Choose from lighthouses anchored to the rugged shores of Lake Superior, Victorian mansions built by lumber and mining barons, rustic log lodges, and romantic small town hideaways. Meet the innkeepers themselves, who range from retired military officers and corporate heads to artists and poets. You’ll find detailed descriptions of the accommodations along with information about rates, suitability for children, and policies on smoking and pets. Get a sense of the flavor and mood of each and learn about fun things to do in the surrounding areas. Numerous photos enhance the descriptions and provide a visitor’s-eye view of some of the most unusual and delightful places to stay in Michigan.
Choose from lighthouses anchored to the rugged shores of Lake Superior, Victorian mansions built by lumber and mining barons, rustic log lodges, and romantic small town hideaways. Meet the innkeepers themselves, who range from retired military officers and corporate heads to artists and poets. You’ll find detailed descriptions of the accommodations along with information about rates, suitability for children, and policies on smoking and pets. Get a sense of the flavor and mood of each and learn about fun things to do in the surrounding areas. Numerous photos enhance the descriptions and provide a visitor’s-eye view of some of the most unusual and delightful places to stay in Michigan.
Paperback(5th Edition)
-
SHIP THIS ITEMIn stock. Ships in 6-10 days.PICK UP IN STORE
Your local store may have stock of this item.
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
Choose from lighthouses anchored to the rugged shores of Lake Superior, Victorian mansions built by lumber and mining barons, rustic log lodges, and romantic small town hideaways. Meet the innkeepers themselves, who range from retired military officers and corporate heads to artists and poets. You’ll find detailed descriptions of the accommodations along with information about rates, suitability for children, and policies on smoking and pets. Get a sense of the flavor and mood of each and learn about fun things to do in the surrounding areas. Numerous photos enhance the descriptions and provide a visitor’s-eye view of some of the most unusual and delightful places to stay in Michigan.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780472035175 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | University of Michigan Press |
| Publication date: | 07/29/2013 |
| Edition description: | 5th Edition |
| Pages: | 240 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Michigan's Town & Country Inns
By Susan Newhof
The University of Michigan Press
Copyright © 2013 University of MichiganAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-472-03517-5
CHAPTER 1
NORTH COUNTRY: THE UPPER PENINSULA
Ahmeek
Sand Hills Lighthouse Inn
Big Bay
Thunder Bay Inn
Blaney Park
Celibeth House Bed and Breakfast
Curtis
Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn
Laurium
Laurium Manor Inn and Victorian Hall Bed and Breakfast
St. Ignace
The Boardwalk Inn
AHMEEK
Sand Hills Lighthouse Inn
When was the last time you slept in a lighthouse? Most old buildings have a certain mystique about them, and I find lighthouses particularly intriguing. To the sailors who navigate through raging storms, zero-visibility fog and deep darkness, lighthouses are like guardian angels, pointing the way to safe passage. In the days when lights were lit manually, the keepers of the lights took their work seriously. To let the light go out could spell disaster for a ship and its crew and passengers.
Sand Hills Lighthouse is the largest of its kind in the United States. Constructed in 1917 at the edge of Lake Superior, it was designed to house three lighthouse keepers and their families — a good plan given that residents of the lighthouse faced months of isolation during the long winters in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, or "UP." In 1939 the US Coast Guard took over Sand Hills and automated it, as it did over time with all the Great Lakes lighthouses. During World War II, the grounds served as a training site and hosted two hundred coastguardsmen. After the war, the lighthouse was vacated and remained unused for decades.
Bill Frabotta is intrigued by lighthouses, and he bought Sand Hills in 1961. He spent thirty summers there and used the property's Fog Signal station as his cottage. When he retired from a career as a portrait photographer downstate, he embarked on an ambitious renovation of the lighthouse, aided by friends and craftspeople, and opened for B&B guests in 1995.
