Over the past several years, my second home has significantly changed. I consider my second home to be Michigan’s thumb region, specifically Port Hope, Port Austin and Caseville, where beaches have been turned into parking lots and the water levels being at an all-time low in Lake Huron. My family and I spend our 4th of July weekend here every year. There has never been a summer we have missed out on. The major reason for going up there is not just fooling around and having a good time, but visiting family and friends that you have not seen since your last visit. To start with, Port hope is a small town, a village technically. Not everybody is familiar with the place. It is a country town and low key; my mother grew up here, where she lived with my grandmother on a farm with 90 acres. Arriving at my granny Flo’s farm, we would be greeted with the smell of her famous pies; lemon meringue, chocolate, banana cream. Every Friday our family and friends would go to Al’s Restaurant for their seafood buffet. Walking into the restaurant or even walking past it, the smell of fresh lake perch and crab legs would hit you instantly. It’s a mouthwatering smell. On July 4th, Port Hope has their annual fireworks at the Port Hope High School. These fireworks are always the best out of the four I see every year. Watching them with friends, family and all the kids is a joy; listening to the little ones laughing and playing on the play set to lighting sparklers. The colors of the fireworks seem brighter, almost like neon lights, and the pyro crew does not set them off one by one, there are at least five shooting off into the air at once. The popping noise is almost like a needle and balloon coming together, but rapid. Looking off to the side there are rows of tractors waiting to roar to life for the following night’s festivities, the tractor pull. Every Saturday at noon, the twelve o’clock whistle blows, and at five o’clock every day, the church bells from St. John’s will echo through the village letting all the residents know what times it is. The ringing of the bells is also a great reminder for your kids that it’s time to come home for dinner. Port Hope also has their annual flea market over the 4th of July holiday weekend, which is full of different things to buy, like antiques, clothes, or any type of accessories. This flea market is easily the size of two full football fields. Secondly, I would like to talk about Port Austin. Port Austin is much bigger than Port Hope. There used to be nothing to do in this town, but now there will not me a day where you have nothing to do. The Knoblock Riding Stable has always been there, where we ride our horses, but now there is also go cart tracks that used to never be there. There is always a huge farmer’s market every Saturday in downtown Port Austin. This farmer’s market is as big as a football field. There was a movie theater, but with films turning to digital and only one movie playing at the theater, it would have cost fifty-thousand dollars for an upgrade. The roller rink is no longer there and the beach that was once there is now a parking lot with condos along the rest of the shore. There are two strips of stores and restaurants. I love going to the little shops and buying knickknacks for my room and souvenirs for friends. I remember one year I bought a bunch of sand dollars for my friends back at home in Holly. Lastly, I would like to tell you about Caseville. Caseville is bigger than Port