Things I Learned from Travel Brochures

Sometimes travel brochures promise more than you find upon arrival at your destination. But I have found some interesting details to enhance a brief Fourth of July trip to the Thumb, as well as my general appreciation of our state.

From "Welcome to Vacationland 2007: Official Guide for the Blue Water Area":

Michigan leads the nation in number of state parks and campsites.
Michigan was the first state to establish roadside picnic tables.
No matter where you are in Michigan, you are within 85 miles of a Great Lake.

This year is Port Huron's Sesquicentennial. It was incorporated on February 4, 1857. Visit www.ph150.org for details.

The 83d annual Port Huron-Mackinac Island Yacht Race begins July 21st. The starting area for the race will be located on the west side of the shipping channel in lower Lake Huron approximately 4.5 nautical miles north of the Blue Water Bridges near the U.S. shore.

From "Lexington, Michigan 2007 Visitors Guide":
Lexington is 112 miles from Ann Arbor, 194 miles from Grand Rapids and 139 miles from Lansing.
Lexington was incorporated in 1855. Shingles were the currency in the early days of the settlement. One thousand dollars bought a barrel of flour and 20,000 shingles bought a barrel of pork.

From "Michigan Travel Ideas--Michigan's Official State Travel Guide":
Between South Haven and Ludington, there are 130 miles sugar-fine, sandy beaches on Lake Michigan.
South Haven will host the National Blueberry Festival August 9-12.

Seul Choix Point Lighthouse, 20 miles east of Manistique, has guided ships since 1892 and is the only working light left on northern Lake Michigan.

Get out and explore. Michigan is an amazing place.

To Hell and Back in a Morning

About 30 minutes by car northwest of Ann Arbor, nestled in the hills of the Pinckney State Recreation Area, lies Hell. Through the efforts of local businessman and Hell native, John Colone, the town is experiencing a growth in tourism. Hell hosted in excess of 12,000 visitors last summer on June 6th (6/6/6). Not bad for a town of about 72.

The"business district" consists of three establishments--a general store, an ice cream shop, and a restaurant. Screams Ice Cream from Hell serves ice cream from the end of March through November and features a gift shop brimming with whimsical hell-themed items. Behind the shop, you'll find a wedding chapel. Humor plays a big part in all this. As the post card for the Chapel says,"Let's face it...marriage can be hell. Why not tackle it with a sense of humor, by tying the knot in Hell's own wedding chapel?"

I spoke with Screams manager, Janet Fuller, originally from Hampshire, England about her appreciation of Michigan and the US. She spoke to the wide open spaces and availability of land, the public access to protected land, the friendliness of the people here, and the relative ease of access to health care compared to that provided by the national health service in Britain. Though, she allowed that it is considerably more expensive here. She also pitched a number of upcoming events in Hell:

• May 20th, Blessing of the Bikes at TMZ Farms, an annual event that draws scores of bikers to Hell
• July 7 th (7/7/7), Lucky Sevens Festival and Las Vegas Night
• August TBA, Hell of a Cruise, an annual vintage and classic car show
  
• September 8th, Dances with Dirt, one of the top ten trail races in the US (50 mile, 50K and 100K events)
  

Next door to Screams sits Smitty's Dam Site Inn serving a full menu of homemade lunch and dinner specialties including stuffed walleye, Delmonico steak. The dam in town, formerly the site of a mill, actually holds back the seven lakes covering 900 acres in the Pinckney Recreation Area, where you can kayak and canoe.

Sure, the Michigan economy is going through a rough patch, but the good people of Hell can teach a thing or two about marketing, promotion, and creativity. If you have lemons...where ever you find yourself, make some local lemonade.