You might expect from its rather austere, castlelike exterior that the interior would be similarly businesslike. But it's gorgeous Victorian from top to bottom, and the elegant furnishings complement original ornate crown moldings and the staircase balustrade. The walls are hung with paintings and some of Bill's own photographs. There are modern luxuries, too, such as air- conditioning and hydronic heat, which uses water as the source of warmth.
Each of the eight guest rooms has a king- or queen-size bed and private bathroom. Two rooms have whirlpool bathtubs and a balcony overlooking Lake Superior. Early morning risers can enjoy a spectacular sunrise from several perspectives — the rocky shore, the front porch and even the massive tower. In fact, the geography here is such that at some times of the year you can catch the sun both rising and setting over Lake Superior.
A full and fragrant breakfast is served at 9:30, and Bill's wife, Mary Mathews, says it has become legendary. It's served buffet style on top of an antique square grand piano in the dining room. Both Mary and Bill cook, and the food gets raves. No surprise there. Mary has won dozens of ribbons at county fairs for her baked goods. House specialties include her made-from-scratch sticky buns, Merry Mary sunshine soufflé and homemade English muffins. If you want to eat earlier or are departing early, Bill and Mary will be happy to provide you with juice, coffee and pastries. Let them know your plans when you check in.
Mary loves to play the piano, and she takes requests for just about anything from Chopin to Joplin. You're likely to hear her playing at any time of day and especially during breakfast and in the evening when she gives a short performance while guests partake of a sumptuous dessert.
Winters up here are a snow lover's paradise. Bring your cross-country skis if you want to head out across the 35 acres that surround the lighthouse and the groomed trails nearby. Summer days are long. The sun sets very late this far north, and you may be fortunate enough to see the spectacular light displays of aurora borealis over the lake. Within easy driving distance are museums and historic sites where you can explore the development of the mining industry on the Keweenaw Peninsula, and there are old copper mines you can tour. However you choose to spend your days in this unique region, save time for climbing the stairs to the top of the lighthouse tower where you can get a bird's-eye view of the rugged coastline here. It has changed little since the first keeper of the light scanned the horizon nearly one hundred years ago.
Vitals
rooms: 8 with private baths
pets permitted: no
pets in residence: none
open season: year-round
rates: $165 to $225
e-mail:sandhills@pasty.net
website:www.sandhillslighthouseinn.com
owners/innkeepers:
Mary Mathews and William Frabotta
Five Mile Point Road
PO Box 298
Ahmeek, MI 49901
906-337-1744
BIG BAY
Thunder Bay Inn
I went looking for inns with stories for this edition, and this one is likely to put you on the hunt for an old movie. Michigan Supreme Court justice John D. Voelker, whose pen name was Robert Traver, wrote a novel based on a 1952 murder case for which he was the defense attorney. The story caught the eye of all the right people in Hollywood, including director Otto Preminger, and in 1959 it was released under the same name as the book, Anatomy of a Murder. Sound familiar?
To make the film as authentic as possible, much of it was filmed in and around the town of Big Bay, where the actual murder took place, including the old warehouse turned hotel at the top of the hill.
This huge three-story structure was built in 1911 as a warehouse for the Brunswick Corporation, which used nearby timber to make wooden bowling pins. Henry Ford bought Brunswick in 1943 so he could use the timber for the wood trim on his cars. He also bought and renovated the warehouse, adding breeze-catching porches, a huge first-floor fireplace and big windows. Then he converted the second floor into rooms he used as an executive retreat. The whole place was sold after Ford died in 1947 and was eventually turned into a hotel.
When movie executives decided to use the building for their set, they added the shell of a large first-floor room, and they painted the whole place pink, which apparently showed up better than white in the black-and-white film. For several days, Big Bay residents rubbed elbows with the movie's stars, including Jimmy Stewart, George C. Scott, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Eve Arden and Orson Bean, who stayed there.
Gretchen and Wayne Peacock bought this treasure in 2008. Gretchen was delighted to play a DVD of the movie for us and to point out items in the scenes ("See that water fountain on the wall?") that can still be seen in the hotel ("It's this one right here!").
