The Ghost Town of Pleasant Valley: Antrim County, Michigan
Yeah, The Monkees sang about a "Pleasant Valley Sunday" but I'm 100% sure it wasn't about this place.
The Michigan ghost 'town' of Pleasant Valley was founded near Beals Lake and the Intermediate River for water supply. It's in Echo Township in Antrim County on West Old State Road (M-24). You'd probably drive thru and not even know what it is. It never was a real town, just a former settlement and unincorporated community.
Currently, the population of Echo Township boasts 100 men for every 100 females over 18. Very convenient. The population of Pleasant Valley is unknown but you could probably count them on your fingers and toes.
Nowadays any stores that may have existed have vanished but there are a handful of residents, a church and an auto repair, with empty lots where homes used to be back in the woods and one or two abandoned structures...if they haven't already been torn down.
Talk of constructing a Pleasant Valley campground to bring in the tourist money is still going on. "Bella Solviva," meaning "beautiful hope" in Swedish, is the proposed name, and they refer to it as a "glampground", whatever THAT is.
There are three other "Pleasant Valley"s in Michigan so don't get this one confused with the others.
It's another quirky stop/drive-thru to add to your next Michigan roadtrip! Get there before the "glampground" ruins the rustic atmosphere!
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