Petoskey Tiny House Escape
When you think of Petoskey, MI, you may envision stately summer homes perched above Little Traverse Bay. You likely do not picture wooded hills surrounding an epic inland lake reminiscent of the mountainous lakes in Vermont and upstate New York. Maybe you imagine a busy lake town in summer, bustling with tourists visiting gift shops between visits to the beach. You probably do not visualize a gloriously secluded tiny home on a lavender farm along a country road.
I’m here to tell you—the Petoskey/Harbor Springs/Walloon Lake region is loaded with unexpected magic if you take a few steps off the beaten path. When I needed a little escape from reality recently—this adorable tiny home was exactly the unheralded diversion I needed.
What’s better than a tiny house and a glass of wine in the rain?
Before checking in, I cruised M-119 (the highway that is home to the famous tunnel of trees). I took a few notable pitstops:
· The Paper Station Bistro in Harbor Springs for a tasty veggie burger.
· Pond Hill Farm for a beer tasting (they had radish-flavored beer!) and a visit to the livestock barn (i.e. CUTE GOATS).
· The Grain Train– Petoskey’s co-op for a bottle of wine to toast my tiny house check-in.
Making new friends at the Pond Hill Farm livestock barn.
Perfectly situated along one of the best fall color viewing routes in the state, Pond Hill Farm is the kind of place that swarms with families, pumpkins, and fall fun in October and November. But it has plenty to offer in the summer time too—beer and wine tasting, a livestock barn, a greenhouse, and a gift shop with colorful canned goods, heirloom tomatoes, and homemade ice cream treats.
After my joyride, I arrived at the tiny house on a cool, rainy Wednesday evening. As soon as I pulled in, I knew this cozy retreat tucked in a small stand of jack pines was exactly where I wanted to spend that drizzly night. Between the lilac bush in full bloom besides the barn, the adorable white flower shed, the lavender field, the fire pit, and the pretty hillside that sweeps behind the tiny house—I felt secluded from the world in the best way.
The cozy tiny house interior - I love that pine ceiling.
A sweet little spot to enjoy a bonfire outside of the tiny house.
Despite the temptation to sip wine and nap the damp evening away in the tiny, I took a tip from my Airbnb hosts and drove down to nearby Barrelback Restaurant on Walloon Lake. I live just one hour away from Petoskey but had never visited the Walloon area. As I drove through the hillsides between Petoskey and Walloon I caught glimpses of the water and literally gasped at the beauty.
Barrelback back sits directly on the shore of Walloon. There is a bar deck over the water that looks like a fantastic place to grab a drink on a sunny day. I’ll be back to try that next time. Since it was raining, I sat inside (never fear—floor to ceiling windows kept me from missing out on the view). I ordered a Hendrick’s Strawberry Jive cocktail (gin with muddled mint, basil, strawberries, lemon juice, OJ, and simple syrup) and an epic plate of nachos. Both were absolutely perfect.
The next morning (not before taking ample time to sleep in as the rain continued) I mozied into downtown Petoskey for breakfast at Roast and Toast, wandered by Populace Coffee for a matcha latte, and bopped into Bloom Floral Design to treat myself to a bouquet.
As I paraded around town grinning, hoisting my bouquet proudly like a kid with an ice-cream cone, I was reminded: the least premeditated adventures deliver the deepest breath of fresh air.
Pretty bouquet from Bloom Floral Design’s bouquet bar in Petoskey.
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