It is July and time for our annual escape/vacation to the north woods in my home state of Michigan. As penance for spending most of that time in the middle of trout streams I accompany my wife on a shopping trip to Gaylord, a large town about thirty minutes away. It is near the I-75 freeway and a commercial hub similar to the Janesville/Beloit market. All the big boxes are there along with a quaint downtown with small shops.
Years ago, when it was the trendy thing to do, Gaylord themed its downtown architecture to become an Alpine village. Seems a bit hokey these days, but in the scheme of things they actually pulled if off pretty well. They have a very successful festival, Alpenfest, and even convinced some of the national retailers to adopt the Alpine theme within their new store’s façade. It has been the Alpine Village for as long as I can remember.