By Khristi Zimmeth
By
Bonner Williams
18 Sky, Sand & Surf
The Great Lakes Surf Festival inspires the next generation of surfing, paddleboarding, and wingfoiling enthusiasts, and Michigan’s classic boat shows provide an up-close look at floating treasures.
By Mark Spezia and Chuck Warren
22 Get Outdoors
The High Country Pathway traverses through some of Michigan’s wildest terrain, and Uncommon Adventures offers certified training and themed kayaking discovery tours.
By Mark Spezia and Dianna Stampfler28 The Pike: Cruising U.S. 31
Enjoy cycle and sip time in Leelanau, a young
entrepreneur introduces railbiking action, and happy 150th birthday, Ludington!
By Giuseppa Nadrowski, Dianna Stampfler, and Amy S. Eckert
34 Headwaters
Mission Point Resort’s latest renovations honor the property’s Mackinac Island roots and add a splash of color.
By Ron Garbinski38 Studio Visit
Beyond painting, watercolorist Chris Unwin has taught art workshops, produced books and DVDs, and hosted renowned painters in classes worldwide.
By Megan Swoyer42 Design Star
Timothy Lalley puts his heart into creating fine cabinetry and furniture.
By Giuseppa Nadrowski44 The Elements
Cottage entryway pizzazz, plus picnic- and beachday essentials, from stylish chairs to fun games.
By Jamie Fabbri90 Tasting Room
Refreshing varieties and the added touch of coffee help make the Leelanau Peninsula’s Dune Bird Winery stand out.
By Lisa Baird92 Dining Out
The team at 876 Baldwin creates a world of flavors that honor the village’s fly-fishing heritage.
By Amy S. Eckert96 Book It
Peaceful island getaways, Great Lakes style, await the adventurous.
By Bill Semion100 Discoveries
With its sandy Lake Erie beach, the quiet little town of Luna Pier relishes a secluded world that’s all its own.
By Ellen Creager14 Reflections Summer Seconds
By Megan Swoyer104 Postcard
A photographer captures the deep, rich shades of a Thunder Bay moment.
By Rick Houchin“Exploring the rolling, tree-lined hills on custom-made railbikes creates a unique opportunity for health and wellness.”
TREVOR TKACH
As late winter turned into spring, I began to see robins and heard more songbirds outside my window.
Sitting in my favorite chair early every morning, with the window just a foot away, I listened closely; the sounds of spring are like tiny refreshments for the mind! I’d been cocooned in quiet for several winter months, with just the sound of whispery, swirling snow and wind. Hearing those little birds usher in spring lifted me the same way I’m buoyed when a tulip tip pokes above the earth. You know something good is coming.
Now we’re entering into summer, when we really try to be present in the moment. Although it’s barely begun, it seems so short. Summer seconds — each like a spark on a sparkler, with brilliant effects and a mesmerizing white glow — always seem to end too quickly! Wave it! Make those patterns in the dark before the flame goes out!
Every season in Michigan is finely tuned to the five senses, but summer is the year’s opus. If there’s a season that defines sensory overload, it’s summer — when all five senses are turned up to high volume.
Sight: Waterfront sunrises and sunsets begin and end your day, and gem-like reflections sparkle on the lakes. (I can still see my mother-in-law peering out our cottage window, saying, “Look at those diamonds on the water!”) Swaying, verdant green Great Lakes dune grass mingles with creamy sand and a cerulean-blue sky.
Taste: The ribs aren’t done until my brother-in-law passes out lime slices to spritz atop his glazed, drippy sauce. Rinsing fresh strawberries from a local farmer’s field takes me back to my mom’s kitchen, where her July strawberry shortcake featured a warm Bisquick pastry base with just-whipped cream (always with a smidgeon of vanilla). Fresh, golden ears
of corn burst from the stalk come August, and are quickly met with a little butter and salt. Speaking of salt, summer’s the only time my husband uses it; he sprinkles it atop fresh Michigan Early Girl and Beefsteak tomatoes. Cherries and blueberries and vineyard visits — the list of the delightful tastes of summer goes on and on!
Touch: Barefoot explorations along the shore are a real treat. I like to feel the cool water rinse over my feet. Little sand pebbles and stones are made silky from the sun and water, and the Petoskey stone in my hand is cold and smooth. When I wade out into the lake for a refreshing swim, the sand beneath my feet feels soft and rippled from the constant ebb and flow of the current.
Hearing: Overnight campers on Lake Superior drift off to sleep to the sound of big-lake waves. My bicycle wheels spin and whir in harmony with songbird trills.
Canoe, bodyboard, and kayak paddles dip slowly into the water. Babbling brooks and waterfalls create their own music. When I hike I’m on high alert, trying to catch the distinct calls of an eagle or a loon.
Smell: The quintessential summer scent? A campfire and its unmistakable smoky aroma. Fourth of July means encountering the sulfur-y smell of firecrackers. And how about a Michigan cherry pie baking in the oven, the almond-cherry filling merging with a buttery-crust aroma and wafting through the house? Meanwhile, farmers markets and flower stands are teeming with just-cut blooms awash in purples, pinks, yellows, and more, their scent a mingling of sweetness.
These sensational seconds slip into minutes, hours, days, and weeks. Relish them, because they’re what summer is all about!
Volume 19 | Issue 3 mibluemag.com
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EDITORIAL
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WRITERS: Lisa Baird, Ellen Creager, Amy S. Eckert, Jamie Fabbri, Rick Houchin, Giuseppa Nadrowski, Bill Semion, Mark Spezia, Dianna Stampfler, Chuck Warren, Julie Bonner Williams, Khristi Zimmeth
DESIGN
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©2023 by Hour Media. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Michigan BLUE magazine,1965 E. Avis Dr, Madison Heights, MI 48071. Subscription rates: one year $14.95, two years $24.95, three years $34.95, U.S. only. Single issue and newsstand $5.95 (by mail $8.95). To subscribe or to order back issues, please contact Circulation at 866-660-6247. Advertising rates and specifications at mibluemag.com or by request. Michigan BLUE magazine is not responsible for unsolicited contributions.
Exploring Michigan: Tips, trends, and tidbits
Remote Paradise: On Isle Royale National Park, beyond Michigan’s northernmost Keweenaw Peninsula in chilly Lake Superior, visitors may encounter more wildlife — such as moose and gray wolves than visitors. That’s due to its rugged 45 miles of backcountry wilderness and the fact that you can only get there by ferry or seaplane, from Copper Harbor or Houghton. One of the least-visited national parks, an average island stay is 3.5 days, compared to roughly four hours at most other national parks. During the park’s seven-month public season in 2022, rangers recorded 25,454 visits, with August being the busiest month. Those numbers are up from the 14,038 reported in 2008. In comparison, the Blue Ridge Parkway recorded more than 15 million visitors, or about 40,000 per day in 2022. The island’s “remote location makes it a place only a few visitors ever reach. But those who do visit come back again and again. That’s a testament to the beauty of the park’s land, water, and wildlife,” says Visit Keweenaw Executive Director Brad Barnett. visitkeweenaw.com
Cool City Stop: The DNR’s Outdoor Adventure Center, located on Atwater Street along the Detroit Riverwalk near downtown, offers plenty of entertaining exhibits and activities that expose visitors to fun things to do in Michigan, especially at state parks. More than 20 interactive displays focus on ways to enjoy nature and outdoor adventures. Some of the offerings include archery lessons, boater safety classes, and youth and senior programs. The spacious threestory facility is a great year-round destination, especially for kids. michigan.gov/oac
– Compiled by Ron GarbinskiHave news that pertains to Michigan travel and exploration?
Send a note to MSwoyer@Hour-Media.com.
Staring out over Lake Michigan from Muskegon’s expansive Pere Marquette Beach, Joe Bidawid recounts why, in 2018, he and his wife, Tammy, founded the Great Lakes Surf Festival — the first of its kind in Michigan.
Amid the waves at last August’s festival, he says, attendees were soaking up surfing and paddleboarding lessons from more than 20 instructors, many for the first time. When they emerged from the water, their facial expressions clearly revealed how the participants felt about the experience.
“That’s the best part of the day for me,” says Bidawid, a professional waterman who’s been riding Great Lakes waves since the late 1980s. “Seeing people in our lessons and how they’re glowing afterward is so rewarding. Some are just beaming, taking photos with instructors. That’s an amazing moment.”
Roger Dubuc of Grand Haven, the event’s surf team coach, experienced one of those memorable interactions last summer.
“This guy paddles up next to Roger and is like ‘Hey, Roger, you taught me how to surf at the Great Lakes Surf Festival in 2019,’
The Great Lakes Surf Festival inspires the next generation of enthusiasts
Haven home, is part of the first generation of Great Lakes surfers.
and expressed how thankful he was,” Bidawid recalls. “There are many more people like that whose love for surfing activities began at our event. It’s huge for people who haven’t had the opportunity to learn surfing or paddleboarding.”
The Bidawids and their nonprofit event’s staff of more than 100 volunteers eagerly await witnessing the impact this year’s Aug. 12 Great Lakes Surf Festival will have on attendees.
Bidawid, who loves engaging in water sports on a 10-mile stretch of Lake Michigan between Muskegon and his Grand
After getting his first taste of windsurfing at age 18, the Chicago native spent much of the 1990s competing in that discipline, as well as surfing and kiteboarding around the world while sponsored by Naish, one of the leading board sports equipment companies.
Bidawid became Naish’s Midwest kiteboarding representative after moving to Michigan for good in 1998, and discovered a love for introducing that sport and similar activities to people who likely had never even considered Great Lakes surfing a possibility.
“The Great Lakes Surf Festival is a family-friendly, high-energy event, and it’s wonderful seeing people of all ages learning how to surf,” says Liz Lanning, an event volunteer. “There’s something special about people trusting the surf instructors and becoming vulnerable in the water. The old adage that when you fall down, get back up, couldn’t be more fitting for learning to surf.”
In addition to surfing and paddleboarding lessons, festival attendees can learn about wingfoiling from Tyler Spence of St. Joseph-based Stoke Riders. Other activities include yoga on the beach, live music, shopping among dozens of vendors, food options, and what has become a legendary giveaway raffle.
Among this year’s prizes are surfboards, paddleboards, and a trip for two to the popular Witch’s Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, which caters to all skill levels. Everyone who registers for the festival is automatically entered in the raffle.
Rain dampened last year’s festival, but more than 2,000 people registered for the 2021 event. About 500 of them were from outside Michigan, including from far-away places such as Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Every festival has drawn more than 1,000 participants.
“Surfing, kiteboarding, and wingfoiling all involve a very direct connection to the water, and this festival is a celebration of that,” says Jake Mitchell, of MACkite Boardsports Center in Grand Haven. “A one-day event like this also creates excitement and camaraderie around those sports. We do our kiteboarding and wingfoiling lessons at Pere Marquette Beach, as well.”
In addition to Dubuc, surfing and paddleboard instructors include Larry Larsen of Muskegon, who in 1966 became one of the first people ever to surf Lake Michigan on a regular basis.
Other surfing teachers include Grand Haven’s Matt Smolenski, who is one of the great surfboard shapers in the region and the owner of the SRF MVMT surf shop in Grand Haven.
Muskegon’s Dan Bonner was the lead standup paddleboard instructor last year. In 2019, he and his wife, Anastasia, paddleboarded in all five Great Lakes on a single day. Spence will demonstrate wingfoiling, which involves riding a hydrofoil board while harnessing the wind’s power by holding an inflatable wing with both hands.
“I’m fortunate to have such a passionate group of volunteers and instructors to pull this event off or it wouldn’t happen,” Bidawid says. “To see someone like Larry Larsen — one of the original Great Lakes surfers, and a true legend — teaching and giving back to the sport is really nice.”
Top: Lessons are available for the relatively new water sport of wingfoiling. Above: The annual festival is a family-friendly instructional event that also features a raffle of surfboards, paddleboards, and more.Michigan’s antique and classic boat shows provide an up-close look at historic floating treasures
By Chuck WarrenLooking back to the early 1900s, Michigan could arguably be considered the birthplace of the pleasure boating industry.
Founded in Algonac on Michigan’s eastern shore, Chris-Craft Boats’ presence alone would be notable. Add names like Gar Wood, Hacker Craft, and Century to the list, and Michigan begins to look like the home of pleasure boating’s royal families.
Michigan’s rich boating history makes the Mitten state the perfect venue for a series of annual boat shows featuring the antique and classic vessels that were once a common sight on many Great Lakes waterways.
Founded in 1975, the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS) is the largest organization in the world focused on the preservation of these floating treasures. The society helps to support members in other ways, such as connecting them with the resources needed to restore and preserve their antique vessels.
During the summer, Michigan’s two ACBS chapters organize a variety of shows around the state where visitors can get a close-up look at some of the finest examples of Michigan’s rich maritime history.
Covering the state from Lansing eastward, the Michigan Chapter of ACBS presents shows in several locations, beginning with a “Where it All Began” event in Algonac on June 24. It’s at the Algonac Harbor Club, once home to the original Chris-Craft plant.
Boats entered in ACBS shows can be judged for elements such as overall condition or authenticity, with awards given in categories such as Best in Class and a Captain’s Choice award that’s presented by the boat owners themselves to their pick for Best in Show.
“The Algonac show attracts a lot of boats that have been in the same families for generations,” says Pat Chaps, the chapter’s marketing director.
Chaps, the owner of a 1972 23-foot Chris-Craft Lancer Custom and 1973 23foot Chris-Craft Lancer Resto Mod, has been involved with the Michigan Chapter for 15 years. “Algonac also attracts a lot
“When I bought my first classic boat, the previous owner recommended I join (the Antique and Classic Boat Society). It’s a lot about the camaraderie. A lot of owners happily will share their knowledge and experience.”
Pat Chaps
of cruisers, with boats 28 feet and up,” he says, “while other shows focus on smaller boats.”
Eastern Michigan events include the Aug. 19 Port Sanilac show at the Sanilac City Docks and the Sept. 8-9 Port Huron show, known as “Boat the Blue,” at the River Street Marina downtown.
The Water Wonderland ACBS chapter, which covers the west side of the state from Lansing to Lake Michigan, presents a variety of events including in-water shows in Spring Lake on June 10 at Mill Point Park, and at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven on June 17.
Water Wonderland also organizes an event that’s considered the largest wooden boat show in the world — the Aug. 12 Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show near Cedarville, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s about a 30-minute drive east of St. Ignace.
Although the main attraction at the Antique and Classic Boat Society shows are the beautiful boats, many gatherings include other attractions, as well. Shows often feature classic cars, antique travel trailers, live music, and opportunities to browse other historic displays or shop for nautical-themed gifts and souvenirs.
