Top 10 Reasons to Visit Petoskey

Let's face it. Unless you happen to live in Pellston, Petoskey, Michigan is pretty far away. A significant part of the year it is cold and snowy. Petoskey does not have any major airports, skyscrapers, palm trees, cruise ship ports, major league sports teams, zoos or roller coasters. [And, despite the efforts of Artists Market photographer Kris Busk, no penguins!] So why would anyone ever come here? Yet, despite all this, zillions of tourists seem to show up here every year. To help resolve this apparent paradox, I have come up with a list, my

TOP TEN REASONS TO VISIT PETOSKEY.

10. To get away from all of those places that do have "major airports, skyscrapers, palm trees, cruise ship ports, major league sports teams, zoos or roller coasters."

9. To ride bicycles up and down the rolling hills or, if you prefer, along the miles of gorgeous bicycle paths that circle the bay and wander through the woods.

8. To breath ( with deep, cleansing breaths if you wish) the clean Northern Michigan air, far away from mills, factories and other sources of pollution.

7. Fudge.

6. To leisurely shop in the unique, locally owned, friendly stores of Downtown Petoskey's Gaslight District including [brief commercial brag] the Northern Michigan Artists Market.

5. To get away from the bright city lights and actually see a sky full of stars.

4. To look at, walk along, swim in, sit on the beach along and generally enjoy the heck out of Little Traverse Bay, that delightful piece of water that makes Petoskey a harbor town on Lake Michigan.

3. Petoskey stones -- finding, rinsing, polishing and admiring the charming fossils that uniquely inhabit the Lake Michigan shoreline of the Northwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. {Like Artists Market artist Steve Webster did when he created this petoskey stone Lower Peninsula.]

2. Skiing on the snowy slopes in the Winter and boating (preferably sailing) on the lakes in the summer.

And . . .

THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO VISIT PETOSKEY
Unquestionably and without a doubt, watching, photographing, painting, waiting for the mythical green flash just before, kissing on the dock or the beach during and perfectly ending another beautiful day in Northern Michigan enjoying the million dollar sunsets over Little Traverse Bay. [As represented in this painting by Artist Market artist Rick Kolb.]

Anyone wishing to challenge any of these items or add ones of their own, just click on the comment link at the end of this post.