Concerts in the Park

Downtown, every Tuesday and Friday, there are concerts in Pennsylvania Park. They have interesting and varying offerings every concert season. This is the 27th annual concert season that they've put together and there are some great shows scheduled! I personally want to go and hear "Carmen" next week!

There are people who come every week to listen, but I often forget we have this great opportunity to hear great music. There are no rain dates; if it's raining, they meet in the Presbyterian church 2 blocks north of the park. Join us if you can!
Here's a link to the concert season listings:
http://www.petoskey.com/concerts-in-the-park-105/

The St. Francis Solanus Indian Mission Church pictured here is the oldest building still standing in Petoskey. It stands on the shores of the bay and was built in 1859 by Father Sifferath, who was stationed in Harbor Springs. The church was named after the famous Indian missionary, St. Francis Solanus.

Recently, the church underwent some major 3 year renovations and was rededicated July 14, 2008. To see more about this dedication and to see a video of the interior of the church, visit this site:

www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/07/15/news/doc487ca6ca72d46103207410.txt

I hope you enjoy this!

Geese are not always Golden.

There was a huge flock of geese down at the waterfront. I have to say they made a really, really, really big mess. You had to watch where you walked, and do so very carefully, but thankfully it was only in one small section of the open space. They are quite skittish, so I was glad to get this close to get a picture. Someone there was playing frisbee with their dog and everytime the dog came near, the geese would go out a little farther into the water. It is quite unusual to see geese here at this time of year, they are usually much farther north by now, but it has been a cool summer, so they are sticking around here.

Have you ever seen...

... a baseball park with such a great view? This field is located on the waterfront very close to the clocktower. It has a great view for the batters and the cheering section, a nice place to play, I would imagine!

PS. The batter hit a home run!

Just one more boat picture....

since this is the last day of Regatta. It was a beautiful weekend, sunny with a good wind, perfect for sailing. I hope they had a great time!

Activity on the Bay

If you look really closely, you can see the kayakers out there! The bay is deceptively large; it is about 7 miles across to Harbor Springs, that faint cluster of buildings on the far shoreline. These kayakers were out enjoying the fairly calm day on the bay (there are no whitecaps, so it's not too windy) and we got to enjoy the view from Sunset Park. A win-win situation!

Sidewalk Sales weekend!!

Today started the annual Sidewalk Sales, (some say it was held the same weekend as Regatta so the wives had something to do!), one of my favorite weekends of the year! I get downtown about 8 am or earlier, shop and find the great bargains, and then head home for the rest of the day while my Sweet Hubby goes to work. (He usually takes the morning off so I can shop!) The streets are closed off entirely and are filled with tents and tables and merchandise and People! By 10 am, there are hundreds of people downtown. I have a few stores that I hit first, before all the great deals are gone. Then, I wander around the streets and look for any thing that catches my eye or would be great for a Christmas present or something. Lots of fun and lots of work for the store owners, but they really like having a LOT of people downtown shopping. People come from all over for this weekend, maybe you should sometime!

Regatta Weekend

has started early! The conditions are perfect today and there are several boats out on the bay enjoying the 74 degree, windy-on-the-lake day. It is just gorgeous out there watching the different spinnakers unfurled with all their colors moving quickly across the bay. By the end of the weekend, there will probably be about 100 boats in the bay, all celebrating Regatta Weekend!

Sunset Park...

the best place to watch the sunset. Or the fireworks. Or have a picnic. Or just hang out. It is a beautiful place, up on the cliff from the waterfall area which is accessed by 4 stories of stairs.

On the 4th of July, they set the fireworks off just below here and when we go to see the fireworks, this is where we like to sit. Sometimes if they don't go up too high, you are almost eye level with them! It is really nice. From this vantage point, you can also see the fireworks across the bay from the city of Harbor Springs. Two for the price of one! In fact, every year the city managers of Harbor Springs and Petoskey play a game to see which city gets to fire first! One year it was Scrabble, another year Monopoly, and once I think it was even Twister!

This is a great place for picnics, but you have to watch out for seagulls. Most of them are hesitant, but if you feed them, it encourages them, and I have seen them fly down and grab food off tables on very rare occasions. Just don't feed them until you are done, and they should stay back. Most of all, enjoy yourself!!

