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Spring has a way of luring you outside. The late 19th century composer Gustav Mahler more eloquently remarked, “Spring won’t let me stay in the house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.”
When you think about it, spring is an amazing time in Michigan. While the full, lush, green beauty that spreads over the peninsula is still weeks away, the gentle scatterings of color upon the softening ground signal that not only is it safe to venture outside again — it’s almost impossible not to!
Spring comes with an appreciation for sunnier skies and warmer temperatures, and a desire to make the most of every day. That’s why when the weekend comes, staying all tucked inside your home isn’t an option.
Perhaps you’ve been thinking about spending more time Up North this summer. Now is the perfect time to talk to northern Michigan Realtors to see if your favorite area has a cottage just right for you. Spring is also a wonderful time to take in all that you love about northern Michigan destinations like Traverse City, Petoskey, and even Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel without feeling as though you’re a part of everyone else’s vacation.
For a grand weekend getaway, there’s so much to do in Grand Rapids, including relishing the beauty of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park or strolling along the riverbank. Closer to home, both the MGM Grand and the MotorCity Casino off er amazing dining, entertainment, and hotel amenities that will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to roll.
Winter is over! Now is the time to be content, to savor the wonders of the season, and to enjoy all that a Michigan spring has to offer.
PAT O’BRIEN & ASSOCIATES
Guest Information:
128 Water Street, Boyne City, MI 49712
233 Bridge St., Ste. 1, Charlevoix, MI 49720
231-582-1700
www.patobrien.com
When you need a Realtor, it’s important that you work with the best. You want to find a company with a solid reputation and a sales record to back it up. You also want a company with heart. We have the reputation and the record — but, most importantly, we have the heart.
At Pat O’Brien & Associates, we measure our accomplishments not by the size of our bank accounts, but by what we do with the resources we have. We gauge our success by the way we contribute to the success of our communities and our neighbors.
In 2010, Pat O’Brien & Associates’ eight dedicated full-time Realtors made a pledge to contribute a percentage of each and every commission earned and donate it to a worthy cause. Since then, we have helped provide winter clothing for more than 100 elementary students each fall, donated to all of the food pantries in our county, contributed to a local animal shelter, helped to provide handicap access to our beautiful lake, and much more.
These eight Realtors have given back more than $53,000 to date.
Now, that’s heart.
Our agents are generous with their time, too, sitting on no fewer than 15 area boards. They coach, teach, mentor, parent, and grandparent, and they stay involved in the community by supporting schools, churches, chambers of commerce, and city and service organizations. It’s hard to put a figure on donated time, but it’s easy to see the dedication, passion for, and commitment to our communities. That takes heart, too.
So, yes — we’re grateful for the success that we have had that is measureable in numbers of properties listed and sold. But it’s not just about closing deals. It’s about being close. To our clients, neighbors, and communities. And in the end, that makes us all a little richer.
MOTORCITY CASINO HOTEL
Guest Information:
2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48201
1-877-PLAY-MCC
motorcitycasino.com
Welcome to Detroit’s most exciting escape destination.
At MotorCity Casino Hotel, you’ll find a world where you can escape from the everyday. Whether you’re dining at Iridescence, making the slot machines ring out, relaxing at our spa, or seeing a show, you’ll discover what it’s like when excitement, luxury, and pleasure are shaken together to create an experience you can’t get anywhere else.
Just seeing the room is a wake-up call.
In our 400 luxurious rooms and suites you’ll find unrivaled elegance coupled with the latest technology and amenities. With complimentary Wi-Fi, on-screen in-room flight updates, decadent bedding and spa bath products, in-room dining, and a business center and fitness center that are available 24 hours a day, it’s like being right at home — only better.
Big sound. Up close.
Enjoy free live music nightly at the intimate Chromatics Lounge, or take in a concert at Sound Board, our live performance theater that features some of the biggest names in entertainment. This 1,500-seat theater puts everyone up close to the performers, and its state-of-the-art sound and lighting technology makes it an intense entertainment experience.
Every day, we offer a place to hide out from the everyday.
D. Tour, our 13,000-square-foot spa, offers thermal whirlpools, large steam rooms, and dry saunas. We have a specialized selection of massage and body treatments so you can pamper yourself with manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages, all designed to revitalize body, mind, and soul.
You can’t work or play on an empty stomach.
