By M. Christine Byron & Thomas R. Wilson
Join Christine and Tom for a road trip on the old West Michigan Pike, now US-31. This historic road was the first continuous, improved route between Michigan City and Mackinaw City. The road along the Lake Michigan coast opened West Michigan to automobile travel and tourism. The authors depict the adventure and romance of motoring showing vintage postcards, photographs, maps, and ephemera to illustrate this journey. Time-travel with them through the beautiful West Michigan landscape and quaint towns to hotels and cabins, tourist camps and state parks, and other stops along the road.
Christine and Tom share a love of Michigan and a fascination with its history. They are especially interested in the history of Michigan’s tourism industry. Their collection of antique postcards and tourist and travel ephemera was the inspiration for five of their books: Vintage Views Along Scenic M-22 including Sleeping Bear Dunes (2012); Vintage Views Along the West Michigan Pike (2011), Vintage Views of the Mackinac Straits Region (2007), Vintage Views of the Charlevoix – Petoskey Region (2005) and Vintage Views of Leelanau County (2002). Their sixth book, Historic Leelanau: Recognized Sites and Places of Historical Significance, is a fundraiser for the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society.
