The post office is so small it should be in the Guinness Book of World Records. I am fairly sure…read moreit has not changed much from when my grandparents went there. You can rent a P.O. box which comes in handy if you only live here part of the year.

We purchased a trailer on Friday, and were unable to get an appointment at our local SOS office, so…read moreI scheduled one for Monday in Manistee. My appointment was for 2:50, so we arrived at 2:40..there was only one clerk on duty, Kathleen, she called my name just as i was taking a seat. Kathleen was Wonderful..she got everything processed, with a smile I might add, and had us out the door by 2:53. Personally i think Kathleen should lead a customer service class for the entire Secretary of State office clerks. Keep up the Good Work Kathleen!

Paula (Mgr) and her team in the Grayling Office do an absolutely excellent job (unlike offices in…read moreother areas).

Restored General Store filled with nostalgic charm. We loved it from the moment we pulled up. One…read morebedroom with a king size bed. All the necessary amenities. Very clean with access to cleaning supplies. A lovely getaway, very relaxing. If you stay in East Jordan, eat breakfast at the South Arm Cafe'. The homemade bread is heavenly.

On a summertime trip Up North, we decided to check out the SkyBridge on Boyne Mountain…read more After a quick sprint through the Bavarian style ski resort below, we boarded the ski lift to the top. As we soared high above the meadows, we saw deer lazily grazing at the edges of the small groves that dotted the way to the top. After exiting the lift at the top, we walked a short distance to the suspension bridge. I'm not a fan of heights, but I felt very secure on the bridge, even at the points where it is furthest from the ground. We were rewarded with a fun apres-ski setup on the other side and access to some meandering trails. We hung out for a short while before taking the lift back down. Definitely a great spot to check out while you're nearby!

My first visit here was in late October and it was breathtakingly beautiful. My wine group and I…read morestarted our day here and had no wait. The fireplace and adult beverages at the top was a nice surprise! We hopped off the 8 person chair lift to a very nice area including bathrooms. Today, however, was a completely different story. I took my girls, husband, and 80 year old father-in-law based on how things were in the fall. No 8 person chair lift. Instead we took 2 person slow as he!! chair lifts to the top on the opposite side, got off where tons off skiers were, and had to walk over their ski path as there was no actual walking path. Not ideal for an 80 year old. There was no fireplace, bathrooms, or beverages in this side. They were, however, on the other side and that was very nice. I don't recommend this place in the early spring. The fall was gorgeous.

Stopped in to do absentee voter stuff while on vacation and it was easy peasy. I love small town…read moreoffices.

First time here earlier this month. Stopped in to attend their annual art and craft fair. Rainy day…read morelimited attendance and caused a lot of exhibitors to leave before we arrived. Town is right in east Grand Traverse bay and has a nice vibe to it. Lots of boutique businesses. Antique stores, Great Lakes stuff and restaurants. Did not stay long but am looking forward to going back and visiting.

For the most part, this little village handles business well. They serve their constituents, and…read moretake care of business. The street/maintenance department is working toward more scheduled mowing of village rights-of-way and maintaining trash cans at the boat ramps, but overall great job!

You're Half-Way to the North Pole and the Equator!…read more I've always remembered this spot on I-75, on the several trips I've taken with the family on the way to the U.P. Dad would always say to me," hey look were half-way to Santa's House." Now several years later, I still remember this spot when I travel up to the Bridge. I haven't found anything else other than the highway sign depicting this location. I heard one story of a rock with a plaque on it off "Old 131" about a half-mile to the west of this spot. But after looking for it myself, I was unable to locate it. I'd also not advise stopping on I-75 as there isn't a safe place to do so. It would be cool if MDOT created a small landmark sign somewhere around this location. **Overall; if interested or not, this is a cool location to tell someone, "hey I've been there" otherwise you will most likely pass by without even knowing it was there.

Yay, I was here. Actually, I've passed right on by this "landmark" of sorts a million times now- or…read moreat least, it feels like it. Seriously, who hasn't managed to pass by the landmark known as the 45th Parallel North on a road trip to Northern Michigan? Is is even possible to bypass this spot, also known as the midway point between the North Pole and the Equator? Who knows. What I do know, however, is that I've passed it more than a time or two on road trips, vacations, etc, and you probably have, too, if you've ever driven to Northern Michigan from downstate or elsewhere. It's odd that the only thing marking the fact that you've traveled to the exact midway point between the Equator and North Pole is a sign that whirs by you as you drive past it. Strange, but I would assume that something more befitting the marking of the spot would be in place, but sadly, there is not. Other than that, I only notice that I'm at the midway point by spying the signage on the side of the expressway as I travel up north or by checking into this spot on Yelp, as I did this fall because I was bored or something while riding in the passenger seat of my car. Other than that, the experience falls a bit flat. It's fun to acknowledge that you've made it to precisely the midway mark of both the Equator and the North Pole, but for an adult who's done it more than a few times, the whole experience is kind of meh, but it sure is novel to say, "I've been to the halfway point of the Equator and the North Pole," isn't it? At any rate, it is an interesting spot to be able to say, "I've been here." After all, when you really think about it, how many people have never been here even once? Probably quite a few when you actually calculate it. PS trying to snap a photo on my phone of the sign while traveling 80 mph on the expressway was pretty impossible. Don't bother. It'll probably just be a big old blur.

Ok, so, on 31 between Traverse City and Charlevoix there is Elk Rapids which is very cute and worth…read morea visit. In Elk Rapids you can take a side road called the Cairn Highway that travels through Elk Rapids and up alongside of Torch Lake, it's a scenic drive and won't take a bunch of time off of your route as it will pop you right back on to 31 again. While on there you will pass the 45th parallel (exactly halfway between the North Pole and the Equator) and at that spot there is a special marker where a rock from each of the counties in Michigan have been stacked into a small monument aka a cairn (which is what the highway is named after). By no means is this a destination location, the Eiffel Tower it is not, but if you are in the area and want a more scenic drive for 20 minutes and like obscure America then this is for you!