The First Resort North

It is hard to believe I have been submitting articles to Wandering Educators for more than a year and have not shared with you my favorite spot in the entire state. If you have never been to Lexington, Michigan, take a look at your calendar and write it in.  If at all possible try to make it the weekend of August 1st and 2nd when the little village hosts the Lexington Fine Arts Street Fair.  It runs Saturday from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.  The village will bustle with activity and if you can possibly be there by Friday night join the crowd at 7:30 pm in Tierney Park for “Music in the Park,” a free, open-air concert set against the Lexington Harbor.  There is no better way to spend a summer night and meet Lexington.

There are several wonderful B&Bs in Lexington, but summer weekends are busy so try to book early. The Lakeview Hills Golf Course (a mile west) also has rooms. If you can’t find something in Lexington, Port Huron is only twenty miles south and lodging there should not be a problem.

Saturday morning get an early start scoping out the artwork in the booths that have sprouted in the village streets.  I consider Lexington’s Fine Arts Fair on a par with the Ann Arbor Art Fair - just on a much smaller scale. You will find amazing artists in nearly every media.  Last year I succumbed to purchases of jewelry, pottery, clothing and garden art. I walked around munching kettle corn and wishing I had a way to get a fabulous hand-crafted, child-size table and chairs to my grandson in California.  Unfortunately, shipping would have cost as much as my purchase. Just for fun I bought squirt guns to deal with the August heat.

While in town don’t miss the shops.  They are somewhat hidden by the stalls flaunting artwork during this busy weekend, but it is worth fighting your way behind the booths to explore the many wonderful shopping opportunities.  Weekends will always be a favorite.  They carry a stash of goodies that you won’t find at your local Sear’s or J.C. Penney’s. Owners, Jennifer and Lee Jones, spend part of their off-season traveling and searching various shows for unique home, garden and boutique items to fill their store. Noble’s of Lexington also displays an upscale house and garden inventory.  One of my favorite stops is The General Store where there is something for everyone.  Kids love to press their noses against the penny candy counter (a name these days, not a price) and struggle deciding how to spend their stash.  Their parents are more intrigued by the gourmet food items, books, and kitchen ware. 

Dave Mason of Traffic will be performing Saturday, August 1st at 8:30 at the Lexington Music Theatre Company in the Smackwater Complex. If you are interested check for tickets before you arrive (800-4LEXMTC). This theatre will astound you. It is so unexpectedly elegant for a village the size of Lexington. It has the class of a New York City theatre but lacks the attitude; dress is very casual. Before the theatre, if you are ready to treat yourself to a culinary experience equal to any five star restaurant in a major metropolitan area, dine at Vintage (also in the Smackwater Block). Your taste buds will thank you.

If you prefer casual dining you won’t lack options. Drive into the A&W, one of the last to offer curb service along with their fizzy root beer.  Or try Wimpy’s (great Coney dogs), the Steis’s Village Inn (a smoky bar with great appetizers and steak), or the Cadillac House where you can tip back a cold one and relive the pleasures of your day. You may even be joined in your booth by George, the resident ghost.

This is the sunrise side of the state so plan to get up early Sunday morning before the village comes to life.  Take a cup of coffee from the Subway (probably the only one in the country that also sells bait) and head to the harbor.  There is nothing more amazing than watching the sun rise over Lake Huron. At this hour you will feel like you own the harbor and may find your only company a family of resident swans. 

Later in the day you can fill your remaining hours with a charter cruise, diving adventure, miniature or regular golf.  You won’t lack options. When you finally have to leave the only question will be how soon can you come back?

For more information, please see: http://www.lexingtonmichigan.org/

All photos courtesy and copyright of http://www.lexingtonmichigan.org/

Julie Albrecht Royce, Michigan Editor, is the author of Traveling Michigan's Sunset Coast and Traveling Michigan's Thumb, both published by Thunder Bay Press. She writes a monthly column for wanderingeducators.com, entitled Michigan's Small Town Treasures.

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