The shows are a great way for new members to build relationships and learn from those who have a successful restoration or two under their belt.
“When I bought my first classic boat, the previous owner recommended I join,” Chaps says. “It’s a lot about the camaraderie. A lot of owners happily will share their knowledge and experience.”
Jack Jensen, vice commodore of the Michigan Chapter, helps facilitate the show at Algonac each year. Like many club members, Jensen grew up in a boating family and has been involved with classic boats since he was young. “My father had a variety of early Chris-Crafts,” Jensen says. “When it was time to sand the bottom or replace a board, I helped do the work.”
Today, Jensen, who is currently restoring a 1970 38-foot Chris-Craft beauty, and his family cruise aboard a 1970
Left: The shows are a great way for visitors to meet ACBS members and build relationships. They also learn from those who have a successful restoration or two under their belt.
20-foot Sea Ray Amberjack all summer. “I also have a 1958 Riviera I’m going to restore next winter,” he adds.
Visitors to the ACBS shows can experience the thrill of cruising in one of the beautifully restored classics. Many classic and antique boat owners offer rides, and larger boats are often open for tours.
“Many of the cruisers will allow guests onboard,” Chaps says. “Many people have never seen the inside of a bigger boat and are really surprised.”
Kids are especially welcomed for rides and tours on many of the classic boats. “We try to get the younger generations involved,” Chaps explains. “We don’t want this history to die off.”
East Michigan shows michacbs.com
West Michigan shows wwcacbs.org
Antique and Classic Boat Society acbs.org
Left: Boat show-goers often can enjoy rides with owners in the classic crafts that cruise the lakes and rivers during the events.
Sunlight glistening off the waters of a secluded, stunningly turquoise sinkhole lake. Majestic elk gathering in a misty meadow. Miles of unspoiled wilderness viewed from scenic, breathtaking vistas. The sound of a soaring red-tailed hawk’s wings whipping through the air.
That’s just a sampling of the images and experiences found along the rugged, untamed 80-mile High Country Pathway (HCP), one of the nation’s longest loop trails, nestled between I-75 and M-33 east of Vanderbilt.
It traverses through much of the Pigeon River Country State Forest’s 109,000 acres. At 12 miles wide by 20 miles long, it’s the Lower Peninsula’s largest section of contiguous undeveloped land and a place writer Ernest Hemingway once called “wild as the devil.”
Jason Adams, who runs the Pigeon River Country State Forest Facebook page, has been coming to this land through which the Pigeon, Sturgeon, and Black rivers flow for more than three decades.
“For me, it all began as child in the late 1980s when my family starting camping at Round Lake State Forest Campground,” says Adams, who travels to the area from his Lapeer County home. “The solitude and peacefulness you can experience hiking High Country is amazing.”
Avid mountain biker and Houghton Lake resident Mark Kunitzer has been making use of the trail for 11 years. He’s also seen the HCP become Michigan’s only trail to currently hold EPIC status from the International Mountain Biking Association.
It’s one of 53 mountain bike trails in the world with that recognition because it’s at least 20 miles in length, more than 80 percent single-track, technically and physically challenging, and “beautiful to behold and worthy of celebration.”
“I’ve always appreciated that the High Country is a great natural trail to ride, as
The High Country Pathway, east of Vanderbilt, offers hikers and bikers some of Michigan’s wildest terrain
opposed to trails that are built exclusively for mountain biking and smoothed out — so that makes it an adventurous challenge,” adds Kunitzer, who has overseen extensive maintenance work on the trail during the past two years. “The very remoteness of the trail is exciting. Where else can you find so much natural terrain and pass through a number of different environments?”
Another longtime HCP enthusiast is Joe Jarecki, the former Michigan Department of Natural Resources Pigeon River Country State Forest unit manager and current Pigeon River Country Association treasurer.
“What’s nice about HCP is how it traverses examples of all of the forest community ecosystems that are found in northern Michigan, as well as some of the higher elevations in the Lower Peninsula,” he says. “Although it runs through some of the wildest country in northern lower Michigan, there are enough road crossings (and access points) that a hiker can readily plan a weekend backpacking trip or a biker can do a good day ride without having to do the entire length.”
Hikers can discover this wilderness adventure barely 30 minutes after exiting I-75 at Vanderbilt and taking Sturgeon Valley Road 10 miles east to the Pigeon Bridge State Forest Campground.
The pathway passes through rolling hardwood forests; red, Jack, and white pine thickets; open meadows, cedar swamps, and wetlands; and numerous bodies of water. One of the largest wild elk herds east of the Mississippi River is the main attraction, but bear, bobcat, coyote, beaver, otter, and other wildlife sightings are possible.
Heading north from the Pigeon Bridge along the Pigeon River, the trail soon reaches a nearly quarter-mile-long boardwalk through a bog-like setting before coming to the can’t-miss Grass Lake overlook. It’s a short distance from where the HCP intersects with the Shingle Mill Pathway, which offers a series of loops for hikers and mountain bikers between about one and 11 miles.
From here, the trail jumps from ridge to ridge, including one rim that overlooks a beaver pond, hardwood stand, and marsh
at Bird Tally Creek before reaching Pine Grove State Forest Campground. The bridge heading north collapsed and is being rebuilt, so you’ll have to forge the river to head onward.
Some of the HCP’s wildest and most unspoiled areas are found in the 20.5-mile stretch from Osmun Road to Shoepac Lake, which features conifer swamps along with rolling hills. Just after Duby Lake Road, the trail comes to an intersection with short spurs to Duby and McLavey lakes. Shallow, sandy-bottomed McLavey Lake is an ideal place to cool off or set up camp.
The rest of the loop pathway is just as awesome, and there are eight state forest
campgrounds along the way — all near a body of water.
“A weekend backpack trip, or a moderately-challenging day’s bike ride, would be starting at Sturgeon Valley Road and going south and east for about 20 miles to Rouse Road,” Jarecki says. “The route goes through mature red and white pine, northern hardwoods, aspen, and a conifer swamp. It has nice vistas, including Rattlesnake Hill.”
In addition to rocks, roots, and the occasional fallen tree, bikers must navigate narrow bridges and boardwalks through low-lying wetlands, but that’s what makes the HCP such a satisfying ride, according to John Roe of the Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association.
“The High Country isn’t for racers; it’s for explorers. And the ride is a challenging adventure, which makes it perfect for a long day’s ride or backpacking,” he says. “My favorite spots are Rattlesnake Hill, because it overlooks such a huge area, and Pine Grove Campground, with its artesian well. Tomahawk Creek Flooding is a nice place for bikers to stop and cool off.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK KUNITZER (TOP); GAYLORD TOURISM BUREAU (BOTTOM)
Uncommon
Kayakers looking to expand their horizons, enhance their paddling skills, and enjoy a multiday nature-based journey will find that Uncommon Adventures in Benzonia provides all that and more.
By Dianna StampflerCustom-guided Lake Superior kayak trips and other training classes provide essential hands-on skills development.
Michael Gray, considered one of the most experienced kayak guides in the country, has been leading tours and inspiring the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts since founding his company in 1984. Over the past four decades, his exploration trips have taken him to Alaska, Antarctica, Patagonia, New Zealand, Greenland, Iceland, and Central America.
His company also creates tailored sea kayak tours in those countries and others in the winter and summer, as well as guided coastal Great Lakes kayak adventures.
This season, Gray is offering several themed trips around Michigan. The Sleeping Bear Sampler, for example, includes outdoor adventures beginning on Gray’s own property, situated on 40 hardwood acres along the Betsie River, while the Sleeping Bear Camper is geared for families looking to explore the woods and waters.
The Manistee River Camping River Boot Camp provides instruction focused on paddling in flowing waters, as well as the enjoyment of camping out of one’s kayak.
In addition to trips, Uncommon Adventures also offers a variety of sea kayak skill classes and weekend workshops for groups of up to 10. mi-paddleadventure.com
Those wanting a longer trip (a week or more) might like an excursion around Isle Royale in Lake Superior, which start and end in Copper Harbor, located at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. In addition to paddling, participants will head out on day hikes, swim, and cast a line in the hope of landing a trout or two.
The five-day Keweenaw Rock Gardening Trip is for intermediate paddlers looking to elevate their skills while exploring an array of natural environments.
For the Lake Superior tours, Gray advises participants have decent sea-kayaking handling and rescue skills and are able to
navigate in 2- to 3-foot seas, with winds of up to 15 knots in open and sometimes rocky spaces, for 12 to 16 miles per day.
While dependent on the weather conditions, the Keweenaw adventure traditionally begins in Lac La Belle on the southeast side of the Keweenaw (an Ojibway word that means “the crossing place” or “land crossing between two bodies of water”), and travels counterclockwise around the tip of the peninsula and west across the north coast. Along the way, paddlers are exposed to picturesque sea caves, sea stacks, rock gardens, waterfalls, and pocket beaches.
Among the first natural wonders participants will see is Montreal Falls, which cascades over a series of ancient volcanic rocks just six miles up the shore from the Mendota (Bete Grise) Lighthouse, near where Lac La Belle flows into Lake Superior. Fish Bay comes next, followed by Peninsula Point — where, if conditions are favorable, there might be a chance to surf the shoal. High Rock Bay, across from Gull Rock Lighthouse and Manitou Island, provides a great stop-off location, just south of an abandoned NASA rocket launch site that operated from 1964 to 1971 (according to a historic marker erected there in 2000).
The north shore is home to Horseshoe Harbor, with its unique rugged bedrock beach comprised of reddish-brown rhyolite pebbles, the volcanic equivalent of granite. It’s part of the 1,200-acre Mary Macdonald Preserve that stretches for five miles along Lake Superior.
Beyond that sits Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, a restored 1844 military outpost, and the historic Copper Harbor Lighthouse, which has guarded the shoreline since 1848. On the east end of Copper Harbor is Hunter’s Point Park, with nearly 5,000 feet of shoreline that’s ideal for rock-hunting, birdwatching, or simply relaxing.
The trip concludes in Agate Harbor (named for the colorful semiprecious mineral rock found here) where bays, inlets, reefs, and islands are open for exploration. Arch Rock, one of the noted geological treasures, is a massive basalt formation
that’s the largest span of any arch on the north side of the peninsula.
“The trip opened my eyes to parts of the U.P. that I never knew existed, outside of Isle Royale,” says Carol Anderson, from Kalamazoo. She traveled with Gray and his team during the summer of 2021. “The paddling was dynamic and exciting, and the scenery along the coast was much more dramatic than I expected. We saw more eagles than we could count, and we also had a great time surfing off the tip of the peninsula one afternoon.”
At the end of the day, it’s time to relax around the campfire telling stories, reading, or listening to the musical sounds of crickets, frogs, owls, and other woodland creatures.
This remote region also offers some of the best stargazing in the state, supported by the establishment of the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park during the summer of 2022.
While locating Orion’s Belt, Cassiopeia, and the Milky Way are easy, given the reduced light pollution, Gray admits the elusive Northern Lights have yet to be seen during one of these trips because they’re not prevalent during the summer months. No matter the adventure, Gray treats his paddlers to uncommon meals at the end of each day. His menus border on gourmet with things like hand-rolled sushi, pan-fried whitefish, and mouthwatering desserts made with foraged berries.
In addition to being a skilled kayaker, Gray is also a fabulous backwoods cook, and the author of the 2010 cookbook, “Hey, I’d Eat This at Home — A Fresh and Fearless Approach to Wilderness and Home Cooking.”
AAhhh... A good night’s sleep. it might be something you dream about, but it’s not necessarily easy to achieve in real life. Being on vacation can be one of the rare times when you truly feel rested and are able to be your best self. But, what happens when you’re back home? At Harbor Springs Mattress Co., we believe that quality sleep can be attained every night of the year—and it all starts with a superior mattress.
After decades in the commercial mattress industry, our founder, Rory Karapathian, realized that mass-produced mattresses simply weren’t up to par—and he set out to change that. Bringing back oldworld craftsmanship, he began creating
mattresses slowly and meticulously; the very opposite of factory made.
Today, in our workshop where our artisans make only a handful of mattresses a day, it begins with natural fibers, such as pure cotton, freshly spun wool from Michigan-raised sheep, and latex made from milky white tree sap. We bolster the interior with innersprings and use the lost art of hand tufting—inside and out. All of this results in a mattress that is healthier to sleep on, more supportive, and durable enough to last for years upon years.
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It’s easy to see the northern Michigan sights and sample the region’s wines while on a Leelenau Trail bike tour
By Giuseppa NadrowskiSweeping vistas of Lake Michigan and Traverse Bay, picturesque vineyards, and trails through the hillsides combine with award-winning wines and culinary treasures to make the Leelanau Peninsula heavenly terrain for a bike ride.
Thanks to Nick Wierzba, founder of Grand Traverse Bike Tours, riders can experience these wonders through his com-
pany’s guided and self-guided adventures.
“It’s the perfect spot for a tour company to take people out who are looking for something fun and who also want to experience the Traverse City area,” Wierzba says.
Operating year-round, Grand Traverse Bike Tours offers outdoor rides that indulge the senses. Its most popular program, the Leelanau Wine Trail Tour, takes riders onto a scenic trail, detours onto
charming country roads, stops for tastings at up to seven local wineries (up to four on the guided version), and includes a catered lunch, van support (think wine purchase pickups), roadside assistance, and the opportunity to embrace the beautiful landscape.
“The tours are for everybody. You don’t have to be a seasoned cyclist to come join, and if you’re weary of the distance,
the e-bikes are a great option to have fun and bring more people into it,” Wierzba adds. “Thanks to e-bikes, it’s been really fun to see groups of people of all ages. You’re able to get grandma out on tour, because she’s not riding on a regular bike. Now the different generations can have an experience together, enjoy the countryside, and taste some great wines.”
Wierzba’s programs don’t stop there. For those looking to bike to the lake, this season he’s repeating the popular Bike & Sail Tour. “We start at our shop here in Suttons Bay and cycle down to Traverse City, making a detour at Shady Lane Cellars for a wine-tasting. We then take a 72foot schooner sailboat from Traverse City back up to Suttons Bay. We have dinner and drinks on board,” he explains.
There are also paddleboard and kayak tours, and when snow coats the area’s rolling hills, micro adventures are an option such as the Vine to Wine Snowshoe Tour or the Sip & Ski Tour, which takes cross-country skiers on a 5.1-mile journey from a wine-tasting at Shady Lane all the way to Farm Club for a handcrafted brew and a bowl of its famous Bon Fuego.