Petoskey Community Garden

Petoskey has a community garden that is maintained by different local groups. The Master Gardeners take one section, the Petoskey Club another, and so on until there is someone to care for all 6 sections. Most of the flowers, herbs, and shrubs are perennials that come up and flower every year on their own. It is a nice and peaceful spot near the statue of Ignatius Petoskey (see May 23rd post) and the Perry Hotel (see June 10th post). The Petoskey Garden Club put up the gazebo in the middle that holds announcements about different community happenings. A great place for a picnic or a quiet place to rest- there are benches and picnic tables!

The Coolest Clocktower

Right in the middle of the waterfront park stands a clocktower. It is tall and red and loud when it signals the hour and half hour, but it is nice to be able to have fun down there without wondering what time it is! (Also a great photo opportunity down by the water too.)

In keeping with the Art theme...

...I'm showing you a local piece of art. It is actually in an alley behind Roast & Toast and McLean & Eakin. Just a mural for those of us lucky enough to know about this parking lot in the middle of the block! It is also a nice reminder of life in a small town.

Art in the Park

Today was Art in the Park in Petoskey. It is an annual event held rain or shine. Downtown Pennsylvania Park is covered with booths of different artists and so many kinds of art! Jewelry, paintings, glassworks, woodworks, ceramics, and photography are only a few of the different types of art represented here. But one of my favorites is Sue Bleyaert of Creative Canvas. She makes floorcloths of canvas, hand paints them, and finishes them so that they are both decorative and practical. I have one of her designs that she custom-made for me over 10 years ago and it is wonderful! I have mine as a cover for my dining room table so it gets a lot of use and is beautiful. This new design below is my favorite in her booth this year. Sue has been featured in books about floorcloths and she has a website: www.creativecanvas.net. Be sure to check it out!! She makes floorcloths and tablecovers as well as coasters and placemats. I can highly recommend her products!

More Art ...

Today we're looking at this sculpture inside the Crooked Tree Art Center. It is carved out of one piece of basswood by the artist Bill Duley, and it is amazing. It is called "Trapper in the Land of the Crooked Tree". Only the bow is not carved out of the original piece of wood, and the basket and snowshoes are intricately laced, each of which took two weeks to complete. The entire sculpture took a year to complete, from full scale drawings to carving to the final staining.

Underneath the sculpture, there is a quote saying:'
He who works with his hands is a laborer,
He who works with his head and hands is a craftsman,
And he who works with his head, hands, and heart is an artist.

Crooked Tree Art Center -- Totem

Right outside the door of the Crooked Tree Art Center sits this totem pole. The Art Center is a great place to explore, with visiting works of art in their two galleries, as well as permanent pieces and pieces for sale. The Art Center is not just about paintings and sculpture though, there are dance classes, music classes, art classes, and much more. The community theater is also in this building and our family has enjoyed performances several times. I think our favorite display of all time was the fabric forest. A forest of woven trees in every color you can imagine was hung in one of the galleries with a path through them. The lights were very dim and there was music playing in the background. I think we went to this display 3 times and the kids asked to go for months after it had moved to its next destination. Here is a link to see a tree--they are amazing!! http://www.fiberplay.info/roz.ht19.jpg

They also have different art related events throughout the year, tomorrow being the "D'Art for Art". If you want to learn more about that, check out this site: http://www.thegraphicweekly.com/specialevent/eventart071008.html

A-Maze-ing!

In the library courtyard, there is a lovely little maze that is made of bricks in a pattern. Every time we come to the library (when there isn't snow covering the ground) we have to do the maze. It is fun to race to get the middle and see who can win! And then, of course, there is a race to get out as well. It is very nicely put together and lots of fun to do!

Decorative, but where are the words?

This is a Bible that was made in 1874 for use at the Native American Methodist church at Greensky Hill which is near Petoskey. The Bible is beautifully ornate and has amazing detail. It is in the Historical Museum along with other Native American artifacts, including the quill boxes I've shown you before and handmade baskets that are very detailed. I just wonder where the words of the Bible are.....



Sorry I've missed a day, I've been sick and not left the house, but thankfully I'm on the mend!

Ships Ahoy!

Welcome to the Marina! During the summer, this area is crowded with boats. The kids love to go and see the different boats here, some visiting are as large as 75 feet or more. They are beautiful. (It also happens to be close to a nice playground, so we have spent quite a bit of time here over the years!!)

The Bear River flows into the bay between the grassy place and the marina, and the current there is fairly swift. But near the marina it is calm.

