4 Seasons of Fun on Michigan's Forgotten Coast
Enjoy the ever changing landscape of Michigan’s Forgotten Coast as we rotate through four distinct seasons.
It’s nice to be back in a place that has 4 very distinct seasons after living in areas where they don’t.
Summer
Summer is most peoples favorite season. Our summers can be hot…like 90’s+ at some points. That’s not something people from elsewhere realize about Michigan’s Forgotten Coast. It’s a fantastic time to enjoy all Lake Huron has to offer as the temperature of the lake is at its highest. We’re full of tourists and our communities are bustling. Beaches, boating, picnics, and community events…it’s a vibrant time here.
Fall
Fall is probably the 2nd favorite season around here. Lake Huron is still warm from the summer months and that helps keep our air temperatures a little warmer than other places as far north as we are. The farms are harvesting. The fall colors are stunning. The pumpkin patches and cider mills are in full swing. High school football is underway (that’s very important here). Our people are anticipating the cold winter and trying to soak up as much outdoor activity as possible.
Winter
Winter gets a bad rap around here. If you can work from home like us, it’s really quite beautiful. Falling snow has such a peaceful quality. Driving in it can be a bit dicey, but we have great county and local resources to deal with the snow and ice. But, forget that part. Winter hiking or snowshoeing is amazing. It’s so quiet and tranquil. You may catch a snowy owl hanging out or some deer foraging in the woods. Many people enjoy ice fishing…if you’ve never seen that before, check it out…it’s a trip. If the lake is frozen enough for ice fishing, you may also be able to get out there and ice skate or snowmobile. Or, if you don’t want to get out in the snow, sit by the fireplace with a cozy blanket and just enjoy the view. There’s plenty to do all winter long!
Spring
Spring tends to be a wet & muddy time as the snow melts and the ground thaws. It’s time for our farmers to get those crops in the ground. After that long grey winter, seeing the first blooms of spring on the trees or in the fields is a welcome site. You’ll see local kids out in their t-shirt & shorts as soon as it’s over 40 degrees, ready to get out of the house. Once the flowers start blooming, we all know our favorite season is just around the corner.
Safe & Sound on Michigan's Forgotten Coast
Help is just around the corner in the cities and villages of Michigan’s Forgotten Coast.
No need to worry, help is just around the corner.
The communities on Michigan’s Forgotten Coast are prepared to help in an emergency but they’re also well equipped for the day to day medical needs of the citizens.
A very important part of our communities are our well equipped and well trained volunteer fire fighters who are ready to jump into action whenever they’re called to duty. Be it a car accident, medical emergency, or barn fire in the dead of winter. These folks are heroes in our communities.
We have the kind of local policing that engages our communities. The kind where the officers live with us and know our citizens. I’ve lived in many places where this is not the case and I must say it’s one of my favorite things about the area.
We have a hospitals and doctors offices in most of our communities or nearby.
Many of our communities also have dentists, opticians, and other healthcare professionals.
If we have some sort of issue, everything we need to solve it is right around the corner!
High Speed Broadband & Infrastructure
The cities & villages of Michigan’s Forgotten Coast have great infrastructure just waiting for you!
The infrastructure on Michigan’s Forgotten Coast is ready.
Many rural areas don’t have great access to broadband, but we do. Being digital workers, that was extremely important to us when we moved to the area. Our cities and villages are well connected. We were one of the 1st places in the country to have lit fiber in the ground!
One of the local communities (Sebewaing) has its own village owned ISP and also provides energy to its citizens. Even though we have strong storms & winds in our area, we’ve never lost power at our house. Not once. The outlying communities have, but in our small city, we haven’t in 10 years.
Our city also processes our own drinking water and waste water. Most of the water processing plants in the area are under capacity, so we have lots of room to grow!
Community Connection on Michigan's Forgotten Coast
In the cities and villages of Michigan’s Forgotten Coast you can watch your tax dollars at work as the DPW works on cleaning the streets, fixing the sewer, planting trees, or building a new park for the citizens. It’s right there, every day. You can see it.
Feel the connection to your city or village itself.
You can watch your tax dollars at work as the DPW works on cleaning the streets, fixing the sewer, planting trees, or building a new park for the citizens. It’s right there, every day. You can see it.
You can also very easily interact with your local government. The mayor lives a couple blocks up the street. A couple city councilmen live within two blocks and the rest are within about 10 blocks. They’re available to the citizens and take our concerns to heart.
The ability to be part of the civic and non-profit organizations is another way to be directly involved with and take pride in the community in which you live.
Get Involved in Your Community!
Our communities are small and need participation from a broad cross section of the citizens to continue to be viable and grow. You’ll find open arms at most community organizations on Michigan’s Forgotten Coast.
Community involvement is an integral part of continuing to make Michigan’s Forgotten Coast and even better place to live & work.
When we lived in a larger city, it felt like we were disconnected from of a lot of local government & organizations. We were young and a bit of outsider weirdo creative types…it didn’t feel like we were invited to the table. Not who they were looking for. That may not have been the reality, but that’s how it felt.
That’s not the case here. Our communities are small and need participation from a broad cross section of the citizens to continue to be viable and grow. You’ll find open arms at most community organizations. You’ll also see those organizations doing good in your community on a regular basis. When you help with these organizations, you can see the direct impact you’ve made in your community. It feels good.
That’s the same case with our local governments. As a transplant, it’s probably not going to be easy to run for a local office but you definitely can have access to your local government and have your voice heard. The council meetings don’t tend to be crowded affairs. The elected officials will live very close by. Their kids will be in school or sports with yours. You might be part of the same community organizations or church. If you prove to have some insight or could help the city government, you may be appointed to a commission or a board or something to help the local government. We see that pretty often.