The concept for the company began about 11 years ago. Wierzba, a Lansing native, was managing a bike tour company in California’s Napa Valley and looking for a way to move back to Michigan with his wife, who grew up in the Traverse City area. Looking to Leelanau, it seemed the stars had aligned for the entrepreneur as the number of Michigan wineries was growing and, unlike Napa, where his cyclists were often forced to ride on main roads, the Leelanau area had paved trails, allowing for safer journeys.
With that, Wierzba opened Suttons Bay Bikes, a bike and rental shop in downtown Suttons Bay that would become the home of Grand Traverse Bike Tours. “I wanted to bring that experience of using bikes as vehicles here,” Wierzba says.
Located on the beach and right off the Leelanau Trail, a gently rolling and delightful 17-mile converted rail-to-trail that connects Suttons Bay to Traverse City, the location couldn’t have been better.
His many customers certainly agree. Last July, for example, Maria Mallory, a Cincinnati-based travel content creator, was on a Michigan road trip with her husband when they decided to try a tour.
“It was a self-guided bike tour to three different wineries,” she says. Stopping at Shady Lane Cellars, Mawby, and Black Star Farms, “we really enjoyed exploring them at our leisure, even getting to bike over to a nearby dairy and eat their cheese dips and take some to go. The bike trail is absolutely stunning and very secluded. It takes you through lots of nature and is serene, quiet, and uncrowded. And a pro tip is to get an electric bike; you may want the extra push to go to the farther-out wineries.”
What’s a winter trip like? “It’s just so beautiful in the hills of the vineyards and the snow-covered grounds through the vines,” says Zeeland resident Karen
Wieringa, who, with her co-workers, joined Grand Traverse Bike Tour’s guided snowshoe tour in February.
They started at Suttons Bay Ciders and then moved to Ciccone Vineyard & Winery, where she says they “had a wonderful lunch of delicious soup provided in a fun personal thermos.” They ended their adventure at a wine-tasting at Big Little Wines before hiking back to Suttons Bay Ciders.
“It was something that our entire group had never done before, so it was a learning experience for all of us. I think everyone had so much fun,” says Wieringa, adding that Grand Traverse Bike Tours “accommodated all of our needs and guided us along the way, which was so helpful.”
“At the end of the day, people are usually raving about their favorite winery or the new wine they discovered or how much fun they had on the bikes,” owner Wierzba says. “Quite often, people want to share that same experience that they had with their friends and family. They usually come back and bring more friends with them.”
There are thousands of miles of inactive rail lines meandering throughout Michigan’s countryside, and removing those tracks can be expensive.
Macie Hefron found a creative way to repurpose three miles of abandoned railroad lines off U.S. 31 in Grawn, just south of Traverse City. She launched Wheels on Rails, a railbike tour company that’s the culmination a series of online searches about two things she’s passionate about: biking and railroads.
“I was scrolling through Facebook when a photo came up that combined my recent searches, biking and railroads,” says the recent Spring Arbor University graduate. “It was a railbike. It caught my eye so quickly and I knew, right in that moment, that I had to do some more dig-
ging to get to the bottom of what railbiking was all about.”
Railbiking is a rapidly growing activity around the world in which riders pedal custom-designed, four-wheel open-air carts much like recumbent or surrey bikes, or a paddle boat, only on wheels — along the unused tracks of inactive rail lines.
The wheels were turning, and Hefron — who at the time was working as a student assistant for the Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Rail — began researching where and how to introduce this fun and inclusive activity to people in her own state.
She enlisted help from her boss and then began the arduous task of trying to make a connection with someone who was willing to embrace her idea. After a couple of immediate rejections and a deal that
fell through at the end, she finally found a home for Wheels on Rails. The tracks were completely out of service, meaning there’s no chance of encountering trains while the railbikes are on the line.
“I came to them with full paperwork in hand and went for it,” she says proudly. “The process of approval took one full year. I then had to go through the state, since this is a Michigan-owned line. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task, but it was something I had to do.” When there were delays and things were slowed to a standstill, she contacted legislators to help push things along. “During this whole process, I’ll say I’ve felt very out of place (because of) my age, but I want to advocate for young entrepreneurs because we’re capable of making things happen.”
With her “I think I can, I think I can” attitude, Hefron has been chugging along to bring this exciting experience to Michigan. The woodland tracks travel over two road crossings, under a bridge, and near spring-fed creeks on a six-mile, 60-minute “Up North” round-trip jaunt. This is the first (and currently only) railbiking operation in the state.
“Exploring the rolling, tree-lined hills on custom-made railbikes creates a unique opportunity for health and wellness,” says Trevor Tkach, president of Traverse City Tourism. “At the same time, it showcases the beauty of the region from a different perspective. Wheels on Rails promises to be an outstanding addition to the local travel experience.”
Railbikes are great for those who can’t ride a normal bike, as well as families with kids of all ages. They have special harnesses for toddlers, and require a chest harness for parents riding with babies.
Hefron operates six quad and three tandem railbikes, which are able to carry four or two guests, with a maximum of 30 people per tour. The cost is $89 an hour for the tandem and $160 an hour for the quad. Reservations are requested.
Tours run five days a week, Memorial Weekend through Sept. 10. Fall dates may be added, depending on how the summer season goes.
Ludington celebrates a milestone birthday by honoring its lumbering heritage and inviting visitors to enjoy its lakefront charms
By Amy S. EckertIn the mid-1600s, the French missionary Jacques Marquette paddled his canoe along the Lake Michigan shore near modern-day Ludington, exploring the Great Lakes for God and country. In the 1840s, Burr Caswell from Illinois settled there to farm, hunt, and fish.
But as the city of Ludington celebrates its 150th birthday in 2023, residents can thank a 19th-century lumber baron for officially organizing the city that bears his name — a city in which the lumberman never lived.
“James Ludington was key to the success of this city,” says Rebecca Berringer, executive director of the Mason County Historical Society, “but he managed his Michigan operation from his home in Wisconsin.”
Ludington and his team of managers bought up dense pine forests and built an efficient network on the Pere Marquette and Au Sable rivers to float the lumber to the new settlement’s harbor for transport on the Great Lakes. When Eber Brock Ward brought the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad to town, Ludington relied on it to broaden his operations.
At its peak, the city of Ludington produced 162 million board feet and 52 million wooden shingles. The city’s harbor grew so robust that it became the home port for 34 rail and passenger car ferries, which moved lumber and other goods from nine ferry docks. By the 1950s, the city of Ludington ranked as the world’s largest car ferry port.
“James Ludington put all the pieces in place to create a successful town,” says Berringer, who points out that included mapping out the city’s streets, and naming them after family and colleagues such as Frederick Dowland, the general manager of the Pere Marquette Lumber Co., and Luther Foster, the superintendent of that firm. Their names still grace the streets of town today. “But lumber was key. Had it not been for the lumber industry, Ludington wouldn’t look like it does today.”
It was the combination of two natural resources — a forested landscape and a Lake Michigan harbor — that fostered Ludington’s settlement 150 years ago, and it’s those same resources that are responsible for the city’s tourism business, which has become the primary economic driver in Ludington today.
The Ludington area is home to two lighthouses and five beach parks, including the 5,300-acre Ludington State Park. Stearns Park offers a beach, playground, picnic facilities, and a walkable pier in the heart of downtown. Waterfront Park occupies 5 acres on the city’s historic harbor, and has playground equipment, an amphitheater for summer concerts, and nine bronze sculptures that trace the city’s history.
Several inland lakes and rivers popular with hikers, anglers, paddlers, and cyclists lie within the greater Ludington area, and the S.S. Badger, which celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2023, still transports cargo, passengers, and vehicles to Wisconsin
from its home port in Ludington.
“We in Ludington are fortunate to have a community that was founded as an industrial town but had a successful conversion into one of the lakeshore’s more livable communities,” says City Manager Mitch Foster. “The balance between commercial and leisure activities has been here in Ludington for a long time.”
The city has found a balance between appreciating modern perks and remembering its past. The Mason County Historical Society, whose mission is to keep Ludington’s history visible, dates from 1937, when Ludington was only 64 years old.
Ludington celebrates its sesquicentennial year with a summer’s worth of activities. The Love Ludington Weekend in June is expected to be an early highlight, with a street party, a half-marathon, historic home and B&B tours, and ice cream from a local favorite, the House of Flavors. Free outdoor concerts in Waterfront Park featuring the Scottville Clown Band
and other performers will take place in June, July, and August. The Mason County Historical Society’s Sesquicentennial Ball at the century-old Stearns Hotel is set for October.
While Foster is as enthusiastic as anyone about the lineup of 150th anniversary activities, he thinks 2023 also marks a serious opportunity to consider Ludington’s future.
“We want to continue to find a balance between being a city that’s attractive to retirees and to young people,” Foster says. “We want to ensure that we have clean water and that we have clean energy, since our lakeshore is so important to who we are. We want to make Ludington affordable and attractive for years to come.”
Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau pureludington.com
Ludington’s 150th Celebration ludington150.com
Ready to travel? Make plans for these special 150th anniversary events.
JUNE 9-11
Love Ludington Weekend
A downtown street party, the Lakestride Half-Marathon, historic home tours, and the S.S. Badger’s 70th Anniversary Birthday Bash.
JUNE 14
Ludington Sesquicentennial Concert with the Scottville Clown Band Waterfront Park Pavilion.
JULY 4
Freedom Festival Parade and Fireworks
The city’s Independence Day party, shown in the photo above, goes big for its 150th.
JULY 29 AND AUG. 5
West Shore Bank Rhythm & Dunes Concerts
Concerts at the Waterfront Park Pavilion featuring ’90s rock in July and boy bands in August.
OCT. 7
Mason County Historical Society Sesquicentennial Ball
A plated meal, music, and dancing at the 1903 Stearns Hotel.
Mission Point Resort missionpoint.com
The circular Round Island Kitchen bar at Mission Point Resort ranked among my favorite Mackinac Island spots whenever I wanted to enjoy a few tall tonics in peace.
It felt intimate, was seldom crowded before evening, and was secluded from the island hustle. Sitting at the high-top tables along the curved wall, delightfully perched above the M-185 bike loop around the island, my friends and I always enjoyed the spectacular unobstructed window views of the Straits of Mackinac, the up-close freighter traffic gliding by, and the beautiful resort grounds leading to the water’s edge.
So when I first heard about Mission Point’s plans last year to redo its dining room and that beloved bar area, I wondered how they could make a great thing even better.
After checking in with the resort’s Liz Ware, I can tell you that what Mission Point has done is an upgrade many will embrace.
“You’ll love it,” promises the vice president of sales and marketing who’s also part of the Ware family, which purchased the resort in late 2014. “When you look at all we did over the winter and how we created this wonderful new living room environment that flows from our main lobby into the dining room and beyond, you won’t be disappointed.”
That project included $3.5-million worth of resort updates for the 2023 season.
“We redid the lobby area and the Round Island dining room inside and outside. Every year we put lots of money into renovations, and this is our largest public space update so far,” she says.
“The planning for this started long ago. We took the feedback from more than 600 guests and clients when we asked them what they liked and what they wanted to
see improved. Our goal with these renovations was to keep the authenticity of this historic structure and to focus on what it feels like to be on Mackinac Island. They told us we needed to lighten things up, and they shared comments on how they couldn’t see the water.”
Ware says the renovations were a labor of love. “We lightened the restaurant walls with fresh paint colors and furniture fabrics, to reflect the colors of the lake and the flowers outside. All the original wood beams were untouched. We took out the big stone fireplace because it wasn’t necessary — basically, that space was used as a service area for waitstaff. Guests now can see the water from the lobby and the dining room. The redesigned bar is larger, with new seating, which we doubled. It’s one big, round circle in the same location, so you’ll still have all your favorite views.”
Mission Point’s latest renovations honor the property’s historic Mackinac Island roots and add splashes of color
The dining area was updated with custom-made chairs, new booths, flooring, windows, patio doors, and an energy-efficient heating and cooling system.
A big plus is the opportunity for al fresco dining. A heated pergola system with louvers and screens that can detect rain over the patio will allow guests to remain on the deck when the weather changes. “It’s so sophisticated,” Ware says. “The patio is a great place to enjoy our farmto-ferry dining and be outside all the time. We can turn on the night lights, which can change colors, (and turn on the) fans or heaters, even in the summer.”
The vaulted, rotunda-style log truss teepee lobby also underwent big changes. New blue carpeting and white paint tones, reflecting the floral colors outside, help brighten the entire area. The front desk was pulled out into the main space and was remade with rocks and stones
from the island to match those found at Fort Mackinac, Ste. Anne’s Cemetery, and the island bluffs. Wooden planks found on the property, remnants of old bleachers, and 18 chairs from the original 1950s-era lobby were refurbished to use in the redesign.
The bell station was moved into a pavilion outside the lobby, freeing up more space inside, and the outdated library was painted and recarpeted to reflect a modern feel. All the books and cases remain.
“The huge custom-made rug, its inlays, new windows, HVAC in the lobby, comfortable new furniture, and more make this Mackinac Island’s newest living room,” Ware says. “It’s a fun, relaxed space to greet friends and family, play cards, sit by the fireplace with a glass of wine, or just hang out.
“Since purchasing the resort, we’ve put some $18 million into renovations, and we’ll continue to renovate our public spaces. Our huge fine arts building, for example, is underutilized, so there are lots of
opportunities to grow and build there, and we’re continuing to make our food and beverage operations even more outstanding. Another project we completed over the winter was installing new carpeting in our biggest ballroom (the Sound Stage), which took it from dark and old to bright and beautiful. You’ll be blown away with it now. Our sales team was very happy with that one,” Ware says.
Progressive AE of Grand Rapids handled the architectural and engineering duties, while its design team assisted Ware, who served as the project lead, and Ware’s staff with integrating Mission Point’s brand guidelines and color palettes.
“It’s so important for us to do what our guests wanted, to elevate our facilities and remain authentic to Mackinac Island. I think this will be such an exciting season with all we’ve done. We’re becoming more in the public eye, and our team (roughly 290-320 summer employees) is really excited about that,” she concludes.
“We pride ourselves in creating architecturally significant features within each space of a home. Often times, it is the windows or doors that create and highlight our design intent. Old Mission Windows has become a valued partner by providing the products, experience, and flexibility to allow our designs to become a reality. It is comforting to know we can trust in Old Mission windows to help bring our design to life.”
