by Kim Schneider

A Pure Michigan Michigan

Mackinac Island

Lake Michigan

HARBOR SPRINGS

Little Traverse Bay

Charlevoix Petoskey

Boyne City

Harbor Town

Its deepwater natural harbor — deepest on the Great Lakes — made Harbor Springs, Michigan, an early destination for massive steamships hauling tourists. But what’s kept it a favorite destination is the depth of other o erings in and around its charming downtown, including galleries, golf, skiing, wineries and more. by Kim Schneider

Harbor Point

Little Traverse Wheelway

motor past the multi-million dollar homes and stunning yachts into the deepest and arguably prettiest harbors on the Great Lakes, and you’ll already have a good picture of why tourists have flocked here for a century and a half — and mostly by boat.

But reach the town’s marinas, and you’ll need your full imagination to picture what once was. On a typical day in, say, 1890, you’d be one of 5,000 people a day arriving on ferries with names like the Adrienne and Silver Spray, and more arriving from large luxury liners of the day from Chicago en route to Mackinac Island. The boats stopped at dock after dock of bayfront resort communities that still exist today — Harbor Point, Wequetonsing and Bay View — and Petoskey too, heading to cottages from the train station, or shuttling around to shop, attend a concert or picnic across the way.

In photos of the day, young newspaper peddlers shout their version of “Read all about it,” women paddle canoes in their Victorian best, and men stroll docks in suits and bowler hats. People even skated on the waterfront, thanks to one ferry line that built an 8,000-square-foot rink over the water as a way to set their boats apart.

Bucolic waterfront

Today, visitors also take roads past state parks with wide beaches and under a famed “Tunnel of Trees.” But on and around the water is still the place to be in Harbor Springs; for bucolic waterfront dining, a summer dip or the short stroll from harbor marinas to one of the Midwest’s most charming downtowns. Shops with a coastal vibe are decked out with colorful window boxes on the outside, while the insides house glass blowers and impressionist painters, destination dining, even cookies so popular they’ve been featured on Rachel Ray and the Today show.

Most nights, music emanates from the waterfront: Jazz, chamber music, singersongwriters strolling the streets. And you’ll want to take your own stroll at sunset up a scenic bluff for the area’s best view of the quaint harbor in which you’re docked.

The same glaciers that carved out the sheltered deepwater bay left the town’s signature bluffs, once the shoreline of an ancient lake, says Beth Wemigwase, program coordinator for the Harbor Springs Historical Society. The glaciers also crafted large moraines 750 feet above Lake Michigan where you’ll find the Harbor Springs ski resorts Nubs Nobs and the Highlands at Harbor Springs (formerly Boyne Highlands, whose claim to fame was the nation’s first triple chairlift). When glaciers retreated, they deposited the mineral-rich soils that have made the area the state’s fastest-growing wine region.

Get your bearings — and some context for your visit — by taking a right turn from the waterfront down Main Street and exploring the historical society’s impressive museum. The museum was designed by architect/builder Charles Caskey, best known for his work on Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel. Across the street in Shay Park, you’ll find the restored Aha, a 50-foot steel yacht once owned by early inventor and resident Ephraim Shay. One building you can’t miss is the Shay Hexagon House, across from Shay Park, which was designed and built by Shay in 1876 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Inside the historical society’s museum, displays walk visitors through the region’s past, from the first permanent residents,

Stafford’s and Pointer

the Odawa, to the missionary era, post-Civil War homesteading, logging and tourism. The town’s reinvention to draw wealthy travelers might be called the “first Pure Michigan campaign,” Wemigwase says. The name changed from Little Traverse to Harbor Springs in 1881 to emphasize both the deep harbor and health benefits of clean air and natural springs. The city gave away land to people wanting to start cottage enclaves as a way to populate the area, and most became so exclusive that, according to Pointer Captain Dave Crowley, enclaves like Harbor Point require five sponsors by residents to live there and have rejected plenty of notable celebrities to “keep out the paparazzi.”

You’ll see the enclaves up close with a history lesson layered throughout by taking a ride on Pointer, a restored wooden beauty, now docked at Stafford’s Pier Restaurant. For more than 30 years, Pointer shuttled residents of Harbor Point from town to their cottage homes. Cars are still not allowed on the point, and when not traveling by water, residents often shuttle belongings in by horse and carriage.

Crowley, an avid storyteller, also has fun facts that come in handy when planning the rest of your trip in Harbor Springs. As you pass the city beach, for example, he notes that water here is seven degrees cooler than the bay thanks to the natural springs that shoot in 36-degree water. Artesian springs also feed downtown water fountains. You may also catch a bit of the lifestyle past and present as you pass the Little Traverse Yacht Club and lawn parties with a “Great Gatsby” vibe.

Highlands at Harbor Springs

Shay Hexagon House and Aha

2022 SIGNATURE EVENTS

The Harbor Springs Farmers Market brings live music, produce, baked goods, lavender, fruit, fl owers and more to the corner of State and Main (Wednesdays and Saturdays starting May 28).

Street Musique brings musical entertainment and fun with buskers that may combine a blues band, hoedown and magicians at various downtown stops (every Thursday through summer).

