Not many people are lucky enough to have an Uncle Ed. My paternal grandmother’s youngest brother, Uncle Ed added the special magic to our family that brought generations and cousins together.  Most of this was due to his sheer force of personality– quick of wit, and full of unending charm, Uncle Ed knew how to captivate any crowd.  A lesser part of his magic– but no less special– was his cabin in Lewiston, Michigan.

Situated on 30 acres of lush forest dotted with gleaming (perch filled) lakes, it was no less amazing in the dead of winter, when it became a true wonderland.  Uncle Ed had all the toys, too, including a fleet of snowmobiles in the winter and 🚤 🚣🏻‍♀️⛵️🛶⛳️🏊🏻 in the warm weather.

Now hosting vacation rental guests to our properties on the Art Coast of Michigan (Saugatuck area), I began looking into Lewiston again, as I haven’t been there in 30+ years.  Where exactly is it, I wondered?

Turns out, it is “Up North” (in the sense that we lower peninsula folks refer to anything in the 2 hour radius of the Mackinac Bridge as Up North).  This explains how– from his cabin– we were able to traverse to places like Uncle John and Aunt Marie’s ranch house on Torch Lake one day, and Petoskey the next.

But Lewiston was/is a destination in and of itself, full of natural beauty throughout all seasons.

And of course, Uncle Ed’s cabin itself was a thing of practical splendor- his great room with soaring cathedral ceiling- housed a full bar and was anchored with a stone fireplace.  I actually remember when I first started to walk in that very great room (weird, huh?).

Somewhat poetically, Uncle Ed passed away doing what he loved to do– playing golf.  Still,  his lasting legacy inspires me to this day,  to create and share wonderful experiences with and for our family– and all of you,  our guests!