Lapeer County, A Well-Kept Secret

Looking for a blend of small town and big city? Country life and urban amenities? Friendly neighbors and high-tech services? Lapeer County is just a 10-minute drive to Flint, a 30-minute drive to Port Huron and Canada, and a 50-minute drive to Detroit.

The Lapeer County courthouse is among the 10 oldest courthouses in the U.S. Built in the Greek Revival style in 1846 by State Sen. Alvin Hart, he rented the courthouse to the county for one dollar. Newly-renovated, the courthouse is Michigan's oldest working courthouse.

McLaren Lapeer Region is the area's leading provider of acute care services, with 175 physicians on staff, and 800 births each year. The Emergency Center accommodates more than 24,000 visits annually. The hospital also has a Transitional Care Unit and Sleep Diagnostics Center. McLaren Lapeer Region is an subsidiary of McLaren Flint, Flint.  For more information, call (810) 667-5500.

Lapeer County offers family-oriented leisure activities each season of the year. There are five major lakes in Lapeer County, and Lapeer's River Route Canoeing System provides 26 miles of accessible free-flowing river. Lapeer County is working on a "rails-to-trails" project with the construction of Linear Park -- 23 miles of trails from Leonard to Kingsmill for non-motorized use. Full completion is anticipated by 2007.

Two other areas of interest: Torzewski County Park on Pero Lake features a 360-foot "Blue Spiral" waterslide, baseball diamonds, nature trails and fishing sites. The Seven Ponds Nature Center is a 245-acre prairie of unusual plants, waterfowl feeding area, memorial orchard, herb garden and natural history library.

For more on Lapeer County, check out www.lapeer.org.

About Our Area

Education:

Baker College (www.baker.edu)
Central Michigan University (www.cmich.edu)
Davenport University (www.davenport.edu)
Kettering University (www.kettering.edu)
Mott Community College (www.mcc.edu)
Oakland University (www.oakland.edu)
Oakland Community College - Highland Lakes Campus (www.oaklandcc.edu)
Spring Arbor University (www.arbor.edu)
University of Michigan/Flint (www.umflint.edu)

Cultural:

Crossroads Village (http://geneseecountyparks.org)
Community of Frankenmuth ( http://www.frankenmuth.org)

Sports:

Flint Firebirds Hockey (www.flintfirebirds.com)
Detroit Red Wings (www.detroitredwings.com)
Detroit Pistons (www.nba.com/pistons)
Detroit Tigers (www.tigers.mlb.com
Detroit Lions (www.detroitlions.com)
Michigan Golf (www.michigangolf.com)
Pine Knob Ski Resort (www.skipineknob.com)
Michigan International Speedway (www.nascar.com)
Bobby Crim Roadrace (www.crim.org)
Buick Open (www.pgatour.com)
Oakland County Parks - Adaptive Recreation Division offering golf leagues, special events, facilities and more for individuals with disabilities. (www.oakgov.com)