The hotel was called Thunder Bay Inn in the movie, and the name stuck. The big first-floor room built just for the set became the present dining room and bar. It's a favorite gathering spot for local residents, and it's there you'll be treated to some really good food orchestrated by the chef and general manager, Duke, the Peacock's talented son. The menu includes traditional pub fare plus locally caught whitefish, hearty south-of-the-border Mexican selections and a Wednesday all-you-can-eat spaghetti special that's made from Duke's grandmother's recipe. Duke is particularly proud of the prime rib he serves on Saturday night, and locals rave about the Friday fish fry.
There are twelve sleeping rooms on the second and third floors, and they have a variety of in-room sink, bathroom and shower options. Rooms with private baths are available, and guests staying in a room without a tub or shower may use one of the men's or women's shower rooms. Two rooms share a full bath, which is a great arrangement for families. The rooms are pretty and comfortable, and many of the furnishings are antique but not fussy. If you like, you can check out the photos on the website and choose your room in advance of your arrival. Each room has a ceiling fan, which is often all that's needed in summer in this far-north region. You can also request a room with a window air-conditioning unit. When you're ready to relax, make your way to a seat on the front porch where you get a fine view of little Lake Independence to the east.
If you visited the inn several years ago and haven't been back, you'll be delighted to see that the Peacocks tore up the old floor coverings in the massive foyer and living room and refinished the rich, buttery pine floorboards they found underneath. They add greatly to the welcoming feeling you'll get when you step inside. A buffet breakfast with fruit, cereals, hard-cooked eggs and breads is served there. And do take a look at the large display of newspaper clippings and photos from the inn's movie days.
We visited the Thunder Bay Inn in December, and I can attest to the fact that it's set up for winter comfort. It's a favorite base for cross-country skiers and snowmobilers, and you'll be snug whether you're curled up in front of the fireplace that Henry Ford added or warmed by the wood-burning stove in the dining room.
By the way, if you're interested in the spirits that still walk these old halls, ask the staff ...
Vitals
rooms: 12. Some have private baths, some have a sink and toilet, and there are men's and women's shower rooms.
pets permitted: no
pets in residence: none
open season: year-round except April and closed around Thanksgiving and Christmas
rates: $70 to $120. Ask about group rates and a winter snowmobile "per-person" special.
e-mail:thunderbayinn@ironbay.net
website:www.ThunderBayInn.net
owners/innkeepers:
Wayne and Gretchen Peacock
400 Bensinger
PO Box 22
Big Bay, MI 49808
906-345-9220
BLANEY PARK
Celibeth House Bed and Breakfast
In 1985, the whole town of Blaney Park went up for auction. It wasn't a big town, but it did have a couple lodges, a few houses and storefronts, some small cabins and one fine mansion at the top of the hill. Wealthy lumber baron William Mueller had built the home for his family in 1895. The Earles, who owned the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company, acquired it in 1911 and called it Celibeth — a combination of the names of two sisters, Cecilia and Elizabeth.
Nearby resident Elsa Strom had her eye on the mansion and inquired about its fate the day after the auction. Turns out it hadn't sold. She made an offer, got it, and opened it for bed-and-breakfast guests a couple of years later. The business was her passion, so when she thought about retiring, she called Roger and Darlene Cassady, who love history and participate in Revolutionary War reenactments. She thought they would be perfect as Celibeth's next innkeepers.
"Elsa asked if we would consider taking a look at this wonderful home and the B&B she had created there," remembers Darlene. "Roger and I walked into Celibeth, fell in love with it and two months later it was ours!"
Darlene used to own an antique shop, and she had fun handpicking antique furnishings for the home and putting family treasures to use. The china, for example, was her grandmother's. There are seven good-size, antique-filled sleeping rooms for guests, plus plenty of common areas where you can stretch out and settle in. The bright, enclosed front porch has a game table, and on chilly evenings, which are possible any time of the year in the UP, you'll likely find a fire crackling in the living room fireplace. The outside deck is a perfect place for morning coffee.
