Michigan Blue - Spring 2019

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SPRING ISSUE

Birds, bees, flowers and trees

Conservation gardens: beautiful plantings to protect pollinators Custom grapevines | Bird festivals galore | State parks celebration Retro boat rave | Nana’s fried chicken | Beeswax beauties

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CONTENTS

42 “We’re really excited about the next couple of years because people are really going to start seeing the advantage of buying something local that they have had to outsource across the country.”

— Amanda Milarch

features

42 Grapes galore

52 Bird-watching paradises

Producing custom and hybrid grape vines for commercial vineyards and hobby growers, Truly Michigan Vines created a unique northern Michigan business.

By Marla R. Miller

With migration corridors all along its Great Lakes shoreline, Michigan is a great place to watch birds in the spring. And birdwatching festivals are showing up all over.

By Leslie Mertz

48 Threat of extinction Gardeners are creating pollinatorfriendly gardens to help bees, butterflies and other pollinators at risk or in decline.

By Julie Bonner Williams

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MICHIGAN BLUE

ON THE COVER A ruby-throated hummingbird pauses on a leaf, a species regularly seen in Michigan.

Photography courtesy Thinkstock

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JamesThomas founders: Tom Riker and James Dolenc

Your Own Welcome Home

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CONTENTS

“The food makes you feel good, the hospitality, the location.

It’s grandma’s house.”

— Katie Fris

77

18 in every issue:

columns:

departments:

12 Wavelengths

34 Vintage Views

18 Waterways

57 Excursions

Spring time is the season of renewal.

By Howard Meyerson

Fine in detail, miniature villages and cities once dotted the Michigan landscape. By M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson

State park centennial celebrations, world-class ski flying to resume, foraging for nettles, spring colors for the home, making the best of beeswax, author’s memoir.

Zoo-de-Mack bike tour, St. Clair Earth Fair, John F. Kennedy’s Life & Times in pictures, Holland’s Tulip Time Festival and Short’s Brewing 15th Anni Party. Compiled by Marla R. Miller

14 Letters and Contributors

38 Undercurrents Moving forward with water trails, the state has designated eight so far. By Howard Meyerson

32

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32 State of Mine Something about a sycamore.

By Tom Huggler

64 Michigan Top 5

36 At The Helm

From banding owls to petting a rhino, spring is a good time for an animal encounter.

By Kim Schneider

Rent an electric-powered retro runabout and cruise the waters around Saugatuck.

By Chuck Warren

80 Reflections

40 The Sporting Life

It’s the simple things, the birds arriving, morels appearing and dinner with friends that provide the joy and bounty of spring.

By Jerry Dennis

Josh Greenberg, author and owner of Gates Au Sable Lodge, one of Michigan’s iconic trout fishing outfitters.

By Bob Gwizdz

74 Dining Destination The casual décor and crafted southern cooking overlooking the water make The Southerner in Saugatuck a popular draw for boaters and visitors.

By Marla R. Miller

77 Tasting Room Focused on its mission, 2 Lads Winery seeks a new wine-tasting experience for patrons. By Greg Tasker

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WAV E L E N G T H S

pring’s arrival is generally heralded as a wonderful season, a reprieve from the ravages of winter and a celebration of renewal. Thawing fields, forests and marshlands regain their color; it’s green-up time and the trees are budding; the early woodland flowers are beginning to bloom.

Northerly bird migrations also are gathering steam. In my Grand Rapids backyard, where I tend to a half-dozen bird feeders, the usual collection of wellmannered winter residents: two downy woodpeckers, a pair of cardinals and a handful of chickadees, nuthatches and juncos, typically swells into an unruly flock fighting for food at the feeders as arriving fi nches, warblers, robins and blue jays join them along with an array of sparrows and others.

Sitting in my kitchen looking out into the yard, I never tire of watching. Birdwatching, of course, is a pastime for millions of people.

A 2016 national survey by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service about all wildlife-associated recreation in the U.S. shows more than 45 million people watch birds around their homes or travel to do so. That fi nding is in keeping with its 2011 report just about birdwatching when 47 million birders were reported, and that, “Birders spent an estimated $15 billion on their trips and $26 billion on equipment in 2011.”

In Michigan, the popularity of birding is clear. Just look at the number of birdwatching festivals that are now hosted every year. Michigan has become a birder’s paradise, a destination for birdwatching fun. Writer Leslie Mertz informs readers in this issue about 17 birdwatching festivals around the region, including one of the newest on Beaver Island.

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Spring gardening is another popular pastime. Julie Bonner Williams provides a look at how home and cottage owners are helping declining pollinator species like bees and butterfl ies by planting beautiful pollinator gardens that provide the nutrients these species require. You can beautify your yard and do something meaningful and good for nature at the same time.

For foodies who relish the idea of eating local, even foraging for wild edibles, expert forager and author Lisa Rose presents an edible treat that can be made from the most unlikely wild plant, the stinging nettle. Try it in quiche, eggs and risotto with morels.

Michigan’s position as a wine-producing state also will get a boost this spring with the ongoing custom grapevine development work being done by a northern Michigan company called Truly Michigan Vines. That feature story

by Marla R. Miller is not to be missed.

But that’s not all. Whether you are fascinated by ski flying in summer, vintage-style electric boats, or just hankering for a great southern meal or a Michigan winery on the cutting edge, our spring issue is full of great reads.

Howard Meyerson, Managing Editor, Michigan BLUE Magazine

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THINKSTOCK

S

A season of renewal

R

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CONTRIBUTORS

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www.mibluemag.com EDITOR

Tim Gortsema MANAGING EDITOR

Howard Meyerson COPY EDITOR

Tom Mitsos CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Marla R. Miller A professional writer and award-winning journalist who lives in Norton Shores, Marla enjoys the lakeshore lifestyle. She enjoys camping, hiking, boating, beaching and Lake Michigan sunsets. Marla regularly contributes to a variety of publications and says she feels grateful to write for a living.

We are too. marlarmiller.com

General Inquiries: editorial@mibluemag.com M. Christine Byron, Jerry Dennis, Bob Gwizdz, Tom Huggler, Jeanine Matlow, Leslie Mertz, Marla R. Miller, Lisa Rose, Kim Schneider, Tylee Shay, Dianna Stampfler, Greg Tasker, Chuck Warren, Tom R. Wilson, Julie Bonner Williams CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Johnny Quirin, Tylee Shay, Rob Walcott CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Gary W. Odmark, Glenn Wolff DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Scott Sommerfeld ART COORDINATOR

Kelly J. Nugent DESIGNERS/PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Melissa Brooks, Kristen Van Oostenbrugge, Robin Vargo ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Jenn Maksimowski ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTS

General Inquiries: advertisingsales@mibluemag.com Chelsea Carter, Theresa Henk, Jessica Laidlaw, Sandy Morgan, Craig R. Rich, Bri Rodriguez, Susan Smalley ADVERTISING SALES ADMINISTRATOR

Karla Jeltema DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Michelle VanArman MARKETING & EVENTS COORDINATOR

Andrea N. Straw CIRCULATION MANAGER

Riley Meyers

Tom Huggler A writer based in Sunfield, Tom’s works have graced more than 100 magazines.

The former camping editor for Outdoor Life Magazine also is the author of 20 books, including the Fish Michigan series of mapped guidebooks.

He was inducted into the Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame in June 2017 at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center in Cadillac.

Greg Tasker A Traverse City-based freelance writer, Greg writes frequently about Michigan’s growing wine industry, among other things. His stories have been published in newspapers and magazines across the country, including Cadillac Magazine, Backpacker, Parade, Budget Travel, Traverse Magazine and BBC Travel.

Julie Bonner Williams A devotee of nature, history and literature, Julie is an awardwinning poet and a professor at Grand Valley State University.

She is working on her first novel and lives on the lakeshore with her husband; four horses; four dogs; several organic, free-range chickens; turkeys; ducks; and a mule named Amos.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please send letters in care of: Editor, Michigan BLUE Magazine, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 201, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, or email to howardm@geminipub.com.

Letters may be edited for reasons of clarity and space.

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MICHIGAN BLUE

Glenn Wolff A northern Michigan artist and regular BLUE Reflections contributor, Glenn illustrated for the New York Times, the Village Voice, Boston Globe and other notable organizations for 30 years. He has collaborated on several books with Michigan author Jerry Dennis, including updated editions of “It’s Raining Frogs and Fishes.” glennwolff.com.

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Michigan Blue Magazine, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 201, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-1444. Subscription rates: one year $18, two years $28, three years $38, U.S. only. Single issue and newsstand $5.95 (by mail $8); back issue $7 (by mail $9.50), when available. Advertising rates and specifications at mibluemag.com or by request. Michigan Blue Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited contributions.

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Walloon Lake

Great Lake Story 2019 Turquoise Tranquility: Chapter Two

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A

sk anyone who’s spent time on Walloon Lake to describe its beauty and each echoes the last. The deep turquoise hue reminiscent of the Caribbean. The crystal clarity of its waters that offers peeks into its greatest depths. The winding bends that draw boaters into daylong voyages. Described by Ernest Hemingway’s mother, Grace, as “fairest of all the inland seas,” Walloon Lake is, indeed, the stuff of summer dreams.

When designing any waterfront vacation home—but especially one on Walloon Lake—the desire is to create as much access and as many views as possible. With the property Liz and Mike Pulick purchased on the lake, they saw potential as well as obstacles. Enlisting the expertise of White and Liebler Architects was one of the first of many great decisions “The nice, dry, gentle on the journey to building the home where the Pulicks, their sloping lots were built children, extended family, and generations to come could make lasting memories. “We’re really, really looking forward on very early and now to it being a family place that we can celebrate together,” the we’re into the ones Pulicks said.

