Visitors
to our area often remark, “What is there to
do around here?” I believe the answer is right in front
of those who ask. The Festivale Italiano in Port Austin last
weekend provided activities for everyone.
Last
Friday, I took a ride to Caseville and discovered Ribstock
was getting underway at the County Park and all around town.
I drove down to the beach and it was busy with families playing
in the sand or splashing in the lake. As I drove along the
shoreline, I saw boats out fishing, water skiers and a few
Jet Ski’s jumping each other’s wakes. Near Port
Austin there were kayakers paddling close to shore. When
we went by Sandy Dunes, there were people climbing around
the
mountainside, and in Port Austin, Kooky Golf and Putt-Putt
were entertaining crowds of people.
Saturday in Port Austin began as usual with locals and visitors
alike gathering at one of the best Farmers Markets in the state.
Open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown Port Austin, the market
features more than 100 vendors each week right through October.
If shopping is not your interest, the Thumb area offers more
than a dozen golf courses, many right in Huron County.
If
chasing a little white ball you just drove away is not your
idea of fun, try fishing. No boat? Charters are available
in
many towns along the Thumb’s shoreline. If you
enjoy visiting museums, there are more than 25 in the
Thumb,
including 12 in Huron County. The newest, Port Austin
Area Historical
Society History Center, is located east of the town on
Pte. Aux Barques Road. The Grice family home, originally
built
in the 1800s, is located at the harbor area in Harbor
Beach.
Museums within lighthouses in Huron County that can be toured
are located in Port Hope; Point Aux Barques Light and the Harbor
Beach Lighthouse which is available to tour via a boat ride.
The historic Sanilac Petroglyphs State Park on Germania Road
offers a look back at carvings of early Native American artists.
Two state and six county parks offer camping. Plus there are
additional privately owned campgrounds. Several day-use parks
and scenic stops along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, many with
beaches, offer great views of the water.
Special
events, festivals and activities fill each summer weekend
in the Thumb from end to end. The County
Fair
is always a favorite;
this year’s dates are July 22-28. Try to attend
on days youngsters show their livestock, it is so
entertaining to see
how the very young kids parade around leading their
charges. Ball games and tournaments are played that
are fun to
watch.
T-ball, which features the very youngest players,
is the most entertaining. When they move on to Little
League, it gets serious,
but you may be viewing future big league players.
There
are just so many things to do around the Thumb and I’m
running out of space to mention all of them. Check the county
and town visitor centers for brochures and more information
on activities. If you ask, “What is there to do?” All
you need to do is stroll around, pick up a brochure or visitor’s
guide and your answer will be provided.
I
forgot to tell you my favorite fun thing to do this past
weekend. I attended “An Evening of Singing” at
the Playhouse in Port Austin and as I see it, if I didn’t
know all the cast members, I would have believed
they were professionals performing an off-Broadway
show!
Bravo to
each of them.
P.S. To the ladies I met at the show, my wife refuses to write
this column but she does type it for me.