Exploring Charlevoix

During my lunch break and after shadowing every day, I explored the downtown, which centers mainly on Bridge Street and its two stoplights- one before the bridge and one after the bridge.  Since Charlevoix is situated between two big lakes- Lake Michigan to the west and Lake Charlevoix to the east, there needs to be some way for boats to sail from one to the other.  Hence, the drawbridge, which goes up every half hour:

One thing that I loved about Charlevoix (especially after living in Detroit): the cheap and endless parking!  There are so many lots just one block away from Bridge Street and for so little- a dream come true.

Ok- now for the more important stuff:

Charlevoix had a pretty decent variety of vegetarian options.  I really need to learn to like seafood, because that would have opened up a few more venues for me.  One day I’ll learn to get over the smell of it, but for the two weeks I was there I ate mostly vegetarian.  While I was here, I also tried my best to stay away from the chain store restaurants in order to get a better feel of what food was available locally.  Some of the better places with vegetarian options:

       Scovies

       Sadie and Jake’s (though you should avoid the hummous- no one can do that better than Dearborn)

      Argonne (in Petoskey)

       Whitney’s of Charlevoix (not as overpriced as its namesake in Detroit)

 Overall, there was not as much variety in terms of food, which was a little disappointing; most restaurants featured American cuisine, or at most a few ‘exotic’ dishes.  But, what Charlevoix lacks in what I call ‘food food,’ it more than makes up for in desserts and fruit.  There is a weekly farmer’s market here on Thursdays and I can guarantee from experience that the fruit here is fresh and full of flavor.  In addition, even though I missed it both weeks, you should also try Lodie’s bagels- all of the office staff raves about these bagels and they sell out fast, so get there early.  There are also a ton of farmer’s markets in the surrounding area.  My favorite place to visit, by far, was Friske Orchards.  Here, they bake all kinds of pies fresh daily and they also offer breakfast at very reasonable prices (a big plus since I am a hug breakfast fan).  They have pancakes, omelets, oatmeal, scones and omg it’s really good.  Another thing, they have a big selection of knick knacks that would make great gifts, much better than the boring postcard or an average shotglass.  I have discovered that expanding my sights and exploring areas a little bit outside of town is a great way to really appreciate the diversity of talent located here.  To find Friske Orchards, drive about 10 miles south of Charlevoix on M-31 (this doesn’t take long at all since the major roads here have a 55 mph speed limit).  In town, you can sample fudge and ice cream at either Murdick’s or Kilwins.  Kilwin’s is a bit more expensive though, but both are are good options.  Oh yea, don’t go eating your fudge openly in public, that’s touristy behavior and the locals will label you a fudgy (plural: fudgies).  And one more place- American Spoon.  They have an amazing selection of jams.  You might be thinking: what a dork- jams?  But trust me, these are not your ordinary jams.  They have flavors like Apple Salsa, Mango Habanera, Pumpkin Chipotle and Maple Cream.  Plus, you can sample most of them in the shop before you buy.  Eat these with crackers, its a great snack food (or a great way to get lunch on the cheap, just saying).

Also- there are a few different parks that you can go to here that have access to either Lake Charlevoix or Lake Michigan. Michigan park is, logically, located on L Michigan and Ferry Park is on L Charlevoix.  A bigger park that's about 4 miles south of town is Fisherman's Island State Park.  All good choices and nice places to relax.