[michmoldman]

Traverse City is absolutely awesome, but don't put Petoskey on the backburner! If you ask me, Petoskey is a VERY close second with just as much beauty. The TC vibe is pretty hard to beat, with Petoskey and Marquette right there. If you don't mind long Winters, Marquette may be the best city in Michigan and maybe one of the best in the country in my opinion. There are no mountains, but lots of rocky cliffs and some of the most beautiful area in the entire country surrounds Marquette. The U.P. actually used to have the highest mountains in the U.S before the glaciers eroded them, so there are a TON of waterfalls and lakes. That said, I always LOVE going to TC but could easily live in any of those places.

[BeachMaples91]

Originally Posted by michmoldman

Traverse City is absolutely awesome, but don't put Petoskey on the backburner! If you ask me, Petoskey is a VERY close second with just as much beauty. The TC vibe is pretty hard to beat, with Petoskey and Marquette right there. If you don't mind long Winters, Marquette may be the best city in Michigan and maybe one of the best in the country in my opinion. There are no mountains, but lots of rocky cliffs and some of the most beautiful area in the entire country surrounds Marquette. The U.P. actually used to have the highest mountains in the U.S before the glaciers eroded them, so there are a TON of waterfalls and lakes. That said, I always LOVE going to TC but could easily live in any of those places.

Wow michmoldman, I never knew Michigan used to have the highest mountains in the United States! What an interesting fact

[SouthernProper]

Michigan native, here! Traverse City is beautiful.

Other places to consider:
Harbor Springs
Petoskey
Good Hart (all of M-119 is amazing)

^^^ All lots of snow!

Beautiful with less snow, Southern Michigan (close to Chicago):
Saugatuck
Benton Harbor
Holland
Grand Haven
South Haven

I don't care for the East part of the state, but many people swear by Tawas.
I'm from the Cheboygan/Indian River/ Petoskey area and would love to return there. In retirement, just know that snow needs plowed/ shoveled and can be exhausting. If you want a fireplace/ wood stove (I do!), firewood is another consideration.

[JoePO]

Originally Posted by SouthernProper

Michigan native, here! Traverse City is beautiful.

...

Beautiful with less snow, Southern Michigan (close to Chicago):

Benton Harbor

Yeah, don't think I'd put BH on this list. True, there are some nice pubs/eateris and galleries in the BH downtown area that are trying to "anchor" a bit of a redevelopment or upsurge, but it's still a terribly blighted area. Perhaps you mean St. Joe? Between the beach and the St. Joe downtown, it's got some attraction... but I still wouldn't put St. Joe in the same class as a Saugatuck or South/Grand Haven, let alone TC, Petoskey, Bay Harbor, HS, Leland, Charlevoix, etc.

[SouthernProper]

Originally Posted by JoePO

Yeah, don't think I'd put BH on this list. True, there are some nice pubs/eateris and galleries in the BH downtown area that are trying to "anchor" a bit of a redevelopment or upsurge, but it's still a terribly blighted area. Perhaps you mean St. Joe? Between the beach and the St. Joe downtown, it's got some attraction... but I still wouldn't put St. Joe in the same class as a Saugatuck or South/Grand Haven, let alone TC, Petoskey, Bay Harbor, HS, Leland, Charlevoix, etc.

Isn't BH neighbor to Saugatuck? Perhaps I'm thinking of another little beachfront community there...with a great red lighthouse? We stayed at a B&B there once. If it's not BH, scratch that one off the list!

Oooh! And I second and third Charlevoix! Let me add Torch Lake, too! Michigan is calling me back.

[JoePO]

BH is the "neighbor" town to St. Joe (separated by the river), they are "twin cities" that could not be more opposite from a demographic and economic standpoint.

You could have stayed at St. Joe (it does have some B&B's, and a lighthouse (but white, with a red roof)). You may have been at South Haven, Saugatuck, Grand Haven, or Holland... all have red lighthouses. You may also have been at Douglas - that's a "neighbor" town of Saugatuck. You probably just need to plan visits to each of them to jog your memory!