-Nicholas White Architect/President
Paging Art & Book Lovers: The works of oil painter Maeve Croghan, of Mackinac Island, grace a new book called “Luminous Landscapes,” published by Mackinac Memories, LLC and written by Sue Allen. The plein air artist’s works feature Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and other well-loved Michigan spots. Meanwhile, delightful illustrations by another Mackinac artist, Kate Dupre, are featured in “M is for Mackinac,” published by Mission Point Press and written by Katy Klimczuk of Grosse Pointe Farms. This kids’ read showcases various spots around the island that begin with a letter in the alphabet, and includes text any child will delight in. Look for incredible beauty, from Arch Rock to Zinnias. Dupre’s original illustrations can be viewed in July at the Mackinac Island Public Library. mackinacislandmemories.com; katyklimczuk.com (also availabe at Watercolor Cafe, on the island)
The Colors of Mackinac: Mackinac Island’s Mission Point Resort opened this season with a newly designed lobby and restaurant, Round Island Kitchen. Snappy, coastal, and with plenty of island vibes, the new spaces are getting rave reviews. Read more about these exciting changes in this issue’s Headwaters section. missionpoint.com
Window Treatment Ease: Graber’s motorized window blinds and shades make it effortless to adjust light and privacy levels. Remote-control options handle hard-to-reach windows to full-home solutions. A security app can set blinds and shades to raise and lower at scheduled times of the day. graber.com
— Compiled by Megan Swoyer
Have news about waterfront living? Email MSwoyer@Hour-Media.com
By Megan Swoyer | Photography by Don Unwin
When it speaks to you, it speaks to you. And the voice was loud and clear for artist Chris Unwin, of West Bloomfield. Her foray into the art world began with oils and acrylics in 1964, “but when I tried watercolor, that was it,” she recalls. “That medium spoke to me.”
Some six decades later, Unwin has not only mastered the medium, but she’s also taught watercolor classes for years. And with her husband, Don, she’s written and published six books, created several
Below, center and right: Chris Unwin at her home studio. Birds are one of the painter’s favorite subjects. Her loose backgrounds reflect colors that are in the main subject.
teaching DVDs showcasing her own and other artists’ techniques, published how-to books featuring other artists, and traveled the world as a cruise agent and watercolor teacher on the high seas.
One of her greatest accomplishments occurred in 1995, when she was accepted into the National Watercolor Society as a Signature member (Signature members must have three paintings accepted and exhibited in the society’s International Open exhibitions). It’s an organization to which many have attempted to obtain membership and failed. In a nutshell, Unwin says, “They decide whether you have a style.
“I remember my first watercolor class well,” she continues. “It was through U-M Dearborn, and it was in the lower level of Fair Lane (the former estate of Clara and Henry Ford, a National Historic Landmark that’s now undergoing restoration). I went
alone and there were lots of people in the class who had master’s degrees in art, but the teacher said something like, ‘There’s a person here, who I’m not going to name, who’s doing very well.’ I didn’t know at the time that she was talking about me!”
Following that first class, Unwin took drawing and painting classes for several years. A teacher with a degree from Western Michigan University, she taught grade school children in Garden City after college. “But not for long,” she says. “I started a family and stopped working.”
Five children, 12 grandkids, and one great-grandchild later, Unwin looks back on a remarkable art career that’s still going strong. In fact, from July 13-Sept. 24, one of her paintings will be on display in a special area, along with the works of artists who were juried into a Michigan Water Color Society Signature Exhibition, at U-M Dearborn’s Stamelos Gallery Center. “We had to submit our paintings to the president of the organization, and I submitted a full-sheet watercolor of orchids, which I love to paint,” she says.
Unwin reveals that she’s crazy about birds and waterfowl in the wild, and likes to capture them flying above lakes and rivers, or moseying among marshes and wetlands. The artist admits that she also loves to paint abstracts, but in her experience, the general public doesn’t have a huge affinity for non-definitive subject matter.
To those who are just starting out in watercolor or trying their hand at entering art shows, Unwin shares that she’ll never forget the time her work was juried into a Michigan Water Color Show just after she was rejected from another show. “It’s always about
the juror and what they like and what they see,” she says. “Watercolor is like no other medium; it seems like it moves and blends together better than other mediums. You have to learn to control it, but it can be done.”
She also stresses the power of observation, and explains that when she’s creating a water scene, “I’ll put water down first and then I look closely at what’s there in the scene because, in our minds, we’re fixed on what something should look like — but when we truly look at the subject matter, it’s different than what we had in mind.”
Unwin’s favorite paint brand is Winsor & Newton. She also loves Daniel Smith’s Quinacridone colors, which are said to be more intense and transparent than other paints. “They’re a little brighter and seem to sparkle,” she says. Her favorite ingredient, though, is good old H20. “You have to use a lot of water. I think that’s what watercolor is all about,” she says.
Beyond fine-tuning her own work over the years, Unwin also has been — and still is — a representative of several artists. “I published several books with my husband. They feature artists from all over the world,” she says.
Called the Artistic Touch series (Creative Art Press), each book showcases watercolors ranging in subject from landscapes to still lifes. The accompanying text explains each featured artist’s inspiration and goals, and often includes tips regarding a few techniques related to the piece.
Unwin also has represented American
Above left: “... when we truly look at subject matter, it’s different than what we had in mind,”Unwin says. That’s especially true of her captivating floral motifs. Above right: Unwin used a wax resist to capture the feel of light and water for her birdin-flight painting.
artists who come to metro Detroit to host workshops, and her husband frequently videotapes and makes DVDs of the classes. Both the books and DVDs are for sale, and feature watercolorists such as the Upper Peninsula’s renowned Nita Engle and Bev Jozwiak of Washington state. Unwin recently published Jozwiak’s second book.
As for what’s next, Unwin says Don would like to go on a cruise. Of course, there’s plenty of inspiration to be had for an artist at sea. “After 50 cruises, we’ve stopped counting,” she says. “We’ll see.”
To learn more about Creative Art Press, or to purchase Chris and Don Unwin’s books, DVDs, and teaching links, visit chrisunwin.net.
By Giuseppa Nadrowski | Photography by Bonnie Lalley
For Timothy Lalley of Timothy Lalley Kitchens, a custom cabinet shop in Port Austin, kitchens weren’t always a part of the plan. He graduated college with degrees in biology and chemistry, spent three years in the Peace Corps, worked at a horse farm, and, throughout his journey, pursued jobs and roles that helped him discover and nurture his passion for woodworking — especially the art of handcrafting fine cabinetry. Now,
with more than 40 years in the business and a reputation for impeccable work and unsurpassed skills, Lalley is thrilled to be doing what he loves.
In 1995, Lalley, together with his wife, Bonnie (an artist whose collage-style work can be found on page 32 of the Fall 2022 issue), and their then 5-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, moved from their home in Grand Rapids to Port Austin, a resort town that sees its 600-person population balloon during the warmer
months thanks to its proximity to Lake Huron, its beaches, and its campgrounds and summer cottages. Bonnie’s sister and brother-in-law had purchased an old home there that needed work and, knowing that the Lalleys were looking to relocate out of the city, Bonnie’s brother-in-law proposed they move out to the property.
“We didn’t know if he was just joking, but then he said, ‘I just bought this place and I need somebody to run the project and do the renovation for me,’” says Lalley, who had worked with custom home builders for years. “So we drove over one weekend and absolutely fell in love with Port Austin. We went back to Grand Rapids, put our house up for sale, and sold it.”
While running the remodel, Lalley and his family lived in the home’s carriage house. An on-site barn proved useful as his new cabinet shop but, as business grew, he moved into a storefront just out-
side of town. The new space proved to be a boon, as Lalley was able to attract the attention of new clients including builder Sid Berridge, who became a mentor to Lalley and ultimately suggested he move the business to a building Berridge owned that was ideal for giving Lalley’s work the publicity it deserved.
“Once I committed to the move we sat down and designed it as a cabinet shop. And it’s just beautiful,” Lalley says. “It was a good move.” More than 10 years later, Lalley credits Berridge for the success he’s had in the community. “He gave me a good place to start from.”
Lalley, who works alone, designs, handcrafts, and installs original custom cabinets (his “bread and butter”), furniture, doors, mantels, and more through his showroom and workshop near downtown Port Austin. He says he recently completed an 8-foot-long solid maple trestle dining table for his brother in Minnesota, a project that was “so special because I knew where it was going.” He’s also an official — and Michigan’s only dealer of Brighton Cabinetry, a small Illinois-based cabinet manufacturer.
Lalley is often influenced by the clean and classic lines of kitchens found in the
English countryside (think Shaker-style cabinets and painted wood) — a timeless style that blends seamlessly in the homes and cottages that dot the Lake Huron shore. While every project is designed based on the specific customer’s needs and the look they request, it’s Lalley’s unwavering attention to detail and his unrivaled craftsmanship that defines his work. “For a number of years in Grand Rapids, I trimmed houses. I did all the finish work, and that really helped me develop a good eye for a quality job. I try and carry that through in everything I do.
“I was doing cabinet work a bit before I got married to Bonnie, but I think being married to her, as an artist, she’s taught me how to look at things and how to be more observant,” Lalley says. He also praises his daughter, now a curator in
Chicago, for helping him to learn how to “look at things differently.”
With a slew of exciting jobs planned this year, including work on newly constructed homes as well as a project in the beautiful Pointe aux Barques, a private enclave of historic cottages (“I love working on these old homes because you’re right on the water, back in the woods, looking out over these bluffs. It’s a fun place to work”), Lalley says he feels “pretty fortunate” to be doing what he loves.
“I’m 69 years old and people say, ‘Well, geez, you’re getting ready to retire, aren’t you?’ And I say no! Why do I want to retire? I like what I do.”
MORE INFORMATION:
timothylalleykitchens.com
Whether you call it a front stoop, doorway, or porch, these adornments add charm and comfort
Styled by Jamie Fabbri
1. Paco Rocking Chairs from TEAK WAREHOUSE are chic and comfortable. $499, teakware house.com
2. A Palladian Wall Sconce from ARHAUS adds charm and character. $1,099-$1,154, Arhaus, Ann Arbor and Troy, arhaus.com.
3. Add some flair with a cheeky pillow from THE HAPPY WOMAN . $64, The Happy Woman, Suttons Bay, thehappy womanstore.com.
4. This Lemon Wreath from CHARMING NORTH makes a bright statement. $54.99, Charming North, Cadillac, charmingnorth.com.
5. Floral Hello Doormats from MDESIGN give visitors a cheerful welcome. $20.49, mdesignhome decor.com.
Make dining in the great outdoors stylish and practical
Styled by Jamie Fabbri
5.
1. The Victoria Wine & Cheese Picnic Basket by WILLIAMS SONOMA contains everything you need for a wine, cheese, and charcuterie service for two. $174.95, Williams Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com.
2. Pop the bubbly with a local bottle, like this one from Suttons Bay’s own MAWBY wine. $27, Mawby, Suttons Bay and local retailers, mawby.wine.
3. Cozy up with a Centros Outdoor Throw Blanket from ARHAUS . $99, Arhaus, Ann Arbor and Troy, arhaus.com.
4. M22 ’s Wine Tumblers are safe, durable, and classy. $30, M22, Glen Arbor and Traverse City, m22.com
No picnic is complete without something comfy to sit on, like this PENDLETON plaid roll-up blanket. $169, Charming North, Cadillac, charmingnorth.com, pendelton-usa.com.
6. Seating is a breeze with the Teak Camp Stools from SERENA & LILY. $268, Serena & Lily, Birmingham, serenaandlily.com.
5.
2.
6.
4.
Shoreline essentials to take your outing from OK to oh, yay!
1. A nice and cozy towel, like this one by DUSEN DUSEN , is a must for any beach day. $54, Design Within Reach, Grand Rapids, dwr.com.
2. Silicone Beach Toys by BLUE GINKGO are durable, travel-friendly, and 100 percent BPAfree. $35.99, blueginkgoshop.com.
3. WILLIAMS SONOMA’s Ventura Portable Beach Umbrella conveniently packs into a fabric carrying case with a shoulder strap. $59.95, Williams Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com.
4. This Corn Husk Sheep Basket from CHARMING NORTH makes a perfect tote for your beach day belongings. $29.99, Charming North, Cadillac, charming north.com.
5. The MARIMEKKO outdoor sling chair in poppy, well, pops! It’s a vibrant take on outdoor furniture and textiles. $296, West Elm, Birmingham, Grand Rapids, west elm.com/marimekko.
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Interior designer Gail Urso imbues a beachfront cottage near Saugatuck with color, patterns, and year-round cheer
BY MEGAN SWOYER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GARLAND
Both pages: You can’t beat the Lake Michigan views, whether from outdoors on the deck or on the porch.
Interior designer Gail Urso never grew tired of her commute to a Douglas cottage that she was designing. “I went there dozens of times,” recalls the Grosse Pointe Park-based professional. “It was pretty remote, but not far from Saugatuck. It was right on Lake Michigan, up on a hill, and just gorgeous.
“The client is wonderful, very open, and told me I had free reign,” says Urso, who runs Urso Designs Inc. “She knew of my work from other projects I’d done for her at The Homestead in Glen Arbor and at her home in Birmingham.”
With four bedrooms and 5.5 baths, the Shingle-style home was once extremely basic, Urso explains, with natural wood and white walls. “I was very excited walking into it. There was no furniture, no art, no color. It was cold.” Urso had a blank slate. She was immediately struck by the water views. “I wanted to focus on the views; they were everything. (With those kind of views), you can’t be overwhelmed by what’s going on in the interiors. But the thing is, the clients were planning to be at the home in various seasons. So, because in
Michigan, it can be gray a lot of the year, I wanted to create warmth and make it interesting without distracting from great summertime views.”
Her keen eye for design is innate, she says. “I had always wanted to be a designer, but I was a teacher first, in St. Clair Shores,” Urso shares. “My parents strongly advised me to be a teacher or a nurse — that’s how it was then.” With a mother who had a “good eye and worked with an interior designer in the home I grew up in,” Urso’s penchant for fabrics and furnishings never was out of the picture.
As for the color selections, Urso has made some intriguing observations over the years as a seasoned designer. “I’ve noticed that people tend to like colors in their home that they look good in,” she notes. “So when I’m working with clients, I can almost tell from looking at them what colors they may be comfortable with.”
The overall goal was to ensure that the look wouldn’t feel outdated over time. And with the classic appointments, like beadboard, it likely won’t, she says.
Urso sensed that one key to creating more warmth in the cottage was to paint all the “blond wood” white. “We refinished the floors in a driftwood color,” she says. She also used a lot of blue, to reflect the outdoors.
One of the designer’s favorite spaces is the primary bedroom, which features luxurious fabrics from China Seas. Punches of tomato red brighten the space. In the kitchen, more color pops with a green island. “In addition to bringing the blue in from
Above: The lower level welcomes family and friends with plenty of space. The greens and blues bring the great outdoors in.
Top: The dining area features a wonderful view, and its adornments don’t distract from Lake Michigan beyond.
outdoors, we used a lot of green in the home, which also reflects the outdoors.”
