The Breezeway
The rural route boasts scenic views, recreation amenities, working farms and orchards, galleries, shopping, lodging, and restaurants.
“The Breezeway” is a rural ride along County Road 48 (CR-48) from US-31 in Atwood, through Ellsworth and East Jordan, and ending in Boyne Falls at US-131. The rural route boasts scenic views, recreation amenities, working farms and orchards, galleries, shopping, lodging, and restaurants. The Breezeway brand links the special sense of place that is shared by the rural villages, cities and townships along C-48. The Breezeway concept came out of the findings of the Chain of Lakes marketing study that identified natural alignments among the communities of the East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce (Atwood, Ellsworth, and East Jordan). These communities share an agri-tourism industry base, recreation amenities, and a labor market. The communities realized that if they worked together, they could achieve greater prosperity, especially in light of the economic downturn. The Village of Ellsworth had especially seen hard times; the Village’s only grocery store and restaurant had been shuttered and action was needed. The community leaders decided that if they wanted to work towards prosperity, they would need to let people know how to get there, and that could happen best through a joint branding initiative.
A zealous group of community leaders, business owners, local officials, and residents got together in 2006 to vision how to brand this stretch of road to get people to travel C-48, stop in the small towns, and visit the local attractions along the way. The Breezeway Task Force was born. Through volunteer marketing initiatives, community-organized events such as farmers markets and festivals, and Chamber-organized events such as business workshops and networking, Breezeway communities have seen an uptick in business activity, including Ellsworth, which in 2011 had fully occupied storefronts.
The Task Force’s efforts have allowed them to successfully compete for some grant dollars: They received a $25,000 grant from Michigan’s Centers for Regional Excellence program in 2008 to continue marketing efforts and to add The Breezeway mile marker signs, and a $5,000 grant from the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments in 2011 for development and marketing of the Ellsworth Farmers Market. Nonetheless, the majority of the work was and continues to be done by the communities’ “zealous nuts” with support of the East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, visit: ridethebreezeway.com or contact the East Jordan Chamber at 231-536-7351.
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The Breezeway
“The Breezeway” is a rural ride along County Road 48 (CR-48) from US-31 in Atwood, through Ellsworth and East Jordan, and ending in Boyne Falls at US-131. The rural route boasts scenic views, recreation amenities, working farms and orchards, galleries, shopping, lodging, and restaurants.Read More
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