You'll find several choices in bed sizes — king, queen, doubles and twins, so if bed size matters to you, ask what's available. The Family Room has both a double bed and two twins, and it might be perfect if you're traveling with children or friends. The second-floor Suite Room has an antique double bed and a private sitting room. All the sleeping rooms have private bathrooms.
Darlene loves to cook, and she serves a full breakfast each morning. In case you get hungry later in the day, dessert, coffee, tea and lemonade are always available. What you won't find here are televisions or computers, so come prepared to enjoy a good book, a quiet walk, croquet on the lawn, board and card games and the company of those you're traveling with. "This home was made for people," says Darlene. "I love it when it's full and you can hear their laughter!"
Blaney Park is about 90 minutes west of the Mackinac Bridge and just 1 mile north of U.S. 2, which runs across the southern edge of the Upper Peninsula. That puts you in a perfect location for taking day trips to all kinds of interesting places such as Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Hiawatha National Forest and the historic ghost town of Fayette. Then there's historic Blaney Park, itself, which Darlene and Roger describe as the "little historic village that refuses to quit living."
Vitals
rooms: 7 with private baths
pets permitted: no
pets in residence: none
open season: May to November 1
rates: $80 to $125
e-mail: none
website:www.celibethhousebnb.com
owners/innkeepers:
Darlene and Roger Cassady
4446N M-77 Highway
Blaney Park, MI 49836-9106
906-283-3409
CURTIS
Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn
It was a blustery December night when Paul and I pulled up to Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn. The driving had been difficult, even by Upper Peninsula standards. The temperature hovered around 32°F and the weather gods could not agree on rain or snow so we were getting both. Our finicky global positioning system (GPS) unit had quit altogether several hours earlier, and after logging 300 miles since lunch, we were tired.
Then ... we opened our car doors and were greeted by the feels-like-home scent of a wood-burning fire and the promise of warmth and rest just inside. In 15 minutes, we were toasty, seated in comfy chairs a few feet from the inn's 10-foot-wide stone fireplace, crackling fire ablaze. We sipped wine and feasted on a sizable wedge of brie baked in pastry, puddled in a perfectly sweet-tart raspberry sauce and served with crackers and apple slices. And that was followed by a fragrant bowl of fresh mussels in garlic butter. Oh my!
This rock-solid, classic clapboard inn with its wide wraparound porch was built near the Curtis train station in the late 1800s to serve the needs of rail passengers. It was a popular place for years, but after the last passenger train ran from Grand Marais to Curtis on November 5, 1910, the lodging business dwindled quickly. After being closed for several years, the inn was purchased in 1924 by James Ostrander, who decided to move it to the edge of Big Manistique Lake, a half mile away. Trees were felled, limbs were removed, and the trunks were greased. Horses were hitched, and the building was rolled, literally, several feet each day to its present site. The process took three months. Ostrander renamed it the Forest Inn, and it operated until the 1970s.
Bud Chamberlin first saw the building in 1989 while snowmobiling in the area. And despite the fact that it had been closed for years and was in rough shape, he was smitten. He opened after a two-year renovation, and the inn has been a hub of hospitality in Curtis ever since.
There are several reasons to come here. For starters, the food is excellent. The fresh whitefish and prime rib are local favorites, and do try that amazing brie! There are two dining rooms on the first floor and a small, fully stocked bar. So if you can't spend the night, stop in for lunch or dinner. Enjoy your meal fireside, as we did, or take a seat on the veranda where you'll be treated to a spectacular view of the lake. Locals coming to eat often arrive by boat and tie up at the inn's ample dock.