Perfectly executed food, intelligent wine selections, and stunning ambience are on the menu at Iridescence, our AAA Four Diamond Award-winning restaurant. Modern American cuisine is complemented by breathtaking city views and a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. If you’re in the mood for something a little more casual, the Assembly Line Buffet, The Lodge Diner, Grand River Deli, Pit Stop, and Little Caesars are guaranteed to get your motor running.
We’re in the business of unforgettable.
We offer everything you need to make your next event truly memorable. From cutting-edge presentations to gala banquets, MotorCity Casino Hotel has the right facilities and the right people to make the extraordinary happen. With 67,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space, sophisticated boardrooms, and the state-of-the-art Sound Board theater, you’ll find everything you need to make your next meeting or event legendary.
EXPERIENCE GRAND RAPIDS
Guest Information:
www.ExperienceGR.com
Get Away to Grand Rapids
Just two and a half hours from Detroit, Grand Rapids is the perfect place for a stress-free weekend getaway. Check in to downtown’s Amway Grand Plaza or JW Marriott, two of the Midwest’s top 10 hotels, for a luxury experience. Or choose from a wide range of hotels across the city to match your budget and location preferences.
Wherever you stay, you’ll be close to everything the city has to offer — like the 40-plus breweries on the Beer City Ale Trail. You only have to visit a few to see why USA Today named Grand Rapids America’s Best Beer Town. Love great food as much as great beer? Make your way along the Grand Rapids Food Trail — more than 30 delectable destinations that justify the city’s ranking as America’s No. 2 most affordable foodie city.
Many of these beer and food destinations are located in or near downtown, including the Downtown Market — a dazzling food emporium that includes an outdoor farm market, an indoor market hall with more than 20 artisan food vendors, and daily cooking and lifestyle classes. More than 100 restaurants, nightclubs, museums, and theaters are located within a clean, safe, 10-minute walk from the market and downtown hotels.
Other notable attractions include Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, named one of the world’s top 30 must-see museums, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, a fascinating tribute to the life and times of the city’s most famous resident. The Gold Coast of Lake Michigan is just 30 minutes away, so you can stroll sugar-sand beaches, swim in crystal-clear waters, shop charming coast towns and still be back in Grand Rapids for a delicious farm-to-fork dinner.
Whether you’re planning a romantic weekend for two or a quick family getaway, you’ll enjoy yourself in Grand Rapids. For more information, visit ExperienceGR.com.
MGM GRAND DETROIT
Guest Information:
1777 Third Street, Detroit, MI 48226
1-877-888-2121
www.mgmgranddetroit.com
The Only Forbes Four-Star Resort and Spa in the Midwest
Award-winning experiences are waiting for you day and night at MGM Grand Detroit. From the moment you step into this magnificent MGM Resorts International destination, we strive to provide you with an escape that’s both undeniably exciting and absolutely unforgettable.
The truth is, MGM Grand Detroit has worked tirelessly to build an experience that will truly make a lasting impression. From dining to gaming, nightlife, and spa treatments at IMMERSE, there are always Grand Times Ahead.
Vacation or Staycation?
Whether you live in the great city of Detroit or plan on stopping by on your way through town, MGM Grand Detroit is the ideal place to settle in for a bit. This is the only hotel in town to receive Four Stars from the Forbes Travel Guide in 2015, as well as AAA’s coveted Four-Diamond award. Each of our 400 stylish rooms offers marble showers, pillow-top beds with plush down comforters, and 42-inch HD plasma televisions. What’s more, as a hotel guest you’ll enjoy a dedicated entrance, a private lobby living room and access to the spa’s indoor infinity-edge pool and fitness center.
It’s All About the Entertainment
MGM Grand Detroit is home to an impressive collection of “must-dos.” Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck has two restaurants here — Wolfgang Puck Steak and Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina — while Detroit’s newest old sports pub, TAP at MGM Grand Detroit, has become a game-changer for sports fans. For everyone who loves letting loose after dark, V Nightclub lets you ROAR till dawn, while Ignite Sushi Bar & Lounge and AXIS Lounge provide the perfect atmosphere to chill with a classic cocktail while listening to your favorite local band play. And, of course, our 100,000-square-foot casino — equipped with Detroit’s premier poker room, over 100 table games, and nearly 4,000 slots and video poker machines that helped us garner the 2014 Best Casino Award from Hour Detroit — is always open and ready to play. 21+
PAT LEAVY – Representing Northern Michigan’s Finest Properties
Guest Information:
231-838-6700
patleavy@kiddleavy.com
www.patleavy.com
Making Cottage Memories
Pat Leavy has been helping Southeast Michigan families create memories in beautiful Northern Michigan for over 15 years. With boundless energy, perseverance, humor, dogged persistence, and a great staff, Pat works harder than any other agent to achieve his client’s goals. He has sold over $120 million of estate quality homes in just the last three years.
