Michigan’s Best. Walloon Lake

Ernest Hemingway (born 1889) spent about the first twenty summers of his life at his family’s cottage on Walloon Lake, Michigan, including his honeymoon in 1921. He inherited and owned the same cottage until his death in 1961. As of 2015, his nephew still lived there.

Nowadays Walloon Lake is home to some of the most expensive summer real estate in the United States and with good reason. Walloon is a pristine white, sandy bottom lake along with 5-star restaurants within a 10-minute drive.  

Within the Village of Walloon lies the Barrel Back restaurant and marina. Dock your boat at the pier and several teens will emerge just like from a Ralph Lauren catalog and effortlessly tie up your craft while you lunch. The menu at the Barrel Back is outstanding. The best part is the views over Walloon Lake. For a dinner splurge, try the Walloon Lake Inn restaurant next door.

Petoskey

The Bay View Inn is part of a string of hotels and restaurants crafted and carefully tended to for over 50 years by Stafford Smith. The Bay View is one of his first properties. It has the best Sunday brunch in the entire area. On any given Sunday, Stafford himself carves the roasted turkey and ham with brandied peach sauce. The eggs benedict is outstanding along with the Belgian waffles. Chilled cherry soup is another crowd favorite.

Another restaurant in Petoskey I must mention is Villa Ristorante Italiano. I had been in Tuscany and Rome the month before and so was apprehensive when the group voted for Italian food. However, it was outstanding, and I cannot wait to return.

Johan’s Pastries

Johan’s is a local institution and famous purveyor of donuts and bagels. The old fashion sour cream donut is the standout.

Dam Site Inn

The Dam Site Inn is 15 minutes north of Petoskey and involves stepping back into the 1950s world of supper clubs and simpler times. Upon driving up for the first time, I thought “Drive-ins, Diners and Dives” until I almost ran into a new Bentley and vintage Mercedes parked up front. Don’t bother reading the menu. Order the chicken dinner which comes with chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, biscuits and, of course, spaetzle. If you drink martinis, this is your spot.

Petoskey is filled with cute shops with oodles of charm. What the kids love best, however, is Kilwin’s Chocolate and Ice Cream shop with tours and samples throughout the day.

Mackinac Island

The island is a 30-minute drive plus ferry ride from Petoskey, and it’s a really fun day trip for an entire family, save those younger than 7 given the amount of walking. No motor vehicles are allowed on the island. The outing is weather-sensitive so go on a nice day if possible. Start with a horse drawn carriage ride around the island to get one’s bearings. Next, explore the old military fort and its museum. They have a cannon which is shot periodically during the day. There’s a terrific lunch spot on the terrace of the fort. Notice the waiter climbing in the stairs while balancing the entire tray on his head in the picture below.