With a history in the area dating back to 1979, White and Liebler is one of the longest continuously serving architectural firms in Northern Michigan. “We’ve been doing it a very long time, and we’ve really made our focus more on the resort end of architecture,” Nick Liebler said. “We do venture into other aspects, but what we do—and what we do well—is waterfront and resort homes.” Both Nick White, the firm’s founder, and

that present design opportunities. Liz and Mike’s lot was a little unique in that it had quite a bit of topography to work with.”

— Nick Liebler

oldmissionwindows.com

wolverinecabinet.com

Illustration by Gary W. Odmark

his partner Nick Liebler have a special relationship with Walloon Lake, with more than 150 projects in their portfolio, including some of White’s first.

Their knowledge of the lake, the surrounding landscape, and tricky conditions of the properties available on the lake came to be indispensable to the project. “The nice, dry, gentle sloping lots were built on very early and now we’re into the ones that present design opportunities,” Liebler said.

“Liz and Mike’s lot was a little unique in that it had quite a bit of topography to work with.”

Architectural rendering by White & Liebler Architects

With the goal of ensuring a connection to the water, so the Pulicks could enjoy the lake, not just look at it, the process began—and involved a cooperative effort that was present throughout— working here with the landscape designers and the installers to tackle the steep grade and create a path to the shoreline.

Though there were design challenges, there were many more moments of gratification. The creative process of working with homeowners, collaborating with the design-build team, and watching a project evolve is one of the most rewarding parts for Liebler. He understands the distinct nature of a vacation home as a place designed specifically for leisure and unwinding from day-to-day life.

“It’s something that’ll be important to them and their family as they continue to grow—and we get to be a pretty signifi cant part of that,” Liebler said. “A lot of these are homes that stay within a family for generations; we try to create a sense of timelessness that everyone can enjoy.”

Next, in Chapter Three, we’ll explore more design elements and delve into construction of the home, spotlighting the work of Northern Michigan-based builder Eric Render, who has been a constant presence since the beginning. Look for it in BLUE’s upcoming SUMMER Issue 2019.

Great Lake Story is a continuing series chronicling exceptional waterfront homes and those who design, build and own them. Michigan BLUE invites you to learn more about the team crafting the Pulicks’ new summer residence on Walloon Lake at mibluemag.com.

“It’s something that’ll be important to them and their family as they continue to grow — and we get to be a pretty significant part of that.

A lot of these are homes that stay within a family for generations; we try to create a sense of timelessness that everyone can enjoy.”

— Nick Liebler

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WAT E R WAY S

On the horizon

Recent interior design trends in paint color and furnishings might inspire you to try a new style.

S

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY SHERWIN-WILLIAMS

pring’s arrival is a perfect time to rejuvenate your rooms. Looking at the latest home trends for inspiration, maybe it’s time to try a new color that sets the tone for your interiors.

One of this year’s top picks is Cavern Clay from Sherwin-Williams (sherwin-wil liams.com), which, as Becky Hansen, color program supervisor for the greater Detroit area, explained, is part of the growing influence of natural, earthy hues. The company’s 2019 Color of the Year also fits the “bohemian aesthetic” with its rustic yet warm and casual vibe.

Cavern Clay can complement the taupebased grays that are among the current trends. The warm shade can define an entire room or be introduced in a subtler fashion through pottery, pillows, tapestry or

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rugs. Hansen said a white kitchen can be updated when this shade is applied to an island or a pantry door.

As part of the terracotta family, Cavern Clay goes well with natural hues and blues like Distance, a rich denim tone, or Stardew for a dusty sky feel. In addition, it also coordinates with navy.

Other spring trends that work well with Cavern Clay are warm materials like bamboo, natural stone and clay. Additional options include worn leather, faded blue denim and wool tribal pattern blankets. Lastly, Hansen said muted whites that resemble bone and rock make the perfect partner, too.

ON TREND Patterned tile shows no signs of slowing down, according to Sarah Macklem, home stylist and owner of The Yellow Cape Cod (theyellowcapecod.com) in Grand Blanc, which offers e-design services. In addition to major applications like a kitchen backsplash, consider smaller installations like a feature tile above the stove or an accent tile in the foyer.

Move over shiplap, wallpaper is making a comeback, added Macklem, who is con-

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY SHERWIN-WILLIAMS (TOP RIGHT); WEST ELM (LOWER LEFT)

“Wallpaper can cozy up the look of a bedroom or a family room, or set a dramatic tone in a dining space or give personality to a powder room.”

— Sarah Macklem

sidered a social media influencer through her large online presence on sites like Pinterest. “It’s a great way to introduce pattern, color and interest to a kitchen, hallway or foyer,” she said. “Wallpaper can cozy up the look of a bedroom or a family room, or set a dramatic tone in a dining space or give personality to a powder room.”

Texture is another trend that can take an existing décor to the next level by adding another layer of interest, Macklem said.

She suggested pillows, bedding and rugs, as well as kitchen and bath textiles with special details and dimensional art like macramé.

The statement sofa is a fun trend to try.

Whether you go for a geometric pattern or a bold color like mustard or teal, your upholstery selection can bring a ton of personality to your living space. Tufting and nailhead trim also can make your sofa more of a focal point. “After a long period of monochromatic, neutral interiors trending, I think we will see more bold upholstery choices as we are starting to crave color this spring,” Macklem said.

— Jeanine Matlow MICHIGAN BLUE

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WAT E R WAY S

MARY MCKSCHMIDT SAID SHE BELIEVES in love at fi rst sight. At 7 years old, she saw Lake Michigan for the fi rst time, something she calls a turning point in her life. Today, at 66, the Laketown Township resident writes and speaks in defense of the Great Lakes, striving to diminish the pollution that threatens them. In 2018, she self-published a book called “Uncharted Waters.”

It is largely a memoir, including myriad life adventures while advocating for the Great Lakes and emphasizing the necessity of clean water.

“It was my dad who fi rst introduced me to Lake Michigan,” she said. “He took me to the state park near Manistee. (I) scrambled out of the car … and saw my fi rst view of Lake Michigan. It was magical.”

After growing up in East Lansing, adult life became hectic: her executive position was demanding and required her to live in Chicago on the sailboat she and her husband owned, while her husband lived in Nashville where they owned a business.

“Really, my home was American Airlines. I lived on the road,” McKSchmidt said. And after 30 years in the corporate world, it was time to move on.

“In my mid-50s I said, ‘… I’m meant to do something else with my life … I went into the black abyss of ‘now what?’” she explained. That decision led back to that childhood love affair: She and her husband moved to Michigan to live near Lake Michigan, where a day of sailing would reveal her life’s new direction.

“We were out sailing after heavy spring rains, and I saw this brown, fi lthy swirl from the Grand River. I later would hear it was laden with sewage flowing into my beloved lake. I thought, ‘How can we allow this to happen?’” McKSchmidt said.

Since that day, she has become an advocate for the Great Lakes, including public speaking and writing. Uncharted Waters is the fruit of her four-year effort. True to her mission, McKSchmidt carries a trash bag on her walks along the beach, cleaning up debris.

— Julie Bonner Williams

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MICHIGAN BLUE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHNNY QUIRIN (RIGHT); COURTESY MARYMCKSCHMIDT.COM (LEFT)

Clean beaches, clean water

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WAT E R WAY S

Otsego Lake

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100 YEARS OF MICHIGAN STATE PARKS

F

ueled by thriving automotive and tourism industries in 1919, Michigan residents (nearly 3.9 million) and visitors were anxious to get outside and explore the state’s woods and waters. It became important to not only provide spaces for such outdoor activities but also to set policies to preserve and protect them. And with the passage of Public Act 218 signed by Gov. Albert Sleeper on May 12 of that year, the Michigan State Park Commission officially was organized.

One hundred years later, Michigan’s wellestablished state park system, with 103 properties in its portfolio, is being commemorated

Holland State Park

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MICHIGAN BLUE

E. Genevieve Gillette

“Genevieve really was a shining example for every woman, man and child who values, respects and seeks to steward Michigan’s exceptional natural environment.”

— Lawrence Falardeau

by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Centennial events are planned at state parks all around the state.

“The centennial is more than a milestone to recognize that 100 years ago a document was signed,” said Maia Turek, recreation programmer for the Michigan DNR. “It’s the celebration of 100 years of lifelong memories of Michigan’s most beautiful places. For a century, Michigan state parks have defined communities, hosted family vacations, family reunions, romantic getaways and after-work workouts for generations — and will continue to do so for generations to come.”

Among the newest state parks are Belle Isle in Detroit (2014) and Watkins Lake State Park and Country Preserve in Brooklyn (2017). The DNR also expanded Ludington State Park in 2018 by acquiring a 100-acre parcel of sand dunes, wetlands and forests adjacent to the park.

Many of the early parks were acquired through land donations from private individuals including D.H. Day in Leelanau County (now part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore), P.H. Hoeft in Presque

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Celebrating a century of growth, prosperity and protecting natural resources for the public’s pleasure, a series of events are planned.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Laughing Whitefish Falls

Isle County, Carrie Mears (in honor of her father Charles) in Oceana County and J.W. Wells in Menominee County. They still bear the names of those early supporters and their wishes to preserve the land for public use.

By 1922, state park management was placed under the newly created Department of Conservation (now the Department of Natural Resources). Percy James (P.J.) Hoffmaster was named Michigan’s first superintendent of state parks, serving until 1934 when he was promoted to director of the Department of Conservation (until his death in 1951).

E. Genevieve Gillette, a former classmate of Hoffmaster’s from the Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) and the first woman to graduate in the landscape architecture class in 1920, was enlisted to help find new parks, solicit land donations and secure funding for their development. She was instrumental in the founding of about 30 state parks, including Ludington, Hartwick Pines in Grayling and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness in the Upper Peninsula.

“Genevieve really was a shining example for every woman, man and child who values, respects and seeks to steward Michigan’s exceptional natural environment,” said Lawrence Falardeau of the Friends of Highland Recreation Area, which has honored Gil-

lette’s legacy with the establishment of a site interpretive marker at its 5,900-acre park.