Urso admits she likes to be a little brave with colors. “Chocolate brown is a wonderful backdrop for blues and greens. And art stands out so well when you have a brown background, or even eggplant or a dark green.”
For the children’s room, she found a fabulous fabric featuring a colorful bird motif for the window treatments and storage bench cushions. A rich cobalt blue paint was used on the bed frames and benches. And that aforementioned chocolate brown (a “yummy color,” Urso says) coats the wall behind the beds.
“That space has lots of color and is very uplift-
ing,” the designer says. In a guest room, jaunty chocolate-brown-and-white stripes bedeck captivating window treatments, while splashes of brighter blue come into play with an easy-chair throw and accent pillow fabrics. Urso says she prefers to procure her furnishings and accessories from the Michigan Design Center in Troy. “That doesn’t always work out, but when I can, that’s where I go.”
The living room is awash in deep blues, and showcases gorgeous blue and green pottery. “The client is always picking up art objects. She loves art and spends part of her summer in Maine.”
Although the project was a little more than 200 miles from Urso’s studio, the entire process was en-
joyable and “a labor of love,” she shares. She used some of her contractors from metro Detroit, including her painter, wallpaper installer, carpet installer, and window treatment and bedding fabricator.
Urso had all the furniture shipped to a warehouse in nearby Holland. “They delivered all the furniture to Douglas and were the best,” she says. Many of the contractors enjoyed the area as much as Urso. “Our painter, who did the whole house, arrived with his crew and spent a month there just painting. He and his team ‘camped’ at the home.”
“We wanted to create a well-designed home that was comfortable, livable, attractive, and functional,” Urso says. “There were animals and grandchil-
“We wanted to create a well-designed home that was comfortable, livable, attractive, and functional.”
GAIL URSO
dren to consider, sand and wet bathing suits, and crisp fall days and cold winter nights to plan for.”
There’s no doubt that the home has become a special gathering place for the family.
“As a designer, it was the project of a lifetime,” Urso says. “That’s because of the creativity I was allowed, the team I worked with, and the wonderful satisfaction of knowing that my clients are happy.”
INTERIOR DESIGN, Urso Designs Inc., Grosse Pointe Park, ursodesignsinc.com
BATHROOM, CHILDREN’S
Blinds – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Fabric – Alaxi Fabric, Designer Furniture Services + Fabrics, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Lighting – Lighting Concepts
Shade, Roman – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Sink – Kohler Wallpaper –Schumacher, Michigan Design Center, Troy
BEDROOM, GUEST
Bed Frame – McGuire, Baker |
McGuire, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Blinds – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Chair – Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Dresser – McGuire, Baker |
McGuire, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Fabric – Pindler, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Lamps, Wall – Visual Comfort
Nightstand – David Francis
Furniture
Ottoman
– Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Wind’s Breath
BEDROOM, PRIMARY
Armchair – Lane Venture, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Bed Frame – Hickory Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Bedspread – China Seas, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Blinds – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Drapery – Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Rug – Stark Carpet, Troy Stools – Lane Venture, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy; Fabric, Romo, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Table, Bedside – Hickory Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Left: There’s easy access to the great blue beyond from the wrap-around porch.
Right, top: Fabrics from Kravet and Gloster furnishings are the perfect combination for comfortable outdoor lounging.
Right, bottom: The children’s bathroom is delightful, thanks to a cheerful, clever mix of window- and walltreatment patterns.
DECK
Fabric – Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Furniture – Gloster
DINING ROOM
Blinds – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Buffet – Maine Cottage
Chairs, Dining – Hickory Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Chairs, Side – David Francis
Furniture
Draperies – Pierre Frey
Fixture, Pendant – Juliska, The League Shop Inc., Grosse Pointe
Painting – TRA Art Group, Clawson
Rug – Stark Carpet, Troy
Table, Dining – Hickory Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Bistro Blue
Wood Paint – Benjamin Moore, White Dove
FAMILY ROOM, LOWER LEVEL
Blinds – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Chair, Lounge – Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Chairs, Dining – Grange Furniture
Ottoman – Pearson, Hickory
Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Rug – Stark Carpet, Troy
Sectional – Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Table, End – Custom, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Armchairs – David Francis
Furniture
Bench – Rex White Custom
Furniture
Blinds – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Curtains – Pierre Frey
Fabric, Chairs – Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Lamps – Palecek, CAI
Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Pillows, Throw – Custom
Sectional – Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Table, Cocktail – Brownstone, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Table, Coffee – CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Bistro Blue
KITCHEN
Backsplash – Virginia Tile
Stools, Bar – Mayland Court
Fine Furniture
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Bistro Blue
PORCH
Blinds – Conrad Shades, Rozmallin, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Chairs, Dining – Gloster
Chairs, Lounge – Gloster
Fabrics – Kravet, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Ottoman – Gloster
Table, Dining – Gloster
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, White Dove
Art Installation – Rob Bitterburg Sr., Clarkston
Builder –Bill Monhollon
Builders, West Olive
Flooring – Boven Hardwood
Flooring, Hudsonville
Furniture Storage – Boer’s
Transfer & Storage, Holland
Kitchen – DeJonge Kitchens, Holland
Rugs – Randy’s Rugs, Farmington Hills
Shades, Bedding, Pillows –Designs Designs, Wixom
Grand Haven lures visitors with its sandy beaches, 1.5-mile boardwalk, and small-town friendliness
BY BILL SEMION
Summer always seems to call to me from Grand Haven. Lake Michigan and memorable getaways have that effect. Come enjoy a sunny weekend in this spectacular west coast town — and, in particular, this little slice of sandy heaven.
Lumber and pianos helped build the city of about 11,000 residents west of Grand Rapids, which ranks on the short list of many folks’ favorite summer destinations.
Whether you’re a first-timer or just need a refresher on its dining, recreation, or accommodations, here are some of my favorites.
I normally pull my small RV onto a beachfront campsite in the giant sandbox called Grand Haven State Park. It’s one of the state’s most popular parks, and it’s a short walk through the beach’s trademark squeaky sand to the water. There are other private campgrounds along U.S. 31 east of downtown, plus two more state parks just a few miles north.
Other accommodations line U.S. 31 or are scattered around the downtown area a cute combination of 1940s and ’50s businesses that give the town its charm.
Nestled in the dunes near the state park, for example, is Brezza Di Lago Hotel and its neighbor, the Harbor House Inn, overlooking the beach. Popular vacation rental homes and condos, located near the beachfront or scattered along the coast, are plentiful.
I love to watch the parade of boats enjoying the evening on the Grand River, Michigan’s longest. One of my go-to places is Porto Bello, a charming Italian restaurant in the old Story & Clark piano factory, which was the town’s main employer until it closed in 1984. Other parts of the building have been repurposed into condos, some of which are available to rent.
About a block away is the Kirby House, a restored former hotel with an upstairs outdoor dining area that offers neat views of the river and lake beyond. On the beach, Noto’s at the Bil-Mar, a short walk from the state park, has one of the town’s best sunset views. Dr. Rolf’s, founded by a local doctor, is a good choice when you need to scratch your barbecue itch. South of downtown, you can choose from a delightful selection of Indian, sushi, and Mexican cuisine.
A stroll along part of the 1.5-mile-long riverfront boardwalk from downtown generally leads to a spectacular Lake Michigan sunset, best seen from the beach with the two famous red lighthouses on the south pier. The illuminated lighthouse walkway has been refurbished, and I always try to make the trek past the attractions and anglers all the way to the pier head at least once each visit. Last time, I was rewarded with photos of a Great Lakes freighter making its approach to drop its cargo off upriver.
Weather permitting, include a morning stroll on this south breakwall — but don’t risk it when the waves are high, because people have drowned when they’ve been swept away by the rough water.
There’s also a north pier across the Grand River channel, in Ferrysburg, that’s worth a visit. It gives visitors a different perspective of the two historic lighthouses.
Summer Saturdays are made for hopping on a bike and heading back to the riverfront walk to explore the 15-mile Lakeside Trail. It’s part of the Grand Haven Spring Lake Trail Network, a 28-mile system that enthusiastic bikers can use to connect with a regional system leading south to Holland, east toward Grand Rapids and beyond, or north to Cadillac.
I always pause at Sweet Temptations,
To see all the sights, hop on the Grand Haven trolley system that runs daily, from Memorial Day through Labor Day Weekend.Grand Haven’s busy downtown district, with its old-fashioned vibe, is a short walk from the boardwalk, the famous lights on the pier, beach action, and one of the state’s most popular state parks.
where owner Kelly Larson has done something truly special with ice cream treats. The ice cream business, started in 1989, was an offshoot of a candy-making pursuit. Up to 40 flavors at time are available at its four locations, including downtown along the Grand River at the old train station.
Larson’s creations recently earned two awards that named her vanilla bean and dark decadence flavors best in the nation. “We make them in 10-gallon batches at our year-round store at Beacon and Taylor in town,” Larson says. That’s why I never miss a stop (or two) during any visit.
To see all the sights, hop on the Grand Haven trolley system that runs daily, from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. It usually visits neighboring Spring Lake, Ferrysburg, and Fruitport, and makes stops at the city beach and state park in Grand Haven.
It’s all about the beach in summer. Follow the 1.5-mile trail from downtown to the “singing sand” that squeaks when you scuff your bare feet in it. It’s part of the country’s longest freshwater strand, and you could literally walk for miles along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Or, spread out a mat and get some glorious beach time watching everyone from toddlers with their floaties to their grandparents enjoying the water.
For more active fun, check out the MACkite Boardsports Center for gear or lessons on handling a kiteboard, hydrofoil, or wingfoil. It’s the best way to get cooled off and ready for evening entertainment.
Grab a seat in the grandstand along the river for a show you won’t see anywhere else in Michigan. The Grand Haven Musical Fountain is the largest of its kind outside of Las Vegas, and before Vegas
introduced its musical fountain, this local one was the world’s largest. Since 1962, from Memorial Day until Labor Day, Grand Haven’s fountain has presented a nightly spectacle of brightly lit dancing water set to a 20-minute concert. Make sure to arrive early to get the best seats, especially on weekends.
The city’s biggest spectacular, the annual Coast Guard Festival, takes place this year from July 28 through Aug. 6. The festival typically attracts more than 350,000 people who take in parades, ship tours, food, and other fun activities. It’s been held along the lakefront annually since 1924, thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard’s long-tenured presence in the city. Grand Haven was designated the country’s first Coast Guard City USA in 1998.
Early risers can make their way to Chinook Pier before sunrise and hop aboard a chartered fishing boat in search of the trout or salmon just offshore in Lake Michigan.
From the docks, view the static display of the Pere Marquette Railroad steam locomotive No. 1223, sister engine to
No. 1225, which was made famous in the animated movie “The Polar Express.” It delights kids of all ages during the Christmas season, when daily trips are made from Owosso to visit the “North Pole.” The trains are the only two Berkshire-class PM steamers left.
I often save one of my must-dos to savor last. It’s a trip to Butch’s Beach Burritos, located along Harbor Drive just inland from Grand Haven State Park. It’s been a town staple since 1987, and you’ll find delicious food made from family recipes as well as fresh homemade salsas to top everything from huge burritos to hot dogs. If you can’t get enough, stop by Butch’s second location in nearby Spring Lake, which is open year-round.
Butch’s place is just another reason to visit Coast Guard City USA this summer. Just like me, you’ll discover welcoming locals, a really amazing beach, and more fun than you can have in just one weekend.
It’s all about the beach in summer. Follow the 1.5mile trail from downtown to the “singing sand” that squeaks when you scuff your bare feet in it.PHOTO COURTESY OF PURE MICHIGAN/RYAN GAJEWSKI Grand Haven Area Convention & Visitors Bureau visitgrandhaven.com Grand Haven’s Rosy Mound Natural Area includes Lake Michigan access and 1,000 feet of stairs through the beach dunes.
Both pages: Don’t let the summer go by without enjoying a barbecue featuring homemade sauces and rubs!
BY BILL SEMION
Ain’t no bones about it: Whether it’s Texas-style brisket, ribs, or pulled pork, summers are made for barbecue. And we’re here to pass on our favorite recipes for a special rub and a knock-out sauce that are sure to make your next backyard dinner a gourmet delight. We’ve also rounded up a few tips and ideas to make your get-together extra special.
Start with a forgiving cut, says Tyler Johnson, general manager of downtown Midland’s Molasses Smokehouse & Bar. “A pork butt, known as a Boston butt or pork shoulder, is the best to start with.” With one of these generous cuts, be prepared to invite plenty of friends. “These cuts are about 8 to 10 pounds and offer a ton of forgiveness in cooking, while also allowing you to build confidence as a new pitmaster.” Above all, know that if your first “cook” comes out perfect, you’d be the first. “Barbecue is a learning process,” he says.
For Tyler Johnson, general manager of downtown Midland’s Molasses Smokehouse & Bar, there are no secrets to great barbecue. Just take your time. The real secret is knowing that your next effort will be even better than your last, because everyone learns on the job. Johnson has been practicing that adage since entering the food and beverage game 17 years ago.
“Remember the old saying, ‘If I told you I’d have to kill you’? Well, some pitmasters would swear that there are a slew of secrets they’ll take to their grave. The reality is that everything in barbecue has been done before and will be done again,” Johnson says.
Here’s Johnson’s small-batch rub mix:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Don’t bother with rub on the “fat cap,” and don’t rub it in, Johnson advises. Place the roast fat-side down; that allows for a better “bark” — a dark layer that builds up on your cooked meat. Cook at least an hour per pound at 250 degrees. Always use indirect heat.
“You want the internal temperature of the roast to be between 190 and 200 degrees, but that’s not the end. It needs to be in long enough to break down the connective tissue.
“When the meat thermometer slides in like butter, it’s done. If you’re done well under the hourper-pound rule, lower the temperature next time. Don’t go over 264 degrees in your cooker, though, because the sugar in your rub will start to burn,” Johnson says.
For a juicy finish, place the butt in butcher paper. Yes, that’s right. Wrap it up. “There are two schools of thought here. The longer you keep something unwrapped, the better the bark,” he says. “However, to retain moisture, you can also spray it with apple juice or water. And use butcher paper. Take the piece off and wrap it when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. There’s such a high fat content in that piece that the fat starts to render and breaks down from its solid state and turns into delicious juices inside of the meat,” he explains.
Other cooks may simply take the meat off the heat, wrap it, and place it in a cooler for two hours.
Cook the sauce slow and low, at least three hours, so the liquid reduces and flavors blend to make a smooth, thick, succulent sauce for dipping or slathering.
Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar are a few of the ingredients in Marlene Bonner’s special rib sauce.
