“I’m All Thumbs”
Story Behind the Name
When you’re in the thumb of Michigan, you’re hyper aware of your thumb.
Lexington
For a lot of reasons, Lexington is becoming one of Michigan’s favorite staycation destinations. If you’re looking for a great little harbor town to spend a weekend, a week or the rest of your life in, Lexington is the perfect place. It has that classic resort town atmosphere, with everything from traditional businesses to some pretty funky, cool places to check out. And it’s got some beautiful places to enjoy the water.
Lexington actually has a special place in my heart because I spent a lot of my childhood vacationing in that area. When we arrived, I discovered the same beautiful little place I remembered. After a quick, nostalgic trip through town, we headed up the road a piece to visit a place I could totally enjoy, now that I’m an adult that is.
When it comes to being a Michigan resort destination, Lexington really moved up a weight class in recent years, and the man behind a lot of its development is Adam Buschbacher. This amazingly motivated entrepreneur almost single-handedly built what was called the Smackwater Block, a collection of upscale shops, eateries and even a beautiful, first-class live entertainment theater. Adam’s moved on to develop other parts of the state now, but expect good things from this block. At the time this book was published, rumor had it that the great eateries, shops and theater will continue under the name of “Sweetwater.” Whatever the name ends up being, this is a great block for all things fun and tasty. Totally worth exploring.
If you haven’t been to Lexington recently (or at all for that matter) you really owe it to yourself to check this place out. We at UTR give Lexington a hearty two thumbs up.
Bay City
Bay City was another big surprise to all of us on the UTR crew. Everywhere we looked there was cool, classic architecture that took you back to a time when buildings actually had personality. Back to when structures were as much artistic form as they were function. Every time we turned around, you could hear someone on the crew say, “Wow, that’s a cool building.” Another really great thing going on in Bay City right now is all the new development. A lot of very cool living spaces are coming into downtown, creating jobs, new energy and a great sense of place. Like in so many other Michigan cities, people are reconnecting with their downtowns to improve their quality of life.
Not only did we fall in love with the classic buildings downtown, some of the homes and neighborhoods surrounding Bay City will blow you away. Thanks to the lumber barons of the late 1800s, Center Avenue Historic District has some of the most beautiful, spectacular and enormous homes you’ll see anywhere. Some of them are even bed and breakfasts now, so check that out too.
You don’t have to go to Europe to see incredible churches. Besides, it’s far away, it’s expensive and they talk funny over there. Here in Bay City the churches are spectacular. The First Presbyterian Church there dates all the way back to 1883. And everywhere you look around town, you see majestic steeples accenting the skyline.
Another incredible structure is the City Hall. It was completed in the late 1800s and has a bell tower that rises 185 feet above the city. This place is totally worth checking out.
If you’re looking for a theater that’s as much fun as the movie you’re about to see, see the State Theater. And if you’re looking for a Michigan city with a brilliant past and a bright future, check out Bay City.