Lake Michigan Tour (page 4 of 5)

Points 12-14

12. Petoskey
The road to Petoskey winds through a pastoral setting reminiscent of England's lovely Lake District, which may be why Ernest Hemingway's family chose "Windermere" (after the largest of those lakes) as the name for their summer cottage on nearby Walloon Lake. Still, the jewels of Petoskey are not lakes but stones -- 350-million -- year-old polished pebbles adorned with fossilized coral that the lake dredges up from its bottom every spring and which beachcombers quickly pocket. The stones are among the wares on sale in the Gaslight District, a local shopping mecca. But this historic community on Little Traverse Bay has its spiritual side as well. In summer a Methodist camp called Bay View sponsors concerts, lectures, and other activities.

13. Tunnel of Trees
Across tranquil Little Traverse Bay glitters the fashionable enclave of Harbor Springs, where Detroit's well-to-do party-hop between mansion-size "cottages" and elegant yachts. But north of town, just off Rte. 119, it's nature that puts on the show.

At Thorne Swift Nature Preserve -- a 30-acre sanctuary of dunes, wetlands, and mixed forests located just off Lower Shore Drive -- you may see some of the rarities found on the Lower Peninsula, including Lake Huron tansy, Pitcher's thistle, showy lady's slipper, wide-eyed saw-whet owls, and pileated woodpeckers.

From here the highway twists and turns for the next 14 miles through a landscape that provides stunning views of Lake Michigan. Occasional corridors of hardwoods and hemlocks give this stretch of the drive its name -- the Tunnel of Trees. At the end of Rte. 119 sprawls Cross Village, an old Indian community settled by the Chippewa and Ottawa tribes. From Cross Village, head north along Sturgeon Bay to Lakeview Road, then east about five miles to Cecil Bay Road (Rte. 81). When the road ends at Cecil Bay, follow the signs west to Wilderness State Park.

14. Wilderness State Park
Although golf, hunting, bass fishing, hiking, picnicking, and water sports all have their place here, it's wildlife that is the real star at this 8,200-acre preserve on the northwest tip of the Lower Peninsula. Rustic cabins provide temporary homes for naturalists hoping to spot seldom-seen birds and plants: rare orchids grace the park in spring; nesting piping plovers sequester among the dunes and marshes in summer; dabbling wood ducks, pintails, and other waterfowl glide through the wetlands; and craggy tree snags hide the young of great horned owls from predators while their parents seek prey.

Beyond Wilderness State Park, on the northeast horizon, looms a man-made wonder that magnificently complements those found in nature. Spanning the Straits of Mackinac -- the place where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet -- the Mackinac Bridge (one of the world's longest suspension bridges) links Mackinaw City with Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It's a fitting place to end your drive to Michigan's north.

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“ After the holidays, maintain your exercise program (exercise is a great antidote for fatigue, depression and overindulging). ”

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