If you're spending the night, you can choose from eleven lovely sleeping rooms in a variety of sizes on the second and third floors. Six have private baths. We stayed in an elegant corner room that has French doors opening to a huge bathroom with a jetted tub and separate shower. The large Chamberlain Suite on the third floor has a marvelous view of the lake and a sitting area with a futon couch. Three rooms facing the lake each have a queen-size bed and a sink in the room, and they share two bathrooms — one for men and one for women. Two rooms with private baths have two double beds apiece, and two others share one adjoining bath — all great options if you're traveling with children or friends. You'll find pretty antiques and lots of attention to detail in the sleeping rooms, and even the smallest offers plenty of space for two guests. A hearty breakfast is served in the dining room or out on the veranda — your choice.
Kelly, Bud's wife, is a skilled florist and decorator, and her talents are evident everywhere. During our visit, the inn was bedecked for Christmas with festive boughs and branches, tiny white lights, candles and poinsettias and a gorgeous fresh tree.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Michigan's Town & Country Inns by Susan Newhof. Copyright © 2013 University of Michigan. Excerpted by permission of The University of Michigan Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
North Country: The Upper Peninsula
Ahmeek
Sand Hills Lighthouse Inn 8
Big Bay
Thunder Bay Inn 11
Blaney Park
Celibeth House Bed and Breakfast 14
Curtis
Chamberlin's Ole Forest Inn 17
Laurium
Laurium Manor Inn and Victorian Hall Bed and Breakfast 20
St. Ignace
The Boardwalk Inn 24
Islands in the Straits: Bois Blanc Island and Mackinac Island
Bois Blanc Island
Insel Haus 31
Mackinac Island
Cloghaun 35
Metivier Inn 38
Land of Little Bays: Northern Lower Peninsula
Bay View
The Terrace Inn 43
Bellaire
Bellaire Bed and Breakfast 46
The Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast Inn 50
Charlevoix
Horton Creek Inn Bed and Breakfast 54
Leland
The Riverside Inn 57
Ludington
Ludington House Bed and Breakfast 61
Cartier Mansion 64
Old Mission Peninsula
Chateau Chantal Winery and Inn 67
The Inn at Chateau Grand Traverse 72
Pentwater
Hexagon House 76
Petoskey
Stafford's Bay View Inn 79
Prudenville
Springbrook Inn 82
Suttons Bay
The Inn at Black Star Farms 86
Traverse City
Antiquities Wellington Inn 90
Walloon Lake Village
Walloon Lake Inn 94
Wolverine
Silent Sport Lodge Wilderness Bed and Breakfast 98
Southern Sunset: The Southwestern Lower Peninsula
Allegan
Castle in the Country 105
Grand Haven
Harbor House Inn 109
Holland
Crimson Cottage in the Woods 112
Muskegon
Port City Victorian Inn 117
St. Joseph
South Cliff Inn 122
Saugatuck
Belvedere Inn 126
Wickwood Inn 130
South Haven
Yelton Manor Bed Breakfast 134
Whitehall
A Finch Nest Bed and Breakfast 139
Cocoa Cottage Bed and Breakfast 143
White Swan Inn 147
Heartland: The Central Lower Peninsula
Alma
Saravilla Bed and Breakfast 153
Battle Creek
Greencrest Manor 157
Coldwater
Chicago Pike Inn and Spa 161
Eaton Rapids
The English Inn 165
Grandville
Prairieside Suites Luxury Bed and Breakfast 169
Jonesville
Munro House Bed and Breakfast 173
Jugville (White Cloud)
The Shack 177
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo House Bed and Breakfast 181
Marshall
The National House Inn 185
Mount Pleasant
Country Chalet and Edelweiss Haus 188
Ginkgo Tree Inn 192
Union City
The Victorian Villa Inn 196
Southern Sunrise: The Southeastern Lower Peninsula
Auburn Hills
Cobblestone Manor 203
Bay City
Chesny's Keswick Manor 207
The Historic Webster House 211
Lexington
A Night to Remember Bed and Breakfast 215
Plymouth
932 Penniman 219
Ypsilanti
The Parish House Inn 223
Resources 227