The RenFest at Holly, Michigan, runs on weekends from late August to Early October each year. I visited on a Saturday and found it uncrowded and in tip-top form. The re-enactors and vendors and visitors all seemed to be in a good mood and ready for some fun. This being my first visit – and photographs being my top priority – I chose not to go in costume. Of course, there were plenty of costume shops open, so I could have rented or purchased a tunic and a sword. Maybe next time.
Here’s a photo line-up of this colorful historical attraction. (Click on any photo to view it in full screen mode.)
Whenever I return to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, I have decided that a sword is a nice thing to have, but I am going to avoid a kilt. That’s just me. Do what you want. It’s all good. And it’s all a lot of fun.
And don’t miss the traditional turkey drumstick for lunch. It’s actually slow-smoked and tasty.
And then there is the ubiquitous dill pickle right out of the barrel.
Hmm… so much to savor and so few summer days left.
Here is the link to the RenFest website. Have fun!
My road atlas shows the secondary roads in red. Those are the narrow two-lane county blacktops that pre-date the expressways and the superhighways. And it is where the historical sites and nostalgic gems are still found.
M-22 is a redliner’s treasure, as it winds through mature forests and over sand dunes, outlining the Leelenau Peninsula, Michigan’s virtual “pinkie” finger as it were, the lower peninsula being shaped like a mitten. It is punctuated by 150-year-old lighthouses and roadside farm markets offering sweet black cherries and other organic delicacies.
M-109 is a road trip within a road trip, a side spur from M-22 that skirts the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
A side spur from this rural delight is another gem, M-109, which winds lazily through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, an expansive park that is managed by the National Park Service. It is the home of a well-preserved ghost town. Glen Haven is an old fishing village with a historic inn, general store, blacksmith shop, fishing cannary and other buildings.
M-109 heads off through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The National Lakeshore is a wonderland of perched sand dunes, thick forests, abandoned farms and old vacation homes. The shorelines are gorgeous. If there is magic where land and water meet, then this peninsula is entirely enchanted. Shifting sand dunes rise more than 450 above the turquoise waters of Lake Michigan.
Nature lovers and adventurers experience a rush of enthusiasm for a plethora of hiking trails, bike paths, scenic drives and beaches.
Here is a line-up of photos I captured while on a recent visit to the area:
Perched sand dunes loom over the beaches along the Leelenau Peninsula.The scenic overlook at Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive provides a gander at Lake Michigan and the distant South and North Manitou Islands, also part of the National Lakeshore and desirable backcountry camping (backpacking) destinations.Visitors see the lake from 450 feet above the water.
The view of the Empire Bluffs from an overlook on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive includes North Bar Lake in the foreground.The Dune Climb is one of the most popular hikes in the park.The Platte River is perfect for kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and tubing.Lapidaries and rock collectors search for mineral specimens and fossils like the Petoskey Stone, Michigan’s state stone.Families with kids love the warm waters of North Bar Lake which is separated from Lake Michigan by a narrow sand bar.Water sports enthusiasts find plenty of opportunity on Lake Michigan and several inland lakes.The port town of Glen Haven is now a ghost town, nicely preserved by park service historians.The Sleeping Bear Inn ran for more than a century until closing in 1972.The fish cannary still stands at the water’s edge in the historic port town.Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor is entirely decorated with school pennants on the walls and ceilings.Glen Arbor is alive with tourism during the summer… and pretty much dead the rest of the year.The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is a premiere cyclist’s destination that winds along the shoreline and through deep woods and open meadows for 27 miles. It has a few steep hills with grades of up to 11%.Beach walkers are not disappointed along the many miles of beautiful beaches flanked by dunes and surf.This is a land of million dollar sunsets and folks show up all along the shore to enjoy the show across the dunes and Lake Michigan at sundown.
Point Betsie Lighthouse is near the south end of M-22 not far from the port of Frankfort, Michigan.
Being over 50 miles from the nearest freeway, M-22 is not on the way to anywhere… except adventure and natural splendor.
My travel tip: If you can, avoid the crowds of the later summer and visit the area in September when the parks are nearly empty and you have your pick of campsites – or cabins. The lakes are still relatively warm and accommodating for water sports like kayaking, paddle boarding and swimming.
After that, the maple forests light up with the vivid yellows, reds, and oranges of autumn.
And after that, it gets nasty out here when the gales of November start whipping off of Lake Michigan and the early snows set in.
I love the activities of summer and the pleasant weather that makes them so enjoyable. Summer is definitely my favorite season of the year. Life is easy. The sweaters are in storage and t-shirts and flip flops are the standard uniform.
Kaye and I are parked in a small town campground for the summer and we have a virtual smorgasbord of events to choose from in the mitten of lower Michigan.
Every town is having its annual summer festival and the air is filled with the aroma of cotton candy and corndogs. Carnivals are buzzing and whirring everywhere as the Tilt-a-Whirl makes its frenzied spin. Food trucks offer gastrointestinal delight (or disaster) at every midway. What fun!
Here are some photos of summer festivals that we have enjoyed in lower Michigan over the last couple of years.
Dog Daze at Marlette, Michigan.
My friend, Doug Kramer, drives his horses and carriage at several town festivals in the summer.
The Thumb Octagon Barn Festival, Gagetown, Michigan.
Civil War era soldiers camp every summer at the Octagon Barn Festival.The historical school house has re-enactments as well.
The River of Time, Bay City, Michigan.
This annual encampment re-enacts a complete timeline of American military history from the native Americans to World War II and Vietnam.
River of Time includes re-enactments from several different eras of American history.
Gun battles extend to the waters of the Saginaw River where the boats wage war with each other.
Blues on the Mall, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Musicians play on the sidewalks and on the big stages in the center of the city.Of course, every festival has its classic car show.
Creekside Days, Ortonville, Michigan.
Local musicians perform in the old restored mill, now a wonderfully curated museum.
Farm Markets everywhere!
I am loving the growing popularity of the local farm markets. They are springing up in every little town and city and offer locally produced health and organic foods in bulk.
Not only that, but some permanent bulk food stores are popping up here and there. In our old neighborhood in Michigan’s thumb (the lower peninsula being shaped like a mitten), Country View Bulk Food store is owned and operated by a Mennonite family and offers a plethora of farm products in bulk. It is growing so fast that the owners are adding space to the building every summer!
Have you ever seen 5-pound blocks of Muenster cheese at your local big box store?How about link sausages in 10-pound boxes? Now that’s what I call bulk food!
There are only a few weeks of summer left and then fall arrives and the weather changes. And our opportunities to take advantage of the summer farm markets and festivals will end for another season. Better get out there right now and make hay while the sun shines, as it were. Soon enough the snow will fly and the outdoor markets will be gone.
Maybe this photo will provide the virtual kick in the pants that you may need to get out to the local festivals and farm markets pronto!
Dang it! I miss those fresh veggies I got from the farm market last summer!
Where the Robert Meets the Road 