My first visit to the Petoskey Area was in the late 1990s, when a business trip brought me to Stafford’s Perry Hotel during the fall season. As I traveled north along US-131, I crested a hill on the outskirts of town and a 180-degree view of the autumn colors met my gaze. I was awe-struck, mesmerized, inspired. I think that was the moment I decided someday I wanted to live here. It took me another 15 years or so before that dream became a reality.

Chill out and warm up at Frankfort’s Stormcloud Brewing

There’s something captivating about winter in northern Michigan, even on tempestuous days when ever-changing weather churns up waves and whips up ominous formations in the skies around the Great Lakes. It is the unpredictable moodiness, mystery, and beauty of the lakes that inspired the name Stormcloud Brewing.

After an influx of lumber barons settled in Manistee in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, a Victorian port city emerged leading to claims of more millionaires per capita than any other place in the U.S. at the time. While the Gilded Age soon passed, opulent remnants are part of the city’s foundation and can still be found today.

The first flakes have fallen throughout the Petoskey area, which means it is time for cozy cocktails to warm even the coldest of days. We’ve tapped the local restaurants and pubs for a list of their seasonal offerings that are sure to fill you with holiday cheer.

Without a doubt, fall is the most colorful and flavorful season in Michigan. With color tours on the horizon, it’s time to throw on your boots, flannel shirt and puffy vest, grab your wide brimmed hat and head out in search of all things pumpkin and apple spice.

People have been fascinated with the afterlife and what collectively is known as thanatourism (dark tourism) for generations. In the early 1800s, Madame Tussaud’s scandalized wax sculptures provided a macabre form of entertainment and by the 1860s, “Ghost Clubs” (which evolved into paranormal investigative teams) were finding their place in history. The 19th-century Spiritualist movement fueled a widespread Victorian fascination with seances. Today, the ever-growing number of television shows, podcasts, books and other mediums have fostered a global paranormal tourism industry valued at $31.89 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $40.82 billion by 2034, according to AmericanGhostWalks.com.

Sitting at the intersection of Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, Jackson has been an important stop between Chicago, Illinois, and Detroit since before expressways existed. Jackson’s rich heritage and cultural assets complement its vast outdoor recreational resources. There are 188 lakes in Jackson County, along with the headwaters for four major Michigan rivers, earning the area its moniker, “Land of Falling Waters.”