Sunsets in Northern Michigan

During my last week in Kalamazoo this spring, I went in and talked to one of my professors during his office hours.  He had been encouraging us to go in and chat with him about the class, our work, and life in general.  It was very casual and, as I had procrastinated and waited until one of the very last days to go in, we ended up talking more about our lives than about the class.  Eventually, we settled on talking about Lake Michigan.  For almost as long as I can remember, my family has lived in Petoskey, so I grew up in close proximity to Little Traverse Bay, and he was raised in Chicago, so he was no stranger to the seemingly perpetually chilly lake, either.  It was during that conversation that I realized just how much I had missed being so close to the Great Lake.  But what really makes our little bay so great?

Throughout the summer, once the last snow piles have finally melted and temperatures are finally above seventy degrees, swimming in the bay is fun for everyone.  Whether it’s jumping off the break wall down by Bay Front Park or spending the day at the beach at the Petoskey State Park or the Harbor Springs beach, swimming in the bay is a great way to cool off.

Driving or walking along the water’s edge is sure to provide constantly lovely views of the clear blue water and brilliantly green trees.  As the day gets later, the sun setting over the water is sure to guarantee a brilliantly beautiful sunset.  Of course, these views aren’t anything new; Little Traverse Bay has been praised for its “Million Dollar Sunsets” for 174 years!  Wherever you are, the sunset is sure to be great, but watching the sunset on the water is especially spectacular and a can’t-miss for anyone in the area. To find the official sunset times click here but for about a half hour before and after, the sky is just spectacular! No matter the time of day, catching a glimpse of the bay makes me thankful to live in such a pretty place