs presents a classic resort community retailing experience. Boutiques, specialty stores, galleries and bookstores are intermingled with upscale restaurants such as the Pier and The New York, Bar Harbor’s casual atmosphere, Cornichons Market & Deli and long-established Turkey’s Cafe and Pizzeria. Harbor Springs is also home to several antique retailers who travel the world to find one-of-a-kind treasures.

Boyne City, located about 20 minutes south of Petoskey, is another lakeside gem with a vibrant downtown. Clothing stores, furniture retailers, gift shops, a bookstore and a growing local arts scene complement the offerings and make this town a must-do on a visit Up North.

A short drive just east of Petoskey, the Village at Bay Harbor is another bustling downtown, with art galleries, home accessories and gifts, men’s, women’s and children’s clothing shops and the Rocking Horse Toy Co., alongside yacht brokers and a high concentration of restaurants and eateries — Cava, Knot Just a Bar, Galley Gourmet and the Original Pancake House, all within a couple short blocks.

Mackinaw City is another favorite destination and is consistently rated one of Michigan’s top tourist destinations. Here, many gather to catch a ferry ride to Mackinac Island, or they come to visit the blocks of shops, restaurants and points of interest in this history-rich town. Fudge shops are plentiful, gift and souvenir stops numerous; and large retailers like Jim Wehr’s Mackinaw Outfitters are situated alongside quaint stops such as the Mackinac Bay Build Your Bear company.

Native Inhabitants

Petoskey is true to the meaning of its name:  “place where the light shines through the clouds,” In the language of the area’s original Native American inhabitants, the Odawa.  Their presence remains strong in the area today as the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

Accolades

They love us, they really love us.

The Petoskey area is no stranger to landing on “best of” lists.

To wit:

— Outdoor Life magazine, summer 2009, listed Petoskey among its “Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen,” (No. 80) citing access to hunting and fishing opportunities, combined with local quality-of-life indicators.

— No. 2 on the 2008 Best Small-Town Getaways by Midwest Living Magazine

— Petoskey is featured in “101 Best Outdoor Towns,” a book by Sarah Tuff and Greg Melville released in May 2009. “The Caribbean has nothing over the view from town as the sun extinguishes into Lake Michigan behind the Creamsicle horizon,” states the book’s Petoskey entry. “Couple that with the back-in-time feel of the artsy downtown Gaslight District, the long beach walks and the views of Little Traverse Bay from the top of sandy Old Baldy, and you’ve got one of the most romantic spots in the Midwest.”

— Travel journalist Patricia Schultz’s book “1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die,” includes an entry for the Little Traverse Bay area. Schultz’s 2009 book notes that the area’s cool northern climate and “beautiful teal waters” made it a resort destination for Chicago and Detroit residents starting in the 19th century, with fine shops, wealthy patrons and grand hotels emerging.

— Boyne Highlands boasts the Donald Ross Memorial course and the Heather designed by Robert Trent Jones, named No. 55 in the “Top 100 Courses you can Play” by Golf Magazine.

— The Inn at Bay Harbor - A Renaissance Golf Resort, recognized by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of The World’s Best Hotels.

— Petoskey has been listed on numerous occasions by travel writers and the authors of “The 100 Best Small Towns in America,” “The Great Towns of America,” and “America’s 100 Best Places to Retire.”

— Bay Harbor has been featured among the top 50 best resort courses by Conde Nast Traveler, and the No. 20 ranking in America’s “Top 75 Golf Resorts” by Golf magazine.

— Petoskey is included with seven other towns in the January/February 2009 issue of “Where to Retire” magazine, in the article, “8 Terrific Low-Tax Towns.” The author describes Petoskey and the other towns as having a low tax burden on retirees, while also offering a variety of climates, geographic regions, and recreation and cultural activities.

— This publication you’re reading right now is award-winning itself, having won first place in the Inland Press New Business Development category, a national honor in the “stand-alone publications” category. Further, the publication was awarded the Direct Mail Promotion of the Year for 2009 by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. ML

 

 

Motorcoach Living » Land of the Million Dollar Sunsets