[rntim]

Hello from Alaska to you folks in Michigan! So, my wife is from Michigan and wants us to retire there in a few years. Like, she wants to buy a house now and move there in 3 years. We live in a tiny place called Sitka. We get like 133 inches of rain per year. We also lived in the interior of AK. where we got feet of snow--the weather thing is no big deal. She wants to live up in the "UP." Like around Manistique. I've never been to Michigan. I've hunted and fished all my life. We have a 22 foot Glasply--Sitka is on an island; only way in and out is boat or plane. We have 14 miles of road here. No big box stores, very little fast food to speak of. Our idea of going out to dinner is eating on our porch. I have a 3/4 ton diesel 4x4 and a tacoma 2 wheel drive. We deal with brown bears(grizzlies) all the time; no little black bears here. There are all the "pretty pictures" and crap on the internet about the area but whats it really like? The people friendly? Cost of living decent(its extremely high here)?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by rntim

Hello from Alaska to you folks in Michigan! So, my wife is from Michigan and wants us to retire there in a few years. Like, she wants to buy a house now and move there in 3 years. We live in a tiny place called Sitka. We get like 133 inches of rain per year. We also lived in the interior of AK. where we got feet of snow--the weather thing is no big deal. She wants to live up in the "UP." Like around Manistique. I've never been to Michigan. I've hunted and fished all my life. We have a 22 foot Glasply--Sitka is on an island; only way in and out is boat or plane. We have 14 miles of road here. No big box stores, very little fast food to speak of. Our idea of going out to dinner is eating on our porch. I have a 3/4 ton diesel 4x4 and a tacoma 2 wheel drive. We deal with brown bears(grizzlies) all the time; no little black bears here. There are all the "pretty pictures" and crap on the internet about the area but whats it really like? The people friendly? Cost of living decent(its extremely high here)?

Cost of living is decent in the area, Manistique is in a more remote area of the UP with very few services and amenities including medical. Population is also declining very fast as well. If you expand your choice to include Marquette and rural areas of Marquette county that is likely a better pick. Most areas in the county are just as rural as Schoolcraft county (Manistique area), but better access to healthcare is in Marquette region. I also like the western UP around (Iron Mountain, Iron River, Crystal Falls), southwest into Vilas county WI (1,300 lakes there). Rural areas outside of the villages tend to have lower costs for housing and land, some being adjacent to National Forest and State Forest areas, things to research.

[rntim]

Thanks for the input! I posted a new thread cause I am gadget inept.

[Giesela]

Well you are young and probably not thinking too much about health care but Marquette is the only real hospital in the UP. Manistique has a large clinic with some beds, then they would transport you to Marquette.
There is also the airport thing. Marquette has an airport with feeders to Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis.

Anything outside of Marquette and maybe St. Sault Marie would probably seem too small for most people but probably not for you. I would try to figure out what you want. Close to Lake Superior? Lake Michigan? Hills - stay west, Canada access stay east etc.

Iron Mountain which is on the SW border of WI is about 5 and a half hours to Minneapolis. Iron Mt. to Marquette is about 6, and 6 and half to Grand Rapids your closest big city in the LP of MI - if you need to get to a big city for some reason. Actually Madison WI is about 4 and half and that should be plenty big.
Iron Mountain is about equidistant btw Green Bay and Marquette, about 1 and half hours.

Ironwood which is further north and nearer to Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mtns is about 2 and some change to Duluth. Closer to 3 hours to Marquette and 4.15 to Minneapolis.

Alaska is a no tax state. Not so for Michigan. There is a state tax and sales tax as well as property taxes and auto insurance is expensive in MI.
That may be offset by a higher cost of living on an Island IDK.

No grizzlies. There are some black bear, a very small population of moose and a few small wolf packs that everyone up there wants to eradicate. Generally, there are critters but probably not the density or variety you have in AK.