Tawas Point Is Not "The Cape Cod Of The Midwest"

Fully engaged in the meaningful throes of my Google search on "Tawas Point" I made note of a quote in Wikipedia referring to the area as "the Cape Cod of the Midwest". Being a native of the area I was immediately struck dumb by the statement but not at all surprised at what liberties these, I would guess imported Tawasians, will take to make something out of nothing. Now don't get me wrong, Tawas Point is beautiful and the very place I must return to every year for my own spiritual resuscitation, but it galls me why these people up there have to not only tear down the charming historical structures of my youth but also now decorate my old town to look like any other newly fixed-up town in the USA. Instead of leaving it natural and charming with its weathered wood, fish smells, bait shops, and boats they have replaced it all with indestructible composite decking, ugly brick pavers, multi-colored kite shops, and aggressive Chamber solicitations to get the Great Lakes luxury liners to make East Tawas a stopover point for the typical fanny-pack vacation cruiser. What's disgusting about this cruise ship scenario is the awful visual I have of these fanny-pack passengers getting off the ship, making their way through what they now call "Harbor Park" past the city's new planted islands, town clock, and nautical flag pole meant to tie the pier and downtown together just as The Dude's Persian rug was supposedly accomplishing in the Dude Lebowski's living room before Jackie Treehorn's thugs urinated on it. But even getting your boots past this new and modern abomination that our city planners bestowed on us, and on forward up Newman Street and the new "streetscape" planter and paver designs we now have to suffer through, the worldly luxury cruiser person is confronted by the giant green monster building infamously known throughout the surrounding nine counties as Norman's, a giant corner department store that has provided me with cheap 100% cotton underwear (probably made in China) for over forty years. But even though I confess to shopping there I must admit Norman's is butt ugly and also the butt of many jokes.

Now really, I've never in my life ever heard of Tawas Point being called "the Cape Cod of the Midwest". So I Googled that too. Guess what? No mention anywhere of this except in somebody's blog and they must have lifted that quote, which has no citation, no source, from the same place I found it. But what I did find was up in Door County, Wisconsin several articles on their area being called "the Cape Cod of the Midwest" with articles in both the National Geographic and also the NY TImes.

Published: September 11, 2008
“If you own a second home in Door County, you probably have National Geographic magazine to thank,” said Scott Bader, a broker at Coldwell Banker Door County Horizons in Fish Creek, Wis

So tell me, why does Tawas always have to try to be something it is not? Why not simply be what it is: a small, natural grassy prairie town with beautiful pine forests, white sand beaches, rivers, a sparse population, and a fucking Great Lake.

The images in the following photo essay will demonstrate the natural beauty of Tawas Point with no faux anything in order to "spruce" it up (quotation marks mine). The long stretches of sandy beach that changes year to year, season to season, the abundant wildlife and hiking trails, make Tawas Point a very special place and one I am not likely wanting to share. But I get off the beaten path which is one of the best highlights of The Point. You can. And, for the most part, be lonely. Or I should say, alone, which isn't all bad.

All images Copyright 2009 by M Sarki