Great Lakes Archives : TRAVEL/FOOD

Michigan is the Great Lake State – comprised of thousands of acres of woodlands, miles of rivers and streams, more than 11,000 inland lakes (and, of course, the Great Lakes)! More than a century ago, steamers and trains brought vacationers to Michigan to enjoy leisurely summers at the family cottage and over time that grew into the state’s thriving tourism industry. The modes of transportation may have changed, but one thing remains strong –time at the lake – whether that is full time or for shorter, seasonal visits – is a cherished family tradition where memories are made. The Cottage & Lakefront Living Show honors that life and you’re invited to join in the celebration, March 28-30 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids.

Whether you’re looking to buy, build, renovate or decorate your vacation or lakefront home, we have you covered! An impressive line-up of companies will be on hand in the Exhibit Hall including nearly a dozen builders and contractors (log and timberframe – including a full size, 360-square-foot fully-furnished Amish built loft log cabin), four realtors, and companies offering everything from maintenance and service to landscaping and remodeling – including unique indoor and outdoor furniture. You’ll also find companies ready to help with your seawalls, docks and lifts as well as those who are offering the latest in motors, kayaks, paddles, floats and other water toys.

The Monroe Street Beach is the hottest spot inside the show as kids of all ages dig their toes in the sand to kick off the upcoming summer season. Try your hand at building a castle or other creations in this giant sandbox, or watch as experts like Janet Moore Schrader – The Sand Pirate – and her team dazzle you with their sculpturing skills. After surviving cancer nearly 20 years ago, Janet turned to the shoreline of Lake Michigan for answers and what she found – among the treasured pieces of beach glass, rocks, driftwood and fossils – was a sense of peace. She now spends her summers on the beaches of Michigan teaching, sculpting and enjoying all the lakeshore has to offer.

Other Monroe Street Beach highlights include Free Ice Cream from 2 – 4 pm on Friday, March 28 courtesy of Protein Pints! Friday and Saturday are also hopping with the annual Dock Party with a cash bar and live music from 5-8pm on Friday and Saturday featuring Dutcher Snedecker on Friday and 56 Tomados on Saturday.

If lawn games are your thing, don’t miss the YARD PARTY where you can play a round of Corn Hole and giant Jenga. Pickleball is also back for those who have wanted to give this hot new sport a try. Purchase Green of West Michigan has set up a full-sized court in the back of Hall B and they are even providing the paddles and balls, so there are no excuses to not give it a go.

The Seminar Stage will again offer a wealth of information from respected experts talking about things such as finding and buying a summer cottage, styling and furnishing your lakefront home, when to tear down and start over or simply remodel, and navigating cottage rentals from a owner, guest and community standpoint.

Looking to freshen up your cottage look? The Cottage Art Show features local and regional artists who work with wood, metal, glass, time and natural materials. Discover unique and one-of-a-kind pieces, many crafted from reclaimed materials. This area also showcases handcrafted wooden and bark canoes. The Lakefront Marketplace offers a treasure trove of unique home décor as well as speciality gift ideas, including Michigan wearables and accessories, gourmet foods and more.

Whie in this area of the show, be sure to vote for your favorite picture as part of our Water & Woods Photography Contest. You can submit your image for consideration (deadline: Friday, March 14) and our judges will narrow the field down to the Top 10 (with these individuals each winning 4 tickets to the show). Then, attendees will vote to determine the #1 images for 2025 with the winning photographer scoring a Pfish Board and Hoodie from Hydrowake.

Looking for a cottage to rent for a couple weeks? Or perhaps one to buy? Check out the Cottage For Sale / Rent Board at the show right inside the main entrance. If you are looking to sell or rent your lakefront property, Click Here for instructions and to fill out the submission form to have your information featured at the show. In the same area, relax for a few minutes, work on a puzzle, and be sure to pin your vacation home’s location on our map of Michigan.

The Cottage & Lakefront Living Show is one of 14 consumer expositions produced by ShowSpan Inc., in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1945, ShowSpan – a John D. Loeks / Studio C Company – has grown to be one of the largest producers of consumer shows in the Midwest.

2025 Cottage & Lakefront Living Show

LOCATION:

DeVos Place – 303 Monroe Ave NW in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan

DATES & TIMES:

Friday, March 28 (12-8pm)
Saturday, March 29 (10am–8pm)
Sunday, March 30 (10am–5pm)

ADMISSION:

Skip the line – buy your tickets at GRCottageShow

Advance Online Opening Day Ticket: $10 (not available after 12am on 3/27)

Adults – $12
Children (6-14) – $5
5 and under – Free

PARKING:

Take the complimentary trolley…just park in Dash Lot Area 9 on Seward ($3 total) and hop aboard the Trolley which will be making runs on a 15-minute loop beginning an hour before the show opens until an hour after the show closes each day.

