BELLAIRE: A CULINARY JEWEL

          BELLAIRE, MI – Marked by steep hills and long, twisting valleys, the glacier-carved Michigan highlands north and east of Traverse City still have much of the rugged beauty that led Ernest Hemingway to call them “the last good country.”

          Looping back and forth through this landscape is a 75-mile waterway known as the Chain of Lakes: 14 narrow separate lakes that form a sinuous chain from the high drumlins above Ellsworth to the sandy shore of Grand Traverse Bay. Several of the larger ones, like Torch Lake and Elk Lake, are considered among the most beautiful in the world, and the region has long been a favorite destination for boaters and fishermen.        

          Smack in the middle of all this watery bounty is the village of Bellaire, a quiet river town best known for its proximity to the sprawling ski and golf complexes at Shanty Creek and Hawk’s Eye. Lately, however, Bellaire has been attracting visitors in its own right – and the locals are beginning to notice.

          “We’re seeing a significant increase in new travelers, particularly from Europe,” says Lisa Smith, who arrived in Bellaire two years ago and runs a downtown bed & breakfast called the Stone Water Inn. “I think people just like the quaintness and the quietness of the town.”

          Nestled in rolling hills along a gentle clear river, Bellaire is a classic “Mayberry-style” small town with clean streets and a tidy, thriving downtown. Thanks to the nearby resorts and a sizable population of retirees, it has remained economically healthy without pricing itself beyond the reach of middle-class vacationers. Its wide variety of year-round recreational offerings (skiing and snowmobiling in winter, birding and mushrooming in spring, golf and fishing in summer, hunting and leaf-peeping in fall) rival those of Traverse City, just a half-hour to the south. 

          More recently, though, a new wave of visitors is finding its way to Bellaire --- drawn by their taste buds. The revolution began in late 2001 when Mike Peterson -- a Culinary Institute of America graduate best known for his successful Spencer Creek landing in nearby Alden -- opened Lulu’s Bistro on Bridge Street, the town’s tidy main drag. Suddenly, visitors who’d come “up north” expecting fried smelt and sizzler steaks found themselves facing rack of lamb with basil pine nut crust and seared sea scallops with white truffle oil risotto.        Not to be outdone, brewmaster Joe Short followed up in 2003 by starting Short’s Brewery, a microbrewery and brewpub located just a few doors down the street. Short’s creatively-brewed beers, ales and stouts have won multiple international awards and made him one of the fastest-growing microbreweries in the Midwest – but the pub’s food menu is nearly as imaginative. In their wake, other “foodie businesses” are sprouting up around town, and even the big resorts on top of the nearby hill have taken notice and revamped their own menus.

          Bellaire’s small downtown has a handful of entertaining shops, from cottage accessories (Uniquely North) to educational toys (Little Treasures) and fascinating furnishings -- made with wood rescued and recycled from century-old barns -- at Willson Hand-Crafted Furniture. There’s even a great little one-screen downtown movie theatre that’s still in operation.

          Skiers and golfers still form the mainstay of the local tourism economy. Shanty Creek Resorts (actually, three separate resorts on one 4,500-acre hilltop) operates 72 holes of championship golf (its courses include Cedar River, Schuss Mountain, The Summit and The Legend) and 49 downhill skiing slopes, while nearby Hawk’s Eye resort features two championship courses, Hawk’s Eye and The Chief.

          But Bellaire is also gaining a reputation as a center for ecotourism, thanks to the nearby Grass River Natural Area, a 1,165-acre nature preserve where visitors can hike miles of trails, enjoy birdwatching, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and enroll in guided nature tours and classes. Even Shanty Creek has responded to this trend; in 2007 the resort established a “silent sports” department to develop low-impact recreational activities like cycling, birding, kayaking and river rafting.

          “They can be out all day interacting with the natural world, whether that’s a fishing trip or a bicycle tour through the countryside, and at the end of it come back to a nice dinner, a bottle of fine wine and a sauna,” says silent sports director Georg Schluender. “It appeals to people who love the outdoors but don’t want to sleep on the ground at night.”

          Where to Stay

          The most plentiful lodging options in Bellaire are still at the large resorts above the town, Shanty Creek and Hawk’s Eye. Shanty Creek has nearly completed a $10 million renovation project to transform its aging 187-room Summit Village lodge. Rechristened the Lakeview Hotel & Conference Center, the former lodge features tall hardwood ceilings, panoramic views of Lake Bellaire and guestrooms redecorated in a contemporary “lake house” design.

          But the village abounds in smaller, more intimate properties, as well. The Stone Waters Inn is a charming 11-room inn perched above the riverbank just a block from the downtown shops and restaurants, while the picturesque Applesauce Inn Bed & Breakfast features a more rural B&B atmosphere in a restored country home. (Owner Dave Keene not only makes breakfasts, but serves an original dessert creation every evening.)  And budget-conscious travelers interested in an extended stay can find traditional “up north” accommodations at the 17-room All Seasons Motel at the edge of town.

          For help with lodging and dining options, and to learn about other winter adventures, activities and attractions in Bellaire and elsewhere in the grea
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