Up North

I'll have to ask my parents about that, Rob---I don't remember it but they grew up there, so I'll bet they know just what you're talking about!

We're getting a late start. I'm out the door! Bye bye gang!!

I went to Oscoda. We rented a cabin on Van Etten Lake. There is a nice beach and park in town on Lake Huron that we went to a couple times. I also enjoyed driving the River Road Scenic Byway along the Au Sable River. There are a lot of nice views and things to do.

I know Traverse! We used to do our "big" shopping there and my son used to hang out there a lot... TC is one of my son's favorite cities in the world.

Toby wrote:

I went to Oscoda. We rented a cabin on Van Etten Lake. There is a nice beach and park in town on Lake Huron that we went to a couple times. I also enjoyed driving the River Road Scenic Byway along the Au Sable River. There are a lot of nice views and things to do.

Glad you had fun, Toby. Oscoda will be hopping next weekend - it'll be time for the big Grayling-to-Oscoda AuSable canoe marathon. (That's a close a smiley as I could find.)

I'm back! It was a wonderful vacation, and for the most part great weather. We had one day that it just rained and rained nonstop, but it was kinda cozy just hanging out together in the trailer! And we had one night that was a HORRIBLE storm...probably the worst storm I've ever experienced while camping...I think it was Monday night, Rob---did you get it? Or maybe Sunday? I can't even remember now. But I actually love storms and I was SCARED! I had my blankets over my head! LOL! Anyway, it was a wonderful trip, even took a two hour drive up to Mackinaw City on the spur of the moment. I'd never been up highway 31 to get there before and WHAT a scenic route! I've discovered I want to live in Charlevoix!! It is one beautiful little city...the streets are LINED with petunias, and LOTS of them.....through the entire city!! That's my kinda city! And I'd never seen the mansions in Petoskey that line "Little" Traverse Bay! OMG...I was gasping...I have never seen anything like that in my life---do you know what I'm talking about Rob? It's called "Bay Harbor Homes" I think...and then there's the "Bay Harbor Yacht club', and the golf club, and the equestrian club. Must be nice, huh?!

Toby, I've never heard of Oscoda! I'm going to have to check that out on the map. I'm glad you had fun! So Rob, did you participate in the big canoe marathon this weekend? It sure sounds like fun! I remember you mentioning the canoe race before. It sure was perfect weather this weekend for it!

Welcome back Amy! You're making me home sick for Michigan!

Thank you Holly!

Welcome back, Amy!

Amy wrote:

And we had one night that was a HORRIBLE storm...probably the worst storm I've ever experienced while camping...I think it was Monday night, Rob---did you get it? Or maybe Sunday?

Let me check my notes (I keep a written record of everything)... We had a storm late in the afternoon on Sunday, and then another one at 1 AM Monday. Neither was too severe, so we must've just gotten the fringes of the one you guys had.

Oh, I love that drive up Highway 31. That whole northwest corner of the mitten is just beautiful. I don't think I've specifically seen Bay Harbor Homes. Or maybe I did and just didn't realize what I was seeing.

Harbor Springs is another really pretty little town. It reminds me of a New England coastal village, with all the fancy marinas and such. It's like northern Michigan's version of Martha's Vineyard or Cape Cod. Very classy. I've been asked not to come back.

Did I participate in the canoe marathon? Well, I went online the next morning to see who won. That's a form of participation. Though it did leave me a little winded.

Yep, Rob, it was Monday night then. I would say around midnight? Can't really remember...when you're at camp you lose all track of time! But yeah, very scary.

Oh, Harbor Springs near Petoskey!! Yes, "Doctor/Lawyer land", we like to call it! Love the gift shopping and everything, but my favorite is the drive along Little Traverse Bay...right near the heart of the city...the name of the road starts with a "Q", I'm almost sure of it and it's a long name. I think it's like an indian name? I just can't recall, but what I love about it is the 'village' feel of that street, like out of a Thomas Kinkaide painting or something. They're larger older homes, with tons of character. What I wouldn't give to live there!

Oh, and I found out tonight after speaking with my sister (who knows the Petoskey area better than I do), that "Bay Harbor" is not a village or 'community' of Petoskey, it's its own city, lying between Charlevoix and Petoskey! And guess what, I found the link...talk about "doctor/ lawyer land"!! HOLY COW!! For the fun of it, check out some of the real estate. Pretty darn amazing!

http://www.bayharbor.com/

You know when you think about what a million to 5 million gets you in L.A. or New York or San Francisco or someplace like that, if I had it I'd spend it on the Northern Michigan water home! It's a little crazy because the winters are so rough, but I have to think the incredible summers would more than make up for that. I just can't imagine the lifestyle. Just check out the boat parking for this home :

http://realestate.bayharbor.com/search/detail.asp?search=73A6DD2AF2D244408FC992E928C0F35C&property=F51BD3773FC64238AD96A78A49A60E9E&page=&sort=

And LOL about your canoe participation Rob...glad you didn't exert yourself too much!

Thanks for posting those links, Amy. I never knew that Bay Harbor was a city on its own.

I just spent half an hour looking through the real estate listings. There are some gorgeous houses and condos! And compared to some other parts of the country, the prices are incredibly reasonable. Like this one, for $599,000:

Wildwinds

Or this, for $1,150,000:

The Bluffs

I love the virtual tours you can take of the houses!

Oh, I love the character of that Wildwinds house is!! Good grief, that really is NOT bad! I mean, prices of old homes on Traverse City's East Bay can be a million and up! And the views from the other one are just gorgeous...and it's huge!! Of course, we can only venture a guess as to the taxes! I did drive around East Bay and there are just a ton of homes for sale. With this economy, you have to wonder who can actually afford water property?!

I love those virtual tours too! I had told my hubby how I wanted to just be able to go into a couple of those homes, and here you can take tours of a ton of them!!

There's a beautiful old Victorian house here in town where my grandparents used to live. Last night my mom told me that they bought the house in 1932... for $2,200. :faint2:

Amy wrote:

Of course, we can only venture a guess as to the taxes!

Now that's something I hadn't thought about. I bet they'd make my current property taxes look like pocket change. Of course, right now I'm living in a cardboard box under a bridge. But still.

And I'll bet that Victorian would go for a pretty penny today, huh? I would LOVE to buy an old home and fix it up. You have to be able to have the money to put into the upgrades, but that would be so much cooler to me to have an old home with character and make it 'my own', then have a new build.

Amy wrote:

Toby, I've never heard of Oscoda! I'm going to have to check that out on the map. I'm glad you had fun!

I made a video using pictures from my trip to Oscoda if you want to check it out. You can watch it in the player below, or click the link to the Vimeo website and watch it in HD. http://www.vimeo.com/1450307 The HD version even looks good in full screen.


Oscoda 2008 from Toby on Vimeo.

Thanks for sharing that, Toby. I really enjoyed it!

Great video Toby! That is so cool! You have a lovely family and it's so nice to get to 'know' you better! Oscoda is beautiful---thank you for sharing that!