This was such a nice addition to our girl's wine trip! We had a private tour through the lavender…read morefields and spent far too long in their gift shop. The staff was so helpful and seemed genuinely happy to show us around. Make sure you stop!

Wonderful place to see a show or walk around. Very charming even if lavender isn't in season or has…read morebeen harvested

Pond Hill Farm never misses--and last night was no exception. From start to finish, everything was…read morethoughtful, elevated, and absolutely delicious. The smashburgers were perfectly executed--juicy, flavorful, and layered with the kind of detail you can taste in every bite. The chicken wings had that ideal balance of crisp and tenderness, and the potato salad? Comforting, creamy, and done right. But the real standout for me was the cannoli pizza--creative, indulgent, and completely unforgettable. Beyond the food, what truly sets Pond Hill Farm apart is the experience. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and effortlessly charming--exactly what you want for a night out in Northern Michigan. As a fellow local business, I also deeply appreciate how supportive they are of the community. It means something--and it shows in everything they do. If you haven't been, go. And if you have, you already know.

This place is fun! There are donkeys and goats, tons of stuff to do with kids, squash shooting out…read moreof huge air guns, entertainment, and good pizza. We were there during dueling piano night. It was pretty crowded, but the folks behind the bar were doing a great job of getting everyone served. We waited about an hour for our pizza, but we were okay with that. We shopped the little market and took pictures of the beautiful flowers. If you're staying in Petoskey or Harbor Springs, it's worth the pretty drive.

"Don't know much about history But I do know that I love you…read moreAnd I know that if you love me too What a wonderful world this would be" (Sam Cooke) If local history is your thing, you'll surely love the wonderful world that awaits you at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture. For example, you can stroll around in scenic Father Marquette Park with displays about his life. On the Museum grounds is the site where Marquette's French Jesuit Mission was located, where he lived, and where he was buried. Marquette established the French mission around 1671 as the area became a center of the flourishing fur trade. The old St. Ignace Mission is beautiful. Around the grounds, I saw plenty of displays of the area's Indian heritage, stylized statues of a Medicine Man, Indian Maiden, and several stuffed animal displays alongside plaques of the animal's Indian name. So if you're ever engaged in a bar bet about the Ojibwe name for a deer, you can confidently say "Wawashesh'she". There's also plenty of indoor and outdoor exhibits to grab a glimpse of Ojibwa culture and the lifestyles of the Huron Indians. Walking the Museum's beautiful grounds was relaxing, peaceful, and very educational.

One of the best museums I've ever been in! Don't be fooled by its size; the content is well…read moredisplayed with explanations that take time to read but make the exhibits much more meaningful. Gift shop is Native American based, not cheap knick knacks. Don't know how this museum is able to be open with no admission, so please be sure to donate generously.

The Charlevoix Chamber of Commerce organizes the Apple Fest during October each year, and it takes…read moreplace along the main drag in downtown Charlevoix on Bridge Street, in the park along the shore of Round Lake. The main focus is the apples by the bushel load and other locally-grown items, but the art fair is also a great draw. There must be about 100 booths at this fair. Local farms were selling apples and freshly-made donuts. The local Lions Club was selling hot dogs and fries. I noticed that many of the craftspeople at this fair are from nearby towns, and that a lot of the items they were selling were very reasonably priced. I'm more likely to actually purchase something from an art fair when it doesn't cost hundreds of dollars. I love handcrafted, unique items and this seems like a great place to get them.

What a ride! Seriously, Zoo-de-Mac is a bike ride that starts at Zoo Bar in Boyne Highlands,…read moreMichigan and ends at Mackinaw City, Michigan. From start to finish the ride is 51 scenic miles along the coast of Lake Michigan and through the beautiful countryside. Before this ride I had not ridden more than 15 miles at a time, so needless to say, I kicked the day off on a nervous foot. Rolling up on my bike, I quickly scoped out my riding companions. The age ranges were all over the board and it appeared that bikers from all expert levels were on deck. The beginning of the ride is the most challenging. Be warned that there are several consecutive hills. After about the first 10-15 miles the road levels out and you are riding alongside the lake. The route offers several stops to use the restroom and grab a drink. Given the leisurely nature of the ride, you'll often see participants stopping along the route to fix a bike, take a break, or have a beer. The ride is very relaxing and there is no competition to get to the finish line first. This is great experience for all riders and the feeling of accomplishment at the end cannot be beaten!

First time doing the 50 mile zoo de Mac ride and I was not impressed at all. $68 for registration…read moreand $28 for the shuttle back. I was very disappointed that lunch was a cold turkey and cheese sandwich or PB&J, chips a banana and granola bar. Did not expect a cold sandwich on a 50 degree day with 22 mph winds. What about a warm lunch instead? Not enough pit stops or safety patrols on staff. They did give out free water at the 26 mile mark which was ok, could of had more pit stops. I was hoping for a more scenic view with water but that didn't last long since it was basically woods and wind tunnels. Basically paid for the city cops to block off the road. I probably will no do this ride again, learned from then older veterans that you can just actually park your car somewhere and ride right in. Such a disappointment.

It's like going home for the weekend. I've been going to Blissfest for 14 years and hope to go to…read moreat least 14 more!!!

From the owner: Folk & Roots Music Festival and Concerts in northern Michigan.read more

The city has a total area of 18.84 square miles, 4.35 square miles is land and 14.49 square miles…read moreis water. The island population is about 583. The island has a large craft industry devoted to making fudge in a traditional manner, creating portions on cold marble slabs. Mackinac Island is the destination of both the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, and the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race. A unique local ordinance passed in 1895 prohibits the use of any motor vehicles on the island. The only exceptions to this are city emergency vehicles (ambulance, police cars and fire trucks), city service vehicles & snowmobiles in the winter. Today the most common means of travel is by foot, bicycle, horse or horse-drawn carriage. Roller skates and roller blades are also allowed, except in the downtown area.

"Gazing from my window to the streets below On a freshly…read morefallen silent shroud of snow I am a rock I am an island" (Simon and Garfunkel) Floating in the middle of Lake Huron is a 4.35 square mile resort city known as Mackinac Island. There is no bridge that takes you to there, in fact there are no cars at all on the island (they were banned in 1898), except for an ambulance. You'll have to board a ferry or hop on a small plane to get there. Oh, and if the lake freezes you can roll in on a snowmobile. Now THAT'S what I'd call making an entrance. Being that there are no cars on the island, I guess it was no surprise to see the municipal vehicles assigned to trash collection were horse drawn carts. It's a jam-packed tourist destination, with a swanky (some might say Grand) Hotel, a historic fort, a park, and hundreds of shops and restaurants. If you're a fudge fanatic, it seemed to me that every third store sold fudge. Bicycles are everywhere, and we saw a lot of bikes get offloaded from the ferry boats for their owners to use on the island. Is the island popular? Well in 2022 Travel + Leisure magazine gave it the title of "Best island in the continental U.S. to visit". They draw a million visitors a year. That's pretty persuasive evidence of the island's popularity, don't you think?

The B.I. Music Festival is nothing short of magical! I love this annual event. It is held in the…read moremiddle of beautiful woods and has an amazing line up of talented musicians every year. It should be on everyone's bucket list!