A Perfect Michigan Summer Day
A Perfect Michigan Summer Day

Okay, it’s official. I’m tired of winter. I think I smelled spring in the air two days ago too. I took this photo last summer on White Lake, which, by the way is a great place to go boating. It’s a nice sized lake with a great boat launch and then if you want some REAL excitement, you can blast on over to Lake Michigan through the channel.

So here’s why I stay here in spite of a too long winter:

1. Perfect summer days like the one here.

2. No matter where you live in Michigan, you’re minutes away from an outdoor adventure. Even in the city.

3. Low cost of living so you can have a much nicer home here than most places, and get one on the water.

4. My family, which is close by.

5. Great friends.

6. Great job.

7. Great neighbors.

8. LOVE Grand Rapids, not too big, not too small, big city venues, small city convenience.

9. All the beautiful beaches.

10. Great seaside towns with art galleries galore.

So, how about some other Michigander feedback? What keeps you here?

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Winding Paths of Michigan
Winding Paths of Michigan

For those of you who live in Michigan… I thought you might need a reminder right about now of why we live here. And for those who don’t live in Michigan, here’s just one of the reasons why you might want to take a vacation here. I took this in the Leelanau Peninsula last summer just before it rained. There are beautiful winding dirt roads and paths everywhere up there that make it possible to get lost in the beauty of the land. If you’ve never been to Northern Michigan, I hope you’ll do yourself a favor and make 2009 the year you check it out.

The channel leading from Lake Michigan into Charlevoix
The channel leading from Lake Michigan into Charlevoix

It’s now official, Charlevoix is one of my favorite Michigan Sweet Spots. I was up north for a long weekend this summer and kept returning to Charlevoix. The best way I can describe the city is magical, happy, relaxed and fun. I took this photo at the channel leading into the Charlevoix from Lake Michigan, to my right there’s a drawbridge that goes up for the sailboats. I’ll show you that photo soon. Here’s a google map link to the location where I took this photo.

Also, if you’re looking for a color tour, this is a great time to head north, I hear in a lot of areas the color is peaking.

Big Mouth Bass at Sunset
Big Mouth Bass at Sunset

I’ve been very negligent in writing posts on Michigan’s tremendous fishing opportunities. This big mouth bass was caught just after sunset off a dock at Gun Lake in Shelbyville. I’ll be trying to come up with more fish tales for you, Michigan is full of them.


This bronze statue of the founder of Peoskey stands on a limestone pedestal on a hill over US-31 looking out towards the bay. Philanthropist Robert Jensen Dau commissioned the statue to honor Petoskey who moved here to save his children.

I think it says so much about a community when it features art as part of the public landscape. That’s one thing that a lot of the cities in northern Michigan have in common.