GREAT ADVENTURE TOWNS

BY KANDACE CHAPPLE

Bellaire

Charming and unassuming, Bellaire indeed is the North’s fresh prince. This tiny town in the middle of nowhere (you’ll drive curving backroads for miles before it suddenly appears) holds countless jewels in its hand: access to some of the best waterways in Michigan, a mountain bike trail system that people build entire vacations around and a brewpub that’s famous statewide.

Out your door: W ithin a 10-minute drive from town, you can tackle the mountain bike trails at Glacial Hills Pathway and Natural Area, hike the Grass River Natural Area, ski at Schuss Mountain and boat the Chain of Lakes Water Trail. (Oh, and did we mention the seven golf courses?)

In your garage: A boat and a bike. Paddles & Pedals in downtown Bellaire offers gear for kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking and biking (with brands like Jamis, Pivot and Niner).

In the neighborhood: The Corner Bistro’s motto is, “If you’re here, you’re local.” Snag your usual spot on the charming porch. Mammoth Distilling welcomes with a convivial atmosphere and the famed “Cherry Bounce”—a whiskey made with tart cherries from Shooks Farm right up the road. And Short’s Brewing Co., has, in short, become THE destination for mountain bikers who want to ride Glacial, then lunch and hydrate. It’s the perfect afternoon in spandex.

Meet Your Dream House

6953 Northshore Drive, Bellaire, 1,398 sq. ft., $956,000 (SOLD)

A quintessential lakefront log cottage with three bedrooms and two baths offers 115 feet of sandy frontage on Lake Bellaire, an acre of land and an inviting northern feel with exposed logs, a natural stone fireplace and a wall of windows that provides uninterrupted lake views. The oversized garage adds a half bath and unfinished bunk room above.

Real Talk

Julia Pietrowicz

Associate Broker, antrimshoresrealty.com

MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN TOWN: $283,500

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BELLAIRE: “Bellaire is on the rise. The downtown has transformed in the last 15 years. We have always been a destination for the lakes and resort, but now people seem to come for the fun downtown area. Unlike some northern towns that focus on winter or summer, Bellaire is always open.”

WHO’S BUYING: “A lot of people who are now able to work from home. Also, younger buyers not ready to live here full-time, so they want a place they can rent out when they aren’t using it. We see some buyers who couldn’t find an affordable house in Traverse City, so they came out this way.”

WHY LIVE HERE: “When you live in Bellaire, you have so many recreational opportunities available within a very short distance. Most

7525 Tranquility Hill Rd., Bellaire, 3,732 sq. ft., $987,700 people have to drive four hours to enjoy what we have within minutes of home. We are in the center of everything Up North. You have access to crystal-clear inland lakes and rivers, as well as numerous beaches on Lake Michigan. Most everything you need on a daily basis is available in town—dining, hardware, pharmacies, dentists, grocery store, auto repair/parts—and the big box stores are less than an hour away.”

This custom four-bedroom, three-and-ahalf-bath, two-car garage family home offers acreage for privacy and recreation just minutes from town. A mix of open and wooded 20 acres surround the fulllength deck, hot tub and heated swimming pool all with stunning sunset views of Lake Bellaire.

Meet Your Dream House

ST. IGNACE

Plenty of smoked fish and pasties and not a stoplight to be found in St. Ignace, the Yooper town perched over Lake Huron and the stunning fivemile-long Mackinac Bridge. The Hallmark-worthy downtown is home port for the passenger ferries to Mackinac Island in the summer—and the snowmobilers who take the ice bridge to the island in the winter if the ice is thick enough.

Out your door: Histor y galore. Shipwrecks to explore. Swim at the beautiful sand dunes on US-2, enjoy miles of hiking and biking trail systems and count on the white stuff come winter for the cross-country ski trails. Keep kiddos busy at Little Bear East Arena (indoor hockey, gym, ball fields, hiking trail) and the big kids happy at St. Ignace’s huge staging area for the ATV-snowmobile trail system. For the quiet ones, wander the North Huron Birding Trail and for the lucky ones, hit the Kewadin Casino just outside of town.

In your garage: Boats, snowmobiles, ATVs, kayaks, bikes, tents, fishing equipment, snowshoes, binoculars. You’ll need it all, but some items can be harder to come by up here. Go to St. Ignace True Value Hardware to keep your own goods in working order.

