Petoskey . and . Charlevoix

The northwestern part of the lower peninsula is very much a resort area. There are people who make their homes there year round, but the small cities and towns subsist on tourism. I'd been to Traverse City before, but this was my first time going up a bit further to Charlevoix and Petoskey. Even though we just got home, I'm ready to go back!

You can see the lake from most places in both towns, and both town centers have the feel of the east coast of the US. There are pretty harbors, cozy little bookstores and coffee shops, lots of music and theatre throughout the summer, and a slew of great restaurants.

It's just over a three hour drive from where we live now, and I can't for the life of me figure out why we haven't been sooner!

Mushroom . Houses

Thanks to a lovely little vacation offer from my parents, we spent the last few days up in the northwest part of the state; we went to Traverse City, Charlevoix, and Petoskey.

B. was particularly excited about Charlevoix due to a street of what are nicknamed, "Mushroom Houses." Built throughout the 20th century by Earl Young, these stone houses are gorgeous! One of them (the second to last pictured) is right on Lake Michigan and actually for sale right now... if you have $1,250,000.00 to spend on a vacation home, that is.