6 Most Inviting Towns in the Great Lakes

Walking down Mackinac Island's Main Street, you will not hear a car engine. You may hear the clop of horse hooves on pavement or the hiss of a fudge kettle on Lake Huron's shore. Port Hope's downtown looks much as it did in the 1880s. Wisconsin's Ephraim and Ohio's Put-in-Bay run on Scandinavian solstice fires and ferry-boat afternoons. Grand Marais and Marquette keep their kitchens busy with festival potlucks well past the summer crowds. The six Great Lakes towns ahead each open up to visitors in their own warm way.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Located on an island in the channel that connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron, on the Huron side, Mackinac Island is almost more of a summer resort park than a true town, with only 500 year-round residents. After May 1st every year, the town's many hotels, restaurants, shops, cafes, and tourist attractions hire hundreds of seasonal staff members, and the summer colony comes alive. The town is filled with preserved historical buildings that reflect its origin as a trading post during the fur trade, as well as a site of two battles during the War of 1812. Over half of the island's shoreline is preserved as a state park, and hiking and cycling trails lace all across the community.

The island is also home to an annual Art Festival, a nautical boat race, and a Fudge Festival that celebrates the signature fudge for which the island is historically known. The Festival of Epona invites visitors into one of the island's most heartfelt traditions, with tours of the many stables and blessings offered to the horses. Another key aspect of the island, which many consider a primary factor in attracting tourists, is that it is almost completely free of automobiles, save for fire, police, and medical emergency vehicles. As a result, the town's infrastructure is not built around the accessibility of cars but people, making the entire village inviting and easily walkable or cyclable.

Port Hope, Ontario

Sitting along the northern shore of Lake Ontario lies the town of Port Hope. It is a beautiful historic town that retains much of its Victorian architecture. Its downtown street is so well preserved, in fact, that it is known as the best-preserved 19th-century streetscape in all of Ontario, with a higher per-capita rate of preservation than any other town in Canada. The town also sits on the mouth of the Ganaraska River, the site of an annual salmon run that attracts fisherfolk from all over.

The town is home to several art galleries and a lively assortment of shops and boutiques on its downtown street, along with Canada's last "atmospheric theatre." Port Hope hosts an annual jazz festival and an agricultural fair in the fall. There are a number of historic hotels, one of which overlooks the Ganaraska River, two beaches, and a drive-in movie theater. War-history enthusiasts will also appreciate that the town is known as one of the primary suppliers of uranium for the Manhattan Project during WWII.

Marquette, Michigan

Marquette is a major port on the shoreline of Lake Superior and is the largest city on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is known for shipping iron ore from the Marquette iron range but has also gained popularity as a prominent recreation and welcoming tourism community. It hosts a number of art festivals, a music festival, the Blueberry Festival, a dog-sled race, a ski marathon, and a beer-brewing festival. The community is home to a number of art galleries, historical museums, and even an old lighthouse, which is available for tours.

The town takes pride in the walkability of its community, which also gives way to a number of parks, beaches, and trailheads. Marquette is also a prime winter destination, as its hilly terrain makes for some ideal skiing and snowboarding when the ground is layered with snow, which is often, as Marquette is known as the third-snowiest location in the contiguous United States.

Grand Marais, Minnesota

On the northern shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota lies the inviting town of Grand Marais. Like Marquette, Grand Marais is primarily famed as a winter tourism destination due to the weather generated by the colossal Lake Superior. A number of cultural events take place over the course of the year, such as the Fisherman's Picnic, which takes place in early August. The community gathers along the shore for a massive seafood potluck featuring fried herring and other fish from Superior's waters.

October also sees an annual festival known as Moose Madness, in which the local moose population is celebrated through family-based games and other events. There is also an Arts festival in July and both Summer and Winter Solstice festivals that bring residents and visitors together throughout the year.

Ephraim, Wisconsin

For those looking for a quieter, slower-paced getaway along one of the Great Lakes, the village of Ephraim, Wisconsin, which rests along Michigan's Green Bay, could be perfect. Home to less than 500 people, but with many lakeside resorts, rental cottages, inns, and even nearby campgrounds, the small town is very welcoming to visitors. The town sits on the eastern edge of Peninsula State Park, and the town itself contains the Ephraim wetlands preserve, which is laced with trails for hikers and nature enthusiasts. The state park is also home to a beach and several campgrounds, which see a lot of activity during the summer.

In June, the town also hosts a Scandinavian Summer Solstice festival known as Fyr Bal, during which bonfires are lit along the town's beach to drive away the spirit of the "Winter Witch."

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Much like Ephraim, Put-in-Bay is an incredibly small village, with a population under 200 people, but with a disproportionate number of resorts and other rental-dwellings for visitors. Unlike Ephraim, however, Put-in-Bay is an island community, sitting among the waters of Lake Erie. The town is known for its historical significance, having played a role in the War of 1812, much like Mackinac Island, which also sees tourism as its primary industry. The 1813 Battle of Lake Erie is commemorated at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, which towers above the village and offers visitors a wide view of the lake. Most of the landmass is reserved for park-space, with the Scheef East Point Nature Preserve, the Oak Point State Park, and the South Bass Island State Park making up the majority of the island, and there is also a cave known as Crystal Cave that offers tours. Trails wind all over the island, campgrounds welcome those wishing to spend their nights outdoors, and a number of hotels serve those who prefer indoor lodging.

A Warm Welcome Around the Great Lakes

Due to the large bodies of water, the region around the Great Lakes offers a great deal of climate diversity, providing beauty and an abundance of recreational activities no matter the season. As a result, this great breadth of land and water boasts inviting lake-side communities for everyone, between Mackinac Island, Michigan, and Put-in-Bay, Ohio.