In the neighborhood: Get fish fresh from the Great Lakes at your pick of downtown eateries and pubs. For an all-day breakfast choice—and some Oreo pancakes—visit Java Joe’s Café. They have a different St. Ignace -inspired mural painted on the floor every year and the walls are lined with outrageous teapots for sale.

Real Talk

NEXT FOR ST. IGNACE:

“We are building a new Cultural Center downtown across from the city marina. We have nightly music, a farmer’s market and Saturday night fireworks all summer long. We are the home base to the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Federal Forest Service and State Police. People from all over the world travel to Mackinac Island. We are always grateful for the diversity and ideas that come with that part of the community.”

WHO’S BUYING: “Many families were born and raised in St. Ignace and as many go off to discover careers or other lifestyles; lots of those family members a nd their friends come back to find housing here. People who have been priced out of purchasing in surrounding areas have found our area to still be affordable for many— however, there is a demand for housing that we cannot meet, as in most resort towns today. Vacation homes that can serve several purposes are very sought after.”

WHY LIVE HERE: “St. Ignace is a year-round community founded in 1671 and is the third oldest continuously inhabited city in the country. I t is known to many as the ‘Center of the Fresh Water World’ and sailors and boaters from all over find this community —which is also the gateway to the Upper Peninsula—a great home port. We are within walking distance to restaurants, hardware, pharmacies, post office, library, shopping, museums and grocery. A historic town with two long-established museums and views of the Straits of Mackinac, Mackinac Island and many other islands close by.”

Cheboygan

Cheboygan is a water-lover’s delight, perched along the Straits of Mackinac at the confluence of the Cheboygan River and Lake Huron. It marks the eastern gateway to the Inland Waterway, a water trail that stretches 40 miles, joining seven state parks, 20 nature preserves, three rivers, three lakes and countless tiny towns near the tip of the mitt.

Out your door: Cheboygan has 42 miles of Inland Waterway. You can boat from Cheboygan River into Mullett Lake, Indian River, Burt Lake, Crooked River and Crooked Lake going one way … then Cheboygan River and into Lake Huron and beyond in the other. Black Mountain Recreation Area offers 70plus miles of groomed trails for hiking, ATVing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and horseback riding. You can also snowmobile, hike and bike the North Eastern State Trail for about 70 miles from Cheboygan to Alpena.

In your garage: Fishing equipment from KatFisher Bait & Tackle on N. Straits Highway in Cheboygan. They’ll keep you in live bait all year and host a Mullett Lake Ice Fishing Tournament in February.

In the neighborhood: The Nauti Inn Barstro is accessible by road or river; the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn is an iconic landmark at the mouth of Mullett Lake; and the Pier M33 Restaurant and Marina on the Cheboygan River is the perfect place to tuck into a Dock Burger (Wagyu beef patty with Swiss, Castelvetrano olives and truffle aioli) after a day on the boat.

Real Talk

MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN TOWN: $168,000

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CHEBOYGAN: “People are just starting to discover Cheboygan. F or several decades, Cheboygan had many challenges which caused general socio-economic decline and held property values in check. The last six years we have seen a remarkable turnaround! Our downtown is beginning to thrive with several new shopping and dining establishments. Places like Libby’s Downtown Restaurant, Step Inn Mexican Restaurant, Beau est Beau (handcrafted cocktails and mocktails) and The Hive North (a mead and cider mill) all represent growth in our area.”

WHO’S BUYING: “Young people with families who may have graduated from Cheboygan Area Schools, but left to find work, are coming back. M any can work remotely and they loved their hometown. I t’s friendly and safe, and that’s the environment they want to raise their family in.”

WHY LIVE HERE: “Cheboygan is a community on the rebound with energy, vision and momentum. An infusion of new investment from creative entrepreneurs, the Michigan Mainstreet program and infrastructure upgrades have teamed with long-time champions of the community to create a fresh future.”

Meet Your Dream House

7134 Village Ln., Mullet Lake, 2,742 sq. ft.

$399,000

This quiet little getaway retreat in the heart of the Mullett Lake Village has North Central State Trail just out the front door and Mullett Lake access just a short walk away. The home features an open-concept kitchen, an extralarge living room with a wood-burning fireplace and a heated pole barn for your RV, extra storage or workshop.

