An American Safari: Pie! (And Other Highlights of Our First Day in Petoskey)

Since we arrived so early, we had plenty of time to enjoy our first day in this area of Michigan. We looked through the local guides the campground gave us, and went to downtown Petoskey for lunch. We figured after lunch we would go to the waterfront and check out the weekend festival.

Jespsersons

The historic district of Petoskey has two long streets and a few side streets with shops and restaurants. They even have a little JC Penney store on a street corner. There are some touristy shops, and some more upscale galleries, home design shops, and clothing stores.

We found a small family owned restaurant called Jesperson's that says it's been in business since 1903. Ernest Hemingway, who spent his younger life in Michigan, is said to have eaten here with one of his friends. It's a really cute place - white interior, long counter with stools and tables with blue tablecloths. We chose a table in the back, and I'm pretty sure we were sitting next to at least two, possibly three generations of the Jesperson Family that have owned the restaurant since it opened. They were reading the newspaper and having lunch, chatting with some of the servers who weren't busy. We noticed that when someone ordered pie, the server would tell the Jesperson mother or father and they would go to the counter and cut and plate the pie. The servers didn't do it themselves.

Our lunches were terrific. Jeff a cup of chicken soup and said it was some of the best he's ever had. The club sandwiches were really good, and Ruth enjoyed her first grilled cheese with tomato and onion. Henry had the chef salad and liked it as well. Since Jesperson's is known for their pies, we had to try some. We shared a slice of the cherry-berry and a slice of the apple. Both were delicious.

After lunch, we headed over to the festival by the bay. It was your standard small town festival: craft booths, funnel cakes, local musicians, etc. The Petoskey waterfront is very nice - more turquoise and blue water that make you think you're in the Caribbean for a minute.

Petoskey waterfront

Before heading back to the campground, we went in search of a Walmart. We needed some supplies, and Jeff was looking for a bathing suit because he forgot his. This has conveniently kept him out of the pool for this trip, which I'm not sure he minded.

Stocked up, we headed back to the campground for the rest of the day. The kids went to the pool, and we grilled flank steak and potatoes for dinner. The weather was so nice, we ate outside, but after sunset, the mosquitoes came out. Despite sprays, they were still attacking Jeff, so we headed inside to play rummy. We're teaching the kids how to play, and they're starting to get it.

Great first day in this area of Michigan.