Today, the Gillette Visitors Center at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon pays tribute to these early leaders and their com-

bined dedication to Michigan’s park system.

For more about the history of and celebrations around Michigan’s State Parks, visit michigan.gov/stateparks100.

— Dianna Stampfler

Every project starts with a vision, and we’re here to make it happen!

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MICHIGAN BLUE VI_Plymouth_Ad.indd 6

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WAT E R WAY S

Foraging nettles

M

any of us have met the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). As kids, we most likely encountered them horsing around in the fields of grasses with friends, only to be surprised by those stinging plants. But what we probably didn’t learn is how nutritious and delicious the nettles are as a wild edible!

Fresh, cooked nettles taste similar to spinach. Nettles are rich in vitamins and minerals and more nutrient-dense than many grocery store greens. Use nettles in recipes for soups, egg scrambles, quiches or stir-fries.

To find nettles, take to the fields in springtime (April-June) and seek out areas of nutrient-rich, damp soil. Nettles are commonly found along rivers, streams and damp fields that often flood. Avoid harvesting nettles in areas adjacent to or downstream from factories and farms, or in urban areas known for lead.

Nettles have tiny hairs along the stem that trigger a histamine reaction and can feel like fiberglass. Be sure to gather nettles wearing harvesting gloves and long pants. Back in the kitchen, wash, chop and prepare your nettles for myriad recipes! Cooking or drying the nettles dissipates the hairs, making them suitable to eat.

Pour yourself a glass of Michigan pinot blanc and try my recipe for nettle risotto below, which also can feature fresh Michigan morels.

— Lisa M. Rose

¼ pound young nettles 12 ounces arborio rice 1 onion, chopped 4 tablespoons butter ½ cup dry Michigan white wine (an extra glass for the chef) 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup chopped fresh Michigan morels - optional ¼ cup chopped, fresh parsley Fresh lemon zest Salt, pepper to taste

Heat the stock in a large saucepan. Wash the nettle leaves and sauté with the onion, morels and rice in a large skillet. Deglaze the mix with the wine and cook over low heat until all the wine has evaporated. Add 1 cup stock and leave the risotto to cook while stirring occasionally. Add ½ cup stock at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue cooking for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in the parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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MICHIGAN BLUE

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THINKSTOCK

Wildcrafted Nettle risotto

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ESCAPE Summer is the perfect time to stay in South Haven. Enjoy our amazing sunset views, beautiful beaches, and a main street filled with unique restaurants and quaint shopping – all within walking distance from our many lodging options.

Whether you’re looking for adventure or to unplug, South Haven has it all.

S O U T H H AV E N . O R G

MICHIGAN BLUE

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WAT E R WAY S

The Sister Bees share a laugh while mixing up a new batch of beeswax.

Bees and were soon joined by Kelly Bonnema, Ambrose’s sister, who teamed up with them to give the business vision.

“Between the three of us, we have a combined total of 12 kids,” Ambrose said.

“We have always been hyperconscious of the products and chemicals our kids are exposed to, so Sister Bees started as a passion to protect our homes and kids from the detrimental effects of chemicals.”

Busy like bees Ludington beekeepers realize a dream, create a skincare business using nature’s bounty.

For more information on beeswax skin care, see sisterbees.com

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PERFECTING THE PRODUCT Like anything, the fi rst batch wasn’t perfect. The women tried different recipes and shared the products with family and friends who kept requesting more. That’s when they realized they were onto something.

Today, Sister Bees offers nine chemicalfree lip balms, bee butter body moisturizer, homemade hand soaps, beard balm for men and Paw Putty for pets. Each product uses chemical-free ingredients and essential oils to create a range of fragrances, including seasonal fragrances with local flair.

“I was raised in Ludington with my sister, and we love all of Michigan’s different

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYLEE SHAY

S

ometimes the sweetest things in life come disguised. Three female entrepreneurs from West Michigan thought the honey from their beehive was the ultimate gold, but little did they know the byproduct of their beekeeping hobby would lead to a buzzing business.

Friends Kim Ambrose and Amber Boerema began backyard beekeeping in 2014, starting a hobby hive with the intention of harvesting the honey. As novice beekeepers, they threw away the beeswax for years, seeing it as a byproduct with no clear purpose.

Today, that byproduct is the heart of their business: Sister Bees.

In 2016, they discovered the all-natural healing and moisturizing properties of beeswax and began prototyping lip balms and body moisturizers for their kids and family to use. They created the name Sister

“We have always been hyperconscious of the products and chemicals our kids are exposed to, so Sister Bees started as a passion to protect our homes and kids from the detrimental effects of chemicals.”

— Kim Ambrose seasons,” Bonnema said. For this reason, Sister Bees sells Windmill Cookie lip balm during Tulip Time, Pumpkin in the fall and Blueberry Sangria in the summer. Sister Bees also offers a wedding line with personalized gifts for groomsmen and bridesmaids, lip balms with printed wedding dates and honey stick table favors to complement reception plate settings.

Sister Bees’ products are sold in 35 local retail shops from South Haven to Petoskey, and they are frequent vendors at pop-up markets and craft fairs around the state.

BEYOND THE MITTEN With a desire to grow their business beyond the Mitten, the women knew they would need more capital. So, they applied in 2018 for a Momentum Business Plan Competition grant administered by The Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce. They were among one of four fi nalists invited to participate in a competition similar to the TV show “Shark Tank,” held that fall. Sister Bees had five minutes to pitch its business plan in front of a packed auditorium. A judging panel comprised of Mason County business leaders selected who would be the recipient of a $50,000 grant. The women were overjoyed to hear Sister Bees’ name announced at the end of the night.

The grant money will be used for branding, packaging, reaching health stores and retailers, growing the website and advancing into new sales territories across the country.

— Tylee Shay

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S P R I N G 2 019

WAT E R WAY S

Copper Peak flying high A historic ski-flying hill poised to become premier summer ski-jumping venue.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BRADLEY NELSON

T

owering 267 feet into the air on the top of an old mining site in Ironwood, Copper Peak’s ski-flying slide stands as one of the most iconic and storied structures in the entire Midwest.

Fifty years after being built, the only skiflying hill outside of Europe remains the largest artificial ski jump in the world. And it soon could be back in action, attracting the best ski jumpers for the FIS (International Ski Federation) Ski Jumping Grand Prix and hosting training weeks for elite athletes.

The group behind the nonprofit Copper Peak Inc. has lofty plans to renovate and re-establish the facility as the western hemisphere’s premier summer ski-jumping facility. It’s an investment that will bring economic

activity, tourism, international athletes, fans and media to the westernmost region of the state, said Charles Supercynski, board president.

“We will put the state of Michigan on the map with this project,” he said. “It will mean a lot over the long haul in terms of the economics of the whole thing. We will have the

“We will put the state of Michigan on the map with this project.

It will mean a lot over the long haul in terms of the economics of the whole thing.”

— Charles Supercynski

international spotlight focused on this site.”

The effort recently got a big boost when state lawmakers appropriated $10 million for renovations at Copper Peak and Pine Mountain.

“The schedule is full speed ahead,” Supercynski said. “We’re all on cloud nine up here right now. This means a lot not only to the corporation but to this area.”

It may sound a little odd — hosting ski jumping on a plastic landing hill in the summer at a facility designed for flying on snow — but summer ski jumping is big business in Europe and prepares skiers for winter competitions. Copper Peak officials submitted a plan to the FIS to redesign the hill and have the backing of FIS and others.

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WAT E R WAY S

“This will be the largest hill in the world with a plastic surface for summer jumping,” Supercynski said. “For the practices, as well, we’ll invite teams to come over here from all over the world.”

Copper Peak needs to raise an estimated $15 million to $18 million, but the state funding gives the project real traction. The group plans to start renovations this spring with the goal of holding the Summer Grand Prix finale in fall 2020, said Bob Jacquart, fundraising chair and CEO of Jacquart Fabric Productions.

“It’s a very big deal for the director of FIS,” he said. “They gave us three exemptions that no one else has in the world. …

They really want it to happen.”

FIS approved the facility to host scheduled training weeks that will bring in international athletes throughout the summer months. There are other summer ski jumping sites in America, but they are smaller.

The venue could host a Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix, Continental Cup and other events in the future.

“This means a lot to USA ski jumping in general; the national awareness in general will be increased because of it, and we’ve been given a sanction to hold practices on this hill,” Supercynski said. “None of the other flying hills will have this capability.”

— Marla R. Miller

Offseason events Red Bull 400: May 11. The world’s steepest 400-meter race up Copper Peak attracted 470 competitors, 100 volunteers and 5,000 spectators in 2018. The principle is simple: participants start at the bottom of the ski jump and race 400 meters uphill, 40 stories to the top of the largest artificial ski-jump tower in the world.

The nearly vertical race puts participants’ speed, endurance and fitness to the ultimate test.

Mountain bike trails: Accessible as soon as they dry up for the season and can be used at any time of day. Free (donations welcome). 600 feet of elevation gain over the 5.5-mile trail system; built and maintained by the SISU Dirt Crew.

copperpeak.net Adventure ride: Enjoy an 800-foot chairlift ride or 18-story elevator ride to Copper Peak’s main observation deck for the highest panoramic vista in the Midwest. Eight more flights of stairs to climb to the top starting gate.

Hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily; open Memorial Day weekend until midOctober. A gift shop and museum dedicated to Copper Peak’s skijumping history is inside the chalet.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY COPPER PEAK

Copper Peak

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fers a symmetry along an axis drawn through the front foyer to the rear. To the left is a private master suite, to the right are the main levels and more public spaces, creating a balance in the way the owners live. Topping off the home and setting it apart is an abundance of outdoor entertainment spaces. Centrally placed on the main mass of the home is a glass front infinity pool surrounded by concrete patios, an outdoor kitchen, and dining area. Stepped roof heights build up to an upper screened patio complete with a fireplace and shuffleboard court.