The Breakwall

The breakwall provides a calm area for the marina and the boats moored there. It is a great walk, although not recommended by the park service. You can see in the picture that there is a part that looks slightly, okay, a lot, different than the rest. That is because that part of the breakwall broke off and sank a few years ago. No one was hurt and people still walk out to the end. I haven't walked out on it in several years, but one day I'm going to go swimming off here--probably when I turn 40, just for fun! (Although technically, that's illegal. Shhh.. don't tell! I still have a few years to wait for that!)

In the winter, this whole area becomes covered with ice as the waves pound the left side and splash over. Last year, the whole lighthouse was encrusted with ice as well. Lots of wind will make interesting ice sculptures here.

The Bear River

I told you the other day that I would be posting a picture of the river near where it empties into Little Traverse Bay. And here it is! In the top left corner of the picture, you see a glimpse of City Hall.

During the spawning time, this river is fun to watch as the salmon jump their way upstream through the rocks. Over on the other side of the bridge, there is a large pool where many fisherman find great catches.

Enjoy your day!!

The Terrace Inn in Bay View

One of my favorite places in Bay View, the Terrace Inn. They have lovely rooms that are all decorated differently and one especially decorated for the movie "Somewhere in Time". We have stayed here a few times and really enjoyed ourselves. My favorite times are the Murder Mystery nights (I've actually won one of those) and the winter sleigh rides you can take after dinner at the Inn. You can find out more about the Terrace Inn here:
http://www.theterraceinn.com

Bay View, Michigan

If you haven't heard of Bay View, you're not alone. It is a small community inside Petoskey, actually, they used to be separate, but Petoskey has grown up around it and it is still very much a separate area. It was a Methodist camp meeting area that began in the late 1800's. Cottages were built and over the years the cottages became bigger and were handed down through the generations. There are many that have not left their particular families. Some of the cottages are very beautiful. The center of life in Bay View is the auditorium, pictured here. There are concerts and music lessons going on every day. We went for a hike yesterday on one of the hiking trails and then relaxed at the park and playground in front of the auditorium. It was like having a mini concert as we heard a brass section playing and someone else practicing an aria. There is a lovely old Inn inside Bay View, the Terrace Inn, that is a lovely place to stay. Check back for a picture of that tomorrow!

Welcome to City Hall!

Where else does City Hall get such a view? It's right on the banks of the Bear River where the river flows into Little Traverse Bay. Right across the river from this building is the beautiful open space where we like to play bocce ball. Photos of the river to come!

My last photo from the parade...

This entry made me laugh the most!! I thought you would enjoy it too!!

My favorite parade entry...

was the Petoskey High School Steel Drum Band!! They are awesome!! They play for different events, but my two favorites are the 4th of July Parade and Christmas Open House. They are incredible musicians and can have the whole crowd clapping, dancing, and having a great time in a few seconds.

This was a great setup, a double-decker open-sided trailer that allowed you to hear the music and see the musicians. So cool!!


http://www.petoskeyschools.org/steeldrumband/

4th of July! Let's Celebrate!

To celebrate the 4th of July, my kids had the idea to make the flag with their Play-Doh. They worked together for a long time and cut 50 pieces of blue, and stripes of red and white. I'm so proud of their work and determination. And the finished product turned out great!!


We went to the downtown parade tonight--favorite pictures of that tomorrow!

Another Million Dollar Night!

It was a quiet and still night last night with a very interesting sunset. The sun was very red and it was quite hazy. But it did make for an interesting sunset! It rained on and off all day yesterday and the sun sets beautifully because of the extra humidity.

But, it is supposed to be absolutely beautiful the next 3 days for the 4th of July celebrations! Should be a great weekend!

Fun in the Sun

Yesterday we had a busy day in town with lots of those little errands that must be done. So, to have some fun, we made a picnic lunch and ate down by the waterfront at our favorite place, the waterfall. There is a large area there perfect for picnicking and relaxing, with a great view of the bay as well. It is a popular spot for wedding pictures and there have even been weddings here. It is an absolutely beautiful spot and well worth a visit. I think this is the place that I offer to take the most pictures for tourists. (It's nice to have everyone in the family in the picture for once!) Come and join us for a picnic sometime!

City Photo Day!

Today is the City Daily Photo Day! This month's theme is: "No" signage. This is my favorite one in Petoskey! It is a sign over the Little Traverse Wheelway, a bike path that goes from Harbor Springs to Charlevoix, and goes right through Petoskey next to the waterfront! It is a gorgeous ride (not that I've ever done the whole thing as it is about 30 miles) and the path is very well maintained.

If you love to ride, walk, or rollerblade, this is the spot for you, just no driving! :)

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants