Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Petoskey, MI
Year Listed: 2000
Petoskey, Michigan, hugs the shores of Lake Michigan on the northern tip of the state, offering residents and visitors the beauty of nearby lakes and bays, the thriving downtown of a big city, and the coziness and amenities of a small town. It also has a distinguished history that includes tales of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, who spent his summers at the family cottage on Walloon Lake in Petoskey for 19 years. In his 20th year, he spent the winter there as well. It was in Petoskey that Hemingway learned to fish for trout, hunt, and love the outdoors. His summers in Petoskey formed the basis of his Nick Adams short stories, including Big Two- Hearted River, which is set in the Upper Peninsula. Hemingway’s family cottage remains a popular attraction in Petoskey, where other historic buildings contribute to the town’s exceptional character. Downtown Petoskey is a comfortable place to shop and enjoy cultural activities in restored historic buildings, many of which date to the Hemingway era, including the public library. Pennsylvania Park provides the downtown area with a relaxing central park, and the town’s famous gaslights brighten up its special events, which include the summer "Concerts in the Park" series, parades, and arts and crafts shows. Visitors can stay in historic hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns, and dine in excellent restaurants. The Virginia McCune Community Arts Center includes a performing arts theater, display galleries, and studios for teaching, and offers outdoor concerts and local art shows. The Little Traverse Bay History Museum, housed in the former railroad depot building, illuminates local and regional history. During the summer, residents and visitors can enjoy concerts, theater, opera, and dance programs in the historic auditorium of the Bay View Association.
Petoskey’s outdoor parks offer an incredible range of recreational activities, which in the summer include boating, fishing, softball, swimming, golf, inline skating, and camping. Petoskey State Park and Magnus Park are two of the few places collectors can find Petoskey stones, rare and prized fossilized coral stones that can date back as far as 350 million years ago, and are Michigan’s state stones. In the winter, skiers can take to the backwoods or the Petoskey Winter Sports Park, where sports enthusiasts can look forward to the first winter snowfall and the city’s Annual Winter Carnival. An outdoor skating rink also serves as a speedskating facility, rounding out Petoskey’s year-round appeal to residents and visitors.
