With over 28 miles of sandy shoreline, you can enjoy endless afternoons catching some sun, splashing in the waves or building a sandcastle. Looking for something a bit more adventurous? Set sail on Lake Michigan or set a line in Michigan’s #1 salmon fishing port! Ludington is the home port of the largest carferry to sail the Great Lakes. The S.S. Badger carferry makes its voyage from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin mid-May to mid-October. One of Michigan’s most popular state parks, the Ludington State Park is comprised of nearly 5,300 acres of scenic sand dunes. Home to c ..read more

Mackinac Island – the name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac and “Mitchimakinak” in Ojibwemowin meaning “Big Turtle”. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was long home to an Odawa settlement and previous indigenous cultures before European colonization began in the 17th century. It was a strategic center of the fur trade around the Great Lakes. Based on a former trading post, Fort Mackinac was constructed on the island by th ..read more

Quick Facts Located in Roscommon County Natural freshwater lake 9,600 acres Shoreline: 21 miles Average Depth: 44 feet Maximum Depth: 135 feet Public Access Sites: 70+ Lake Activities Beach | Boating (motor, sail, paddle) | Fishing | Ice Fishing | Snorkeling | Swimming |  Water Skiing/Wakeboarding/Tubing Local Attractions Biking | Camping | Cross-Country Skiing | Dining | Golfing | Hiking | Museum | Shopping | Snowmobiling | Snowshoeing | State Parks Fish Bass | Perch | Pike | Trout Just east of the city of Roscommon is Michigan’s tenth-largest inland lake, Higgins Lake. Its staggering ..read more

Quick Facts Location: Antrim County Lake Type: Natural Freshwater Lake, Dammed Surface Area: 1,793 acres Shoreline: 12 miles Average Depth: 43 feet Maximum Depth: 95 feet Public Access Sites: 11 Lake activities Boating (motor, sail, paddle) | Fishing (year-round) | Swimming | Water skiing/wakeboarding/tubing | Wind surfing area attractions Biking | Camping | Cross-Country Skiing | Dining | Golfing | Hiking | Shopping | Snowboarding | Snowmobiling | Snowshoeing | Vacation Rentals | Wildlife Viewing fish Bass | Crappie | Muskellunge | Perch | Pike | Sunfish | Trou ..read more

Quick Facts Located in Antrim/Grand Traverse County Natural freshwater lake 8,194 acres Shoreline: 28 miles Average Depth: 54 feet Maximum Depth: 192 feet Public Access Sites: 37 Lake Activities Fishing | Ice Fishing | Boating (motor, sail, paddle) | Swimming | Beach | Water Skiing/Wakeboarding/Tubing Local Attractions Birding | Camping | Dining | Golfing | Hiking | Shopping | Snowmobiling | Snowshoeing Fish Bass | Cisco | Muskellunge | Perch | Pike | Sunfish | Trout | Whitefish Located at the south end of the Elk River Chain of Lakes, Elk Lake is a beautiful freshwater lake fed from Torch ..read more

Nicknamed “Michigan’s Little Bavaria,” this bustling town is built on it’s German foundation. Featuring eclectic shopping, rich historical beauty and culture and bounds of outdoor adventure, Frankenmuth is bound to have activities for the whole family. Frankenmuth was settled in 1845 by 15 Germans, led by the Reverand August Craemer, a Lutheran minister. The small band of settlers came to the area from Neuendettelsau, Germany, for the expressed purpose of evangelizing to the Native Americans. The first structure built was a church, and the second a school. Only seven years after their arrival ..read more

  It’s that time of year again, the kitchen needs cleaning, the basement needs organizing and the kid’s playroom is overwhelming with toys. The thought of starting your spring cleaning can tend to feel like daunting task. W are here to bring you 10 spring cleaning hacks to help you make the process a lot more manageable for yourself and your family.   1. Effectively clean the inside of your microwave without scrubbing. The inside of the microwave can be a scary place if it’s left too long without getting wiped out. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 1 to 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons ..read more

Located just 10 miles north of Petoskey, Harbor Springs is a quaint and charming town nestled on the north shore of Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The area offers an abundance of natural beauty, four seasons of outdoor activity and an array of cultural and culinary attractions. With two city beaches in harbor Springs and nearby beaches at Petoskey State Park, Thorne Swift Nature Preserve, and Sturgeon Bay, beach days are a must. Fall brings fabulous foliage color and the still warm waters of the lakes. Winter sports with two ski resorts plus miles of trails for cross country skiing, sno ..read more

As a homeowner, you know your home best. So, when it comes to selling, who could do it better than you, right? While we agree with you on the first statement, the selling of a home is always best left to a professional real estate agent, for so many reasons! Reason #1: You could be leaving money on the table. According to a NAR study, For Sale By Owner homes sold at a median of $260,000 in 2021, while agent sold homes were at a median of $318,000, a difference of $58,000. The typical real estate commission on that home would be $22,260, so you could be losing out on over $35,000! Reason #2: Re ..read more

You may have been thinking about holding off from purchasing a home this year, due to the the rising home prices and increasing mortgage rates. According to the latest report from ATTOM Data, owning a home is more affordable than renting in the majority of the country. The 2022 Rental Affordability Report says: “. . . Owning a median-priced home is more affordable than the average renting a three-bedroom property in 666, or 58 percent, of the 1,154 U.S. counties analyzed for the report. That means major home ownership expenses consum ..read more