Pat believes buying a home in northwest Michigan is more than square footage and a floor plan. With its blue lakes, miles of shoreline, fresh air, rolling hills, undisturbed woods, vibrant towns, and friendly people, it’s an extraordinary opportunity to experience and share a real treasure. Clearly, it is Pat’s enthusiasm for the area’s lifestyle that translates into results for you, whether you are a buyer or a seller.
As your Buyer’s Representative, Pat can make the process of house hunting much easier and more efficient than if you did it all yourself. He can help you get financing, guide you to local neighborhoods, help you determine your budget, and prioritize a list of essential features that you need in your next home. He’ll save you valuable time by finding the properties that best suit your requirements, and will show you only the most promising ones. Once you’ve found a place that catches your eye, we’ll look at comparable properties in the area to help determine a purchase offer. Then he’ll negotiate on your behalf with the seller to make sure you get the most favorable terms.
Pat would consider it a privilege to work with you. Call him today to begin your search for your vacation home or vacation rental.
HARBOR SHORES LIFE
Guest Information:
Harborshoreslife.com
269.932.1600
Discover a magnificent lakeshore that’s home to a beautiful way of working, playing, and living.
Harbor Shores has plenty of sun, sand, and the beach town charm you’ve always dreamed of. And at just 190 miles from Detroit, finding the right balance is closer than you think.
At Harbor Shores, you’ll enjoy 25 miles of prized Lake Michigan shoreline including pristine beaches, dunes, and the coastal beauty of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph.
For those who appreciate fine living and entertainment on the waterfront, Harbor Shores offers a 92-room, world-class hotel complemented by a full-service spa, indoor/outdoor pools, a marina, and a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.
Finally, should you decide you simply can’t imagine leaving, you’ll find an amazing array of living spaces, ranging from homes to condominiums.
GRAND HOTEL
Guest Information:
1-800-33GRAND
grandhotel.com
Family Added Value Days
It’s a grand family getaway and a great Michigan tradition: Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. This year’s longer summer season — with seven extra nights between Memorial Day and Labor Day — means there are more chances to take advantage of Family Added Value Days on select dates in July and August.
Enjoy complimentary children’s programs, free golf for kids and half off for adults, nightly kid-friendly movies, and outdoor movies in the Tea Garden on select dates. Grand Hotel stays include a full breakfast and a five-course dinner daily, with a casual family dining option.
Mackinac Island offers lots to do, like bike riding, horse-drawn carriage rides, and tours of historic Fort Mackinac. It’s a grand family experience.
Stay two nights and get the third night half off, or stay one night and get the second night 25 percent off. Children 17 and under stay with their parents for no additional charge.
TRAVERSE CITY
Guest Information:
800-TRAVERSE
TraverseCity.com
www.facebook.com/TraverseCityTourism
Why do so many people love Traverse City in the spring?
Because they’ve discovered that the beauty of this wonderful place is at its peak in springtime. The hills and valleys are misted in new greenery, the endless beaches come alive with warmth, and the air is filled with the scent of millions of flowering cherry trees. It’s the perfect time for a romantic getaway, a village shopping adventure, or a wine country tasting tour.
Most people know Traverse City is Michigan’s favorite summer playground, but spring brings a different kind of traveler to this land of dunes, lakes, and forests. It’s a gentler, more romantic season — a time of moist warm mornings, golden afternoons, and cool, lingering evenings. The summer crowds and heat haven’t arrived yet, the orchards are covered in fluffy clouds of blossoms and, best of all, the enchantment of Traverse City is available at very reasonable prices.
PETOSKEY AREA, MICHIGAN
8800-845-2828
PetoskeyArea.com
When was the last time you slowed down and really enjoyed life? Strolled a pristine beach and picked up a Petoskey stone here and there, shared smiles with friends as you browsed quaint shops, took a bike ride along Lake Michigan, or just plain had fun? The time is now. The place is here. The Petoskey Area of northern Michigan. It’s a Michigan treasure.
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