Petoskey is situated on the uniquely scenic Little Traverse Bay; photographers beware of obsession. And while the Petoskey area is bathed in the quiet and quaint maritime culture (the stunning sunsets, sailing/windsurfing, the beaches and clean waters, etc) there’s another world of entertainment to be found. Including Michigan’s largest indoor water park, Avalanche Bay, ™ , or the new Odawa Casino Resort, where you find not only your favorite gaming action, but a sophisticated and fun club. There’s also a wide variety of shopping to be had in downtown Petoskey. While summer is the energetic time for the shopper’s Gaslight District, locals also know the magic to be found downtown during the Holiday Open House in December. When you’re thrown into a world of open shops and open people, free food and drink, music on the streets and snowy sleigh rides.
Chief Ignatius Petosega’s father was a French Canadian fur trader, his mother an Ottawa Native American. Petosega is the man for which the city of Petoskey and the Petoskey stone are named. Along the beaches of the area, you may be lucky enough to come across Michigan’s state stone; a beautiful fossilized coral, dating the geographic history of Northern Michigan in the palm of your hand.