Visiting the new New Buffalo

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

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It's been several years since I stopped in New Buffalo. I remember it as a sleepy little town with lots of old, musty cottages lining the blocks along the beach.

There still are some of those here. But, at least in the area where I'm staying, the water view from those musty cottages is now blocked by beautiful new condo developments.

I'm visiting as a guest of the Michigan Department of Tourism and staying in one of the beautiful new condo developments, the Marina Grand Resort, which opened in 2006. I have a two-bedroom loft with a living/dining room, fully outfitted kitchen and a balcony overlooking the marina.

Dinner last night was at the Gintaras Resort, a charming family-owned resort with 300 feet of private lakefront beach. There are two grand houses (one sleeps up to 20, the other up to 15) and 11 cottages. These are in the style of the musty old cottages I remember, minus the musty smell. And there purposely are no TVs in any of the rooms. There's wifi, though, for the family that can't manage to completely unplug.

Gintaras would have been considered upscale accommodations before the new construction started popping up in New Buffalo.

I guess the change had to happen. It took me just 90 minutes to get here from Chicago. (And I didn't speed. Not much anyway.) So it's an easy get-away for those of us who need to escape the city now and then.

Cindy Richards is the mom of two who gets her muse from traveling the world, usually with kids in tow. She also writes for TravelingMom.com, where she also serves as editor.

See more of Cindy's stories here.