Right on the edge of Little Traverse Bay in northern Michigan sits the darling resort town of Petoskey. Known for its fresh air, its friendly people, and its Million Dollar Sunsets, this highly walkable town is a true charmer. We only had about 15 hours to spend there, but we probably could have spent a week relaxing and taking it all in.
Pennsylvania Park
As the weather was perfect and I was longing to be outdoors, we spent much of our time enjoying some of Petoskey’s parks.
Pennsylvania Park, located in the center of downtown between Bay and Mitchell Streets, is a delightful bit of green for resting and picnicking. Here you can find a public restroom, a statue of Ernest Hemingway–a famous frequent visitor to Petoskey, and several war memorials.
Bayfront Park
A short walk from Pennsylvania Park is Bayfront Park. Bayfront is accessible from downtown through a pedestrian tunnel–a sight pretty much unseen for me in Florida. I thought it was very cool.
Bayfront is a spectacular spot to look out into the horizon of Little Traverse Bay.
It’s also a great place for taking in one of those Million Dollar Sunsets.
Architectural Treats
Because Petoskey has so much history, many old buildings still exist in restored splendor within the Gaslight District. Over a century old, the Gaslight District is home to 170 businesses. Take a look at Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts, formerly the Indian Craft Shop, dating back to 1888. It’s located beneath the old Normal Business College.
This Gothic Revival structure, formerly the United Methodist Church, was built in 1890. Today it houses and is maintained by the Crooked Tree Arts Center.
Historic Lodgings
We had a wonderful stay at the historic Perry Hotel in the heart of downtown. Built in 1899, Petoskey’s first brick hotel lived on while several other large wooden hotels were destroyed by fire over the years. Like other Petoskey locales, it’s almost certainly haunted, if you believe in that sort of thing, but we didn’t have any spooky encounters.
Dining in Petoskey
There are so many unique places to eat in Petoskey that we could have spent many more days trying them all. For dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed a light meal of bruschetta and stuffed mushroom caps on the upstairs patio at Duffy’s Garage and Grille.
We then headed to the bar at Chandler’s. If I lived in Petoskey, this is where I would hang out, I think. It had a cozy, pub-like atmosphere, with warm lighting, a generous drink menu, and a good house cab. And, coincidentally, seated right beside me was a loud girl who was too intoxicated to realize that we were visiting from the very same city. So I’d say we were right at home there! Another minute before her friend dragged her out of the establishment and I’m sure she would have started chanting about Jaguars and the county of Duval. I scooted away.
Our final Petoskey experience was complimentary breakfast in the Perry Hotel’s Rose Dining Room. I enjoyed pineapple juice and cherry bread French toast with Michigan maple syrup. And the elegant surroundings made me feel like I was dining on the Titanic–without the doom and gloom, of course.
In conclusion, I adore Petoskey! I would go back in a heartbeat.
Please enjoy this sunset slide show from Bayfront Park, and follow me to the next stop on our trip: Mackinac Island.
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