SUTTONS BAY NAMED MOST PEACEFUL TOWN IN MICHIGAN!

Main Street SB (actually called St. Joseph's and/or the now famous M-22. My charming alcoholic, chain-smoking grandmother lived on the top floor of the blue building on the right.  The red building was previously a fire station, a library and the Village Hall. 

 Same streetscape as above, but in winter.  Ken Scott is an amazing photographer and is the county's unofficial documentarian.

 The village was founded in 1854 by Norwegian immigrant 
 (hence The Norsemen mascot) Joseph Sutton.

Posted in MichiganFebruary 21, 2017by Sophie Boudreau

Michigan is home to plenty of charming small towns, many of which offer a healthy dose of peace and quiet. There’s nothing more delightful than a friendly community nestled on an idyllic shoreline, and there’s one such spot here in the Great Lakes State that perfectly captures the joy and beauty of our region. In fact, it might just be the most peaceful town in all of Michigan — and you simply have to visit.

This is the logo that will not die. It was designed in the 70's by Dan Gray, our combination head football coach and art teacher. The school has long since discarded it, but it lives on in Valhalla and the hearts of Norsemen everywhere.

 

My old man and daughter Ella at Artprize 2015

Suttons Bay is a picture-perfect village located in Michigan’s Leelanau County.

This is Leelanau County, Michigan's pinkie and the mirror image of Door County - a peninsula county surrounded by Lake Michigan with Sand Dunes on its southern, outer edge.

The first time I met Charlie he saw my "SB" hat and asked me if I was from Sturgeon Bay.

M-22, more of a state of mind than a road, 
 runs through Suttons Bay.

 

 

With fewer than 1000 (it only had about 520 when I was a kid) residents, it truly captures the small-town spirit that makes many of Michigan’s communities so charming and lovable.

This was something called "The Floatilla." It was a fundraiser for the school which briefly held a world record. I am in this picture!

Flickr/David Cornwell

As its name suggests, the town is tucked away along Suttons Bay, a Lake Michigan inlet that offers peaceful views and plenty of natural wonder.

Near the Cherry Docks as Bubba called them.

TripAdvisor/Level 40 Adventures

That's right, Suttons Bay is halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, on the same parallel as Menominee approximately .

 

Downtown Suttons Bay is the ideal place to spend a sunny afternoon. Stop in at one of the village’s specialty shops or grab a coffee at 45th Parallel Cafe.  EDITOR'S NOTE: This is NOT the 45th Parallel Café.

This is not Pine City Glen River, Charlie.

Flickr/Paul Wilkinson

That's the old man (third from right, first row)  on Suttons Bay's 1962 Dalton Cup winning baseball team. Every town in the county used to have a hardball team for adult males (before softball became a thing) and winning the cup was a big deal. That's my 12 year-old cousin Charlie on the right who got pressed into emergency service in right field in the championship game.

Suttons Bay, where the football team runs sprints at the beach!

This is Fishtown in Leland.
Leland sucks!

 

If you’re hungry, Suttons Bay is home to 14 unique restaurants. Whether you’re craving pizza or fresh seafood, there’s something here to satisfy your taste buds.

Flickr/David Cornwell

This adorable village is even home to a one-of-a-kind classic movie theatre, The Bay Theatre, where you can stop in and catch a show. Talk about charming.

The Bay Theatre played classics and foreign films when I was kid including Citizen Kane, The Third Man, The Manchurian Candidate, Dr. Strangelove, and Nosferatu. 

The phone-booths are authentic, from London.  

Flickr/marada

 

No visit to Suttons Bay is complete without a stop at Bahle's Department Store which has served the

community for over 140 years and is still owned by the founding family. 

 

Wine enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that Suttons Bay is smack dab in the middle of Michigan’s wine country, so be sure to check out a few local wineries while you’re in the area. Black Star Farms is one particularly beautiful gem.



Leelanau County and especially the Suttons Bay area is cherry country and wine country.  Vineyards are wonderful use of former cherry orchards that would otherwise have been turned into housing developments.

Facebook/Black Star Farms

Of course, no visit to Northern Michigan is complete without a healthy dose of the great outdoors. Take a bike ride along the bay, visit one of the area’s many parks, or hit the water and enjoy an afternoon boat journey.

The T.A.R.T. (a cherry reference) Trail.

TripAdvisor/Grand Traverse Bike Tours

Things just seem to move at a slower pace in Suttons Bay, and its residents wouldn’t have it any other way. Once you arrive, you might never want to leave.

I once put a golf cart in the far left corner of the marina pictured here.  I was working there at the time.  Are you surprised?

Flickr/marada

Speaking of the marina, it hosts an annual  
art festival the first weekend of August.

 

 

 

 

With its utterly charming downtown area, its stunning natural surroundings, and its undeniably friendly people, one thing is for sure: Suttons Bay is a true must-visit locale in the Great Lakes State.

This is my cousin Nick. He is the fourth generation to own the funeral home in town.  He was also a high school teammate of mine.

The late author and screenwriter (Legends of the Fall) Jim Harrison lived down the road in Lake Leelanau, about 3 miles from town.  His good friend Jimmy Buffett was an occasional guest there.

Leelanau County produces more tart cherries than anywhere else in the world. Below is the National Cherry Queen (a high school classmate of mine was the NCQ in 1988) posing at Suttons
Bay's Yeti Fest (whatever that is). 

 

This is the official state motto as translated from the state seal. I was truly fortunate to have grown up on this pleasant peninsula the Native Ottawa Indians called Leelanau or "Land of Delight."