For some reason time is moving slowly but the seasons are progressing quickly. Summer is almost over and I can’t say I’m sad to see it go. I hate the heat and very much look forward to crisp days, cider mills and football. That said, I had thought of going back Up North for a short weekend trip but that seems unlikely now. In addition to the beautiful lake views, sand dunes and wooden trails, Michigan has a great collection of small towns and I like driving around and seeing what’s out there.
The historian in me can’t help but wonder what it was like when these few short streets were commercial hubs for their given region. Presently, these small towns often appear to be trying to find their niche in a world of Meijers, McDonald’s and other accessible but characterless enterprises. When we stroll the streets, far too often we notice many vacant buildings; however, we also see a lot of relatively new shops and restaurants open for business. It’s an on-going battle but I hold out hope that the Shop Local movement will win and we’ll always have these pleasant downtowns.
These pictures are from Manistee, it wasn’t a planned stopped but we were driving and it looked too cute to pass up. Fennville is one of our favorite small towns to visit because we love Salt of the Earth but there is no shortage of quaint towns to visit in the Mitten State.
CarrieDaway 