This vinegar-based sauce, with a recipe provided by Detroiter Soncha Barthwell, is reminiscent of others that use that same main ingredient from the Carolinas. Barthwell says her late sister-in-law put a little twist on an old family recipe to make her sauce. “I’ve prepared several batches of this recipe before, and can attest that it’s great.”
INGREDIENTS
1 quart vinegar
2 32-oz. bottles of ketchup
5 oz. prepared mustard
4 lemons, peeled and sliced
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 oz. chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer at least three hours. Spread liberally on your choice of main course.
SENSITIVE RENOVATIONS TO AN 1870S MACKINAC ISLAND COTTAGE MAKE IT BETTER THAN EVER
TEXT BY KHRISTI ZIMMETH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN MACONOCHIE
near the 1870s-era house on Mackinac Island known as “The Lilacs” tells the story: “Inspired by the City Beautiful Movement and the 1880s trend to create summer homes for wealthy urbanites eager to escape industrial cities, the Annex was among the first planned summer communities in Michigan,” it explains.
Developed by Chicago businessman and fur trader Gurdon Hubbard and still known as Hubbard’s Annex, “the neighborhood is an important part of Mackinac Island history,” explains the homeowner, who, with her husband, now owns the 19th-century cottage that Hubbard had built for himself on the west bluff of the iconic island.
The island had become the country’s second national park in 1875 and Hubbard, who had lost his fortune in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, decided to develop a resort hotel and 132-lot cottage community on his 80 acres of Mackinac land. The hotel was never built, but Hubbard’s cottage community still thrives today. His Queen Anne-style house was
Right: The original home didn’t have a kitchen; families would gather at the community eating house. Today, there’s plenty of space for family and friends to cook and dine together.
Above: A historic marker near the home tells the story of the charming summercottage community.
“There’s a lot of history here. We’re trying to be good stewards for the property and for the generations to come.”
— THE HOMEOWNER
bought by the homeowner’s great-grandparents in 1928, and both she and her 85-year-old mother have fond memories of growing up spending summers on the island and in the house.
Not surprisingly, a number of changes have been made throughout the home’s long history. The homeowner’s father renovated the house in 1993, shoring up the foundation, adding space, and reconfiguring some rooms for better livability and flow. Among the first-floor changes: turning the onetime kitchen into a first-floor guest room, carving a new kitchen out of small former bedrooms and a first-floor bath, converting a screenedin porch into a four-season space, and adding a laundry room. Upstairs, he removed a bathroom to create a new primary bedroom and turned another bedroom into two baths.
By the time the current owners took over in 2014, the interior needed another face-lift as well as “more space to accommodate three generations,” the wife says. It also desperately needed a dining room — a fact that prompted another renovation in 2019. “We would have 20 people over and there was no place to eat,” she adds.
At the time it was built, the home didn’t have a
Both pages: A horse stable with an upstairs loft apartment was built on the property in 2017. It has plenty of room for guests.
Opposite page: The home desperately needed a dining room a fact that promped the 2019 renovation. “We would have 20 people over and there was no place to eat,” the homeowner recalls. Now, an inviting layout with plenty of natural light in the kitchen and the dining room is more welcoming.
kitchen. Families would gather at the community eating house, the homeowner explains. A kitchen had been added along the way, but there was never a dining area — a fact that became increasingly problematic as the family grew. The recent renovation added a dining area/breakfast room as an extension of the kitchen. Once the current owners decided to add an eating area, plans snowballed.
“We figured since we were doing the downstairs, we might as well go upstairs, too,” the wife explains.
The family enlisted the help of designers Kevin Serba and John Rattray, of Serba Interiors, with whom they had worked on their home in Birmingham and an earlier horse stable and upstairs loft apartment built on the Mackinac property in 2017.
The designers, who often work on historic structures, were “thrilled” to be asked, Rattray says.
The designers’ goal was to update the house while being “true to the architecture and age of the structure,” Rattray explains. That meant “gutting everything except for the staircase, the living room, and one original bedroom,” the homeowner adds.
The three-year renovation included an addition off the back of the cottage that allowed for a larger kitch-
en, along with a new dining area, a mudroom entry, and a first-floor owner’s suite that opens to a screened porch. Upstairs, the extra space allowed bedrooms and bathrooms to be reworked and renovated. “We added a full bath, a half-bath, and two bedrooms. Those two side-by-side bathrooms that my dad added in 1993 were gutted during our renovation and made into one bathroom,” the homeowner says.
“In the end, quite a bit of space was added to the overall structure, but each new space maintains the scale and proportion typical of the time period of the original structure,” Rattray says.
“The priority was to be true to the architecture and age of the structure when selecting materials and furnishings,” Rattray continues. “It was crucial that our selections reflected the age and history of the home. It was also important that we capture the charm and energy that’s unique to Mackinac Island. Colorful fabrics, artwork, and accessories help bring that energy to the cottage. Many of the furnishings are antiques, helping to add an additional layer of history and patina to each space.”
The renovation started in 2019, but the pandemic shutdown, weather, and other logistics added
Above: The most recent renovation to this Mackinac Island home included gutting everything except for the staircase, the living room, shown here, and one original bedroom.These bedroom vignettes showcase the homeowners’ love of antiques and their designers’ astute ability to procure a mix of wonderful elements. With a big nod to the past, the spaces are filled with antiques, both rich and muted colors, delightful shiplap treatment, and other decades-old accents.
Right: The sitting area features comfy armchairs and, apropos for the island, antique horse cut-outs.
unforeseen delays and complications. In the end it was all worth it, the homeowner says, noting that the result is a historic home that’s better than ever, with “a lot of good spaces to gather and hang out.”
She says they can now sleep 14 in the renovated house and stable, and the family — which includes her three children and her mother — continue to gather on the island, as they’ve done for almost a century. She and her husband have their eyes on the future, she says, and plan to uphold the tradition her great-grandparents started.
“There’s a lot of history here,” she says. “We’re trying to be good stewards for the property and for the generations to come.”
INTERIOR DESIGN
Serba Interiors, Birmingham, serbainteriors.com
BARN APARTMENT
Armchair (Green Checkered) –Redford House Furniture
Bed Frame – Redford
House Furniture
Chairs, Dining – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Flooring – Oak
Lamp, Bedside – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Light Fixture – Visual Comfort
Oven/Microwave – KitchenAid
Rugs (Green) – Capel Rugs
Table, Bedside – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Table, Dining – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Cloud White
BEDROOM, GERANIUM
Bed Frame – Redford
House Furniture
Chair – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Curtains – Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet | Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Flooring – Maple
Lamp, Bedside – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Rug – STARK Carpet, Troy
Table, Bedside – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Cloud White
BEDROOM, GUEST
Armchair – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Artwork (Field) – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Bed Frame – Redford
House Furniture
Chest – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Flooring – Maple
Rug – STARK Carpet, Troy
Table, Bedside – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Cloud White
BEDROOM, MASTER
Bed Frame – Redford
House Furniture
Cabinetry – Custom, Eric Vogler Construction, West Bloomfield
Chair, Accent – Highland House Furniture
Drapery – Colefax and Fowler, Tenant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Flooring – Maple
Lamp, Bedside – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Lamp, Floor – Visual Comfort
Pillow (Flowers) – Colefax and Fowler, Tenant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Rug – STARK Carpet, Troy
Seat, Accent – Highland House Furniture
Table, Accent – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Table, Bedside – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Cloud White
DINING ROOM
Artwork – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park Bench – Custom, Eric Vogler Construction, West Bloomfield Cabinetry – Custom, Eric Vogler Construction, West Bloomfield Chairs, Dining –Englishman’s Fine Furnishings
Chandelier – Ironware
International
Curtains – Colefax and Fowler, Tenant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy Flooring – Virginia Tile
Light, Hanging – Ironware
International
Table, Dining – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park Table, Display – Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park Rug – Bellbridge Carpets
Sconce – Ironware International
Sink – Shaws
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Cloud White
KITCHEN
Backsplash (Green) –
ANN SACKS, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Cabinetry – Custom, Eric Vogler Construction, West Bloomfield
Ceiling Treatment – Beadboard
Chandelier (Black) –Currey & Co.
Countertops – Carrara
Marble, Wolverine Stone Co., Warren
Flooring – Virginia Tile
Lighting, Hanging Fixtures –
Visual Comfort
Oven – Wolf
Rug – STARK Carpet, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin
Moore, Cloud White
LIVING ROOM
Artwork (Berries) – Serba
Interiors, Birmingham
Artwork (Left) – Serba
Interiors, Birmingham
Artwork (Middle) – Serba
Interiors, Birmingham
Artwork (Right) – Serba
Interiors, Birmingham
Chair, Accent – Highland
House Furniture
Lamp, Floor (Left) – Visual Comfort
Lamp, Floor (Right) –
Visual Comfort
Pillow, Accent (Checkered) –
Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet| Lee Jofa | Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Pillow, Accent (Green) –
Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet|Lee Jofa|
Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Pillows, Throw (Flowers) –
Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet|Lee Jofa
|Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Rug – STARK Carpet, Troy
Sofa – Hickory Chair Furniture
Table, Coffee – Custom, Lamia Metalcraft & Design
Table, End (Left) –
Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Table, End (Right) –
Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Cloud White
SITTING AREA
Armchairs – TCS Designs
Artwork (Frame) –Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Artwork (Horse Cut-outs) –Antique, The Parson’s Nose Antiques, Oak Park
Bar Stools – TCS Designs
Flooring – Virginia Tiles
Lamp, Floor – Visual Comfort
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Cloud White
EXTERIOR
Building Materials –Wood Siding
Landscaping – Barnwell
Landscape and Garden, Mackinac Island
ADDITIONAL PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS
Architect – Richard Clements Architect, PLLC, Ocqueoc
Landscaping – Barnwell
Landscape and Garden, Mackinac Island; Jack Barnwell, PLA-Landscape
Architect, Traverse City
At 286 feet long and capable of hosting 202 guests, American Queen Voyages’ Ocean Voyager is among the smallest and most homey of the ships cruising the
Great Lakes.
Great Lakes cruisers enjoy a peaceful, easy vibe, and the industry continues to expand with new ships and shore excursions to explore Michigan destinations
BY ELLEN CREAGERaybe it takes a stranger to get you to appreciate what you have.
“Great Lakes — The Sea in the Wilderness” Hapag-Lloyd cruises promise.
“A freshwater treasure trove of wild islands, unusual geology and legendary waterfalls,” touts Smithsonian Journeys.
Are they really talking about us? Michiganders take for granted their ability to visit the Great Lakes whenever they want to, but face it — few of us have ever spent two weeks cruising the big lakes. Most of us have never seen the obscure reaches of Georgian Bay. We’ve never crossed Lake Superior. We’ve never seen the stars from the middle of Lake Michigan.
But this is the year. With Great Lakes cruises red-hot and 11 ships offering multiple cruises, you, too, can join the trend. So start planning now.
“This is for folks who want to see something different,” says Mark Schrupp, executive director of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority. “You can go to the Caribbean and find a cruise for half the cost, with 5,000 people aboard. But this is new.”
If you’re considering a Great Lakes cruise, know that each cruise line has a slightly different vibe. Viking Cruises, American Queen Voyages, Vantage Travel, and Pearl Seas Cruises entice affluent travelers from North America. Fares start at about $5,000 per person but can easily top $10,000.
Why so pricey? Michiganders might find this hard to believe, but many Great Lakes cruises are marketed in the same way that Antarctica is — as a thrilling upscale “expedition” cruise focused on science and history.
“A unique way we deliver exploring the world’s greatest natural resource is through our dedicated ‘Lakelorian’ program … lectures by a well-versed Lake Michigan expert,” says Cindy D’Aoust, president of American Queen Voyages. Stories of voyageurs, the Ojibwe people, explorers, eagles, and glaciers all weave a glorious tale of the past.
Viking even has a submarine that takes passengers down into the lakes.
Pearl Seas Cruises’ focus is slightly different, spokeswoman Alexa Paolella says.
“Ours is a small-ship-style, destination-focused cruise with people who are culturally curious, much like a river cruise,” she says. And the Great Lakes have more than nature; they have lively cities like Toronto, Cleveland, and Detroit.
Pearl Seas has been in the market since 2014 but welcomes the new competition. “We think it’s good for everyone,” Paolella says. “The Great Lakes is a big, wonderful, dynamic place and, as they say, a rising tide lifts all boats.”
Several developments have made Great Lakes cruising a post-pandemic success. The biggest splash is from Viking. In its second season here, it has two ships: Polaris and Octantis. At 665 feet long, they dwarf competitors and bring cachet to the market.
Great Lakes cruise ships vary in size and ambience. The largest ships must tender passengers to shore. Viking’s ships are nearly three times the length of American Queen vessels.
1
5
Viking Octantis and Polaris Polaris is new to the Great Lakes this year (665 feet long, 378 guests).
2
Pearl Seas Pearl Mist
A longtime player, this ship features a complete renovation of interior space (325 feet long, 210 guests).
3
Plantours MS Hamburg
A German ship catering to German tourists; formerly named MS Columbus (472 feet long, 420 guests).
4
Ponant Le Bellot and Le Dumont d’Urville
Elegant French ambience; partners with the Smithsonian and Tauck on Englishspeaking cruises (430 feet long, 184 guests).
American Queen Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager
The smallest and most homey ships (286 feet long, 202 guests).
6
Vantage Travel
Ocean Explorer
This two-year-old ship features 15 cabins for solo travelers (341 feet long, 162 guests).
7
Hapag-Lloyd Hanseatic Inspiration
Commissioned in 2019, this German ship has a bilingual crew. It’s new to the Great Lakes (452 feet long, 230 guests).
Above: Viking Cruises offers a variety of shore excursions, such as a stop at Thunder Bay Falls. Left: Pearl Seas has a capacity of 210 guests. Below left: Ocean Navigator has planned stops in Detroit.
Second, some sources say customs procedures have been streamlined as ships travel between U.S. and Canadian ports. That means less red tape for passengers.
Third, shore excursions are getting more creative. In Alpena, Viking partners with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), so stops include ecosystem research along with shipwreck kayaking and museum tours. In Detroit, more cruise lines allow passengers to explore the Riverwalk or local restaurants, in addition to visiting the Motown Museum, the Henry Ford, and more.
Every cruise on the Great Lakes in 2023 will stop at Michigan ports. Many will stop in Detroit, including Viking’s Great Lakes Collection,
Here are five Great Lakes cruises for 2023. Check websites for current sail dates and prices.
Niagara and the Great Lakes vikingcruises.com
Great Lakes Explorer pearlseascruises.com
Round Trip Chicago aqvoyages.com
Great Lakes of North America us.ponant.com
Milwaukee to Windsor hl-cruises.com
GREAT LAKES CRUISING Q&A
Q: Can I join a cruise when it stops in Detroit?
