Most of you who read this blog already have some connection to northern Michigan and know how special this area is. Maybe you remember the smell of the musty cottage after traveling 4 hours after your parents got off work Friday night, arriving late into the night and crashing into sleeping bags. Maybe it’s the sight of the heavy dews in the cool Michigan morning on the grass and trees. Could it be the sound of the seagulls and feel of the cold whitecaps the first time you splash into the water on the Lake Michigan beach? The State of Michigan has had a tough go of it over the past several years. My plea in this newsletter is that you travel within or to the state and spend your vacation dollars here. Besides, just think how much money you’ll save in fuel costs by foregoing that trip out west or east this year! Michigan has so much to offer close by, historically, naturally, and other attractions all around. Stay close to your Michigan and get closer to your family by conjuring up some of those old memories or starting some new ones.

Brett Binkley