When you hear the words "mushroom house" what's the first thing that comes to mind?

100.5 FM The River logo
Get our free mobile app

If you said "Smurfs", you're not alone. That's the first thing that came to mind for me too. If memory serves me correctly, they lived in mushroom houses right?

I was also going to run with "hobbits" and "Lord of The Rings", but those were not mushroom houses. Those were shires. Dug into hillsides and they apparently come with their own scores and soundtracks. Seriously, go to YouTube and search "hobbit shire theme". There is tremendously way too much music for hobbit homes on the internet.

I digress. The previously mentioned mushroom houses are not real.

The ones in Charlevoix ARE. There are a lot of them there. So many in fact you can put it on your to do list when you visit. It's a really big tourist attraction up north.

It's common to refer to the custom homes of master builder Earl Young as mushroom houses. As a designer, Young was enigmatic because he didn't use blueprints. As an artist, he created homes that fit the site, rather than forcing the landscape to accommodate the design. The iconic structures' cute names do not diminish their lasting impacting and Charlevoix is proud of its architectural treasures. (visitcharlevoix)

And why just travel around and visit these iconic mushroom houses when you can actually spend the night in one. 

Shawn and Jatell via Airbnb
Shawn and Jatell via Airbnb
loading...

Built on a knoll that inspired its design sits a house of stone overlooking Lake Michigan, its architect Earl Young called it home for over 30 years. Young designed and built this mushroom house and he chose the best spot in Charlevoix to do so! (airbnb)

Find out more about these one of a kind houses and the man behind them (Earl Young) HERE.

You can STAY IN THE ONE pictured above and find out more HERE. Take a look inside with the photos below.

LOOK INSIDE: You Could Stay At One of the Famous Charlevoix Mushroom Houses

There is a lot of unique architecture to see in the state of Michigan from the historic homes in Detroit to the Broad Art Museum on Michigan State University's campus. One of the most well-known is the mushroom house in Charlevoix.

These cute little cottages were designed by architect Early Young and overlook beautiful Lake Michigan. Take a look inside one of them, and if you're interested, you can even book a stay in it through airbnb!

Wineries That Are Less Than a Two Hour Drive From Lansing, Michigan

We've put together a selection of wineries that are a short drive away from Lansing, Michigan. There are a ton of great wineries in Michigan, but this list will get you started at least!

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Michigan

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Michigan using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

 

 

 

More From 100.5 FM The River