Joe Breidenstein has been involved in the development of resort communities for more than thirty years. For the much of that time, he has also worked tirelessly as "a committee of one" to promote spring tourism throughout northern lower Michigan.

Joe grew up in central Michigan, in the city of Mount Pleasant. It is sometimes referred to as Michigan's "oil capital," and Joe's family witnessed an era of seemingly endless "boom" years for both Michigan and Ohio. Upon graduating from Notre Dame, Joe did a stint in the Marine Corps before returning to his boyhood home, where he began work as an independent contractor in the oil and gas industry.

When the oil business went into one of its periodic slumps during the early 70s, a friend persuaded Breidenstein to look at real estate opportunities in northern Michigan. Potential for new development among the wide open spaces and vast tracts of lush terrian were all the invitation that was needed, and Joe made the decision to remove north.

His grandfather had been a boat builder, and the family spent summers in Walloon Lake all through his childhood and teen-aged years. Joe's mother was born there; the elegant, turn-of-the-century Masters House was once the Breidenstein family homestead.

By the time he was in high school, Joe was spending his own summer months working at his grandfather's marina. Every year, the family would drive downstate to the Detroit Boat Show, held at Cobo Hall.

That is where Joe met the first of many contacts who would prove to be invaluable toward advancing his fledgling property-rental business.

Among the newpaper and magazine writers at Detroit's annual exhibition was author Larry Lonik, noted morel muishroom expert. Lonik was vending copies of one of the many informative tacts he had written about this culinary delicacy, which thrives throughout the forests of northern Michigan during the month of May. Breidenstein invited the author to visit Springbrook Hills, where the two indulged in sight-seeing around the undeveloped wilderness, and in intense, almost non-stop, conversation. During this intital brain-storming session in one another's company, Breidenstein's "Morels and More" celebration was born.

Joe and Governor Grandholm

That very first morel invitational, more than twenty-five years ago, was successful enough that Breidenstein not only turned it into an annual event, but has since added a series of autumn "mushroom" weekends to the booking schedule. 
 
Springbrook Hills now hosts three morel-hunting weekends every spring. Larry Lonik himself was an active participant until a mere few years before his death, in 2003. These dynamic weekends are both a treat and pilgrimage for countless visitors, with repeat and referral guests as well as new 'shroomers, who now flock to Joe's northern Michigan hunting party from all over the United States.

For more information, please email info@springtimesplendor.com or phone Joe Breidenstein at 231 535 2227