Good Things Come in Small Packages

When you come from a small, rural town (technically a village) it is rather tempting to imagine yourself living anywhere else. I often imagine myself walking the crowded streets of New York City, surfing off the coast of California, or even just driving through a town with more than one stop light. I catch myself marveling at how wonderful it must be to call such places home, but then I realize that no matter how amazing they may seem, they will never hold the same kind of magic as the village I grew up in.

I have called Webberville, Michigan my home for as long as I can remember and I love everything about it. It may not be the typical tourist destination with lots of cool shops and innumerable museums and restaurants, but Webberville still has something special to offer for those who are willing to look past its small size. It may be a time-worn cliche, but it still rings true; good things come in small packages.

Webberville is a quiet place where time ticks by at a slower pace and distractions are few and far between. When you visit you have a lot of time to think, relax and just enjoy the fact that you are alive. This village is a simple place with simple pleasures. Picking sweet, juicy strawberries from Diederich’s berry farm in the heat of the summer and the yearly Fireman’s Field Day and Ox Roast festival are among the top attractions. It is the kind of place that just feels like home. Everyone knows everyone and there is a rich sense of community.

This small village I call home has everything most towns do, like a bar (Fool’s Gold), pizzeria (C&J’s), auto mechanic (K & J Service) , pharmacy (Village Drug Shop), and how could you forget the franchise that has wormed its way into every town in America and possible even earth, McDonald’s. While such things may make Webberville just like any other town, it is the details of these establishments and many others that make it unique and special. Fool’s Gold, for example, hands out full-sized candy bars to the kids on Halloween, and C & J’s makes a peanut butter, bacon and banana pepper pizza that is supposedly delicious; I am too much of a chicken to try it. The village is also home to the wonderfully nostalgic and retro Sinclair Grill that serves up some seriously scrumptious American diner food.

One of the most wonderful and unique things about Webberville though, is how it thoroughly embraces its farming heritage with places like Diederich’s berry and produce farm where you can pick your own super-sweet Michigan strawberries, and Northfork Outback where children and families can have fun exploring a re-creation of the old west and a Native American village. Even downtown shows its country pride with an ice cream place (Moo Hoo’s) that is painted like a barn with a mural of cows grazing in a field on the side. Don’t let the wild paint job fool you though, Moo Hoo’s makes udderly yummy ice cream treats.

Of course, if you want a real taste of farmland, you are in luck. The sweeping, picturesque views of the Webberville countryside are a mere hop and skip from downtown, and the best way to experience them is by taking an evening drive. Personally, I find the lush green fields and pastures robed in gold by the setting sun incredibly breathtaking and my favorite part of living in Webberville. There is nothing quite like seeing the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees as though it were lace hanging from windows, or watching the wind dancing in the glowing fields of corn and wheat. It is a perfect way to end a day exploring the quaint village of Webberville; a place that may take you by surprise and will show you that good things truly do come in small packages.