Note: This cottage is nestled away from densely populated areas and really is a great destination to stay safe and continue to social distance.
-4 bed/2 bath with fully enclosed outdoor shower (great for sandy kids!)
-Sleeps 8 in beds (plus two futons, an air mattress and a large couch)
-Large screened in front porch and large back deck
-Firepit
-Wifi/washer/dryer
-A couple blocks from one of the best public Lake Michigan beaches in the area (Lakeisle and Portage Point Rd. leads to the Sunset House which is a wonderful hidden gem, yet public access beach.)
-A perfect summer cottage for your family.
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Other beaches:
• The next closest Lake Michigan beach is at the channel and lighthouse at the very end of Portage Point Road, about ½ mile away.
• For a more secluded spot, we sometimes enjoy the beach at Pierport. Take M-22 about four miles north of town, past Miller’s Northwood Market, to 13 Mile Road. Turn left and go to the end. There is an artesian well there with some amazing fresh drinking water – “Old Faceful”!
• You can access the south pier and beach from the south side of Portage Lake. Take M-22 south to Crescent Beach Road, and then about a mile or two down the road when it starts to climb to the left and becomes Lakeshore Road, stay to the right to stay on Crescent Beach Road, and take it to the end.
The town:
Onekama boasts three marinas, offering boat and jet ski rentals as well as fishing charters. The village also offers several gift shops, restaurants (M-22 Grill for breakfast/lunch; The Glenwood has a reputation throughout the area for dine dining (make a reservation well ahead; it fills up), an excellent brand new gas/food mart, laundromat, library, post office, village park, a wine shop, and a local winery just a few miles from town going toward Manistee. For some local fare, be sure to pick up some warm apple and cherry turnovers for breakfast from the food mart. They’re delicious! But you’ll need to get there pretty early before they run out. The Onekama farmer’s market is held across from the hardware store on Fridays from 2-6 p.m., with locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Also, every Monday evening (June-August) there is a “Concert in the Park”, with a variety of musical groups providing the entertainment. There’s a playground for the kids, and you can stay for as long as you want. Bring some lawn chairs or a blanket. An evening bonfire on the beach at Lake Michigan underneath the stars is always a treat.
The historic Victorian port city of Manistee is ten minutes to the south, with numerous gift shops, restaurants, a volunteer-run movie theater, gorgeous beaches, and a great river walk that stretches from US-31 almost to Lake Michigan. It’s also a port for large ore-boats that frequent the Manistee harbor on occasion. The popular resort village of Frankfort with dozens of unique shops and great restaurants (we like Dinghy’s, and the Crescent Bakery & Café - amazing warm pretzels, but get there by 11 a.m.!) is a short twenty-minute drive to the north on the scenic M-22 highway. The Point Betsie lighthouse (historic and pretty cool!) is just north of Frankfort a few miles, on up M-22. It’s a great place to collect rocks. One of the most outstanding lookout points along the entire western coast of Michigan is the Arcadia Lookout, located twelve miles north up M-22, a mile past Arcadia, with a panoramic view of Lake Michigan that will take your breath away. Pick an evening when there will be a beautiful sunset, combine it with a visit to Arcadia’s great little ice cream shop (big ice cream cones for a reasonable price), and you’ve got a nice evening outing. If you enjoy golf, you can pick from five beautiful courses within a twenty minute drive, including the spectacular Arcadia Bluffs, a world class 18-hole links golf course situated on the high bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan; it’s also a great place to have dinner, with a bagpiper playing on the dune at sunset. There is also mini-golf in Manistee and Beulah.
For some fun day trips, some of the favorites would be:
• Heading north about 45-minutes to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, named the “Most Beautiful Place in America” on ABC’s Good Morning America; then have lunch in Glen Arbor at the Cherry Republic Grand Cafe.
• Taking a picnic lunch and going canoeing or tubing down the peaceful Platte River
• Driving up scenic M-22 to its end at the tip of the Leelenau Peninsula, and visiting the quaint villages along the way
• Spending a day shopping and sightseeing in Traverse City, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, or Petoskey
• Really make a day of it (or an overnight) and head to spectacular Mackinaw Island, with its historic forts, Grand Hotel, carriage rides, bike rides, and of course its famous fudge.