500 Needle Point Dr., Cheboygan, 2,934 sq. ft.

$3,800,000

Nestled at the end of Needle Point on Mullett Lake, this home has vast waterfront footage, acreage all around and your very own island. Four bedrooms, three baths, plus a bonus 400-square-foot guest house for family and friends who inevitably will want to come and stay awhile.

Real Talk

Frida Waara

Realtor, G RI ABR COR ACP SRES, w ith REMAX 1st Realty in Marquette callfrida.com

MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN TOWN: $143,750

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MUNISING:

“It has woods and waters, but not many year-round residents. Out of Michigan’s eighty-three counties, Alger ranks third from the bottom with just 1.9 people per square mile. But it’s a town that is coming forward in a big way. Munising has been a tourist destination for over a century, but keeping up with the demand has been tough. They have quite the balancing act between the number of folks who are coming to visit and still maintaining a serene surrounding.”

WHO’S BUYING: “Many folks come here to be ‘out of town’—but they may also be buying where there is no electricity or natural gas. They will likely have a well and septic. I live half the week off-grid and it’s very doable with solar from May 1 to October 1. But be ready with a backup system when the ‘dark ages’ come. For us, it’s propane generators, but heat pumps are becoming popular, too. I also let buyers know that they may not need to buy eighty acres or more. Our ‘camp’ in the U.P. is only on eight acres, but it adjoins sixteen sections of the Hiawatha National Forest. That means I can ski, bike and hike for thirty-two miles and never cross a paved road. It’s glorious to have so much LAND that you don’t have to buy!”

WHY LIVE HERE: “It’s back to the same reason people are coming here: water. As the planet and its people suffer more from fire and lack of water, places like Munising become more valuable. Just remember, snow is water at a different temperature.”

Munising

Munising has been dubbed the “Moab of the Midwest,” and although it doesn’t have two National Parks like the famed outdoor lifestyle town of southern Utah, it does boast rocks and biking ops for days, including Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore plus Grand Island National Recreation Area. Hiawatha National Forest and Escanaba State Forest surround the town. Plus, with an average of more than 200 inches of snow and 330 miles of groomed trails, Munising is the snowmobile capital of the Midwest.

Out your door: The reason people come is simple: water. Alger County has more than 100 miles of public Lake Superior shoreline—including Grand Island—plus, it’s home to 30 rivers, 51 lakes and 17 spectacular waterfalls. Whether you want to hike for an hour or a week, you can find trails at Pictured Rocks. Come summer, Alger County becomes a bikers’ paradise (you can take the ferry over to Grand Island and make a day of the 20-mile loop around the island). In winter, dog sledding abounds, as does Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. And Munising has been hosting the annual Michigan Ice Fest since 1990, making it the longest running ice-climbing festival in the country. The one thing you can enjoy any time of the year? The night sky. With no light pollution, you just might see the Aurora Borealis while gazing north across Lake Superior.

On the water: Maybe the best gear here is another’s wisdom. To experience paddling on Lake Superior in a safe and guided environment, book a tour with one of the local kayak companies. They will give you a good introduction to what paddling the “Gitche Gumee” is all about. (The Chippewa people named Lake Superior “Gitche Gumee” or “Ojibwe Gichigami,” which translates to The Ojibwe’s Great Sea.) In the neighborhood: Fun takes fuel, and you’ll find great places to eat in Munising. Try the “Yooper on a Hot Tin Roof” skillet at Earl E. Byrds, or roam on over to Tracey’s restaurant at the Roam Inn for entrees like rice bowls, curry and noodles. To quench your thirst, try the frothy beers on tap at ByGeorge Brewing Co. with names like “Rusty Toboggan” and “Walking with Giants.”

E3220 and E3218 State Highway M-28, AuTrain, 10,462 sq. ft.

$4,900,000

This showpiece is not your everyday listing, but it’s definitely a way to highlight the best of Alger County. This seven-bedroom, seven-bath home with a three-car garage is a “once in a lifetime” property with panoramas of Au Train and Grand islands, protected by the cove and serenity of Shelter Bay. This beauty sits 50 feet above the world’s largest body of freshwater by area on the planet—Lake Superior.

303 W. Onota St., Munising, 1,050 sq. ft. $155,000

This snug three-bedroom, one-bath cottage packs a lot of cute for the buck, including hardwood floors and perennial flowerbeds. The location is the perfect mix of in-town bustle and peaceful U.P. vibes—it’s just a block from downtown, a four-block stroll to the marina, and backs up into the vast forested acreage that wraps around Munising.