February 2013
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Great Lake Story 2013: Pier View Cottages, South Haven – Chapter One
Great Lake Story 2013: Pier View Cottages, South Haven – Chapter One: Project Journal of Mike Schaap, President Mike Schaap Builders, Inc., Holland
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Cottages: Making a getaway
Whether you’ve been going to the same family retreat since before you could walk, are taking steps toward building your first home away from home or seeking options in-between to brake the fast tracks of routine, welcome to BLUE’s special COTTAGES edition!
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Cottages 2013: Contributors
Meet the authors, photographers, and additional contributors who helped bring the current February 2013 Cottages issue of Michigan BLUE Magazine to life.
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A taste of tradition
By Kathy Buzzelli On the banks of the Leland River just a block from downtown, the Riverside Inn is within walking distance for many locals and resorters alike in Leland — the place to go for martinis on the deck after tennis or an adult night out following a family day at the beach. For […]
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All in the family
Lemons growing in Michigan since 1834? It’s true. But if you think that sounds like a tall tale, you haven’t met the latest generation.
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The rules of cottage living
Not long ago I spent a year living in other people’s cottages. There were nine of them in all, each on or very near the Great Lakes, extending from the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior in the west to the New York shore of Lake Ontario in the east. They varied a great deal in design, from an 80-year-old log cabin to a summer home so new there was still sawdust on the ground to what can only be described as a mansion, but I noticed some shared qualities.
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State park escape: You reserve it
If you don’t have a secluded little cabin up north, take heart. The Michigan State Park system does, 81 of them to be exact. These rustic cabins range in shape and size and from being built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to wealthy beer barons.
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Making a date with the state
While to-do lists can wait at your favorite vacation getaway, enhance time spent at home away from home
by taking in a parade, partaking in a contest, sampling spring’s top wines or hitting carnival lines. -
Getting together
If you want to meet family and friends up at the cottage —
but don’t have one of your own — there are some different ways to go. -
Thinking small, living large
From backyard gardens to lakeside lots, cute little cottages are popping up all over the place these days. They’re portable, pre-built, and move-in ready when they arrive at your location, with sticker prices that will surprise you (in a good way).
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Going green
Whether building new or renewing a generations-old escape, take these steps to make it more eco-friendly.
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Enlivening spaces: one of a kind finds
Looking to brighten and personalize your cottage retreat? There’s no shortage of creative outlets brimming with regional artistry inspired by Michigan’s diverse Great Lake terrain.
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The way it stays
Chimney Corners Resort on Crystal Lake in Frankfort has been welcoming guests since 1935, when Olin and Leola Rogers turned their vacation home into a lodge during the Great Depression. Leola knew attention to details would make a good impression on guests. So she made sure there were rose petals in the finger bowls next to each plate for the wonderful home-cooked meals they served there.
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Island Escapes
“There’s something magical about stepping onto an island — you feel a special energy the minute you arrive,” says Linda Fletcher, who rents her renovated, historic cottage on one of Michigan’s least-known islands: Namaste. Heavily wooded and situated in Bass Lake between Traverse City and Interlochen Center for the Arts, this private 7.5-acre retreat has provided a peaceful oasis to many noteworthy guests such as pianist Van Cliburn over the years.
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Sand in my sheets
To this day, I turn back into a carefree kid when I’m in any water that knocks your feet out from under you.
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Carefree Cottage
Looking for more haven, less hassle? Try a slice of “same time next year” or buy into a bigger piece of Michigan’s varied vacation pie.
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Preserving a Legacy
Preserving a legacy every summer, photographer Cybelle Codish escapes to the cabin built by her great uncles on Thunder Bay and savors flavors inspired by tradition.
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New Cottage Style: Making a Getaway
It has inspired countless books and magazines, yet can be difficult to pin down. Part of today’s Cottage Style perennial appeal is that it embraces a wide variety of influences, with few rules.
