With two hours to go before we roll out of town into the great unknown (not that great – just a cottage in northern Michigan that I choose from a vacation rental agency’s website) my cell phone rings. I miss the call because I’m several rooms away but there’s a voicemail message. On comes the chipper voice of a woman who works at the vacation rental agency. She just wants to make sure we got this and that piece of information, to let us know the agency’s toll-free number, that they’re open seven days a week and we should call if we need anything. I like that – and it’s good to hear as we start driving 11 hours to a cottage I don’t know much about other than a one-paragraph description and some photos on a website. Hope it’s a good sign.
Category Archives: Michigan
Renting a cottage in northern Michigan – so far so good
It’s always a leap of faith to rent a vacation cottage sight unseen – although the Internet has helped a lot by offering at least some photos. But even if the rooms look clean and somewhat spacious – will they be when you arrive.?And will you have rowdy neighbors throwing a wild and crazy party in their ramshackle trailer? As in life, there are no guarantees on vacation.
But so far I’ve been impressed by the staff at Visit Up North.com who helped me book our cottage. I’ve called ahead and made sure about a few things that weren’t spelled out in the contract – yes there are linens for the sofabed, no there are no laundry facilities (but I was given the name of a good laundromat nearby.) Some good signs: the staff are personable and seem to know the area well. Now the proof is in the pudding.
Traverse City: here we come
We leave Friday for Up North and I found a good website with info on things going on in and Around Traverse City …www.mynorth.com. Here are a few that popped out at me:
Leelanau County’s own celeb chef gives us simple, Italian-inspired recipes.—The Cottage Book Shop (Spend An Evening With Mario Batali on the front lawn of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons on August 14, 2010 from 5pm to 10 pm. Part of the Traverse City National Writers Series.)
http://www.mynorth.com/My-North/August-2010/Four-Northern-Michigan-Restaurants-with-Waterfront-Views/ (includes Glen Arbor restaurant Blu that my friend P recommends.)
Downtown Art Fair in Traverse City August 14, 2010 from 10am to 5pm – Downtown Traverse City annual juried art fair features over 90 Midwest and national artists. Open to the public free of charge. Organized by Downtown Traverse City | Type: art
Suttons Bay artist Neil Walling looks for the unexpected in the Leelanau landscape. The inspiration he finds there is the subject of a new group of oil paintings on display starting Aug. 13 at Center Gallery/Lake Street Studios, 6023 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. Walling’s self-assigned challenge is to study many of the familiar Leelanau County scenes in search of something fresh to depict. “There are a great many scenes in the county, but I always look for something unexpected or overlooked by the casual observer,” he said. “Fish Town is a good example. It has been painted by many fine artists, so my goal is to see it from a new perspective.” A public reception opens the exhibition Aug. 13, 6 p.m. The show runs through Aug. 19. For more information, please call 231/334-3179.
Cherry Bowl – drive-in movies!: only 18 miles southwest of Traverse City on US31 South, 7 miles from the Lake Michigan shore line and Sleeping Bear Dune National Park, and a stone’s throw from the Platte River.
–
Dreaming of: Northern Michigan
With two weeks to go before our vacation on Big Glen Lake near Glen Arbor, Mi., we’re starting to line up some things – including a restaurant to meet our relatives (who are staying at the Sylvan Inn) at on Saturday night. Trattoria Funistrada http://www.trattoriafunistrada.com/ comes well recommended so will try to book there – it’s only 9 minutes from our cottage.
the best b&b around Traverse City
We’re vacationing in Glen Arbor, Mi. in August and renting a cottage on Big Glen Lake that, alas, is not big enough to include relatives from suburban Detroit who we hope are meeting up with us. So I’ve been looking online at the lodgings around the area, trying to find a nice b&b or inn that’s affordable, not too far from us, and has decor that’s not too goopy. My favorites so far – although some are too far – (and this is just judging from website pix) are:
www.tesoroinn.com/ (too far, alas)
www.kornerkottage.com (recommended by NYT ; also too far)
http://www.windinthepinesbb.com/
Other options: The Homestead, The Sylvan Inn and Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast
Traverse City, MI – one of best beach towns
More accolades for the area we’re visiting in northern Michigan. In June, AOl.com named Traverse City one of the best beach towns. Does “up north” usually get this good press or am I just noticing it because we’re going there or is there a move afoot to help Michigan’s battered economy through increased tourism? Or all of the above?
8. Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City’s tawny beaches and towering dunes merit the moniker Malibu of Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features wilderness islands, trails through diverse ecosystems, and preserved historic farmsteads. This part of Michigan has a deep history and South Manitou Island, reachable by ferry, recreates pioneer days from old schoolhouse to 1871 lighthouse while area museums celebrate everything from steam railroads to Scandinavian heritage. Traverse City’s Victorian downtown boasts hundreds of galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Foodies should pick up a Tasty Traverse guide if they want to chat with brewers and bakers, fromageres and fishermen. There are also those great American summer activities like mini-golf, bumper boats, go karts, and video arcades. Early July brings the famous National Cherry Festival with arts-and-crafts fairs, air shows, and cherries baked, pressed, and jammed in every way possible.
Tip: The picturesque Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas north of town proved surprisingly conducive to grape-growing, notable for Rieslings, Pinot Noirs, and ice wines (try Chateau Grand Traverse).
Filed under Michigan
Leland, Mi – one of 10 best summer lake towns!
More good press about the area we’re visiting in northern Michigan in August! Budget Travel named the town of Leland as one of the 10 best summer lake towns. We’ll be staying nearby in Glen Arbor, Mi – which I picked in part because it’s near Leland (and the Leelanau Pennisula) and cheaper to stay than Leland.
Here’s the blurb:
America’s 10 best summer lake towns
by Beth Collins
updated 7/10/2010 1:02:22 AM ET
Leland, Mich., on Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau
Leland rests on a peninsula between Lake Michigan and petite Lake Leelanau. Families who’ve been spending the summer here for generations often arrive by boat and never set foot in a car during their stay. The town’s roots as a fishing village aren’t hard to spot — the main attraction here is Fishtown, a cluster of old shanties converted into shops and restaurants, now a lakeside historic district. Locals love the pretzel-bread sandwiches at the Village Cheese Shanty (199 E. River Rd., villagecheeseshanty.com), and kids never let parents walk by the Dam Candy Store without stopping for an ice cream cone or chocolate-covered cherries (197 W. River Rd.). The 107-year-old Riverside Inn and Restaurant, one block from downtown, has a homey feel but is classy enough to offer an extensive international wine list and dining on the deck with views of the Leland River (302 River St., theriverside-inn.com, 231-256-9971, from $100). If you do bring a car, make time to explore the wineries of northern Michigan. The pinot noir from Chateau Fontaine, just three miles outside Leland, has a vibrant berry flavor — it’s the perfect summer wine (2290 S. French Rd., 231-256-0000, chateaufontaine.com).
Filed under Michigan
Transporation between Chicago and Traverse City, Mi.
I’m trying to find an economical (as always) way to get my son from Traverse City, Mi. to chicago (and ultimately Des Moines) in mid-August. He can take the megabus from Chicago to Des Moines for $10 (I LOVE that bus!) but the first leg of his trip is problematic. No bus service of any kind, as far as I can tell. A one way plane tix is over $600. Another option is for him and his older sister (who is 25 so she can rent a car) to rent a car at the traverse city airport for $115 and drive back to Chicago. Then he’ll catch the bus from there. Wish there was a megabus between Traverse City and Chicago!
Healthy Deli?
Yes, it seems like a contradiction in terms – healthy deli – but apparently some Jewish delicatessens are making a stab at providing more healthful food – some even going so far as to ban salami. (Say it’s not so.) A story in the NYTimes about this featured several delis I’ve been at or near recently, including Kenny & Zuke’s, a deli we visited for breakfast last month in Portland. Apparently the thing to have there is the specially-made pastrami – we came close. We ordered a corned beef sandwich which we happily shared – it was huge – in the Denver airport during our trip home.
The story also mentioned Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor which we visited last summer – who knew they made their own cream cheese although I wasn’t surprised they made their own rye bread. (I think we were supposed to have pastrami there too – again, we had the corned beef. Noticing a trend here?)
And earlier this month, we were on the lower East Side of Manhattan, standing outside of Katz’ s deli debating whether to join a long, albeit fast-moving, line at Saturday lunchtime. We decided not – and I guess this is good since the article seemed to single out old-school delis like Katz’s as, of course, serving stuff that’s not good for us (even if it tastes good.)
searching for that cottage up north part 2
So far, I’ve very impressed with visitupnorth.com – which I’ve been using to find a place to rent in northern Michigan this summer. Within a day of emailing the website, a very helpful woman emailed me back – asked a few more questions and prompted produced several viable ideas (both a place that rents by the week and options if we want to stay just a few days) and valuable information (like how far such-and-such a cottage is from town and a public beach).
What did we do before the Internet? Actually I know what we – or I – did. Fifteen-or-so years ago when I was first looking for a place to rent with friends in upstate New York, I called the local newspaper to see what their want-ads offered and I looked at tourism information brochures. The one place I rented came virtually sight unseen – the owner sent me some fuzzy photographs. What a change.
Filed under Michigan, summer vacation, vacation rentals
TakeBetsywithyou 