August 20, 2026
Upon leaving Mackinac Island, we passed under the the Mackinac Bridge which connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan and marks the transition from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is the third and final Great Lake during our journey after brief passages across Lake Ontario and through Lake Huron mostly by way of Georgian Bay.
Our first stop along the Michigan coastline was beautiful Petoskey. Almost immediately after arriving, we disembarked from the boat, unloaded our e-bikes, and set off with our friends Jean and Matt, who were riding the old-fashioned, non-powered kind of bicycle, on an 9-mile ride to Harbor Springs.
We quickly discovered that our cute, compact e-bikes were not quite the powerhouses we had hoped. Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t keep up—clearly, they had not gotten the memo that this was supposed to be a leisurely ride. Occasionally, we resorted to using full power rather than the more dignified pedal-assist modes. Regardless, we thoroughly enjoyed the ride to Harbor Springs.
Along the way, we passed one spectacularly majestic cottage after another, each more impressive than the last, with enormous lawns, sprawling porches, and exquisitely manicured gardens. It was the kind of neighborhood where you half expected a butler to emerge from behind the hedges and ask if you had an appointment.
Petoskey itself was equally charming and fascinating. The city offered a wonderful mix of old and new, with many buildings dating back to the 19th century. The historic upper levels of the buildings had an ornamental charm while the ground floors had been transformed into sleek, modern shops and businesses. The result was a delightful blend of history and contemporary style.
There was no shortage of shops catering to the well-heeled summer crowd, along with gourmet bistros, cafés, and enough tempting places to eat to make walking past them a serious exercise in self-control. We spent hours exploring the city on foot while following a self-guided audio tour, learning about Petoskey’s fascinating history and discovering all sorts of interesting details along the way.
After all that biking, walking, sightseeing, and pretending we weren’t tired, we finally found exactly what we needed: the perfect little bistro, where we could sit down, rest our weary feet, and take full advantage of the happy-hour specials. Sometimes the best part of sightseeing is knowing when it’s time to stop sightseeing!
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