Go North of the 45th, Young Man

10 gems for your summer bucket list

By Ross Boissoneau | May 25, 2019

Your trip begins — well, wherever you are. But where it heads is the lush and lively region north of the 45th Parallel, running east-west just north of the tip of Old Mission Peninsula. So we’re looking at you, Charlevoix. And Petoskey. And Harbor Springs. And you too, Gaylord.
 
Start with Coffee, Scones, & Flowers
Boyne City Farm Market
The Boyne City Farmers Market notes that it has gained a reputation as the best farmer’s market in northern Michigan. But don’t take their word for it — check it out yourself. Theyear-round market runs every Wednesday and Saturday from 8am to noon in Veteran’s Park and every Saturday 9am–noon in the off-season inside the still-sort-of-new Boyne City Hall. You’ll find mushrooms and carrots, onions, apples, and eggs. Freshly-baked goods, like crullers, pies, scones. Coffee. Condiments and preserves. Chocolate. Herbs and microgreens. Handmade goods of all sorts. Flowers.Perennials and annuals, trees, and shrubs. It’s all here, courtesy of Boyne City Main Street. While you’re in Boyne City, stop in at Freshwater Gallery for a cornucopia of artworks, from steampunk to natural wood bowls, huge beds to delicate jewelry.
 
Stroll Swamp, Pond, Dune, Forest & Beach in Short Order
Thorne Swift Nature Preserve, Harbor Springs
A 30-acre wildlife sanctuary, Thorne Swift Nature Preserve includes upland dunes, lowland cedar swamp, one-and-a-half miles of trails, dune-observation platform, pond-observation platform, gazebo, amphitheater, the Elizabeth Kennedy Nature Center, as well as 950 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline, 300 feet of which is a public beach. It is all accessible to the public and well-maintained, thanks to a unique cooperative effort between the Little Traverse Conservancy and West Traverse Township. Ask about nature activities and the on-site naturalist who can be available to answer questions and guide visitors along trails leading out from the center. Open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 10am to a half-hour after sunset. It is on Lower Shore Drive off of M-119 approximately 3.8 miles northwest of Harbor Springs.
 
Drink Wine, Ride a Train, Pretend You’re A Princess
Castle Farms, Charlevoix
Popular as a wedding destination, Castle Farms is so much more than just that. Built a century ago as a model dairy farm by the president of Sears, it was modeled after the stone barns and castles found in Normandy, France. It’s since served as a tourist attraction, a café, an art gallery with a working artist studio on-site, and perhaps most famously (or infamously, depending on your perspective) as a concert venue. Today it boasts the state’s largest outdoor model railroad with over 2,500 feet of track. It’s a historical destination with unique architecture and features. Last year it opened a wine tasting room featuring its own wines, 1918 Cellars. And it is one of the most popular wedding and reception venues in the region. So you can check it out for any and all the above — and maybe you’ll even hear an echo of the Police or Def Leppard.

Escape to a Quiet Archipelago
Beaver Island
The largest island in Lake Michigan, Beaver Island was the only part of Michigan (and possibly America) ruled over by a king. That was back in 1856, when self-appointed King James Strang ruled over the island after failing in his bid to succeed Joseph Smith as leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Today the island is a charming, peaceful haven for birds, tourists, and a year-round population of approximately 600 people. You can fly from Charlevoix or board a ferry there. Enjoy biking, camping, hunting, fishing in the bays or inland lakes, or kayaking the outer islands. Hit it at the right time — between July 26 and Aug. 3 — and you’ll find yourselves in the midst of Baroque on Beaver, a 10-day music festival.
 
Bike Safely from City to City
Little Traverse Wheelway (pictured)
Enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise as you walk, run, rollerblade, or bike the Little Traverse Wheelway from Charlevoix north to Harbor Springs. The paved, 24-mile trail often hugs the shoreline of Lake Michigan and traverses parks, Bay Harbor, the waterfront, and historic Bay View. An overview behind D&W on US 31 offers a convenient rest stop, a beautiful mural of the Wheelway and great views of Little Traverse Bay. A section of trail dates to the 1880s, when high-wheeled penny farthings were a popular form of recreation and transportation. The Chicago and West Michigan Railway and the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad adopted the corridor for rail traffic in the 1890s, but by the 1970s the surviving railroads were no longer using segments of rail bed.
 
Ride Whitewater Rapids — Downtown
Bear River Valley Recreation Area, Petoskey
Whitewater rafting. In downtown Petoskey. Yes, you read correctly. The Bear River Valley Recreation Area offers trails, boardwalks, a footbridge across the river, nature watching, and — that’s right — whitewater rafting. What once was a gentle, flowing river has been transformed into a rambunctious ride along the Bear River, thanks to a $2.4 million renovation. A number of features were added to the river, including large boulders, roll-overs, ledges, logs, and tight squeezes, creating the lower peninsula’s only whitewater park.
 
Hunt for Gnomes, Celebrate with a Beer
Pond Hill Farm, Harbor Springs
It’s a safe bet that this is the only member of the Petoskey Wine Region that creates its own wine and beer while also offering pig races. The farm north of Harbor Springs is part winery, part brewery, part farm market, and all farm — hence the pig races. You can stroll through the vineyards, hike through the woods, or tke kids on a scavenger hunt for gnomes.
 
Gasp Under the Green, Eat PB Cookies and Pierogi
Tunnel of Trees
You can’t “go to” the Tunnel of Trees. Nope, the roughly 20-mile stretch of M-119 between Harbor Springs to Cross Village is something you experience. It’s one of the most scenic roads in Michigan — ah, heck, in the whole U.S.A. The twists and turns transport you through a long cluster of trees so dense, the overhanging foliage seems almost to swallow you in a green glow. After you emerge, stop at the historic Good Hart General Store for the famed peanut butter chocolate chip sea salt cookies, which owner Carolyn Sutherland unhesitatingly says are the best thing in the entire store. The old church at Middle Village, on the shoreline below Good Hart, dates from the 1880s and is near a Jesuit mission harkening back to the 1700s. At the northern terminus, you’ll find yourself in Cross Village, home of Legs Inn, the famed Polish restaurant.
 
See Some Way-out Art, Pet a Pup
Three Pines Studio, Cross Village
This high-end yet unpretentious art gallery and studio would be worth the drive even if the Tunnel of Trees were a flat, boring freeway. Owners Gene Reck and Joann Condino display works by numerous regional artists as well as their own: Condino’s fiber art includes shibore, hand-painted silks, hand-dyed yarns in in a rainbow of colors, block printing and batik, and Reck’s ceramics range from whimsical to items for everyday use. At Three Pines you’ll see pottery, fiber art, jewelry, worked wood, paintings (watercolor, oil, pastels, acrylic), glass, quill boxes, and many other interesting and beautiful objects. Three Pines also offers a wide range of workshops for all ages. Don’t forget to say hi to Carina, the gallery’s springer spaniel mascot.
 
Bugle at a Bull
Gaylord’s City Elk Park
Just slightly north of the 45thparallel is the City of Gaylord, home to its very own elk herd. The herd started with three elk 14 years ago when a local nature center closed. Now it’s a favorite of visitors, offering a chance to get up close if the animals and weather cooperate. Under the City’s care, roughly 70 elk can be viewed from near the Elk’s Lodge (of course!) off Grandview Boulevard. Currently, a few of the bulls weigh well over 800 pounds and stand an imposing six feet tall. In other words, hard to miss.