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S TAT E O F M I N E

BY TOM HUGGLER ILLUSTRATIONS BY GARY W. ODMARK

Something about a sycamore

T

he few wooded acres on which my wife and I pay property taxes support nearly every kind of tree native to mid-Michigan. Time is drawing near when we will, once again, hire a forester to cruise the timber and mark which oaks, maples, cherry and walnut are candidates for market. One tree that won’t get cut, though, is a solitary sycamore.

No mill wants a sycamore. Although technically a hardwood, the tree’s value is limited to making boxes, crates and sometimes paneling. Sycamores suck up water like a sponge, which makes the pulp stringy and tough to split. Dried for fi rewood, a sycamore bolt burns as fast as poplar or pine, offering a poor return for the investment of time and work.

There is another reason I won’t cut that lonely sycamore that grows along a small stream and towers above the forest crown a few hundred yards behind our house. It happens to be a personal favorite.

I shot a woodcock under its leafy shade one September afternoon years ago.

A nearby beech is the fi nal resting place for bird dogs that have owned me over the years. Because the German shorthaired pointer, yellow Labrador retriever and pair of English setters buried there have left little room, my sycamore is on the short list for an

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expanded pet cemetery.

I can’t see my sycamore as I write this due to neighboring foliage crowding out the view. In March, however, it stood tall and proud, twisty branches looking like a remnant from Middle Earth, scale-like shards of light- and dark-colored bark resembling a giraffe’s hide.

The American sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis), after all, is different than other native trees. Fast growing, in only 20 years it can reach 100 feet or more. A 100-yearold sycamore can be four to six feet in diameter. As the tree ages, its girth increases with new bark replacing old, which flakes away higher up the trunk and along the thickening branches. This phenomenon gives the tree that strange piebald look and possibly its common name suggesting it is unhealthy or sick.

Trees that large take in hundreds, if not thousands of gallons of water to support an extensive root system and a crown that may extend to 75 feet and more. A study of 18 tree species in Los Angeles, two of which were sycamores, proved the sycamores used the most water. The thirsty

The American sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis), after all, is different than other native trees. Fast growing, in only 20 years it can reach 100 feet or more. tree thrives best in eastern and southeastern states when annual rainfall averages 30 to 80 inches. That is why sycamores prefer moist, rich soil, populating lowland areas and lining river banks like soldierly sentinels.

Speaking of soldiers, a giant sycamore reputed to be 168 years old sheltered troops from George Washington’s army during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. The tree, also called a buttonwood tree, has since come to represent security and hope. In 1793 the document that created the New York Stock Exchange was called the Buttonwood Agreement because it was signed under a Wall Street sycamore.

At more than 100 million years, Platanaceae (plane tree) is among the oldest of all tree families, populating the planet long before the dinosaurs roamed. Individual trees can live for several hundred years. In addition to the American species, naturalists identify the British sycamore and the Middle Eastern sycamore as belonging to the same family.

Besides strength and protection, sycamores symbolize divinity and eternity. In the “Book of the Dead,” for example, the tree represents Egyptian goddesses and is mentioned in the Bible, too. When Jesus’ pilgrimage entered Jerusalem, it was a sycamore that Zacchaeus climbed for a better look.

Years ago, while traveling in southern France, I noted that village fountains were typically located near ancient plane trees, which afforded abundant shade. In the cool evening I liked to visit these timeless watering holes and watch the world go by. Lying on my back on a stone bench, I

listened to the soft babble of flowing water and the whisper of wind stirring huge, lobed leaves overhead and wondered if Napoleon’s army — and maybe Caesar’s troops — stopped here to rest, too.

City founders often planted the sycamore along waterways, not only for shade but also for its ability to tolerate pollution.

I did not plant the only sycamore on our property. I imagine the spring day that a squirrel buried one of the fruits — a lightweight spiky ball holding seeds for the future — that fell from another tree.

I think about that whenever I wander out back and visit the solitary giant that stands guard over my woods.

≈

Tom Huggler is a Sunfield-based writer whose works have graced more than 100 magazines. He is the author of 20 books, including the Fish Michigan series of mapped guidebooks. Tom was inducted into the Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame in June 2017 at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center in Cadillac.

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VINTAGE VIEWS

Land of the Lilliputians Miniature villages once dotted the landscape.

BY M. CHRISTINE BYRON & THOMAS R. WILSON

tion and others. The village featured over 100 buildings. Although barely waist high, every detail of construction was carefully executed, including color schemes, rooflines, windows and doors.

Where possible, the original blueprints were used. Such attention to detail was carried out even as stores in the downtown area were remodeled; their miniature counterpoints also were updated. Paved streets bisected the tiny town, a river wended through and a mechanically operated train ran on miniature tracks. The landscape of lawns and Japanese dwarf trees and shrubs was carefully nursed.

Con Foster, a retired circus man and local Traverse City promoter, thought the idea of a miniature city would be an added attraction to Clinch Park, as well as put city employees to work.

Miniature Traverse City

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A miniature village in Kalkaska.

To make room for a parking lot, the village was moved in 1954 to another section of Clinch Park. City workers cared for the village for over 40 years and painstakingly took down the exhibit each fall and put it back up each spring. Vandalism and weather ultimately took their toll, and in 1973 the city decided they could no longer maintain the tiny town, and the buildings were put in storage.

In 1991, most of the buildings were donated to the Music House Museum with the condition that they be restored and displayed for the public. Only a few were salvageable and local volunteer modelers and miniaturists recreated the 21 buildings that are now on display at the Music House. A 1961 editorial in the Traverse City Record-Eagle pronounced that “Clinch Park ... and the miniature village are remembered more vividly by visitors than any other local feature.”

Little Netherlands recreated a canal-side Dutch village and farm country of the Old World in miniature. It also was built as a WPA project and constructed by local craftsmen. Opening in 1938 as part of the Tulip Time Festival, it was located at the corner of Central Avenue and 12th Street in downtown

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY VINTAGE VIEWS

I

f Gulliver had traveled the U.S., he would have found miniature villages scattered across the states, and Michigan was no exception. The largest and most impressive of Michigan’s tiny towns was the miniature city at Clinch Park in Traverse City.

Con Foster, a retired circus man and local Traverse City promoter, thought the idea of a miniature city would be an added attraction to Clinch Park, as well as put city employees to work. In 1931, with funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), city workers constructed scale models of Traverse City buildings, including the Park Place Hotel, St. Francis Church, Pere Marquette Railroad Sta-

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY VINTAGE VIEWS

Top: Little Netherlands in Holland.

Left: The Midget City in Detroit.

Holland. Built to a scale of 1 inch to 1 foot, the village included town scenes, cottages, canals, boats, dikes, windmills, animals, trees and, of course, tulips. Over 100 figures were sculpted in detail with authentic style and coloring of dress. In 1966, Little Netherlands was moved to Windmill Island.

Another Lilliputian Village was built by J.D. Locey in the center of Vanderbilt in the mid-1930s. The small northern Michigan village covered a plot about 20-by-35 feet and featured houses, flowerbeds, bridges and pools. The masterpiece was an electrically lighted cobblestone house that stood about 20 inches high.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Kalkaska got into the act with its own miniature village in the front yard of George H. Kilpatrick’s home.

Located at the north end of Kalkaska Village on U.S. 131, Kilpatrick, an apiarist, sold his honey and invited visitors to see his tiny town, which featured scaled models of Inde-

pendence Hall, Mount Vernon, Abraham Lincoln’s log home, the Christian Science Church of Boston, the Ford Theater, as well as businesses, churches and houses.

A Kalkaska postcard message from 1953 reads, “On my way to camp from the lake I stopped at this place to buy some creamed honey.”

Detroit’s Midget City was a tourist attraction built by Orrin (Heine) Dorworth in 1939. It was located just off Plymouth Road near Telegraph on Detroit’s far west side. The tiny town, enclosed with a fence, featured a miniature replica of Thomas Edison’s birthplace, as well as Benjamin Franklin’s birthplace. A business district, farm, hospital, town hall, hotel, Native American village, old mill and coal mine also were represented with diminutive automobiles and a model train traversing the display. Although admission was only 10 cents, Midget City was closed by the end of World War II because of a lack of manpower to run the attraction and tourists to visit it.

≈

BLUE Vintage Views columnists M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson reside in Grand Rapids. They are authors of the book “Vintage Views Along Scenic M-22 including Sleeping Bear Dunes.”

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AT T H E H E L M

New life for old boats DOCKED BEHIND The Old Boat House in Saugatuck during the tourist season is a fleet of unique, colorful boats with names like Dottie, Flo and Stella. These names were popular in the late 1950s and early ’60s when each of these boats was new.

With aquamarine or fire engine red hulls, tail fins and headlights, the vintage vessels are more reminiscent of 1950s-era Cadillacs than outboard-powered runabouts.

Some of the boats are extremely rare, but all of them are available for rent.

John and Lauren Sharar stumbled upon the vacant waterfront building in 2016 while looking for a place to start a business. The property’s unique characteristics and location started the couple talking about boat rentals; however, there was a pontoon rental business nearby.

“We wanted to do something different,”

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John explained, “something simpler and more comfortable for inexperienced boaters.”

John, a vintage boat enthusiast, was interested in the jet-age hull designs built by early fiberglass boat manufacturers like Glastron, Bell Boy and Lone Star. While considering the use of the older boats as rentals, he had the idea to remove the engine blocks and use electric motors instead.

With only forward, back and off settings similar to golf carts, the environmentally friendly motors have no starting or running issues and are extremely easy to use. The motors also are silent.