A: Unfortunately, no. Most embark from Toronto, Milwaukee, or Duluth, Minn., or other cities.
Q: What do cruises cost?
A: Compared to a Caribbean cruise, a lot. Plan on about $7,000 per person for an eight-day cruise. Some cruises for 2024 are still showing prices of about $4,300 on American Queen. Price no object? The owner’s suite on Viking’s 15-day Great Lakes Collection cruises is $39,995.
Q: Do all cruises stop in both the U.S. and Canada?
A: Yes.
Q: What months do the ships sail?
A: May through October.
Q: Where are the Michigan ports?
A: Mackinac Island and Sault Ste. Marie, of course, but also Detroit, Alpena, Muskegon, Traverse City, Marquette, and even smaller towns such as Escanaba.
Q: Do all cruises make the same journey?
A: No. The basic theme is the same — a combination of Canadian and American ports, cities, and remote areas — but each line has an extra twist. There also are numerous shore excursions available on most cruises, so passengers can get out and enjoy activities around the ports.
Q: Do all cruises visit all five Great Lakes?
A: No. Some cruises skip Lake Superior.
Niagara & the Great Lakes, Longitudinal World Cruise I, and Longitudinal World Cruise III itineraries.
“We’re super excited. We’re going to see 52 port arrivals and the potential of more than 10,000 cruise passengers in Detroit this year,” says Jennifer Ollinger, domestic and international tourism manager at Visit Detroit. “I remember back in 2005 or 2006, a cruise ship stopped here and we thought, hey, we’ve made it. Now, to have ships docked here 56 times is amazing.”
An estimated 170,000 people will visit Great Lakes cruise ports this year, predicts Cruise the Great Lakes, a coalition of states, provinces, and providers. That’s up 15 percent from 2022. Last year, cruising had an estimated regional impact of $125 million.
Schrupp says this is the biggest era for cruising in the Great Lakes since the mid-20th century.
“From the late 1800s to the 1960s there were a number of shipping companies that took people all the way from Detroit to Traverse City, and some of it was luxurious,” he says.
Now, that luxury is back. And you have a chance to experience it firsthand.
Q: Are all the cruises seven days?
A: No. Some are 13-15 days.
Q: Can I book a Great Lakes cruise through a tour operator?
A: Yes. Try AAA Travel, Tauck, Smithsonian Journeys, Vantage, or Great Lakes Cruising in Ann Arbor (greatlakescruising.com).
Q: Will we ever see Caribbeansized cruise ships in the Great Lakes?
A: No. Great Lakes cruise ships spend Michigan’s winter in warmer climes or Antarctica. They must be narrow and short enough to transit the Welland Canal, for example, linking Lakes Erie and Ontario. Viking’s Octantis last year was the largest passenger vessel ever to transit the canal. Its width barely fit.
The old pear tree still loomed. When I was 5 years old and walking alone to the privy in the dark, its limbs morphed into tentacles, poised to grab me and carry me off to a place from which I could never return. Dashing through the grass and weeds, I rattled off the Lord’s Prayer over and over until I reached the outhouse.
Now 40, as I stood tossing out mold-covered leftovers from Grandma’s fridge — tuna, half a bran muffin, leftover pears plucked from that tree — I peered out the window over the kitchen sink and noticed its craggy branches. In the nearly 40 years since I used to run from it in the night, it’s stood thick and craggy, bearing fruit and flower, and shuddering through silent winters with barren limbs. Looking at pieces of pear wearing white toupees, I hoped Grandma hadn’t eaten moldy food. She didn’t know the difference anymore. My uncle was supposed to be taking care of her; he lived with her, after all, never having married or left home at 50. But much of the time, his desperate pursuit of any woman, anywhere, overshadowed his sense of duty to the woman who put him through college and kept him in sports cars through his youth.
“Allen? Is that you?” my grandmother’s sparrow voice sang from her bedroom.
“It’s me, Grandma, Julie.”
“Julie? I didn’t know you were here.”
“I got here about an hour ago. You were napping.”
I walked from the kitchen to the doorway of her bedroom. She was lying on a chenille bedspread, running her fingers through her ashy hair.
“Did Allen stay?”
“No, he went back to the mainland. He said he’ll come back tonight sometime.”
“Oh, all right. I guess I’d better get up. Have you eaten?”
“I ate on my way here. Do you want me to make you something? A sandwich? Tea?”
“I’m all right for now.”
She looked smaller than she had two years ago. Grad school, working full time, and living on the other side of the state seemed to present obstacles each time I tried to schedule a to visit the island.
“I was thinking about going for a swim. Do you want to put your suit on and go down to the lake, Gram?”
“Well, maybe,” she offered, lifting herself from the bed. Her gray eyes were shrouded in fog.
I waited for her to don her navy swimsuit, mended for decades.
We sat side by side on a white stretch of dock, rocking our feet in the cool water. A bluegill swam by, and the rainbow sail of a catamaran slid along the horizon. I placed my hand on my grandmother’s.
“I love you, Grandma.”
She smiled. “Well, I love you, too.”
We watched waves from a passing skier rock against the shore. She pushed from the edge of the dock, and stood in the water. I smiled at her gusto and followed her in.
I watched her, knee deep in the lake where she taught her children to swim, where she swung her grandchildren over August waves. Where she stood now, motionless, lost. She doesn’t know what to do. Her bare limbs looked chilled. She turned for a moment and looked at me. I could offer no answers.
I placed my hand on the back of her bathing suit. “Grandma? Do you want to go back up now?”
She nodded the way a sad child nods. I wished I could carry her up the stairs.
In the cottage, she got dressed. I took her wet swimsuit out back to hang so it could dry. The clothesline was gone, so I hung the straps of her suit on the branches of a tree. The pear tree.
“No,” I said aloud. “You can’t have her.” And I clung to my grandmother’s wet bathing suit, fallen fruit beneath my feet.
Julie Bonner Williams, a native Michigander, is a writer, poet, and adjunct professor of English at Grand Valley State University. She loves being on and near the water. Her grandparents owned a simple cottage on Case’s Island in Lake Fenton, not far from where they lived. “It was the heart and soul of our family most of our lives,” Williams says. “I was at the cottage the summer after I was first born. My grandmother and I were extremely close, and I always wanted to be at the cottage. There was nowhere else in the world like Case’s Island, and our family — which had been there since the 1930s — was one of many that had been there that long. Generations of families grew up together on the island. These types of cottages connect us Michigan folks.”
About Case’s Island: Case’s Island is in allsports Lake Fenton, in southern Genesee County. Access to the 13-acre island is by boat (or snowmobile) only. Many of the cottages have changed little since they were built in the early 20th century.
A story of the passing of time and the yearning to make it not so
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Beyond its pastoral appeal, the Leelanau Peninsula’s Dune Bird Winery serves up great wine and coffee. Find out more inside this section.
90 Tasting Room
Nicole and Bo White’s winery, between Leland and Northport, is a must-visit.
92 Dining Out
The team at 876 Baldwin turns out dishes that honor Baldwin’s fly-fishing heritage.
96 Book It
Peaceful island getaways, Great Lakes style, await the adventurous.
100 Discoveries
With its sandy Lake Erie beach, the quiet little town of Luna Pier offers a slice of peace.
Sprawling over 25 acres (with a 4-acre vineyard) between Leland and Northport along M-22 lies the picturesque property of Dune Bird Winery. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans mingled with the earthiness of fine wine greets visitors at the door.
A craft espresso bar with house-made simple syrups, cold brew, and more sets Nicole and Bo White’s winery, which opened on Thanksgiving weekend in 2021, apart from other Leelanau Peninsula establishments. Since Bo isn’t a wine fan, the idea for a full coffee bar sprang to
mind as the couple worked on their plans for the space. Friends and family advised the Whites that a coffee shop housed inside a winery was a bad idea, but the owners took a gamble on catering to guests like Bo who wanted a different experience.
So, why not coffee? The couple’s coffee roasters, Morning Song of Grand Rapids, offer great brews and are designing another new blend specifically for Dune Bird that will be launched as a new coffee subscription option in the winery’s Flight Club. Both coffee subscriptions and wine club memberships are available, with shipping options to 42 states.
Dune Bird’s collection includes nine wines: three reds with aviation-themed names, four refreshing whites, a rose, and a classic bubbly. The red wines range from lighter-bodied and fruit-forward to bolder and more complex.
A robust option last season was Woolsey’s Red, named after Capt. Clinton Woolsey, a Northport-born pilot and aviation pioneer who died in 1926 as a result of a Pan-American Good Will Flight crash in Argentina. “It was a limited release and is currently sold out and not coming back online, at least in 2023. It was very popular and we loved having that nod to a hometown hero,” Nicole says.
The crowd-pleasing sparkling wine — and the top-seller — is Pure Leland, made with 100 percent pinot grigio grapes. The white wines consist of a dry and late harvest Riesling, a refreshing unoaked chardonnay, and a dry pinot grigio.
Nicole likes to rave about Dune Bird’s winemaker, Drew Perry. “Cool things are going to be happening with our reds this year,” she says.
The Whites (Bo is from Michigan and Nicole is from Montana) dreamed of living in Leelanau County, but never planned on being the entrepreneurial young owners of a winery.
When Bo, a military pilot, was granted a position as a defense contractor in 2016, they finally were able to move to their dream location. But Nicole remem-
Refreshing varieties and the added touch of coffee help make the Leelanau Peninsula’s Dune Bird Winery stand out
bers the overriding question back then was: How do we make a living in northern Michigan?
The couple purchased Gill’s Pier Ranch, which raised alpacas and yaks, from a friend in the spring of 2021. The property was developed as the former Gill’s Pier Winery about 20 years ago.
lived in an RV on the property for 18 months, while renovating the property’s old structures and figuring out how to open a tasting room. The Dune Bird tasting room became their family room.
An inviting gathering space was their priority from early on, as they worked to elevate the wine-tasting experience for the community. “We wanted to draw people in and get face-to-face, especially after Covid,” Nicole explains.
their two children in tow, getting ready to open the doors of their new business.
Inspired by Bo’s passion and profession, flight wings serve as a playful logo for Dune Bird’s wine bottles and glasses. Future plans include a new event facility for weddings and community activities such as yoga classes and vendor shows.
“Seeing as we put all of our eggs into the grape basket, it was most essential to make the tasting room as comfortable as possible,” Nicole says. They sold their Maple City home and invested everything they had in the vineyard. The couple and their two children, Finley and Forrest,
Sam Ellis, a local wine expert from Tandem Ciders, says “the atmosphere and staff offer a warm, inviting space which lends itself well to their rich red wines.” The ambience is that of walking into the White’s living room; it’s comfortable and cozy, with flickering fireplaces, lounge furniture, and live music.
In 2021, for the first time in 15 years, Bo wasn’t deployed. That allowed the couple to work tirelessly shoulder-to-shoulder, with
“If you have a babysitter and want to go out or if you don’t have a babysitter and still want to go out, visit Dune Bird,” Nicole says. You can relax around the pond, snuggle in by the fireplace, listen to music, sip on some cider, wine, gourmet coffee, or a specialty drink, and enjoy the at-home ambience. A plus: they offer fontina-filled mac ’n’ cheese for kids of all ages, and a tapas-style menu of small plates that includes gluten-free options.
“The atmosphere and staff offer a warm, inviting space which lends itself well to their rich red wines.”
Sam EllisBelow and right: These indoor and outdoor gathering areas provide a relaxed setting for hanging out and enjoying the winery’s tasty offerings.
When Paul Santoro and his wife, Dina Velocci, opened 876 Baldwin in October 2021, more than a few eyebrows rose. A destination restaurant in small-town Baldwin? But it made perfect sense to Santoro.
“It’s really all about the fishing,” he says.
For 30 years, Santoro vacationed in Baldwin, seeking respite from the daily grind by fly-fishing on the Pere Marquette River, and finding solace casting for trout and steelhead with flies he tied himself.
Santoro, of Detroit, knew firsthand the magic and beauty of the place.
A decade after his first visit, Santoro and Velocci bought property on the river’s Little South Branch. In 2018, they completed construction of their home in Baldwin, located along M-37 northwest of Big Rapids.
But however heavenly Santoro found life on the river, he yearned for a good local restaurant. Drawing from Velocci’s family restaurant background (her family operated a deli in New York City), Santoro’s entrepreneurialism, and a combined love of good food and wine, the couple purchased
a vacant building in downtown Baldwin and set to work creating a restaurant.
The restaurant, 876 Baldwin, which takes its name from its location at 876 Michigan Ave., occupies a former 1940s-era Masonic Temple. Santoro and Velocci renovated the vacant building, polishing and sealing the original concrete floor, exposing I-beams, and reusing reclaimed wood to create a street-facing banquette.
Then they furnished the space to evoke Baldwin’s fly-fishing culture. A mixed-media art installation emulates a fish-eye view of the Pere Marquette, incorporating driftwood and metal sculptures of steelhead, salmon, and brown and rainbow trout. An opalescent tile backsplash behind the bar conjures up fish scales. The crystals on two chandeliers resemble water droplets.
The room’s centerpiece is a live-edge community table etched with a map of the flies-only section of the Pere Marquette.
opened up a lot of options,” Santoro notes. Today, Forgie serves as executive chef and general manager of 876 Baldwin. The Michigan native received classical French training at the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena before working at restaurants in Los Angeles, Tucson, Florida, and Lansing. While he loves locally sourced produce and fish, northern Michigan’s short growing season and his insistence on quality translate into an eclectic pantry.
“I like to describe myself as a Midwestern chef with European influences. I love the flavors of Europe, of Spain, France, and Italy,” Forgie says. “But then I also love the foods of North Africa, the American Southwest, and the Caribbean.”
The result is a diverse, 100-percent scratch menu that revolves more around interesting ingredients than any single geography. A recent menu included woodfired Neapolitan pizzas, Cuban ropa vieja, French-style walleye baked in parchment and served with new potatoes and vegetables, and steamed Prince Edward Island mussels with white wine and Spanish chorizo. On Wednesdays, 876 Baldwin teams up with Smoke Wrangler, a BBQ restaurant in Cadillac, to offer two barbecue entrées.
mixes. Now she’s customizing cocktails and making her own juices, grenadine, and house-infused vodkas.” The restaurant’s specialty mixed drink menu includes Jazmyn’s creations named for Pere Marquette fishing holes: Basswood Bourbon Maple Leaf, Moon’s Mojito, and Green Cottage Ginger Rogers.
