When I was a kid, my family lived downstate, or more like midstate. Every summer, without fail we’d come up North to vacation about an hour away from the area where I now live. Every year the Shreve family would have a family reunion in the small Northern town where the old family farmhouse still stood. We’d come up for a week, and most of it would be deadly dull. Let’s face it, you can only swim and sun so much.

While most of the vacation was relatively placid, we did usually take a few trips. One of those trips was always to Fishtown. Even back then, when I was a kid, I loved the weathered boards of the buildings, and the neat little trinkets that were sold in the shops. I also remember, strangely enough, getting salt water taffy in Fishtown, which, even then, seemed odd as Fishtown was on a freshwater river and lake.

Fishtown is the historical district of Leland, Michigan. Once, about a hundred and forty years ago, it really was a fish town; a place where people who fished on the Great Lakes, and those who worked to can those fish, lived. Today, it is a series of shops and art galleries, where tourists can browse for a unique souvenir or gift. Fishtown is also the site of the only public ferry offering rides to the Manitou Islands.

Fishtown was first stettled in 1854. The area was a great one for fishing and more families came to get in on the catch. Fishing wasn’t an easy life, but a family could support themselves doing it and many families did until the 1930s. In that decade, catches declined do to overfishing and the introduction of non-native species. The fishing settlement needed another reason to be, since commercial fishing couldn’t support it anymore. Eventually the area was developed as a tourist destination and Fishtown was born.

Today there are still two active fisheries in Fishtown and an active charter fishing business. Most of Fishtown, however, is now a shopping district with art galleries, souvenir shops and candy stores. The quaint shacks which used to house the fishermen and the cannery workers have become quaint stores where tourists search for a unique piece of art or something to take home as a remembrance of their trip.

Some of the standout galleries and stores in Fishtown include Fishtown Pottery where you can get high-fire porcelain and glazed ceramics. Reflections is Leland’s oldest art gallery and nautical store, and a famous tourist destination. If you’re in the mood for food, stop by Carlson’s for smoked fish and beef or turkey jerky. You can also stop by the Village Cheese Shanty for wine, cheese and local specialties. If you want a truly unique souvenir, visit TUG Stuff, which features clothing and accessories which carry the TUG logo. This log was designed in the early 1970’s by a local artist and reflects the history of fishing on the Great Lakes.

Fishtown is also a great place from which to go fishing. The Fishtown Charter Service will take you out to fish the waters of the Manitou Islands. If you love lake trout, brown trout, or steelhead, booking a charter trip could be for you.

When I was small, Fishtown was a place we went to break up a week long family reunion. I remember it as a place with cool little shops where some indulgent aunt or uncle always let me purchase some cool little trinket. Today, I don’t get back to Fishtown as often as I should, but after writing this, I think I’ll put it on the list of places to go this summer. After all, I’m an adult with a wallet of my own now, and I’m betting I could still find a trinket or two worth buying.

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SimplyOutdoors has somewhat of a treat today.  We have a guest blog from a blogger that all of you should be familiar with.  So without further adoo here is one of Kristine’s contributions to my Michigan Sanctuaries Series.

Arthur has been patiently waiting for a guest post from me for a while now, and I think I’m finally ready to provide one.

When he started his Michigan Sanctuary Series I volunteered to write a post or two, since I am from Michigan as well. He lives “downstate” and I live in Northern Michigan, so we were able to divvy up the places about which we wanted to write. There were a few “Up North” attractions that weren’t familiar to Arthur, so I said I would write about those.

One of those attractions is Old Mission Peninsula which is right in Traverse City, the town in which I live. Old Mission Peninsula is 18 miles long and divides Grand Traverse Bay into East Bay and West Bay. The peninsula contains approximately 54 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, and has some beautiful scenic drives.

One of the highlights of touring Old Mission Peninsula is the wineries. If you like wine, you can find a wide variety of very good vintages if you take the winery tour. I know from experience that Chateau Grand Traverse makes a great Late Harvest Riesling, if you like white wine. Many of the wineries also have events during the course of the year.  Chateau Chantal has Jazz at Sunset with the Jeff Haas Trio. Several of the wineries also band together to offer things like Blossom Days. These are special events that give the public an opportunity to taste wines and tour the wineries.

The Peninsula is also home to some great restaurants. One of the most historic is the Bowers Harbor Inn which was originally built as a summer retreat for a Chicago lumber baron. The Inn is now a restaurant and also comes complete with a ghost, which is reputedly the wife of the original owner of the Inn. Old Mission Peninsula is also home to the Old Mission Tavern, and The Boathouse. Restaurants range from fancy and expensive, to more casual and less pricey. There certainly is a lot of great food on the Peninsula.

Just in case you’re thinking that wine and food are the only things Old Mission Peninsula has to offer, I should also tell you about the great parks where hiking and biking is available. Peninsula township park has forty acres of forest and orchards that can be explored. The trails are paved and relatively flat, so it is a nice bike ride or walk. There is also Lighthouse Park, which features the Old Mission Peninsula lighthouse, which is on the end of the peninsula. The lighthouse was built in 1870 and was operational for sixty seven years. Currently the lighthouse is part of Lighthouse Park, although the lighthouse itself is off limits to the public and used as a residence by park employees.

The Old Mission Peninsula offers so many different pleasures. You can dress up and go out for an elegant dinner. You can spend part of a weekend touring the wineries and tasting all the great Michigan wines. You can bike or hike the trails or simply sit on the beach by the lighthouse and listen to the waves lap the shore. Whatever your mood, Old Mission Peninsula offers something for you to do and a lot of natural beauty in the bargain.

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