Peace and Quiet and Open Air

By Melissa Breault

There are plenty of serene spaces in the northern reaches of Michigan's lower peninsula: lakeside beaches, towering dunes, fragrant pine forests, golf courses and some of the best bicycling trails in the U.S. Lovers of Victorian architecture revel in the quaint charms of the small towns, and in one of these, Petoskey, visitors can find the Serenity Bed-and-Breakfast.

The house, acquired this year by former guests David and Peggy Vermeesch, has three luxurious guest rooms in soothing shades, all with views of Little Traverse Bay. "We wanted to make the place very light as a contrast to the more traditional dark Victorians," says Peggy. The garden is filled with perennials, spring tulips and fall mums.

Many people discover Petoskey on their way to car-free Mackinac Island, 35 miles away, a legendary summer community rich in nature and history. Petoskey, the area from which the state stone, an ancient coral, originates, also has its festivals, summer concerts and historic buildings. But when the ferries shut down and the snow begins to fall, there's still plenty to do in Petoskey: skiing, sledding, ice hockey and skating in its Winter Sports Park, and a Winter Carnival every February www.serenitybb.com 231-347-6171).

--By Melissa Breault