THIS IS MY KIND OF TOWN

August 15, 2011  Dateline: Petoskey, MI USA

Got up early this morning and left Mackinaw City with Bade Boomer and Gemini at 7:30 this morning.  Gemini  is a trawler so I passed her as soon as we pulled out of the marina. Bade Boomer traveled faster than Rich wanted me to go so after a few miles Bade Boomer pulled away from me.  The lake was flat and it was an enjoyable trip.  My trip today took me under the Mackinaw Bridge and about 55 miles to Petoskey, MI.  Wow what a neat town.  It is located on Little Traverse Bay, MI. 

Located by the marina is a clock tower that chimes on the hour and half hour.  I can hardly wait until tonight when the clock chimes in the middle of the night.

The name of the town Petoskey came from a shop owner who operated a general store here in the 1870s.  The town was fortunate in its location as a summer resort area. Substantial money found its way to Little Traverse Bay and caused the town to grow.  Looking at listings in a real estate broker’s office one sees as many house over $3 million as under $0.5 million.  There is a significant amount of money in the area.  The many unique shops on the main street certainly reflect this.  There are no souvenir shops.    

Petoskey is also famous for its stones.  Every spring, Lake Michigan releases a fresh cache of geological treasures along the Little Traverse Bay shoreline. Petoskey stones are identified by the exquisite sunburst hexagons covering their surface. These stones are actually fossilized coral dating back 350 million years. Smooth and round when they wash ashore, Petoskey Stones can be hand polished using only sandpaper and polishing powder or you can purchase one in town. They make great mementos.

Rich and Carol told me that I am going to be here for the next two days.  They are going to rent a car and drive around the area rather than move me.