Walloon Lake Great Lake Story 2019
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Final Chapter
There’s no denying the allure of Michigan’s Up North, where lush forests of white pines and birch trees mingle with rushing waterfalls, sparkling sands, and rolling green hills and valleys. Not to mention some of the most dazzling freshwater lakes in the world. Northern Michigan has inspired artists, lyricists and writers alike, with Ernest Hemingway among the most famous.
The Petoskey area was beloved by Hemingway, who spent many summers of his youth on Walloon Lake — home of Windemere, his family’s summer cottage. He wrote of the area, “It’s a great place to laze around and swim and fish when you want to. And the best place in the world to do nothing. It is beautiful country. And nobody knows about it but us.”
Today, there’s nothing hidden about the Michigan gem that is Walloon Lake. It calls families, couples and retirees from all over the states and overseas to its shores, beckoning them to dip their toes and launch their boats in its remarkable waters.
“The color of the lake is just so amazing. The clarity, the sandy bottom, the size of it … it’s a quiet lake and doesn’t feel crowded. We love that we can go out for a long boat ride and meander our way through the whole area.”
— Mike Pulick
Liz and Mike Pulick were drawn to Walloon Lake after spending childhood summers and their own family vacations at lake houses in northern Minnesota and Michigan. When they decided to build their vacation home, northern Michigan — and Walloon Lake in particular — was a natural choice. “It’s been a part of my life and our life as a family from the beginning,” Liz said. “We’ve always spent time on the lake in the summers.”
“Walloon Lake is our favorite lake to be on,” Mike said. “The color of the lake is just so amazing.
“The clarity, the sandy bottom, the size of it … it’s a quiet lake and doesn’t feel crowded. We love that we can go out for a long boat ride and meander our way through the whole area.”
The Pulicks found a piece of property they loved and, once purchased, immediately moved to assemble a design/build team. As Liz said, “We fell in quickly with a group of people we really connected with, and we think they were all great decisions.”
Their first partner was White and Liebler Architects, who led them to Eric Render of Render Construction. Render, a local expert in building custom homes and cottages focused on the northern Michigan lifestyle, has built on Walloon Lake and many other lakefront properties.
Like the Pulicks, Render has an affinity for the area and, especially, Walloon Lake. “It’s a beautiful body of water,” he said. “It has a unique turquoise color that only a few lakes in northern Michigan have, as well as a rich history with ties to Hemingway. It’s really become a gathering place in these parts.”
This year’s Great Lake Story is a tribute to craftsmanship and discovering a sense of place. It follows the extraordinary collaboration between the Pulicks and the passionate team of builders, architects, designers and artisans who have poured their hearts into every element of the process.
We invite you to follow the story of Liz and Mike and the design/build team of Render Construction, White and Liebler Architects, and the many other players who have contributed to the creation of this vibrant lakefront home. Look for each chapter at mibluemag.com.
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