Scenic Stuff:
Drive south on M-119, a beautiful winding road along the bluff. Stop at the Goodhart General Store then to Harbor Springs which has wonderful restaurants, Kilwin’s Chocolate, art galleries, an outdoor clothing shop, and Walstrom Marine for clothes and boating. Go east on the water to see 100-year-old huge cottages.
Continue to Bay View, an old Chautauqua camp with lovely cottages and the Terrace Inn then to Petoskey with a nice downtown and shopping. Or, continue southwest of Petoskey to Bay Harbor, a grandiose set of new homes, hotels, shops and restaurants on the site of on old limestone quarry on Lake Michigan.
Continue even farther south to Charlevoix (15 miles), Traverse City (80 miles), and then west on M-72 to the Sleeping Bear Dunes, or north into Lelenau County.
Mackinac Island is a must by ferry from Machinac City. Take a ride over the Mackinac Bridge for a boat tour of the locks in Sault Saint Marie or see Tahquamenon Falls.
Groceries:
Cross Village General Store and Gas Station: Excellent home made sandwiches. They sell liquor and beer, eggs, milk, bread, frozen hamburger, chicken, and small steaks, salad supplies, potatoes, onions, and canned stuff. Movie rentals.
Glen’s in Petoskey is the largest grocery store. It is on 131 just south of 119. Toski-Sands on 119 has an excellent meat market with similar prices to Glen’s, but with much better quality.
Harbor Springs has an IGA and a movie rental store and meat counter. There is a recycling center behind the IGA in Harbor Springs
The Goodhart General Store, halfway to Harbor Springs on 119, has the best chicken pot pies ever created.
There are Blockbusters, K-Mart, Wall-Mart and Home Depot in Petoskey, as well as a vibrant downtown, hospital and two walk-inn clinics for those summer colds.
Restaurants:
See listing in yellow pages at the cottage.
Goldie's: A great place for breakfast. On 31 and Gill Road. Closed in winter. $5 - $8.
Levering Cafe: (Big Chicken on top). Breakfast and cheap food in Levering. $5 - $8.
Crow's Nest: Two miles south of Cross Village. Good - fine family dining. Great white fish and a varied menu. Pizza. Bar. $8 - $16
The Fish: Five miles south of Cross Village on State. Fine quality and more expensive. $12 - $25.
New York: Located in Harbor Springs – excellent French cuisine and steaks. $12 - $30.
The Pier: Located in Harbor Springs. Old fashioned, expensive. Excellent seafood and variety of cuisine. On the water. $16 - $35
Juilleret's: In Harbor Springs. Take the kids for planked white fish, family dinners and ice cream.
Aubrey's Next Door: In Machinaw City just before the bridge.
Douglas Lake Tavern: East of Pelston on Douglas Lake.
The Legs Inn: Cross Village. Excellent Polish dinners, summer only
Ski:
Nubs Nob (where the locals go). Vertical of 550 feet. Boyne Highlands, a resort, with vertical of 700 feet. About 25 minutes away on Pleasantview Road.
Cross country ski and shoe shoe right out the cottage front door.
Golf:
There is a listing of area golf courses in the yellow pages, with a map. Here is a website: http://www.fishweb.com/recreation/golf/maps/nw-map.html .......
Boats: There is a small fishing boat marina at Paradise on Carp Lake. Right next to Goldies (see restaurants). There is a public entrance ramp for your own boat.
There is an excellent ramp at Harbor Springs. You can store your boat on a trailer next to the police station. It’s either free or a small fee.
We have a 6-foot wide stairway, about 6 feet vertical drop, to get to our beach. You may bring your own Sunfish, Laser, canoe or other small boat and launch it right there.
Cross Village has a boat launch at the public park at the west end of Chippewa for shallower boats, depending on the lake level. There is no dockage at the cottage.
Other Activities:
Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, boating, cross country and downhill skiing
Learn more about this vacation rental at the owner's website: