“A Tale of Two Tawas”
Story Behind the Name
Not sure why Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities made us think of Tawas. We didn’t see any French peasants there. In hindsight, I admit it was a stretch.
Tawas
Here is a tale of two cities that, when combined, make a great place to visit, stay and play. Tawas City and East Tawas are both fun and sandy sunrise-side destinations. The two towns are so close that folks who know and love the area just call it Tawas. This whole community knows how to live right. There are great shops and restaurants, and the people are really friendly. If that’s not enough, just across the street are the beautiful shores of Lake Huron.
This tale of two cities has one clear message: Tawas City and East Tawas make up one great place to explore.
Monroe
In all my travels across Michigan, Monroe was one of my biggest surprises. I only live about an hour and a half from there and I’ve always thought it was just a little industrial town with some factories and a couple strip malls. Oh my gosh, was I way wrong. Monroe is a beautiful city that’s rich in both history and classic architecture. It’s also a modern city with great new places to eat, stay and explore downtown. There’s no shortage of creativity, determination or enthusiasm with the people of Monroe.
One of Monroe’s most outspoken supporters is John Patterson. John heads up the Monroe County Tourism Bureau, and his love for this town knows no bounds. John told us about an amazing local artist named Betzi Pipis. Betzi grew up in Monroe, attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and is now making quite a mark for herself in the international art world. Her works are on display as far away as Madrid and London.
We met up with Betzi to experience some of her works. She colorfully combines the real with the surreal to create abstract portrait paintings that are turning the heads of art critics across the globe. Betzi is showing the world that there’s a ton of talent in Monroe, Michigan.
I’ll never look at the Monroe exit sign on I-75 the same again, because now that I know what’s there, I’ll be back again, and again… and probably again!