Little Bay Live features live music from small ensembles from the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra at the Marina Park, 4-6 p.m. (some Sundays), while other Sundays feature Rivertown Jazz.

The Blessing of the Fleet is an annual kickoff to summer hosted by the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society, with a boat blessing, parade, waterfront displays and music (June 30).

Shay Days (July 15-16) celebrates early inventor Ephraim Shay and inventions like his famous geared locomotive. Event includes tours of his hexagonal house, family friendly games, crafts and more.

Taste of Harbor Springs, held in a big tent at the waterfront, lets visitors sample the cuisine of most area restaurants (September 17).

The Harbor Springs Festival of the Book is a three-day celebration of readers, writers, books and literary craft, and it features lectures by nationally published authors and illustrators (September 23-25).

Street Musique Blessing of the Fleet

Little Traverse Bay Ferry

Stay awhile

The town’s boating tradition is evident at stops like Walstrom Marine and the Irish Boat Shop. Both offer transient dockage (and most anything you need), as does the municipal marina. The municipal marina also offers courtesy rides to area grocery stores. But to see more, bring or rent a bike. The Little Traverse Wheelway offers paved travel from Harbor Springs to Charlevoix, and one popular trip is the 24-mile one-way trek to Petoskey with a boat ride back via the Little Traverse Bay Ferry Company. Ferries make the triangle between Harbor Springs, Petoskey and Bay Harbor throughout the day, harkening back to the town’s early ferry days.

Dining is a destination here, and an easily walkable one, whether you’re looking to pack a picnic or have a romantic dinner out. Small Batch at the Cupola is an upscale breakfast favorite for lemon ricotta pancakes or gourmet versions of an eggs Benedict. Sandwiches at Gurney’s Harbor Bottle Shop have a local cult following and are a perfect picnic choice. And dessert tends to be casual but memorable when it’s chocolate from Howse’s Fudge, a scoop on a Yummies cone or a famous Tom’s Mom’s Cookie — chocolate chunk cookies with various twists made with a recipe started by a guy named Tom.

For dinner, you’re on the water, literally, at Stafford’s Pier. It was built on pilings in the 1920s when it served as a boathouse for the Harbor Point water taxi. The New York Restaurant, another prohibition-era favorite, offers elegant preparations of whitefish and steak with a bay view, and Pierson’s Grille and Spirits is a must-visit for its casual apres ski vibe and theme.

Highlands at Harbor Springs Segway tour

Howse’s Fudge

Downtown fun

Shopping is not just an option downtown; it’s a pilgrimage for many who seek out galleries great for art and jewelry lovers. Belle Aquatic and Elizabeth Blair Fine Pearls offer luxury pieces, and Knox Galleries has collectable sculptures. You’ll watch artisans in working studios at Boyer Glassworks Studio and Gallery and Little Traverse Tileworks. And no worries if you forgot your beach read or want a tome set in the region; Between the Covers has you covered.

For fun in the evenings or on a rainy-day afternoon, the restored Lyric Theater tells stories through the screens in its three cinemas, as well as in its décor. Artist Glenn Wolff painted one mural to resemble local railroad passenger cars of the ’20s, while another mural offers the feel of a ship traversing the bay between Harbor Point and downtown. The theater also offers craft beer and popcorn with real butter.

If you want to venture out, golfers can choose from four championship courses and the nine-hole Par 3 at the Highlands at Harbor Springs. Those who don’t golf can instead zipline across the mountain, ride a horse to a hill-top vista or take a Segway tour. Call ahead to get a ride from the marina to the resort.

Private (or pre-planned) tours are also

Boyer Glassworks

Pond Hill Farm

available along the friendly Petoskey Wine Trail, one with 17 stops joined by rolling country hills — and with plenty of recent buzz. Try wine from the signature grape, the Marquette, a cold-hardy relative of Pinot Noir that’s taken recent awards including best dry red in Michigan. At Harbor Springs’ Pond Hill Farm, you’ll pass grapes draping the hillside and have the options of wine, microbrews or dining from produce grown here, or maybe even a chance to feed the on-site animals. The region’s vibe beckons you to relax and stay awhile, Crowley notes, and it all starts with the arrival.

“I love the sheer beauty of pulling into such a charming harbor, especially if the bay or Lake Michigan is rough,” he says. “It’s like flipping a switch. Everything calms down, and I just feel really content.” ★

RESOURCES

Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce

HARBORSPRINGSCHAMBER.COM

231-526-7999

Harbor Springs Area Historical Society

HARBORSPRINGSHISTORY.ORG

231-526-9771

Harbor Springs Marina

CITYOFHARBORSPRINGS.COM

231-526-5355

Irish Boat Show

IRISHBOATSHOP.COM

231-526-6225

Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau

PETOSKEYAREA.COM

231-348-2755

Walstrom Marine

WALSTROM.COM

231-526-2141

HARBOR SPRINGS

400 Bay St. Harbor Springs, MI 231-526-6225

TRAVERSE CITY

988 W. Commerce Dr. Traverse City, MI 231-242-1922

CHARLEVOIX

13000 Stover Rd. Charlevoix, MI 231-547-9967

YOUR PREMIER NORTHERN MICHIGAN BOATYARD SINCE 1961

Harbor Springs