When I began envisioning the places of “UnMasked” one of the first areas that came to mind were some of my favorite cities in northern Michigan; places I’d known and loved every summer since I was a baby. My family would visit Petoskey, Charlevoix and Harbor Springs. My grandparents had retired to Charlevoix, so sometimes we journeyed there during the fall and winter as well.
My earliest memories involve looking for Petoskey stones along the Lake Michigan Shore, eating my favorite coconut cream pie at the Petoskey Jesperson’s restaurant, (unfortunately now closed after more than 100 years of business) and yummy fudge and coconut ice cream from Kilwin’s Fudge Shop. Summer was when I took long walks with my grandparents and enjoyed the many area beaches. Our family would gather around the dinner table with my grandparents and sometimes with extended family as we enjoyed meals together. Up north was synonymous with freedom from chores as well as the extra luxury of more opportunities to read. Usually on our second day of vacation, my grandpa would take me to the Charlevoix library and fill my arms with a huge stack of books. He encouraged my deep love of reading. It was my favorite time of year!
When people ask why does “UnMasked” seem so real, it seems so real because I wrote about places that I know and love, using creative fiction. Creative fiction is a way of incorporating real life events into your story. Here are some pictures from Charlevoix that we took during our fall anniversary trip. There are scenes from places you will recognize in UnMasked.”
The area near the beautiful Charlevoix South Pier lighthouse is so gorgeous that I knew I wanted to include this location in “UnMasked.” I could easily picture the Clarke family home on a hill overlooking the beach and lighthouse.
The sunset from the pier is always lovely; in this picture I’ve captured the cement plant which you see off to the left of the Charlevoix lighthouse.
Behind my husband and myself is the beach with the playground and swings with beautiful sand and the Charlevoix South Pier lighthouse. Members of the Clarke/Blake family are able to see this “view” from the Clarke family lake house.
My experiences in Northern Michigan were a strong inspiration for the vacation fun the Clarke/Blake family experienced in “UnMasked”. I can close my eyes and I’m back in Charlevoix visiting my grandparents. Or I’m in Petoskey with my parents and siblings or checking out the wonderful fireworks in Harbor Springs over the fourth of July. Other memories involve visiting with my husband and three young children and watching them experience the beach and all the amazing things to see and do in northern Michigan. Other times, I’m a college student going out with friends and having a blast in one of my favorite places in the world and yes it really does feel like yesterday.
I’d love to hear from you. What are some of your favorite memories and things to do in northern Michigan?
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