This Great Lakes Downtown Is Made For Strolling

Michigan’s connection to the Great Lakes runs deep, with the state bordering four of the five. Many of its classic small towns are situated on the shores of a lake. These towns, with walkable historic downtown districts, make for wonderful stops on scenic drives around the Great Lakes. Petoskey, a historic resort destination in the northern Lower Peninsula, sits on Little Traverse Bay, part of the Lake Michigan watershed.

The Gaslight District is Petoskey’s historic downtown, located on a bluff overlooking Little Traverse Bay. The 19th-century architecture houses over 170 shops, galleries, restaurants, and bars. This area, with its iconic historic gas lamps, is well suited for strolling as you take in the history and browse the many antique shops. In Petoskey State Park, visitors can take part in Petoskey Stone Hunting on the area’s rocky beaches. The Petoskey stone, or Hexagonaria percarinata, is a 350-million-year-old fossilized coral stone found in the area on wet beaches and shallow water. When wet, these gray stones reveal a distinct hexagonal honeycomb pattern.

A History Of Petoskey

By the 19th century, the area around Petoskey was an Odawa settlement and a fur-trading post. With the arrival of the railroad, Petoskey evolved into a tourist destination. The town was officially chartered in 1879, and the economy was driven by lumber, lime, and, in the summer, tourism. Originally called Bear River, the town was renamed in 1873 after Chief Pe-to-se-gay, an Odawa leader, merchant, and fur trader. The development of Petoskey began with fur traders and missionaries, and in 1852, the first permanent settler, Hazen Ingalls, built the area’s first dock and a general store. By 1874, the railroad brought visitors from Chicago and Detroit. The downtown commercial district grew with the success of the lumber and lime industries, with the Perry Hotel opening in 1899. By 1915, the district was well-developed with department stores and hotels. The area was later named the Gaslight District after the gas lamps were replaced in the 1980s with electric lights.

The Gaslight District

The Downtown historic core, known as The Gaslight District, is a pedestrian-friendly Victorian area with 19th-century brick architecture. The District is centered around East Mitchell Street and Howard Street, with over 170 shops and restaurants. Adjacent to the Gaslight District to the east and uphill is the East Mitchell Street Historic District, comprising about 30 residential blocks with Victorian and Queen Anne homes. Pennsylvania Park is a central green space in the Gaslight District that serves as a cultural hub for the town, with concerts, open-air movies, and community events. The Social District is a section of the downtown core that is designated as a Commons Area. Visitors can purchase alcoholic beverages from participating licensed establishments and consume them as they walk around the streets and shops of this designated area.

Walking the hilly downtown is aided by the free Downtown Trolley that runs through the Gaslight District in the summer. For cultural activities, in addition to the galleries around the District, the Crooked Tree Arts Center has many galleries on-site and hosts live performances. Local history is on display at the Little Traverse History Museum, housed in the 1892 railroad passenger depot. At Bayfront Park, on the shores of Little Traverse Bay, visitors can search the waterfront for the state stone, which is fossilized rugose coral. Bay View, formally known as the Bay View Association of the United Methodist Church, is an early planned community, started in 1875 as a Methodist camp. The community is worth a visit for the architecture, built between 1876 and 1900. They are well-preserved examples of Eastlake, Stick, Queen Anne, and Shingle styles of architecture.

Food & Drink

The Gaslight District has a diverse culinary scene, many of which offer views of Little Traverse Bay. After shopping or spending time on the water, the downtown core has numerous restaurants within walking distance. Palette Bistro is on Bay St., close to the Little Traverse Wheelway. The Mediterranean-inspired menu features seasonal local ingredients, with many dishes prepared in a brick oven. The restaurant offers views of Little Traverse Bay, including outdoor seating. Petoskey Brewing is a brewpub in a historic 1898 brewery building. The menu is gastropub, and they brew a range of beers, with a focus on IPAs, cream ales, and stouts. Their Rescue Ale is a peanut butter wheat beer, with donations from sales going to the Humane Society. Jose's Authentic Mexican Restaurant is a family-owned restaurant with an open kitchen and views of the bay.

Also worth visiting is Beards Brewery, a brewpub on the bay, and City Park Grill, housed in a former males-only billiard parlor built in 1875, and now serving local ingredients, including lake fish. For some more relaxed pubs, Noggin Room Pub is on E. Lake St.; The Back Lot Beer Garden, on Michigan St., is a beer garden with seven food trucks offering various culinary styles; and Mitchell Street Pub is a vintage-styled bar with a jukebox.

Daytrips From Petoskey

Charlevoix

The Little Traverse Wheelway is a 26-mile dedicated asphalt trail that starts in Charlevoix and runs along Little Traverse Bay to Harbor Springs. Petoskey is 17 miles from Charlevoix, and traveling southwest on the trail towards Charlevoix, the bike trip will take about 1.5 hours. A car trip along Route 31 will take about 24 minutes. A short section of the trail southwest of Petoskey is closed due to erosion. You will need to plan to take an alternate route around that section.

Charlevoix is on the isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix and is considered the gateway to Beaver Island, the largest island on Lake Michigan and itself a popular tourist destination. A resort town, Charlevoix is known for its Mushroom Houses, built from local boulders by self-taught architect Earl Young starting in 1918. Downtown Charlevoix is worth exploring. A walkable district centered around Bridge Street, it is lined with locally-owned boutiques and shops, with a notable lack of chain stores. In the Cultural Corridor of downtown, you can find the Charlevoix Circle of Arts, the Harsha House Museum, and the public library. Many downtown restaurants focus on local ingredients, particularly fish from Lake Michigan. Terry's of Charlevoix offers a seafood menu featuring Lake Michigan trout, whitefish, and walleye.

Saugatuck

Further away, Saugatuck is a 3.5-hour drive from Petoskey along Route 131. Saugatuck began as an artists’ colony emerging from the Arts and Crafts Movement, and at the turn of the 20th century, artists settled there. Today, Saugatuck remains a center of art activity, with over 30 galleries, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, and a walkable downtown district centered on Butler and Water Streets. If you’re planning a day trip to Saugatuck, you can take in some of the dining options. Bowdie's Chophouse is a casual neighborhood place for steaks, cocktails, and an outdoor patio, while Phil's Bar & Grille is a popular gastropub.

Strolling Through Petoskey And The Gaslight District

etoskey sits on Little Traverse Bay along Lake Michigan. The downtown core is compact and walkable, with shops, galleries, parks, and waterfront access within a few blocks. Whether it is history, food, or the natural wonders that draw you, Petoskey is a great place to relax, to wander, or maybe take some time to hunt for Petoskey stones along the shore of the bay, and then take it easy on the patio of any number of eateries looking out over the water.