Bike Night

We were walking around Monday evening and found out that Mondays are Bike Nights downtown. There is a bike parade and they all meet at Papa Lou's Pub and Pizzaria. It looks like fun if you like to ride motorcycles, and seeing all of them lined up was very interesting--each bike very unique, colorful, and bright. If you're in Petoskey on a Monday night, check out Lake Street to see all the bikes!

New Business...New Ideas!

Today, I met Josh, an enterprising gentleman in Petoskey. He drives the new Petoskey Pedicab--great for the environment, and I'm sure great exercise for him! He carries passengers from the downtown, the waterfront, and the Bay View area to each of the others. It looks like so much fun! I must say "Bravo" to him as Petoskey is built on a HILL! There is no where to go without riding up a hill either on the way there or the way back. Josh, good luck with your business and I hope it goes well!

Let's go Downtown

Everything's great when you're....downtown. Old song, but true here in Petoskey. I love the old buildings that make up the downtown and there are so many great places to shop there. This is from the bottom of Lake Street looking east and yes, it is a hill. The bay is to the west and there are great views from all over down here. (Oh, and did you notice? No snow piles!! There are still a few flakes falling right now, but hopefully they won't stay long.)

Symon's General Store

Is definitely more than your "general", run-of-the-mill store. It is a lovely store with lots of very yummy specialty items from all over the world. I was in here trying to find some chocolate caramels with sea salt. No luck today, but they are getting some in, so I'll have to go back again soon! They have great deli sandwiches and a wine cellar downstairs. Check it Symon's on the corner of Lake and Howard Streets downtown!

When it Snows...II

Another snowman for our enjoyment--this one at Whitecaps, a local eatery that has an amazing view of the bay along with a really good menu. I love the fact that our downtown has a sense of pride as well as a great sense of humor!
Check out Whitecaps by clicking here:
http://www.whitecapsrestaurant.com/

How does your Garden Grow?

If you're in Monarch Garden and Floral Design, it grows wonderfully. This is one of the most beautiful places to shop in Petoskey. Just walking in the door can lower your blood pressure. There are fountains burbling, the slight hint of flowers in the air, and lovely gifts in every direction. The arrangements they make are absolutely beautiful, as evidenced by the one in the picture on the left. It is gorgeous! This shop on Mitchell Street is a must-see for anyone who loves gardening or flowers or just needs to have a moment to relax and breathe.
Check out their website at: http://www.monarchgfd.com/

When it Snows....

you just have to have some fun! So, today, in honor of our recent snowfall, some of the business owners downtown made snowmen out in front of their stores!! This one in front of Bondurant was my favorite. She was so stylish! Bondurant is on Howard Street downtown and has so many beautiful and fun things--you have to check them out when you're in town or at their website: http://shopbondurant.com/

Right next door to the Crooked Tree Art Center is the Artist's Marketplace. It is not affiliated with the art center, but it is a nice place with many artists' work shown. There is pottery, jewelry, paintings, and so much more. If you're in town, be sure to check it out!

I went to the Library last night and there in the lobby was this quilt. I know that the library hangs quilts here often, but this one really caught my eye. I looked for the artist's name or some information about it, but didn't see anything, so you'll have to be in the dark as I am right now! For now, enjoy the beauty and intricacy of the workmanship of this quilt, and try not to think how dizzying it would have been to work on it!

Ever Wonder What it is Like?

To drive down a street in the snow? Now you can see for yourself! This the main street in downtown Petoskey, Mitchell Street. We lost quite a bit of snow on Sunday when the temperature was almost 40 degrees, but we are supposed to get it all back this weekend! Four inches today and still coming down. But I have to admit it makes things look pretty...

Open House!

Last night was Petoskey's downtown Open House. The stores stay open late and have goodies available, Santa shows up to light our Christmas tree, and the Petoskey High Steel Drum band plays! It is so much fun. They close the streets off to cars, and hundreds of people come and to watch the fun, listen to the music, and have some incredibly yummy goodies!! (I will have to say that the Spoon Foods Bread Pudding, the Eggnog Gelato, and the Perry Hotel's roast beef are my perennial favorites!) It is fun to see all the people, walk around in the gently falling snow, and have fun with family and friends!

But on a Nice Note...

the Christmas lights are up downtown! They put them up before the snow comes in the fall and they are really lovely at night. Each light has its own garland with lights and some of them even have wreaths. I am really looking forward to this Christmas season, even if snow has already arrived.

Old and New

I love the way these buildings downtown advertise both old and new businesses. The one on the left has only been in that building for a few years, while the one on the right has been an advertisement there for 75 - 100 years. It makes you wonder what this space will look like in another 100 years!!

Welcome Downtown!

Welcome to the Downtown Area--beautified by the Petoskey Garden Club. They make sure that this and several other beds in the downtown area are nicely groomed and planted each year. In the fall, they plant several thousand tulip bulbs which bloom beautifully in the spring and are then given away in the summer, usually to a Habitat for Humanity project in the area, I have heard. I hope that it is so! It is a nice piece of community effort.

Gaslight

Petoskey's downtown is called the Gaslight District, with good reason. This is just one of the many gaslights that line our streets and provide lights in the evening as well as great places to hang wreaths at Christmastime. Just part of the flair of the past that keeps us up to date.

Tunnel to the Center of the Waterfront

This is the tunnel that connects the Downtown to the Waterfront. The echoes in here are awesome! It is a nice way to safely get across the highway. It is closed in the wintertime, mainly because the snow that drifts through it gets quite deep. Discover your own particular echo fun when you walk through it sometime!

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!

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.

Progress...

Here is a proposed $50 million building project for downtown. A hotel, more than 160 condominium units, 25,000 square feet of retail space and a parking garage are all planned parts of the project that has been going on since early 2005. But the project has lost its early financing, and bills and taxes are piling up. The developers are still hoping to go ahead with the project, and are searching for other investors. It would be nice to have it completed, but not having a hole over most of a city block would be really nice! Hopefully things will be on track again soon.

A Lovely Piece of History

The Perry Hotel is a lovely piece of Petoskey history. It is a historic hotel that overlooks Little Traverse Bay and is beautifully preserved inside and out. There are 3 restaurants here at the Perry, one a pub in the basement with live music on the weekends, another a very nice main floor restaurant that overlooks the bay, and the third is seasonal, an outdoor cafe that overlooks the bay and is set in a lovely garden. The owner, (whom we met at another of his properties in the area when he took care of our hot chocolate cups for us), is very nice and insists that things be taken care of well. I always appreciate a trip to the Perry for dinner! The hotel has been here for over 100 years and has had its ups and downs, but it is a landmark on the bay, and we're glad it's part of Petoskey.