Bay View Association, on the edge of Petoskey, has to be one of the most picturesque places in Northern Michigan. Founded in 1875 as an institution rooted in the Methodist Church, Bay View has been offering respite, worship, community, music and dialogue to its members and visitors since the only way to arrive was by steamship or train.

A National Historic Landmark community, Bay View is made up of 30 community-owned buildings, nearly 450 seasonal cottages and two inns all sitting on 377 acres, including waterfront on Little Traverse Bay. Some families have been coming for generations to spend the entire summer or a cherished week. Day Visitors flock to Bay View to participate in the Assembly Program or to attend the Music Festival, currently recognized as the longest reigning music festival in the United States drawing students from all over the country.

Here, Ranaan Meyer, double bassist for “Time for Three,” a charasmatic ensemble blending classical, country western, gypsy and jazz idioms on two violins and a double bass, lets us poke our heads into his Classical Jam Band Camp where classical musicians get to improvise with sounds and beats.

And then sit back and take a visual tour of Bay View as Meyer, whose “Time for Three” and has played with such diverse groups as the Philadelphia Orchestra and K.D. Lang, accompanies our tour on his bass with “Amazing Grace.”

Click on the issue below for the 2009 Petoskey/Harbor Vacation Guide

Find ideas, tips and lots of links to fun, food, activities, recreation and lodging to pack around a visit to Bay View.

More Links to Fun in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor and the Little Traverse Region!