Beautiful sunsets. Camping. Fishing. Walks on the beach. Great food and entertainment. Reasonably rated, comfortable accommodations. Sound too good to be true? Well, it isn't. While all this may seem like a dream, it's very much a reality, and the reality can be found in the tip of Michigan's thumb in Caseville.
Caseville, founded in 1836 for the lumber industry and originally known as Port Elizabeth, is located at the mouth of the Pigeon River on the scenic shores of Lake Huron. Only about an hour away from the more urban areas of Bay City and Saginaw (about 2-3 hours from the Detroit area), Caseville offers a convenient getaway. The town boasts only about 2,000 residents year round, but don't let that fool you-because so many people discover Caseville each summer, the residents are experts at providing services to tourists and vacationers.
The fact that Caseville is located on Lake Huron means that it's the perfect place to break out the family boat or a pair of jet skis. There are a number of docks and marinas to assist in this. Even if that doesn't suit your fancy, you can still visit the shoreline to fish, swim, or just build a sand castle and sunbathe.
When the beach gets too hot or you've worn yourself out having fun, you can retire to the parks. The Caseville County Park is right next to the Caseville Pier, which makes it just a short walk from the shoreline. The park has over 40 acres and has great hook-ups for campers; camping rates are as low as $160 for an entire week. The park pavilions also can be rented, which are suitable for parties, reunions, etc. Only minutes away from the Caseville County Park is Sleeper State Park. While the Caseville County Park does offer a few advantages to campers, it's more highly used; the Sleeper State Park thus tends to be a bit quieter. You can decide which park to visit based on your personal needs and personality.
If you don't feel like camping, you can make a reservation at any one of the hotels, bed and breakfasts, or cabins in the Caseville area. Popular hotels include the Bella Vista/Sunset Bay Resort and the Blue Water Inn. Prices range anywhere from $30 to $120 a night, depending on the hotel.
While Caseville may be a small town, it's far from sleepy in terms of entertainment. One of the best times to visit the area is in mid-August, when the town puts on the annual Cheeseburger in Caseville festival. During the festival, the main streets of the town are transformed to look like Key North and celebrate the music of Jimmy Buffet. Merchants have sidewalk sales and provide guests with their specialty foods. In addition, the festival pulls in various bands and performers-for the past three years in a row, for example, the festival has featured the ARK Jamaican Reggae Steel Drum Band. As with most festivals, there are raffles and giveaways, too.
Even though the Cheeseburger in Caseville is a blast, residents like to celebrate and have a good time in colder weather, as well. The result is the annual Shanty Days, which takes place every February. The focus for this festival, as the name suggests, is ice fishing, but the festival offers everything from beautiful baby contests to pool. One of the highlights of the festival (and most fun to watch) is a good-natured Polar Bear Dip.
Additional entertainment in Caseville reflects the quiet, luxuriously calm atmosphere of the town. There are no less than three separate golf courses in the area, and if you don't feel like lugging a bag of clubs around, there is a putt-putt golf course, as well. Putt-Putt Golf & Games offers a full 18-hole putt-putt course, but that's just one of the activities there; you can enjoy a ride on bumper boats, have a water balloon fight in Water Wars, and even shoot baskets. Needless to say, this is one of the Caseville businesses visited the most by those with children, but when all the golfing and games is over, you still can catch a movie at the Bay Theater. Another great entertainment spot is Hersel's-on-the-Bay Dining and Lounge. Hersel's, more suited to adults, is place where you can go to eat, drink, dance, or even see a comedy skit-entertainment artists are brought in to the lounge frequently.
Naturally, Hersel's isn't the only place you can grab a bite to eat. Popular Caseville restaurants include Breakers-on-the-Bay Lakefront Restaurant and Giuseppe's Pizzeria Italian & American Restaurant. All restaurants in the area are reasonably priced and have friendly staff.
Whether you visit Caseville in the chill of February or the heat of August, Caseville's lakefront location is the perfect place to slip away from it all. You can stay a few days or a few months, but either way, you'll come away happy and relaxed.
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