todo

This little group of towns, some too small for a traffic light, are filled with art galleries, bistros, antique shops and you can pick up The Sunday New York Times. This is a very cosmopolitan bit of real estate.		Locals do not look twice at our famous neighbors - Muhammad Ali can be found at local restaurants, Oprah Winfry shops for dog bones, Dennis Farina, Robin Robinson, Mayor Daley, Mitch Michaels, Roger Ebert and Walter Jacobsen all have homes in the area. Stars such as Diane Sawyer, Anne Heche and Joan Cusack have all vacationed here.
	summer
Summertime and the living is easy - Do as much or as little as you want. Go to the beach and teach your kids how to build sandcastles, play tag with the waves, and watch the sunset. Can you think of a better day? The serious vacation season kicks off over the Memorial Day weekend with the St. Mary's Carnival in New Buffalo. The Ferris Wheel gives you a great view of the lake and the town. Michigan is one of the great fruit producing states and you can go to the orchards and pick your own right off the tree. Jackson's Fruit Stand will have whatever is available locally, starting with asparagus and strawberries. Plants and flowers are everywhere. You will need reservations at every local restaurant on weekends and Oink's Ice Cream Parlor in New Buffalo and Duke's in Union Pier are packed at night. Here on the edge of the eastern time zone the days are uncommonly long, it's not dark until 10pm and the nights are perfect for evening swims and late night strolls. How about a round of skeet shooting at the Deer Creek Hunt Club? 500 acres with lots of sporting activities.		Everywhere you go, everyone you see is happy. People here are on vacation, they are not in a hurry, they are not stressed, they have time to chat, to smile and share a joke with a stranger. Visit these sites for more local color and info: threeoaks.org harborcountry.org June Phil's Car Show Three Oaks Flag Day New Buffalo Sidewalk Sale Flower & Garden Show at Cook Energy Center July Lakeside Children's Parade Lakeside Craft Fair Three Oaks Blues Fest St. Joseph Venetian Night August Lakeside's Ice Cream Social New Buffalo Ship & Shore Festival Bob-a-Ron Snowmobile Lake Run Sounds of Silence Film Festival at the Vickers Heart of the Vineyard Wine Stomping Harvest Party
	fall
You can tell that fall is here the day after Labor Day, the beach is abandoned and the streets have no illegal parkers. The weather in September is still beautiful and the water is still warm. If your schedule permits take a vacation now and take advantage of the rate discounts and serenity. The fall color tours are great here with the color peaking at the end of October, sometimes even into November. Warren Woods Road is not to be missed, especially the hiking trail. In mid-October, the Apple Century Bike Race brings 4-5,000 riders to the area. The course wends its way from vineyards, though cornfields, great forests and along the lake. You don't have to join the race to take advantage of the Bike route on any beautiful day. Dinge's Farm hosts its incredible pumpkin patch, with gourds in all the Martha Stewart shapes and colors. There is also a great corn maze for both young and old - a great time for all.		September Zeiger Centennial Farm through October New Buffalo Sidewalk Sales Annual Greek Night at the Hellenic Center October River Valley Gas Engine Show Annual Apple Cider Bike Ride New Buffalo Annual Arts & Crafts Show Cook Energy Center Antique Show WOW Art Gallery Hot Rod Happening Harvest Celebration at Zeigler Farm Tabor Hill Winery features many harvest events. November Fruitbelt Wood Carvers Show Holiday Happenings & Festival of Lights
	winter
This is a nice place if you like living straight out of a Currier & Ives card. The snow is pristine, the area is filled with evergreens and the towns and villages really dress up for the holidays. The vistas are so different through the winter, things that are unseen all year through the leaves mystically appear. The familiar becomes unfamiliar, all the beauty of the place is stripped down to the bare bones, quiet yet stunning. There is the Festival of Lights, with large light sculptures of indigenous animals glowing through the night. My favorite is the school of salmon swimming through the woods by Miller's Restaurant.		Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and snuggling at the fireplace are all worthy pastimes. December Country Christmas in Three Oaks Nouveau Release at Heart of the Vineyard Christmas House Walk
	spring
The season of joy and hope, of rebirth and new beginnings. The daffodils are out from April through May - then everything starts blooming and truly on warm spring nights, the air is so sweet it seems miraculous. The woods are blooming and the color green is unbelievable, the brightest, happiest green that exists in this world. Stores and restaurants that take a break through the winter months, re-open. Weekends are busy with the towns filling up with city people looking for fresh country air, wild flowers and walks on the beach. Our many golf courses are green and mean, waiting just for you.		April Harbor Country Art Attack May St. Joseph Blossomtime Festival St. Mary of the Lake Festival Community Heritage Days at the New Buffalo Railroad Museum
	anytime
This area of Michigan with its temperate climate and sandy soil is a wine producing area with vineyards featuring unique tastes and experiences. Don't leave without a winetasting experience, a tour or an elegant dinner. Salut!	anytime	Tabor Hill Winery

Images (C) Copyright Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce, Used With Permission Harbor Country, while just miles away from urban areas is a world away from urban life. As life gets more stressful and life rushes forward with or with out us, it is good to have a place of repose. A place of calm and beauty that restores our body and strengthens our soul. These 8 communities, ringing the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan thrive without bustling, are cosmopolitan without being citified and welcome each new traveler as a neighbor. So many visitors do become home owners that the lines between native and transient are blurred. The image above is from a group of t-shirts & totes that are available for purchase online and at local merchants. harborcountrystore.com
	museums
New Buffalo Railroad Museum Three Oaks Spokes Bicycle Museum 888-877-2068. Heston Steam Museum The Fort St. Joseph Museum Wilkinson Heritage Museum		Curious Kids Museum 1839 Courthouse Museum The Museum and Tours of Mary's City of David The Cook Energy Information Center The Horn Archeological Museum
	theater
Vickers Theater Harbor Arts		Dunes Summer Theater Mendel Center SW Michigan Symphony Orchestra