Fall Colors
Summer gets most of the credit around here when it comes to seasons. And rightfully so. White sandy beaches and turquoise waters look mighty good after a long, snowy winter. And while I do love the summers in the Grand Traverse region, my favorite season, by far, is Autumn. A lot of that has to do with personal reasons. I moved to Traverse City on October 1st, a little over 11 years ago. Fall brings back memories of the excitement and possibility of moving to a new place, especially as one as beautiful as this.
October has a special place in my heart for other reasons as well. It is the month of my birthday but more importantly the month I was married in. To me, October is the month and fall is the season where I feel I finally found, on a number of levels, my forever home. And, the month where I barely avoided the unfortunate Up North experience of hitting a deer. But, I blame the fall colors for this.
The explosion of color that temporarily bursts out of the Northern Michigan hardwoods is one of the natural world’s greatest spectacles. And one that almost cost me, at the very least, a Jeep Cherokee and for one White-tail buck, his life. I had just moved to the area and was driving around the Leelanau Peninsula on the famed M22, which has my vote for one of the most scenic roads in the country. My eyes were transfixed on a beautiful line of colorful trees when I realized I was only about half on the road. It was at this moment that I made eye contact with that buck as he jumped the hood of my car. I slammed on the brakes just short of a much closer line of trees. My palms still get a bit sweaty thinking about that.
So yes, October brings back the memories. I moved here from Oregon, where the pine tree forests stay green year-round, to be closer to my family in the Chicago suburbs. After many years living in Oregon and Scotland, I didn’t want to give up the forests, rivers and shores for suburban life and after a healthy dose of research, I landed on Traverse City. A decision I will always count as one of the better ones of my life, along with the woman I was lucky enough to get married to on a rather large hill overlooking West Grand Traverse Bay and the Old Mission Peninsula.
For ten years, I owned and operated a tour company here sharing my passion for the area with people from all over the world. For ten years, my office was the vineyards and farms, the rivers and lakeshores, the White Pine forests and sandy trails overlooking Lake Michigan. And with every comment like, “I didn’t know Michigan was so beautiful” that came off of my client’s lips, my appreciation for this area grew more and more as I realized that I get to live where other people spend their hard-earned money to visit.
And now, I get to share those passions in a new way with Northern Den Realty. With professional, dedicated, like-minded people who care deeply about the community they live in and represent. We definitely want to help you with any real estate needs you have but we also want to be your concierge, your key to unlocking everything our beautiful part of the country has to offer. From the small, local businesses that make our region tick, to the natural beauty and friendly way of life that has us all so grateful to call this place home. And as a first piece of advice to those new to the area, I offer this…pull over whenever you spot those mind-blowing fall colors. It is much safer, your photos will come out a lot better and, most importantly, the deer will thank you.
By,
Bob Lovik – Licensed Realtor
