Historic Leelanau County resort celebrates 120th year

Fountain Point draws families to return to old-time peace and quiet.

January 23, 2009

Lake Leelanau, Michigan – This May, Fountain Point Resort will open its gates for the 120th year of operation. Guests first came to the resort via a steamship from the south end of Lake Leelanau; today its minivans loaded with beach toys and lawn games.
The resort offers 19 cottages, all different sizes sleeping 2-13 people. Over the last 15 years, all the cottages have been renovated with new kitchens and bathrooms.
Coming to Fountain Point is like stepping back in time. The Hotel opened in June 1889. It houses three sitting rooms with fireplaces and a Breakfast Room.  There are eight guest rooms on the second floor.  A rambling veranda wraps itself around the front of the hotel facing the lake with a view of the sprawling lawn, the Historic Fountain and Lake Leelanau.  Guests enjoy the lake and grounds, the library, ping-pong and pool table, and evening beach fires.
Original furnishings and artifacts are abundant. It has been a goal of the proprietors to preserve the history of the place, which is well documented in a museum in the hotel. In 2003, Fountain Point was put on the National Registry for Historic Places, making it the largest historic district in Leelanau County.
Very little has changed at the resort since it opened in 1889, the cottages still have their simple feel, there are still no TVs and it is still an opportune place to spend time with family and friends.
Fountain Point is an ideal place for family reunions or couples getaways. It has become a place of calm in The North, for many escaping Downstate, Cincinnati or Chicago. The feel of the place can be summed-up by the constant relaxing sound of the fountain, which is situated in the middle of the grounds and rushes from an artesian well.  In 1867, while drilling for oil, A. De Belloy struck water at 900 feet and the well has been flowing ever since.
The flow of Fountain Point makes it perfect for workshops and events.

The summer of 2009 is an exciting time for Fountain Point:
· In collaboration with Sandy Carden of Union Yoga in Lake Leelanau, a 200-hour yoga

teacher-training course is scheduled in the month of May.
· Family and staff will be giving guided tours of the museum, hotel and cottages during the first two Sundays of June: 7th & 14th at 1pm.
· Theo Early, will be teaching photography workshops in May and October, planning to capture cherry blossoms and fall colors.
We invite you to visit our website and see the new photos, come to a tour on June 7th or 14th, or call to arrange another time.

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…Some guests comments:

“We love the serenity, setting, friendliness and old-time peace and quiet. We had two 17 year-olds and a 13 year-old who never needed a TV, video game, DVD or phone,” Tony, of Cincinnati, Ohio.

“The very best of life happens at Fountain Point. Everything is right. The unfortunate, yet unavoidable distinction between child and adult is graciously bridged-the resulting impression being branded to the heart. Fountain Point is my true north, and will always draw me back to rest from the pendulum of the year,” Mark of Kettering, Ohio.

Susan Jay Nichols (3rd Generation)
Theo Early (4th Generation)
Erik Zehender (4th Generation)
231 256-9800 – fountainpt@aol.com

www.fountainpointresort.com
PO Box 175
990 South Lake Leelanau Drive
Lake Leelanau, MI  49653