“We wanted to provide people with the opportunity to relax and to really disconnect and enjoy their surroundings,” John said. “We also wanted our renters to have a good conversation without yelling over the engine.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY LAUREN SHARAR (TOP); KRISTI KETTLER (BOTTOM)

BY CHUCK WARREN

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY JOHN GETTLER

“We wanted to provide people with the opportunity to relax and to really disconnect and enjoy their surroundings. We also wanted our renters to have a good conversation without yelling over the engine.”

— John Sharar

The boats come from all over the country, selected for their unique appearance and structural integrity. After scouring Craigslist for certain makes and models, John flies out to inspect prospective additions to the fleet before shipping them back to Michigan.

The couple recently found a boat with a pink topside, a color the Sharars have been looking for since their first season.

“We like boats with pizzazz,” Lauren noted. “We’re mostly interested in boats with cool features and fun colors.”

The couple took their first converted boat for a trial run in February 2017, braving the frigid temperatures to test the handling and propulsion of the electric vessel in the Kalamazoo River. After a successful test, they spent the rest of the winter getting additional boats ready for use and launched their new rental company that spring.

Retro Boat Rentals’ first season was such an unexpected success that John decided to leave his position with an industrial distribution company early in 2018. After more than 17 years on the air with WZZM news in Grand Rapids, Lauren also left her position as morning anchor to work at the rental business full time.

The Sharars said they believe their success lies in the size and simplicity of the vintage boats. The 12- and 14-foot runabouts, which cruise at 4 miles per hour to comply with area no-wake laws and preserve battery life, give those who might not otherwise rent a boat the opportunity to go for a cruise and enjoy the scenery along the Kalamazoo River.

“People who might be intimidated by something larger like a pontoon can rent one of ours and feel comfortable in the slower, quieter electric boat,” John said.

Their renters regularly echo that sentiment in rave reviews online. When John Gettler returned home to Minnesota from a road trip through Michigan in August 2018, he told everyone he knew about Retro Boat Rentals.

While in Saugatuck, Gettler rented a houseboat instead of staying in a more traditional room. And while sitting on the deck of the floating hotel, he watched a steady stream of vintage boats meander past.

“Everyone kept waving at me as they went by,” Gettler said, “and they looked like they were having so much fun.”

When he had the opportunity to investigate, he discovered Retro Boat Rentals a few blocks away. Although he had no boating experience, he could not pass up the chance to go for a ride.

“Honestly, anyone spending time in Saugatuck should do this,” Gettler said.

“You’ll smile the whole time, and you’ll love it.”

A 90-minute rental will take customers out to the cove at the end of the river and back to the dock. If renters follow the prescribed route, they don’t even need to look at a watch. More adventurous boaters can undertake a three-hour tour around Kalamazoo Lake and back, or in good weather and in certain models, out to Lake Michigan.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Gettler said. “Where else can you find a collection of rare boats like these, all available for your use?”

To learn more information on Retro Boat Rentals, see retroboatrentals.com.

≈

Chuck Warren is a freelance boating writer and licensed captain who lives in Grandville.

He has worked around boats for 40 years.

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UNDERCURRENTS

Paddle on

Newly designated state water trails total more than 540 miles.

N

o one questions whether Michigan has water. Of 51,438 miles of river in the state, 656.4 miles of 16 rivers are designated wild, scenic or recreational under the National Wild and Scenic River System administered by the National Park Service (rivers.gov/michigan.php). MSU Extension reports that Michigan has 26,266 inland lakes over 1 acre in size. And the state’s Great Lakes shoreline is 3,288 miles long, the longest freshwater coastline in the U.S. That’s a lot of water if you like to paddle canoes or kayaks.

But finding a good place to paddle can be a challenge, particularly for beginners who often turn to commercial outfitters to frame a short day trip, spot a car, provide gear and a ride at the end of the float. But those who yearn for longer trips, overnights, weekends or longer yet inevitably find themselves por-

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ing over river maps and paddling guidebooks, trying to piece together routes and important logistics like where public access is easy and legal, where to stop for lunch and takeout each day, where water and supplies are found and where camping is allowed, among other things.

That’s what it takes to get away from the crowds. Which is why I was pleased to hear the state of Michigan designated eight official water trails in December. Novice and experienced paddlers now will have easy access to the information they need. The water routes total more than 540 miles. Access is good and community support is strong on all of them, according to the Michigan DNR. Some of the routes are good for canoes and/or recreational kayaks or sea kayaks.

“Outdoor recreation-based tourism is experiencing major growth right now,” Paul

Yauk, the state’s trail coordinator said in news reports. “… We fully expect that offering — and expanding — water trail opportunities in Michigan will encourage more outdoor recreation and healthier lifestyles and also serve as regional destinations that will give a boost to local economies.”

All of that is good news.

The eight water trails running through more than a dozen counties are the result of DNR partnerships with local communities and organizations that developed and submitted water trail plans for scoring based on a number of criteria. Those include providing a quality trail experience, having clear information for users, having community support and safety, stewardship, as well as historic and cultural resources. Ribbon cuttings for each are expected to be held during the 2019 paddling season. More information about each is available at michigan.gov/dnrtrails.

The newly designated water trails include:

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOWARD MEYERSON (BOTTOM); COURTESY MICHIGAN DNR (TOP);

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• Central River Raisin Water Trail, 11 miles in Monroe County • Chain of Lakes Water Trail, more than 80 miles in Antrim and Kalkaska counties • Huron River Water Trail, 104 miles in Livingston, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties • Island Loop Route, 10 miles in St. Clair County • Flint River Trail, 72 miles in Genesee and Lapeer counties • Middle Grand River Water Trail, 87 miles in Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Ionia counties • Shiawassee River Trail, 88 miles in Genesee, Oakland, Saginaw and Shiawassee counties • Upper Grand River Water Trail, 91 miles in Eaton, Ingham and Jackson counties For information about other water trails in Michigan, see michiganwatertrails.org.

≈

Howard Meyerson is the managing editor for Michigan BLUE magazine.

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THE SPORTING LIFE

BY BOB GWIZDZ

Au Sable River dream J Top: Josh Greenberg paddles an Au Sable riverboat down the river. Bottom: Greenberg ties flies in his fly shop along the Au Sable.

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osh Greenberg knew he had some big shoes to fill when he took over running Gates Au Sable Lodge near the town of Grayling. Not only did he step into the mostcelebrated fly shop in the state on one of its most revered rivers, but he was following a legend, Rusty Gates, who was himself following a legend, his father Cal. But it seems as though it was almost Greenberg’s destiny; he had served a long apprenticeship, beginning as a teenager, though it was never part of his grand scheme.

Greenberg wandered into the fly shop before he was old enough to drive to buy some tying materials and walked out part of the fly-fishing industry.

“The first time I walked into Gates, I met Rusty,” said Greenberg, now 39. “He sat me down, showed me a fly and asked me if I

could tie 200 of them.”

A native of Oxford, Ohio, Greenberg summered on the Au Sable River with his parents, both teachers, who owned a small cabin on the river. He soon started working in the fly shop.

He kept the job all through college at Miami University (Ohio), where he studied creative writing and journalism. After college, he was awarded a Fulbright grant to write fiction, moved to New Zealand — where there is, of course, outstanding fly fishing — and published a short story.

“I had competing interests that I kept separate,” Greenberg said. “I worked at Gates in the summer and was an academic in the winter. I figured I’d go one way or another, but I figured fly fishing should be part of it.”

It’s all of it now. When Greenberg returned from New Zeeland, he relocated to Crawford County and went to work at Gates Lodge in a variety of roles — shopkeeper, fly tier and fishing guide. He took over management in 2009 after Rusty Gates died and, in 2011, assumed ownership. He also tried to assume Gates’ role as an unofficial riverkeeper.

“It came with the job,” Greenberg said.

“It’s a pleasure to do, but I’m no Rusty, and I never will be. Rusty was just so good at what he did, being a champion of the river.

The most impressive part of it was he was really quick at deducing what was a threat and

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY LANCE NELSON (TOP); HOLDEN GREENBERG (BOTTOM)

“The first time I walked into Gates, I met Rusty (Gates).

He sat me down, showed me a fly and asked me if I could tie 200 of them.”

— Josh Greenberg

Neuenschwander Doors What are your doors saying?

what wasn’t a threat. He could see it before anybody. I try to do that, too, but I really focus on what I think I can do best, on Anglers of the Au Sable membership and fundraising events. That kind of stuff.”

Greenberg remains a member of the Anglers’ executive committee and has edited the group’s publication, The Riverwatch. He said he is proud of what the group has been able to accomplish, especially the recent settlement of a long, drawn-out court battle over a private hatchery on the river.

“It’s always been that way with Anglers of the Au Sable, and hopefully, it will always be that way,” he said. “We’d like in the future just to be working on habitat and making the river great and just going fishing, but we know there will be other things coming up.”

The father of two, Greenberg described himself as an average guy: “A 5-foot-11, 180-pound guy, kind of gray now, roughshaven, not on purpose, I just don’t get around to it very often.” He opens the shop every morning at 6:30 a.m. and stays until early afternoon. He likes to sneak in a little fishing in the evenings (between answering emails) and depends a lot on his wife Katy to take care of the “back-end work” — shipping, payroll, bills and taxes.

While he’s not getting rich, he said, the business pays off in lifestyle. He gets to fish a lot; he still guides some favorite old clients and donates trips to conservation groups to use as fundraisers. Personally, he rates the period between May 9-20 — “right between my birthday and my wedding anniversary” — as the best fishing of the year.

“There’s an evening spinner fall of a nice little rotation of mayfl ies — Hendrickson, drakes and sulphurs,” he said. “There are fewer people and more water that fishes well.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love fly fishing. I love fly shops. It’s been natural.”

≈

Bob Gwizdz is an avid angler and career outdoor writer who lives in East Lansing.

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TRULY MICHIGAN VINES TAPS VINEYARD MARKET AS MICHIGAN’S ONLY PRODUCER OF LOCALLY GROWN VINIFERA AND HYBRID VINES.

