We hate to miss a party but we will be missing the "Festival on the Bay" in Petoskey this weekend. It sure sounds like it's going to be awesome. For a small town, Petoskey has many things it can be known for: it's rich Native American history and culture, the former home of Ernest Hemingway and their million dollar sunsets. The Festival was born five years ago and has grown each year, offering something fun for all ages from live music entertainment to the Taste of Bay Harbor for the food lovers to childrens' activities to the triathlon for the athletes. One can always enjoy the upscale shops and boutiques. I suspect that it's the same Aug weekend each year. If you get a chance, plan your trip around the "Festival on the Bay."
One afternoon I spent some time at a stained glass studio, watching a couple of local artists work on projects. Stained glass has always fascinated me. One day when I'm retired, I may just take a class or two. They offered to make a stained glass out of a photo or sketch of anything I would like, and ship it to me. Sounds easy, eh? Just write the check!
We had a weather opportunity for Tues so we left for Charlevoix, about two hours south. That was a good decision because the winds have been high and we've spent four days in this lovely jewel on Lake Michigan. That's OK - we're still on schedule. It's beautiful and sunny but very windy so the lake is not safe.
Meanwhile, the town merchants were having their annual sidewalk sale and offering some prices that we just could not turn down.
My sister Betty will be proud to know that Lee and Rich are sporting new Keen shoes!
Can you believe I actually got him to try them? We were pretty convinced how comfortable they are when nearly all of Betty's family wears Keens and have done so for over a year. Erik, (Betty's husband) you are the holdout now. They are terrific and I can highly recommend them after walking Reggie for miles around Charleviox these past few days.
Charleviox/Petoskey were voted No. 2 on "Midwest Living's" list of 100 Best Small-Town Getaways from among the Midwest's 8,500 towns with populations of less than 20,000. The recognition is based on attractions, vibe, scenery, walkability, shopping, dining, lodging, arts scene, outdoor activities and proximity to major cities and festivals. Both towns have high marks from us - each has its own charm.
A really neat feature about Charlevoix is the 2 foot plantings of Petunias of all colors along the streets of downtown and beyond. I really should stop by the Chamber of Commerce to see just how far they are planted. Reggie and I have walked many blocks on either side of downtown and have never "run out of Petunias." We've not seen this anywhere else. The enclosed photo probably doesn't show the beauty but thought I would try to show you.
Lake Michigan is really rough today, with the winds blowing all night and day. Traveling on these Great Lakes is very different than on the ocean. The wave patterns are not big rollers with more time between waves. The waves build quickly and they're very close together. Often they seem to come from all directions. So we take the cautious approach and try to remember that we are PLEASURE BOATERS and carefully watch the weather. Wind and waves are supposed to quiet down tonight so most everyone will use the weather window to move on. Hopefully, our next port, Leland, will have boats doing the same so there will be space for us when we arrive. Leland is supposed to be one of the most picturesque places on Lake Michigan, so stay tuned for more on that later........
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