There is also plenty of nearby parking – beneath DeVos Place, across the street and connected by a skywalk. For more information, click here.

LOCATION: DeVos Place – 303 Monroe Ave NW in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan

DATES & TIMES:

Friday, March 28 (12-8pm)

Saturday, March 29 (10am – 8pm)

Sunday, March 30 (10am–5pm)

ADMISSION: Skip the line – buy your tickets at http://www.GRCottageShow.com

Advance Online Opening Day Ticket: $10 (not available after 12am on 3/27)

Adults – $12

Children (6-14) – $5

5 and under – Free

PARKING: Take the complimentary trolley. Just park in Dash Lot Area 9 on Seward ($3 total) and hop aboard the trolley which will be making 15-minute loops beginning an hour before the show opens until an hour after the show closes each day.

There is also plenty of nearby parking – beneath DeVos Place, across the street and connected by skywalk. For more information, click here.

LODGING: Experience Grand Rapids | Kent County Hospitality Association | West Michigan Tourist

GRCottageShow.com | facebook.com/grcottageshow | instagram.com/grcottageshow

Photos courtesy of ShowSpan

Michigan is home to more lighthouses than any other state and about 40 of those are rumored to be haunted by the spirits of former keepers, mariners and others with ties to these historic beacons.

Inside the pages of Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses, long-time researcher, writer and promoter of all things Michigan, Dianna Stampfler, shares stories of those who dedicated their lives — and afterlives — to protecting the Great Lakes’ shoreline. Her second book, Death & Lighthouse on the Great Lakes, Stampfler delves into the historic true crime cold case files that have baffled lighthouse lovers for as many as two centuries.

Throughout the fall season, Stampfler will be speaking at libraries around the state, sharing her lively and upbeat presentation about these lights. Copies of her books will be available for purchase and signing at every program.

Sun, Oct 9, 2022 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM	Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses Elk Rapids District Library, Elk Rapids, MI
Tue, Oct 11, 2022 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM	Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses Rauchholz Memorial Library, Hemlock, MI
Wed, Oct 12, 2022 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM	Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses Northville District Library, Northville, MI
Wed, Oct 19, 2022 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM	Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses Reese Unity District Library, Reese, MI
Thu, Oct 20, 2022 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM	Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses Otsego District Library, Otsego, MI
Sun, Oct 23, 2022 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM	Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum, Port Sanilac, MI
Wed, Nov 2, 2022 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM	Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes St. Clair County Library – Main Branch, Port Huron, MI

For the complete schedule of upcoming events (including other topics beyond lighthouses), visit the Promote Michigan Speaker’s Bureau online.

About Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. Former keepers like the cigar-smoking Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and prankster John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal near Mackinaw City maintain their watch long after death ended their duties. At White River Light Station in Whitehall, Sarah Robinson still keeps a clean and tidy house, and a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse seeks out other children and female companions. Countless spirits remain between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in an area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks.

About Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes

Losing one’s life while tending to a Great Lakes lighthouse — or any navigational beacon anywhere in the world for that matter — sadly wasn’t such an unusual occurrence. The likelihood of drowning while at sea or becoming injured while on the job ultimately leading to death were somewhat common back in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Death by murder, suicide or other unnatural and tragic causes, while rare, are not unheard of. In fact, more than dozen lighthouse keepers around the Great Lakes met their maker at the hands of others – by fire, poisoning, bludgeoning and other unknown means. A handful of these keepers, either because of depression or sheer loneliness, took their own lives. A few we may never know the true story, as the deaths now 100 or more years ago, weren’t subjected to the forensic scrutiny that such crimes are given today.

In the pages of Death & Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: A History of Misfortune & Murder, you’ll find an amalgamation of true crime details, media coverage and historical research which brings the stories to life…despite the deaths of those featured.

Stampfler has been professionally writing and broadcasting since high school. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with emphasis in Community Journalism and Communications with emphasis in radio broadcasting from Western Michigan University. She is a member of the Midwest Travel Journalists Association, Historical Society of Michigan, Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, Great Lakes Maritime Museum, Association for Great Lake Maritime History, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, Michigan Maritime Museum, Friends of Pilot & Plum Island Lighthouse, National Museum of the Great Lakes and West Michigan Tourist Association.