By Marla R. Miller / Photography by Marty Dunham

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Sherri Campbell Fenton and Kerm Campbell

FLYING BACK TO MICHIGAN from California, Black Star Farms winery owner Kerm Campbell had one of those serendipitous airplane conversations. He sat beside a fellow Michigander and an employee of the Copemish-based Archangel Ancient Tree Archive. The two sparked a conversation about their travels and work, which led to a mention of Jake Milarch, a certified arborist who clones some of the world’s oldest and largest trees for Archangel.

Months later, a mutual friend tracked them down and encouraged a meeting.

That eventually led to Campbell and Milarch — along with Milarch’s wife Amanda — launching a Michigan grapevine business, Truly Michigan Vines. The company propagates custom vines and new grape varieties and sells to commercial growers and hobby winemakers.

“It’s just another unique thing that’s going on in northern Michigan,” Jake Milarch said. “There’s a pretty big market for grafted wine vines.”

Historically, commercial growers and vineyard owners have had to buy grapevines

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from other states to replace diseased or dead vines or to expand their operation. Truly Michigan Vines hopes to capture that market as the state’s only supplier of locally grafted vinifera and hybrid grapevines.

“We’re really excited about the next couple of years because people are really going to start seeing the advantage of buying something local that they have had to outsource across the country,” said Amanda Milarch, executive director of Truly Michigan Vines.

The business began as an experimental venture between Campbell and the Milarchs.

Campbell had a business problem to solve.

He wanted to use existing vines on Leelanau

Peninsula to grow more, rather than buying replacement vines from California.

Jake Milarch, a fourth-generation tree farmer who clones trees and serves as education program director for his family’s nonprofit Archangel, felt confident he could do the same with grapevines growing in Michigan.

Truly Michigan Vines trulymivines.com Are you an avid gardener interested in adding grapevines for decoration in your garden or a hobby winemaker who wants to establish enough vines for your own backyard vineyard? Vinifera grapevines available for purchase online include chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir.

Owners Jake and Amanda Milarch

“Some of the vines we’re propagating were some of the oldest vines on the peninsulas,” Jake Milarch said. “You collect the material for the varietal that you want to clone and pair that with the proper rootstock.”

In the world of growing grapes, grafting is the process of bringing the rootstock, which grows below ground, and scion, the fruiting arm of the vine, together to form a living plant.

“It’s like a puzzle piece going together, the grafting process,” Amanda Milarch said.

“After the graft is calloused, we put it in a pot with the soil and then they grow. That rootstock essentially takes on whatever the properties are of that scion.”

In some cases, the scion comes from wellestablished grapevines that have won wine awards for Black Star Farms and other wineries. Custom grafting also is available for

“We’re really excited about the next couple of years because people are really going to start seeing the advantage of buying something local that they have had to outsource across the country.”

— Amanda Milarch MICHIGAN BLUE

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FACTS & FIGURES • Michigan’s unique climate and lake effect from Lake Michigan make the state great for growing grapes • Native Americans cultivated Concord grapes long before it became a state • Michigan has five federally recognized viticultural regions, 13,700 acres of vineyards and 3,000 acres devoted to wine grape production • Michigan ranks fourth in the nation for growing grapes • Michigan’s commercial wineries bottle more than 2.7 million gallons of wine and attract more than 1.7 million visitors annually SOURCE: MICHIGANWINES.COM/FAST-FACTS

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vineyards and wineries that want to propagate a particular grape or try a new variety.

“We can also do this other piece where we are able to sell to people who don’t have current vineyards,” Amanda Milarch said.

“We’ve also got smaller wineries that have bought from us downstate.”

Campbell and the Milarchs first introduced Truly Michigan Vines in 2012 at Campbell’s Capella Farms, managed by Legacy Vineyard Services, on Leelanau Peninsula. They spent the last five years on research and development and started selling to other vineyards in 2018.

Now the Capella vineyard has 6 to 8 acres of Truly Michigan Vines of chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot blanc, cab franc and gamay noir. Since 2014, grapes from Truly Michigan Vines have produced the awardwinning Arcturos Sur Lie Chardonnay from Black Star Farms.

Not only did the vines survive two of the region’s harshest winters in 2014 and 2015, but the vines continue to perform “amazingly well,” said Nick Stanek, vineyard manager and co-owner of Legacy Vineyard Services. “The mortality rate after planting has been extremely minimal compared to vines we have used from other nurseries.”

Historically, wine grapevines planted in Michigan have come from California or New York. It typically takes four to five seasons for a vine to produce enough grapes to make wine.

Truly Michigan Vines allow growers to produce fruit up to one year earlier than outof-state vines, which arrive dormant and need a full year to acclimate to the soil and weather before setting roots.

“There is (also) the risk of dying off in

able to contact the person who actually propagated the vines. Stanek said he believes the Milarchs employ higher-quality control measures. “Jake can actually come to the vineyard and look and see what is going on,” he said. “If you buy them from somewhere else and I have a 50 percent mortality rate, they are not going to give me more plants and they are not going to care why, and they are not going to come look at it.”

Murad, who has a background in viticulture and worked as a research technician for Michigan State University, agrees disease is an issue plaguing the industry. The theory is a plant adapts to its environment. When you clone a certain type of vine that has been successful in the region, it is ready to take off and grow more.

“Kerm noticed that Jake was producing high-quality plants, and he wasn’t having disease issues,” he said. “We’re doing what has already been proven to work but bringing it closer to home and making it even better, we think.”

The business received grant funding from the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development and rebranded shipping and the risk of not knowing what you’re getting,” Amanda Milarch said.

Some say the vines could change the game for commercial grape growers by reducing risk and cost associated with plant loss because they are designed to thrive in Michigan soil and climate. After grafting, the vines grow in a greenhouse during the winter months. They can be planted in May or early June and even later. Last November, the Chateau Chantal winery purchased and planted about 800 vines to replace dead vines in established vineyards.

“Our main customers are wineries that are experiencing growth and planting new vineyards,” said Pat Murad, director of sales for Truly Michigan Vines. “They need more vines and want to continue growing the same grapes.”

Truly Michigan Vines propagates 15 varieties of grapes for customers, according to Murad. It has a stock of chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir vines that can be purchased online with requested pickup at the Copemish greenhouse.

For vineyard managers, it’s nice to be

as Truly Michigan Vines. Now focused on getting the word out about the benefits, the company continues to make inroads with the state’s larger commercial growers.

It also sells to hobby winemakers and individuals who want to establish a backyard vineyard. The vines grow best closer to Lake Michigan and need certain soil, climate, elevation and temperature to succeed.

“Not everybody is going to be able to plant a backyard vineyard, you have to have a lot of specifics,” Amanda Milarch said.

“We’re not going to sell you something that’s not going to do well.”

Murad is willing to talk to people about their location and specific plans, and if the vines are appropriate for those conditions.

Establishing a backyard vineyard takes work, gardening experience and a time commitment.

“There is a learning curve involved,” Murad said. “I wouldn’t say it’s easy. It wouldn’t be like putting in petunias in your garden every year.”

≈

Marla R. Miller is a freelance writer and journalist who lives in Norton Shores.

Pat Murad

“Our main customers are wineries that are experiencing growth and planting new vineyards. They need more vines and want to continue growing the same grapes.”

— Pat Murad MICHIGAN BLUE

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CHRIS COLE

THREAT OF EXTINCTION

BY JULIE BONNER WILLIAMS

Fish & Wildlife Service encourages citizens to grow gardens to help declining bee, butterfly populations.

I PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THINKSTOCK

N SMALL AND LARGE GARDEN PLOTS ALL AROUND MICHIGAN, GARDENERS ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO HELP POLLINATORS LIKE BEES AND BUTTERFLIES, WHOSE POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN DECLINING FOR A DECADE.

Community gardens, rural plots and even urban backyard gardens all help provide the food and habitat they need, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), which added the rusty patched bumblebee to the federal endangered species list in 2017. It is the nation’s fi rst bumblebee on the list and the fi rst bee species to be added from the lower 48 contiguous states.

Once native to Michigan and other parts of the Midwest, the rusty patched bumblebee and other pollinators face population threats from habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, climate change and other problems. Twenty years ago, the rusty patched bumblebee was common in 28 states. Its population has declined by 87 percent. It now is found in 13 states and one Canadian province. Michigan is no longer one of them, according to the FWS. MICHIGAN BLUE

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WHAT CAN YOU DO? FWS (fws.gov) encourages concerned citizens to “grow a garden or add a flowering tree or shrub to your yard. Even small areas or containers on patios can provide nectar and pollen for native bees.”

Gardeners around Michigan are doing just that, as well as educating others. Pollinators — not solely bees — are necessary for about 75 percent of the crops, including broccoli, cucumbers, apples and peaches.

Chris Cole is one who has made it a personal mission. Cole, who lives with his wife in Warren, visited Ray Wiegand’s Nursery in nearby Macomb at the suggestion of a gardener neighbor. The couple saw the nursery’s butterfly house, and he discovered a book that would add a new dimension to his life: “Learn about Butterflies in the Garden,” by Westland resident Brenda Dziedzic.

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“I bought it and I read it over and over and over,” Cole said, adding he now has 78 plants in his garden, including 44 milkweed plants for the monarch butterflies.

“The other host foods I planted were pearly everlasting — two of those — for the American lady butterfly. I planted four dill plants and four rue plants; the dill and the rue are both for black swallowtail butterflies and giant swallowtails. I was successful with both of those.”

Cole now speaks fluent “gardener,” but he is quick to point out he’s a newbie to all things flora.

“This is the first time for me for butterflies and gardening. … I’d read that the monarch butterfly population was declining,” he said. “I work as an automotive engineer, so it seems odd to people when I ‘talk green’ like this. I would never call myself a tree hugger

or an environmentalist, but I do respect nature.

