I spent this week in Petoskey, Michigan. Petoskey is a nice, small town on the shore of Little Traverse Bay. I’ve been to Petoskey many, many times in the past and it’s always a good place to relax.

Things I’ve noticed during the trip:

• Healthy local downtown business district, within a mile of of several big box retailers.
• I still won’t spend a dime in Wal*Mart
• The Petoskey health food co-op Grain Train is doing well in their expanded location. Congratulations!
• Julienne Tomatoes has created a great community atmosphere, and righteous sweet rolls.
• Rowe Inn lived up to their reputation as one of the best restaurants in Michigan. I’m not qualified to call them the best. They’re really good.
• We also ate at a couple of the Stafford’s restaurants — brilliant locations, nice service, decent food.
• I was looking for signs of the Slow Food movement; there’s a lot of local pride in Michigan. Northern Michigan feels ready to support more destination dining, food culture, and locally grown organic foods.
• Petoskey’s Pennsylvania park features a free wifi hotspot. That was nice to see. How much would it cost the city to develop a free municipal wifi cloud? It sure would be cool for everyone, and a smart way to generate publicity.
• Roast & Toast Cafe was a downtown highlight. Michelle called it “vital” and a “fun place to read while people watching”. They deserve a proper domain name… it’s a shame to associate them with AOL.
• Nearly half of the draught beers at Mitchell St. Pub are marketed as being brewed in Michigan. The beers are good. The pub is a landmark. I love it.