Visitors to our area often remark, “What is there to do around here?” I believe the answer is right in front of those who ask. The Festivale Italiano in Port Austin last weekend provided activities for everyone.
Last Friday, I took a ride to Caseville and discovered Ribstock was getting underway at the County Park and all around town. I drove down to the beach and it was busy with families playing in the sand or splashing in the lake. As I drove along the shoreline, I saw boats out fishing, water skiers and a few Jet Ski’s jumping each other’s wakes. Near Port Austin there were kayakers paddling close to shore. When we went by Sandy Dunes, there were people climbing around the mountainside, and in Port Austin, Kooky Golf and Putt-Putt were entertaining crowds of people.
Saturday in Port Austin began as usual with locals and visitors alike gathering at one of the best Farmers Markets in the state. Open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown Port Austin, the market features more than 100 vendors each week right through October. If shopping is not your interest, the Thumb area offers more than a dozen golf courses, many right in Huron County.
If chasing a little white ball you just drove away is not your idea of fun, try fishing. No boat? Charters are available in many towns along the Thumb’s shoreline. If you enjoy visiting museums, there are more than 25 in the Thumb, including 12 in Huron County. The newest, Port Austin Area Historical Society History Center, is located east of the town on Pte. Aux Barques Road. The Grice family home, originally built in the 1800s, is located at the harbor area in Harbor Beach.
Museums within lighthouses in Huron County that can be toured are located in Port Hope; Point Aux Barques Light and the Harbor Beach Lighthouse which is available to tour via a boat ride. The historic Sanilac Petroglyphs State Park on Germania Road offers a look back at carvings of early Native American artists. Two state and six county parks offer camping. Plus there are additional privately owned campgrounds. Several day-use parks and scenic stops along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, many with beaches, offer great views of the water.
Special events, festivals and activities fill each summer weekend in the Thumb from end to end. The County Fair is always a favorite; this year’s dates are July 22-28. Try to attend on days youngsters show their livestock, it is so entertaining to see how the very young kids parade around leading their charges. Ball games and tournaments are played that are fun to watch. T-ball, which features the very youngest players, is the most entertaining. When they move on to Little League, it gets serious, but you may be viewing future big league players.
There are just so many things to do around the Thumb and I’m running out of space to mention all of them. Check the county and town visitor centers for brochures and more information on activities. If you ask, “What is there to do?” All you need to do is stroll around, pick up a brochure or visitor’s guide and your answer will be provided.
I forgot to tell you my favorite fun thing to do this past weekend. I attended “An Evening of Singing” at the Playhouse in Port Austin and as I see it, if I didn’t know all the cast members, I would have believed they were professionals performing an off-Broadway show! Bravo to each of them.
P.S. To the ladies I met at the show, my wife refuses to write this column but she does type it for me.