“This is a nice way to bring a little bit of environment back, especially living in the city like I do. My wife was like, ‘Do you think it’s gonna work?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, let’s see how it goes.’ I brought the plants home and we were trying to arrange them, and within an hour, we already had butterflies landing on them.”

Maybe there’s an unspoken connection between engineering types and destined gardeners. Dziedzic, 66, earned her college degree in electronic engineering technology and later devoted her life to the preservation of pollinators, specifically butterflies.

Today an advanced master gardener, she is a Monarch Watch Conservationist, author and speaker.

“For butterflies, it’s important to plant

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY JAN LANDRY/HUNTREE NURSERY (TOP LEFT); CHRIS COLE (RIGHT); JULIE BONNER WILLIAMS (BOTTOM LEFT)

“I brought the plants home and we were trying to arrange them, and within an hour, we already had butterflies landing on them.”

— Chris Cole

Pollinators are attracted to large sections of one color and batches of the same type of flowering plant.

So, rather than scattering the coneflowers, plant several together. host plants; that’s the most important thing,” Dziedzic said. “The host plant is what the female lays her eggs on and what the (babies) feed on. Nectar plants are also important.

Bees and other insects use the nectar plants.

Those are the two most important things for both. For a lot of the bees, you need to leave a natural patch of ground and not cover everything with mulch. Some of them lay eggs in the ground, but what they need are the nectar plants — they feed their young with (them).”

COLOR IS IMPORTANT

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BRENDA DZIEDZIC (BOTTOM); THINKSTOCK (TOP)

True gardeners know gardens should have color year-round, according to Dziedzic.

She plants species that provide for the pollinators spring through fall. Milkweed is a must-have for the monarch, but other favorites are lilac bushes, Mexican sunflower, Joe Pye weed, blue mistflower and purple coneflower. Chives, an herb, is another favorite of butterfl ies and bees.

One controversial addition to Dziedzic’s

pollinator garden is butterfly bushes, a flowering species from Asia, Africa and the Americas. She sometimes gets a questioning look from purists who identify them as an invasive species. Quick to substantiate her use of them, Dziedzic explained she’s had hers for years without any unwanted spreading, and the butterfl ies love them.

Another topic discussed by pollinator gardeners is whether to plant only native species.

There are convincing opinions on both sides, but Cindy Murphy, a Michigan certified nurseryman, encourages the use of native plants.

“They (native plants) aren’t as showy. Joe Pye weed supports like 150 native insects, but it always looks rangy because everything is chewing on it,” Murphy said, noting it’s common for people to gravitate to more colorful, non-native choices. “If you are a persnickety gardener, you’re not gonna like the way a native garden looks. It’s gonna be unkemptlooking at times.”

Murphy works for Huntree Nursery in

Fennville, where co-owner Jan Landry’s efforts to support pollinators include a list of what to plant near the business entrance. Her efforts to attract pollinators is so effective that hummingbirds are sometimes seen flying around the store, in and out of the open doors.

Landry agreed with the practice of planting for year-round color, and she recommends bulbs like crocus for the earliest species’ needs and planting clover throughout grass lawns. Pollinators appreciate it. Even more cringe-worthy to some is her suggestion to leave dandelions alone.

“Dandelions are crucial for the mason bees because they’re the fi rst thing that blooms, and the mason bees hatch out early and there could be a shortage of food,” Landry said. Beyond just planting pollinator gardens, Landry also suggested having water available. And because pollinators won’t go to water that is too deep for them — like a typical birdbath, for example — she recommends fi lling the bottom of the birdbath’s bowl with stones or marbles, which provides a shallower water source, allowing them to drink.

“They (pollinators) also drink from puddles and get minerals from that,” Landry said, adding flowering plants chosen for the garden are best planted in large batches. Pollinators are attracted to large sections of one color and batches of the same type of flowering plant. So, rather than scattering the coneflowers, plant several together. Perennials will come back year after year, as long as they are hardy enough for Michigan growing zones and can survive specific cold-weather temperature ranges.

≈

Julie Williams is an award-winning poet and a professor at Grand Valley State University.

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Bird-watching paradises Festivals celebrate Michigan’s wealth of birds and provide many opportunities to see and learn about them.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THINKSTOCK

By Leslie Mertz

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY RYAN PIMISKERN (LEFT & LOWER RIGHT); THINKSTOCK (TOP RIGHT)

“In fact, there are lots of big-name birders who like to come to Tawas to bird (and they) say this is one of their favorite places to bird in May.” — Lindsay Cain

I

conic bald eagles? Yes, Michigan has them. Hundreds of vibrant warblers decorating the trees? Yes, those too. What about massive migrations of soaring hawks or huge majestic sandhill cranes? Yes to both. And not only that, but birding festivals in Michigan and the surrounding Great Lakes region provide excellent opportunities to see and learn about a wide array of beautiful feathered creatures.

One of the major spring festivals in Michigan is the three-day, Tawas Point Birding Festival in northeastern Lower Michigan, where it’s possible to see 150 bird species, including 25 warbler species with colorful names like redstart, black-throated green, chestnut-sided and yellowthroat. At last year’s festival, visitors were treated to the sight of a painted bunting, a vivid blue, green and red bird that rarely makes its way into North Carolina, let alone northern Michigan.

A signature event of the Michigan Audubon Society, the Tawas Point Birding Festival is a celebration of the spring migration along the Lake Huron coast, said festival organizer Lindsay Cain, education coordinator at the Michigan Audubon Society. The Tawas area is an ideal stopover site for the birds, which rest up and refuel there before continuing on their northward journey. For spring-migration birding, she added, Tawas is “one of the best places in the Midwest for sure. In fact, there are lots of big-name birders who like to come to Tawas to bird (and they) say this is one of their favorite places to bird in May.” Whether hardcore birder or beginner, the festival has something for everyone, Cain said. With guided daytime and evening tours, as well as conservation and other educational seminars, MICHIGAN BLUE

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“Michigan lies at the intersection of two migratory pathways, or flyways, so the Atlantic Flyway and the Mississippi Flyway come together in Michigan.

We’re able to see more than 400 species of birds throughout the calendar year in this state, which is really incredible.”

— Erin Rowan

about 250 people attend each year. The 2019 Tawas Point Birding Festival will be held May 16-18.

A highlight for many birders is the Michigan Audubon Society’s Spring Fling at the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Scheduled for April 27-28, this 31st annual festival is located on Whitefish Point, a narrow peninsula that extends into Lake Superior and serves as a natural corridor for migrating birds.

One of Michigan’s newest birding festivals is the Warblers on the Water event on Beaver Island, now in its sixth year. “Spring migration is wonderful out here just because we are a critical stopover area, so (birds) that may not even stay to nest are moving through here and going to the U.P.,” event organizer Pam Grassmick said.

Most songbirds travel at night, which keeps them safe from raptors and other predatory birds, she explained, “so when dawn comes, they need a place to stop, rest and get food. If our islands weren’t here, some of these birds would never make it to the mainland.”

Beaver Island is a superior stopover point, she said, because it is a large island (the largest in Lake Michigan), a third of which is stateowned and undeveloped, and it abounds with high-quality bird habitat.

April 5-7 — Mackinaw Raptor Festival, Mackinaw City Public School and other sites. Mackinaw City, MI. mackinawraptorfest.org April 6 — Owl Festival, Lake St. Clair Metropark Nature Center, Lake St. Clair, MI. metroparks.com April 27 — Ninth annual Thornapple Woodpecker Festival, Paul Henry Trail and Middleville Village Hall, Middleville, MI. woodpeckerfest.webs.com April 27-28 — Spring Fling, a Michigan Audubon Signature Event, Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, Paradise, MI. wpbo.org

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May 1-20 — Festival of Birds, Point Pelee National Park, Leamington, Ontario. festivalofbirds.ca May 3-12 — 10th annual The Biggest Week in American Birding, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Oak Harbor, OH. biggestweek inamericanbirding.com May 16-18 — Tawas Point Birding Festival, a Michigan Audubon Signature Event, Tawas City, MI. tawasbirdfest.com May 16-19 — Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Chesterton, IN. indunesbirdingfestival.com

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MARIANNE KUZIMSKI (RIGHT); THINKSTOCK (LEFT)

Birding esti a s

In addition to field trips, usually with no more than 12 birders per group, the 2019 Warblers on the Water event will feature expert birders and guides to engage visitors as they ride the ferry from Charlevoix to Beaver Island. “In addition, we are going to be offering a trip out to High Island off to the west, where people can see common terns, Caspian terns and double-crested cormorants. It’s a known nesting site for the piping plover and also spotted sandpipers,” Grassmick said.

“High Island is totally uninhabited with beautiful sandy beaches, so we’ll be able to explore that.”

Lake Erie Metropark’s autumn Hawkfest is another major birding event in southeastern Michigan. The showstopper is the migration of broad-winged hawks, which travel in flocks called kettles that can number into the hundreds, even thousands, according to Hawkfest coordinator Kevin Arnold, southern district interpretive services supervisor for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.

The migration is jaw-dropping because the hawks arrive on the Detroit side of the river at treetop level, close enough to almost see

the individual feathers. The hawks come in so low after soaring down from heights they reached by riding “thermals,” rising warm air currents on the Canadian side of the river. Like vultures, broad-winged hawks save considerable energy by alternating thermal climbs — with little to no flapping required — and downward soars as they venture along their way.

Arnold said birders can expect to see bald eagles, osprey, American kestrels, sharp-shinned hawks and, with a little luck, a Swainson’s hawk, goshawk or golden eagle during the event. “Our record for one day is actually more than a half-million birds that have come over, so it’s a pretty spectacular event,” Arnold said.

Hawkfest draws 1,500-3,000 people of all ages and skill levels who attend indoor and outdoor educational programs, including live birdsof-prey presentations and, of course, make the short trek to the Hawk Watch site to see the birds fly in. The site is a partnership between the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, the Metroparks, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Hawk Migration Association of North America. Beyond the two-day festival, it is manned every day from September through November with volunteers and staff to count the birds and to talk to visitors about the migration. Hawkfest marks its 30th anniversary this year. It will be held Sept. 21-22.