Bonnie Price and her husband, Glenn, are locals who regularly dine at 876 Baldwin. The couple orders steak, halibut, Wednesday night barbecue, or her personal favorite, steamed mussels. The Prices, who own the PM Trailhead Lodge in Baldwin, see the new restaurant as a welcome addition to the community and say it’s an option that’s much appreciated by their guests.
“We have fly-fishers from all over, from across the state, from Chicago, from Florida, from out East,” Bonnie Price says. “They’re here to fish the Pere Marquette, but they’re used to dining in (big cities like) Grand Rapids or Detroit.”
Being able to recommend a reliably good place in Baldwin benefits their business, she says — particularly when she knows guests will be welcome as they are.
“We see customers come in wearing a dress or a sport coat,” Santoro says, “and others come in wearing waders. That’s just the kind of place we want to be.”
Each bend and fishing hole in a river that’s praised by anglers for its clarity and strict adherence to catch-and-release, flies-only fishing, is labeled — Green Cottage, the Claybanks, and the Whirlpool. Above the table, a weathered fishing boat is suspended upside-down.
“We really wanted to pay homage to fly-fishing,” Santoro says. “We have fly-fishermen in Baldwin from all over the state and the country, and our idea was to create a restaurant that reflected that and also offered good food.”
Santoro and Velocci originally envisioned opening a sports bar in the retrofitted building, but their initial meeting with chef Glenn Forgie changed that. “He
“If customers have some hesitation about the more unusual dishes, we earn their trust with standard meat-and-potatoes fare,” Forgie says. “We know they’ll be back and maybe open to something different next time.”
Staffing a kitchen with locals unaccustomed to working under a chef or cooking from scratch proved trying in the restaurant’s early days, but Forgie and Santoro focused on hiring individuals who exhibited curiosity and a willingness to learn. Once they master the basics, the staff is free to experiment.
“A case in point is Jazmyn,” Forgie says of the restaurant’s bartender. “She came in using margarita and bloody Mary
Michiganders don’t need to fly hundreds of miles to enjoy a quiet island getaway. Our Great Lakes provide many surprising places where you can experience the tranquility of a restful lodge or a peaceful campground on an island.
Here are just a few of the fun island stays waiting for you. While there are more than 35,000 islands in all of the Great Lakes, these destinations are located in Michigan waters.
Beaver Island
Lying 30 miles off the town of Charlevoix and reached either by ferry or air, Beaver Island is about as tranquil as you can imagine. You want a retreat to escape to? At 13 miles long by six miles wide, the largest island in Lake Michigan ranks among my favorites.
There’s a small town center called St. James, hearkening to when this retreat was a Mormon enclave in the 1800s. The community declared itself independent from the U.S. and even had a king.
Remnants of that period are still evident. There’s a market, a hardware, and eight restaurants near where the ferry from Charlevoix lands each day in summer.
The place to truly relax, with dining included, is at the Beaver Island Lodge. It’s about a half-mile walk from downtown St. James on the north end overlooking Garden Island, two miles across the water. Eric Hodgson, who has owned the lodge for about 11 years, also owns four of the island’s eateries.
“We bought it because, at the time,
Peaceful getaways, Great Lakes style, complete with up-close nature await the venturesomeTop: Beaver Island’s harbor is the main gateway to this 13-mile-long peaceful Lake Michigan community, served by ferry from Charlevoix. Above: Beaver Island Lodge is hidden in the woods about a half mile from the island’s small St. James city center.
the previous owner was probably going to close after the Great Recession,” Hodgson says. “My wife, Dana, and I got involved because it was one of our favorites. We like to go out for dinner and we just couldn’t imagine the island without it.”
Built in the early 1950s, there are now 14 rooms and a cabin that can comfortably sleep 32. Dinner is served nightly, and there’s a full bar. The lodge originally was a hunting and fishing retreat, and like the entire island, it has a decidedly outdoorsy lean.
There are great birding opportunities on Beaver Island because it’s a critical layover for migratory birds including raptors, warblers, and thrushes, many of which nest on the island. The Beaver Island Birding Trail is recognized by Michigan Audubon and encompasses more than 12,000 acres, including four preserves of the Little Traverse Conservancy.
Beaver Island also has its own kayaking trail, if you’ve brought yours, or you can hitch a ride with Happy Paddle rentals and sign up for a tour. Want to try a different type of trail? Bicycles are one of the best ways to travel here, so bring your mountain bike and check out the island’s 100 miles of trails or, if you prefer, just stay on its roads.
If fishing’s your thing, contact Kevin Morlock of Indigo Guide Service, who frequents the island’s rocky “flats,” as well as nearby Hog and Garden islands after smallmouth bass and northern pike.
When it comes to stargazing, Beaver Island is one of the darkest spots in Lake Michigan, and perfect for amateur astronomers. The island association has filed an application with the international Dark Skies Association to recognize about one-third of its space as a Dark Sky Sanctuary.
Beaver Island Lodge beaverislandlodge.com Indigo Guide Service indigoguideservice.com
The Hideaway B&B thehideawaymi.com Grand Island grandislandup.com
Located in northern Lake Huron, the island just south of Mackinac Island also rates as a great getaway sanctuary. I recommend the Hideaway at Bois Blanc Island Bed & Breakfast. Visitors can reach it via a 45-minute ferry ride from Cheboygan or by air from St. Ignace, Charlevoix, or Cheboygan.
“Everybody knows it as just The Hideaway,” says Adam Bronkema, who with his wife, Tammy Murphy, has owned this nine-room B&B since 2021. Breakfast is
served in the dining room, on the back deck, or delivered to your room so you can dine there or take it to the beach. Bronkema also offers pick-up and drop-off service from the dock or airport, if you don’t want to ferry your own vehicle.
The Hideaway sits on 26 acres with a 600-foot sand and fine rock beach, and offers kayak and ATV rentals. Two lakes on this six-mile-wide by 12-mile-long island permit dock fishing.
The Outpost restaurant, four miles from the island’s airport, serves lunch and dinner. The Island Tavern serves lunch on weekends and opens at 3 p.m. during the week. Overnighters can book a flight from the Bois Blanc airport to Mackinac Island to fill up on fudge.
“Our island’s biggest draw is just the quiet, peaceful atmosphere. It’s a respite. We’re the farthest extreme from Mackinac Island that you can be. You can bike almost all the way around the island,” Bronkema says.
This Lake Superior island is amazing for those who love to get away when camping. Located about a half-mile offshore from Munising in the Upper Peninsula, the Grand Island National Recreation Area is a quintessential island retreat.
You’ll take a pontoon-like boat from the Grand Island Landing Ferry Service, located about 2.5 miles west of Munising. The 49-square-mile island, part of the Hiawatha National Forest, features some
of the same rock formations as the nearby Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It’s open for biking, hiking, and primitive camping (reservations are required).
“On the island, you feel completely disconnected from your day-to-day life, while only being a short distance from the mainland,” says backpacker Grant Garbinski, who spent several days last summer camping and hiking around the island’s 30-plus-mile perimeter.
“The circular nature of the coastal trail system rewards backpackers, campers, hikers, and non-motorized bikers with a start-to-finish trail experience that gives a real feeling of accomplishment. Some mountain bikers I encountered did the loop several times.
“Camping on the northern side of the island was my favorite spot,” he adds. “The sites there provide for an off-thegrid feeling and there are incredible cliffside views of Lake Superior. The eagle sightings and the bluffs are amazing. The sounds of the Superior waves at night were unbelievable. Both the sunrises and the sunsets from the island’s northern vantage point are must-sees for anyone spending the night on this beautiful escape. With all the beauty around you, be sure to plan ahead to locate the best views.”
There are some 40 miles of trails for bikers, and you can rent a bike at the ferry landing. There are also two rental cabins, in addition to more than 20 designated campsites.
Your only companions will be fellow campers, the island’s black bears, and other four-footed critters. If the experience of nature up-close in a tent and miles from the nearest fast-food stop or car is what you’re yearning for, Grand Island may be the place for you.
That’s only a preview of island overnight escapes available in Michigan. There are also rental homes on Harsens Island in the St. Clair River, and you can rent a house on Big Charity Island, near Au Gres, where you’ll frequently have the entire island to yourself.
That variety of experiences is what keeps us all exploring this Great Lakes state.
“Both the sunrises and the sunsets from the (Grand) Island’s northern vantage point are must-sees for anyone spending the night ... ”
Grant GarbinskiAbove: Grand Island’s trail system offers incredible cliffside views of Lake Superior. Left: The island’s primitive campsites provide for an off-the-grid feeling, and campers enjoy listening to the Lake Superior waves at night.
Plan your escape at southhaven.org
By Ellen Creager
Nobody might ever find you here.
Hiding in plain sight, just a half-mile off I-75 in southeast Michigan, is a beautiful white sand beach on Lake Erie that few travelers have ever seen.
Sure, city officials could put up a billboard at Exit 6 that says, “Beach this way” or “Luna Pier, home of the closest Great Lakes beach to I-75 until you get to the Mackinac Bridge,” but they don’t plan to do that.
“Looking back on our history, we’ve been able to keep it a secret,” says Luna Pier’s mayor, James Gardner. “We don’t discourage anyone from coming here, and we enjoy visitors, but we don’t have any
active advertising campaigns, either. It’s all just word of mouth.”
Luna Pier is a tiny town six miles north of the Ohio state line, population 1,382. It’s one of those Michigan spots you just have to know about. There’s not much there — just the beach, a nice walking/ fishing pier, and a building that looks vaguely like a lighthouse.
It has one fancy restaurant, Chateau Louise, which has been around since 1934 and is still going strong. It originally was a general store, built in 1896. There’s a beef jerky store near the freeway. A Sunoco gas station caters to truckers. The only hotel is the Pier Inn, which overlooks I-75.
The north and south roads in Luna
The Luna Pier beach and pier are open year-round. To the south, Erie Marsh Preserve consists of restored wetlands off Lake Erie’s Maumee Bay, with 2.2-mile and 5-mile loop hiking trails. To the north, the River Raisin National Battlefield Park features a new visitor center and includes several affiliated sites that focus on events related to the War of 1812, the conflicts of U.S. expansion westward, and Native Americans in defense of their ancestral lands. cityoflunapier.com visitmonroemi.us
Pier don’t go far, as they’re all dead ends because of marshes and inlets. That eliminates any casual traffic through town.
Yet, Luna Pier is hardly a desolate spot; it’s surrounded by busy freeways and busy places. It’s close to the city of Monroe, the popular Safe Harbor Toledo Beach Marina in LaSalle, and the natural wonders of Erie Marsh Preserve wildlife refuge. However, you must return to the freeway to drive to exits for all those places. Luna Pier is a little world of its own.
In the 1920s, Luna Pier had a trolley car line that connected it with Toledo Beach. “There was a pier with a big dance hall, and they had big band music,” Gardner says. “At one time they would host 4,000 people out there — but it was most successful during Prohibition, maybe because of our proximity to Canada.”
Later, Luna Pier would become home to the giant coal-fired J.R. Whiting Consumers Energy power plant, which loomed over the shoreline just south of town and provided 60 percent of the city’s tax base. It closed in 2016 and was demolished in 2019. Suddenly, the city’s largest employer and biggest taxpayer was gone.
“It paid all of our bills, and we didn’t need tourists,” Gardner says.
Now, Luna Pier is primarily a residential town for people who love to live quietly next to the lake. No fuss. No flair. Just gorgeous views of Lake Erie sunrises. The town isn’t really set up for overnight tourists, but day-trippers on a sunny sum-
mer day will find several charms, including a beach café with outdoor tables.
The red lighthouse, built in 2012, makes for sweet photos. It’s a re-creation of the original one that once served Lake Erie. There are no events or exhibits inside, but it does have restrooms and an outdoor shower. The Luna Pier Harbor Club Marina provides boat storage, dockage, and a small bait shop, and is open to the public. The big attractions in Luna Pier remain the lake, the beach, and the pier.
“The pier has great Lake Erie fishing, and we get a lot of walleye anglers in spring and fall, so people come and use
that. And our local businesses could really use support,” Gardner says. On the other hand, “We’re limited on space. Any tourism has to be very controlled because we really are a small town.”
For now, Luna Pier’s beach usually has room for all visitors, even in the height of summer. Some people who visit have never even seen the Great Lakes, and their first glimpse of the expansive Lake Erie stuns them.
Mostly, though, Luna Pier simply is a welcome stop off the freeway for weary Michigan travelers. Stop, look at the lake, put your feet in, have lunch, buy some beef jerky, and away you go.
“We don’t discourage anyone from coming here, and we enjoy visitors, but we don’t have any active advertising campaigns, either. It’s all just word of mouth.”
James Gardner
A photographer captures the deep, rich shades of a Thunder Bay moment
Text and photo by Rick Houchin
I’m lucky to live along the shores of Thunder Bay in northeast Michigan. Aptly named the Sunrise Side, we get some of the most beautiful sunrises around. But every once in a while, we’re blessed with a glimpse of a sunset. There’s something magical about the time just after the sun has dipped below the horizon; for a few brief moments the sky is transformed with a palette full of deep, rich colors. The hues of pink, orange, and purple create a stunning backdrop for any photo — or just a peaceful moment to enjoy in silence.
The uniqueness of this shot was created by holding my camera shutter open and slowly panning across Thunder Bay. This technique smooths the choppiness of the waves while softening and blending the colors of the post-sunset glow. Standing
on the beach, I pointed my camera to the north with the sun setting directly to my left, the colors bouncing off the atmosphere and filling the sky. I only had about five minutes before the colors started to dim and the blue hour crept in. The moment passed just as quickly as it began. Those last few moments before darkness are heavy with symbolism, and bring a glorious end to the day. It’s a reminder that not all endings are bad. They can be just as beautiful as beginnings.
Nature has a way of showing us how small we truly are in the vastness of the universe. There’s a special kind of calmness found in these moments. It’s a sense of peace I get nowhere else.
P.S. Thunder Bay, in northeast Michigan, is on Lake Huron, and the city of Alpena lies at the mouth of the Thunder
Bay River. Several islands in the bay are protected as part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Thunder Bay Island is located just east of North Point, outside the bay. The wildlife in the bay’s waters are protected as part of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Rick Houchin is an Alpena-area photographer. Originally from Ohio, he was transferred to Alpena in 2006 while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. After falling in love with the region, he decided to stay permanently when he retired in 2014. He now calls Ossineke home, and lives there with his wife, Meag, and their dog, Gracie. He’s a volunteer coordinator for the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency and owner of Rick Houchin Photography. See more of his work at rickhouchinphotography.com.
600
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106
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16073
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Elizabeth Court
18635 N Fruitport Road
Washington Avenue
19102 Walden Drive
Lake Point Drive
Prospect Street
