Sentimental Journey

Feeling nostalgic today. Another summer season is quickly winding down - our greatest treasures (our children) are soon returning to school, leaves have tinges of color and my personal favorite, apples are nearly ready for picking.
Quite a few requests come in from vacationers from the past wanting to know if they places they stayed at are still around. I do not have an answer for many of them - but a drive around the lakes indicates that they have been replaced by private homes/condos, upgraded and look somewhat different, or have been removed. Have some fun - come check them out for yourself. Make a Sentimental Journey to Higgins Lake, Houghton Lake and Lake St. Helen "to renew old memories."
A drive around the lakes also indicates how much has not changed. This has been a glorious summer - lots of time spent on the beaches, superb fishing, fabulous sunsets - everything that makes Michigan's Other Great Lakes a haven for vacationers.

When was your last Sentimental Journey to Roscommon County? Do not think of it as your "destination" but as your "landing point" - stay and enjoy the beauty, and then make a day trip to explore the rest of northern Michigan from here. 

Share your memories with us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hl.a.tourism/ or email me and I will share them for you - info@visithoughtonlake.com.

'Catch Us' catching on

Betty Bass, Wally Walleye and others of Michigan's Other Great Lakes fishing committee met recently to discuss the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau "Catch Us If You Can" fishing contest.
BETTY: I am blown away by how many girls have caught tagged fish this year.
WALLY: Me too. And the first one was by a first-grade girl from Bridgeport.
BETTY: What are we up to now?
WALLY: NINE - on the way to beating last year's record of 10.
BETTY: That has to be because the HLATB has invested a lot into the 11th year of this contest. With the help of Master Fish Taggers, more and more fish are being tagged in Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake and Lake St. Helen.

WALLY: And there are more sponsors this year - Schmuckal Oil just came on. That's where the $50 gas card you get for catching a tagged fish comes from.
BETTY: And the second prize - a Mark Martin Ice Fishing School certificate. Our tagged friends are going to be caught during ice fishing season too.
WALLY: Major sponsors also include Lyman's on the Lake, H&H Fireworks, the HLATB and Spicer's Boat City.
BETTY: And we cannot forget our other supporters -
 Arnie’s Arts & Crafts    Lakeland Recreation     Poplars Resort    W. Higgins Lk Hardware 
Bart’s Fruit Market   Lakeside Resort/Conference Center    North Winds Lodge   Beachfront Hotel   Super 8 Motel        Chemical Bank       Way North Motel     Bauchan Law Offices      Best Choice Market                                                 
WALLY: I sure hope everyone comes out to the Fry-In at Blodgett Airport from 3:30 to 6:30 on August 13. Great fish, airplane rides, and the HLATB is having a drawing for a couple of us (large fish pillows) during the event.
BETTY: The contest is just getting bigger and better every year. Just imagine, someone could walk away with $100,000 and a new Lund boat from Spicer's Boat City.
WALLY: It has been wonderful to see multi-generation families pass on the love of fishing at Michigan's Other Great Lakes and to welcome new anglers to our area.
BETTY: Yes - it is really "catching on."

'The Road Less Traveled'

Whether you are planning a get away for a weekend, a week, or longer, by the time you are packed and on the road, you may really need a vacation.

Two of the first questions you want answers to are "what's the weather going to be like" and "how much traffic will we encounter."

Well, there are apps for the answers to both those questions, but here is a suggestion you may not have considered.

When coming to Roscommon County have you thought about taking "the road less traveled?" Maybe you will arrive at your destination a little later in the day, but in a much more relaxed frame of mind.




The road less traveled offers so much. If you see an eagle, it is okay to pull on the side of the road to observe it. Instead of guardrails and cement abutments between highways, you will be driving between shoulders of beautiful wildflowers that vary through the seasons.







Instead of the carcass of an unfortunate animal who was trying to cross six lanes of speeding traffic, you can observe the wildlife in its natural habitat and you have time to brake if it is crossing the road.







What else? Shorter lines and times at gas stations. There are often historical markers along the two lane highways that offer interesting insights to earlier times. Roadside markets for some fresh fruit and vegetables to take on your trip. Antique stores and garages sales.






Just think of all the things you enjoyed while taking that family vacation in your youth, perhaps when there were only the "roads less traveled."