Harbor Springs is a wonderful community in the truest sense of the word. The people are warm, genuine, and welcoming. There may not be a better place on earth to enjoy four distinct, varied, and beautiful seasons. The long, sunny summer days and natural air conditioning of Little Traverse Bay. The uncrowded, undeveloped sandy beaches. The smell of fudge. Fall colors that would leave a New England leaf-peeper breathless, and miles of empty roads and paths by which to enjoy them. Three months of real winter, complete with downtown sleigh rides, a great town sledding hill, a municipal ice rink, and the best skiing in the midwest. Watching the world wake in spring. Marvelling at the wildflower colors on display while out for a morning walk in one of Harbor's nature preserves, then passing through clouds of lilac on the walk back through town. Mackinac Island. The Little Traverse Wheelway bike path. Wilderness, Petoskey, and Burt Lake State Parks. Fishing the Bear River or Walloon Lake. Sailing Little Traverse Bay. Hiking the North Country Trail. Biking the Tunnel of Trees. Headlands dark sky park. Golfing some of the finest courses in the nation. The opportunities to enjoy the unspoiled outdoors are practically endless. This is the place I wish I'd spent my childhood, and I'm hoping to give that experience to my two young boys.