Enjoying the natural beauty

PRESQUE ISLE — Presque Isle resident Bill Lewis sees the natural beauty of Northeast Michigan as one of the area’s biggest assets and enjoys having many of those assets right in his own backyard.
It was in 1935 that Lewis’s parents started visiting Presque Isle, and they purchased property that same year. They stayed at their property every year and moved there permanently in 1962.

Lewis and his wife moved to Presque Isle in 1985 and built their own house in 1988.
Lewis’s interest in the natural surroundings of the area is evident in the large number of photos he has taken over the years of flowers, mosses and ferns, scenic photos, wildlife, the two Presque Isle Lighthouses, and special events in the Presque Isle area and other communities in the region.

“Photography always has interested me and other members of my family,” Lewis said. “Most of my photography is done here, except when my wife and I travel to visit relatives.”

Lewis worked for the National Weather Service for 32 years, in communities including Alpena, before retiring.
He said after traveling to Presque Isle for so many years while growing up, he knew this would be the place he would continue to live after retirement.

“I like it because of the wildlife and the fact that it is still relatively undeveloped once you get away from town,” he said. “The people are friendly, and, being a nature lover, there are many interesting things to see here.”

The two Presque Isle Lighthouses are definitely a big pull when it comes to tourism, he said.

“A lot of work is being done to maintain them as historical sites,” he said.

Grand Lake is one of the area’s unique assets with its many islands, which number 16-19 depending on when and how they are counted.
“That makes it very unique among Michigan lakes,” he said.

Most of the islands do have seasonal cottages on them.

The sinkholes in the Rockport area also are another natural attraction, but Lewis believes there should be continued encouragement for easier access for people who would like to view them. However, he believes it is important to leave attractions like that in their natural state.

“We need to maintain them as wild places,” he said.

Thompson Harbor State Park is another location to view a variety of plants and wildlife in their natural settings.
Lewis said the area’s summer tourism is very important for the local economy and he believes the winter tourism continues to grow. He believes continuing efforts for trails for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing to connect to other areas of the state will further develop the area’s winter tourism.

While he would like to see the tourism grow in Northeast Michigan, he said he did not want to see it grow to the point where it resembled Northwest Michigan. He said he believed a lot of the attraction on the west side of the state was lost through increased development.

“I really wouldn’t care to see a ‘Bay Harbor East,’” he said.

There have been ideas proposed for Presque Isle including its own airport, as well as a golf course.

“I personally don’t think that would be proper development of the area,” he said.