Yes – The Climate! The four seasons and temperate climate we have fit outdoor enthusiasts year ‘round, yet our weather is not so fierce as to scare off those who are more inclined to the indoors. For instance, Delta County gets about 1/3 of the snowfall as our neighbors just one hour north. The natural resources like trees, lakes, rivers, and bluffs are also an asset.

Delta County has 211 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, inland lakes and rivers, low fees for recreation, plenty of marina space, lots of golf courses with reasonable waits for tee times, lots of parks and campgrounds, world class fishing year round, a YMCA, easy access to good trails for skiing, biking, hiking, off-roading, and snowmobiling.

We live in an area rural enough so there’s virtually no time stuck in commuter traffic yet big enough that everything you need and most of what you want is right here. We have an abundance of good restaurants, particularly for an area this size, and a variety of cultural opportunities. We also have a strong retail base. We are within an easy drive of practically everything that the city has to offer, with Chicago, Milwaukee, and points between only a half-day’s drive.

Thirty-five years ago our community had the foresight to commit to the development of Bay College, and now academic programs to the masters’ degree level , vocational, and personal enrichment education are available without leaving home. Gladstone has just built a new high school whose design was praised by a national Utilities and Business Education Consortium consultants as being centered around sound educational objectives. Scholarships through area high schools and Bay are incredible and plentiful. Accessible educational opportunities and commitment to improvement are central to a good place to live.

This again brings us to that “best of both worlds” category. We have many medical choices right here in Delta County, with access to local, secondary and tertiary care within zero to two hours. OSF St. Francis Hospital is in Escanaba and Marquette General Hospital and Bellin Health have clinics here as well. We have assisted living, hospices, nursing facilities in addition to the hospital. And we can’t forget the MSU medical program.

Read the local papers. A really bad week is a string of break-ins. We have a crime rate of 47.4% below the national average! Even in the UP we have the 3rd lowest crime rate. And we have safety in other ways, as well. Safe, clear, clean water and air, for instance.

When you have something, it’s sometimes hard to notice it. But thanks to Charter Communications, we have one of the best, fastest telecommunications systems in the country. Our Internet access over the cable, and the forthcoming telephone over the cable is cutting edge. In this global economy, this is critical for business and educational success.

There is always something going on here. Between the fairgrounds, the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center, the city recreation departments, the holiday festivities, events like Krusin’’ Klassics, Logging Congress, Log Rolling Competitions, Steam and Gas Shows, Rodeo, Civil War Reenactments, Waterfront Art Festival, City Band concerts, the nationally-known headliner concerts at the Island Resort and Casino, Delta Folks, Pine Mountain Musical Festival, Strings on the Bay, and so forth, there is much to do. The Chamber of Commerce maintains a listing of events. Stop by and pick one up!

Whether you are in a mood for ethnic foods, fine dining, casual dining, or fast food, we’ve got it and it’s tasty. For a rural community this size, there are an amazing number of quality choices. Picking which place to eat tonight is the hardest part!