NORTHPORT WAS CLEARLY in my sights on this fine and sunny September day. It was a relaxing 30 mile drive up M-22 from our starting point in Traverse City.
The village was bustling with many new businesses joining older store renovations that have been in-process these last few years. As we came into the town Nancy announced that a mid-afternoon picnic was in order which prompted us to visit Tom's Food Market smack in the middle of town.
What a wonderful experience.
The displays throughout the smaller footprint store were excellent and the upgrades were evidenced at every turn. What an absolute impressive upgrade. We felt like two kids in a candy shop. The newest food finds were in our cart as we gathered snacks and iced-tea drinks and headed to the marina for our delightful little picnic.
After our scrumptious treats (a sliced pack of dill pickles was my favorite) we walked the marina coming upon an “old-timer” taking in the sights. He chuckled at our taking photos of a most handsome gazebo that was displayed at the edge of the water.
We soon discovered he was a Northport native, and we shared our commercial connection to Frankfort with our Lake Bluff Property and our interest in a gazebo-like structure for our new deck. That reference to Frankfort is all he needed to begin reminiscing about a high school Friday night football game back around 1960 in Frankfort when Northport’s punter on 4th down kicked a punt into a 50 mile-an-hour wind and the ball flew back behind the line of scrimmage into this fella’s arms where he "had enough sense" to catch the disabled football and run for a first down.
We all chuckled at his fond memory and his classic little story.
The characters one can meet in our small towns up and down the M22LakeshoreTrail.com makes a day trip an adventure that produces such a wonderful quality of life.