Snow Miser

T

his may be an unpopular opinion, but sometimes during the hot months I start to look forward to another winter in Elk Rapids. Before I incur the wrath of the summer crowd, let me first say I, too, love sunshine, dog days and outdoor barbeques. I just also happen to love nights so quiet you can hear the snow landing on the trees.

It takes a certain appreciation for winter to live in Northern Michigan at all, but in Elk Rapids we have adapted to it and learned to embrace it. We can spend our days crisscrossing the slopes of several nearby ski resorts, and then retreat indoors to watch flurries beat against the windows, cocoa in hand. We have snowshoe enthusiasts, cross-country skiers, snowboarders, tubers, polar bear plungers and those special breeds who scurry from door to hot-tub in record time.

It’s not always easy to wake up early to brush off the car or make sure the kids are bundled up to wait for the bus, but there are clear nights we can see the Northern Lights that make those fleeting annoyances more than tolerable. We have sledding hills and hiking trails dotted with deer and rabbit prints. All our neighbors have rosy cheeks and well-tested remedies for driving the chill out of your bones.

Our beaches, filled with volleyballers, swimmers and sunbathers in the summer, turn into a blustery landscape dotted with ice caves and fishing shanties. Best of all, when you’re a resident of Elk Rapids, you only have a short trek to warm slippers, hot beverages and cozy fires. All year round, there’s something to love.

Elk Rapids, MI

Submitted by
James Eberle
RE/MAX of Elk Rapids
Elk Rapids, MI

View Original Insight