“Michigan is a great spot for birding,” said Erin Rowan, program associate for MI Birds, an education and outreach program of Audubon Great Lakes and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Michigan lies at the intersection of two migratory pathways, or flyways, so the Atlantic Flyway and the Mississippi Flyway come together in Michigan. As a result, we’re able to see more than 400 species of birds throughout the calendar year in this state, which is really incredible.”

≈

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BLACK SWAMP BIRD OBSERVATORY

Leslie Mertz is a freelance writer and environmental educator who lives Up North near a branch of the Au Sable River.

May 24-26 — Warblers on the Water, Beaver Island Community Center and Beaver Island Birding Trail, Beaver Island, MI. beaverislandbirdingtrail.org

Aug. 24 — Birds, Blooms & Butterflies Festival, Dahlem Center, Jackson, MI. dahlemcenter.org/ events or facebook.com/jacksonsnatureplace

May 30-June 2 — Aldo Leopold Festival, Les Cheneaux Islands, MI. aldoleopoldfestival.com

Sept. 21-22 — Hawkfest, Lake Erie Marshlands Museum, Lake Erie Metropark, Brownstown, MI. metroparks.com

May 31-June 2 — Cerulean Warbler Weekend, a Michigan Audubon Signature Event, Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary. Barry County, MI. ceruleanwarbler.com

Oct. 12-13 — Sandhill Crane and Art Festival, “CraneFest,” a Michigan Audubon Signature Event, Bernard W. Baker Sanctuary, Bellevue, Calhoun County, MI. cranefest.org

June 1 — Kirtland’s Warbler Festival, CRAF Center, Roscommon, MI. kirtlandswarblerfestival.org

Nov. 2 — Owl Festival, Oakwoods Metropark Nature Center, New Boston, MI. metroparks.com

Nov. 3 — Fall Migration Celebration, W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Augusta, MI. birdsanctuary. kbs.msu.edu

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ARE YOU READY TO MAKE MEMORIES?

PURELUDINGTON.COM

S P R I N G 2 019

EXCURSIONS

Make a date with the state

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

E N J OY T H E S E A S O N A N D T H E F U N , F R O M O U T D O O R C E L E B R AT I O N S T O D R A M AT I C A N D S T I R R I N G P E R F O R M A N C E S I N D O O R S .

FA M I LY F U N PA G E 5 9 H O M E & G A R D E N PA G E 6 0 A R T & M U S I C PA G E 6 2 B Y L A N D , A I R & S E A PA G E G R E AT TA S T E S PA G E 7 0

Yesss, springtime. Vernal pools come to life and spring ephemerals begin to 66

flower. Find a local nature trail. Explore the landscape. Visit a morel mushroom festival or the Frankenmuth Dog Bowl with its competing canines. There are plant sales, guided bird walks, a mountain film festival and great performances. Learn about orienteering so you don’t get lost.

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EXCURSIONS

April/May PEOPLE, PLACES AND EVENTS TO EXPLORE IN MICHIGAN

APRIL

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C O M E J O I N T H E PA R T Y and

4/26-27 S T. C L A I R C O U N T Y

ORGANIZERS OF HOLLAND’S ANNUAL TULIP TIME FESTIVAL plan

5/4-12

to “paint the town orange” in celebration of the festival’s 90th anniversary. Be on the lookout for orange tulips of different varieties in local parks throughout town, along with a variety of family activities including three parades, hundreds of Dutch dancers, national and local entertainment, a Dutch market, fireworks and more. tuliptime.com from Harbor Springs to Mackinac Island is celebrating 30 years of fun and adventure that includes one of the most scenic bicycle rides in the country, views of the mighty Mackinac Bridge and one magical island. Join thousands who celebrate bike season with this 51-mile ride beginning at Boyne Highlands, a stop on the island, live music and other outdoor activities. zoo-de-mack.com.

THE ZOO-DE-MAC K BIKE TOUR

5/17-19

focuses on raising the awareness and capacity of environmental stewards who take part in Michigan’s largest Earth Day event.

Earth Fair is designed with adults, children and families in mind. Stop by anytime during the weekend and stay for an hour or three! The fair provides a wide variety of fun and informative activities by blending together demonstrations, workshops, exhibits, artisans and activities at Goodells County Park. earthdayfair.com

E A R T H FA I R

Thru 6/29 THIS SPECIAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION, “American Visionary: John F. Kennedy’s Life & Times,” commemorates President John F. Kennedy’s private life and public trajectory. This is the only Michigan venue to show this historically important exhibition at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, Saginaw Valley State University. marshallfredericks.org/jfk

D O YO U H AV E A N E V E N T F O R O U R C A L E N D A R ?

Calendar items may be submitted to excursions@geminipub.com two months prior to publication of the intended issue. Michigan BLUE is a bi-monthly magazine.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHNNY QUIRIN (TOP CENTER); COURTESY THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/ GETTY IMAGES (BOTTOM CENTER); THINKSTOCK (REMAINING PHOTOS & ILLUSTRATION)

help Short’s Brewing celebrate “another year of loving where we live and what we do” at Short’s 15th Anni Party in Bellaire. This popular brewery hosts a community party to commemorate another year of creatively fearless beers in northern Michigan. Kick off spring with great live music, food trucks, and craft beer and ciders. shortsbrewing.com

COMPILED BY MARL A R. MILLER

FA M I LY F U N THRU APR. 30 — Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming, Grand Rapids Over 60 species of butterflies from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America take flight in the lush conservatory at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. See how light and shadow affect butterfly behavior. meijergardens.org

Ford Museum of American Innovation inspires year-round with the stories of America’s greatest inventors. Take the learning outside when The Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village, 80 acres of immersive American history, reopens for the season April 14. thehenryford.org

APR. 20 — Ludington Area Jaycees Easter Egg Hunt Bring a basket. Children up to 13 years old are invited to scour Copeyon Park in search of 6,000 Easter eggs filled with candy and prizes. ludingtonareajaycees.org/events/ egghunt

APR. 1-4 — Spring Break Camp, Grand Rapids Do you have spring fever? Get your kids outside at Blandford Nature Center for a spring adventure. Take hikes, see animals, make nature art and see how many signs of spring you can find. blandfordnaturecenter.org APR. 3 — PJ Masks Live! Save the Day, Saginaw PJ Masks Live! is back with an all new super-heroic, live musical show, featuring the heroic trio from your favorite series, PJ Masks, at The Dow Event Center. doweventcenter.com APR. 5-MAY 5 — Easter Celebration, Frankenmuth The tradition of decorating Easter Fountains in Germany is over 200 years old and many cities and villages in Franconia, Germany, still follow the tradition. Frankenmuth carries on the Osterbrunnen tradition with unique and colorful egg displays throughout town. franken muth.org APR. 12-13 & 18-20 — Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Marquette This “tale as old as time” tells of Belle and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under a spell and time is running out. This fairytale love story brings the community together for a celebration of family theater at Forest Roberts Theatre. nmu.edu/ forestrobertstheatre APR. 13 — Families in Nature: Vernal Pools, Midland Come explore spring woodland pools using dippers and nets. We will try to find the frogs, salamanders, fairy shrimp and other aquatic invertebrates that call the vernal pools home at Chippewa Nature Center. chippewa naturecenter.org APR. 13 — Eggtastic Exploration, Grand Rapids Go on a hunt to find eggs hidden throughout the forest and learn about the many animals that are getting ready to lay their eggs for the season at Blandford Nature Center. blandford naturecenter.org

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APR. 20 — Earth Day at Fernwood, Niles Celebrate Earth Day at Fernwood Botanical Garden with a variety of drop-in activities. fernwoodbo tanical.org APR. 20 — Nature’s Eggs Extravaganza, Midland Venture out for a special egg hunt event!

Each child can make an egg hunt bag, then venture into the woods to search high and low for hidden eggs. chippewanaturecenter.org APR. 27 — Detroit Zoo’s GreenFest GreenFest aims to improve green literacy in the community. The zoo-wide experience includes demonstrations by the Detroit Zoological Society’s Green Team, conservation education, citizen science projects and exhibits by local conservation groups. detroitzoo.org APR. 27 — Experience Earth Day, Midland Come celebrate the 49th Earth Day by participating in stewardship activities that benefit the planet. Plant a young tree, learn about invasive exotic plants, plant wildflower seeds to take home or build a birdhouse at Chippewa Nature Center. chippewanaturecenter.org THRU MAY 19 — SPACE!, Midland Take a journey and explore our solar system and beyond.

Learn about the sun, moon and Earth, manned space flight, our galaxy and other worlds. This hands-on interactive exhibit will engage the entire family at Alden B. Dow Museum. mcfta. org MAY 1 — Fernwood Railway Garden and Nature Adventure Garden Open, Niles A sure sign of spring’s arrival is the re-opening of the Railway Garden and Children’s Adventure Garden. The fun begins for another season at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbotanical. org MAY 4 — Young Woodworkers, Grand Rapids With simple hand tools, you and your child can work wood into a variety of toys and creations and take them home during this special workshop at Blandford Nature Center. The best part, you’ll be putting invasive buckthorn to good use. blandfordnaturecenter.org MAY 9 — Family STEM Astronomy Night, Midland Come out for exciting experiments, discussions and demonstrations at Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art. Enjoy the stars, stay for some late-night stargazing, learn about different constellations and enjoy a show in our portable planetarium. mcfta.org

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MAY 9, 16, 30 — History in Action Days at White Pine Village, Ludington History in Action Days are educational, hands-on and fun-filled days, providing students with a chance to encounter our pioneer past and relive the hardscrabble existence of the region’s early settlers. historic whitepinevillage.org MAY 10 — Farm History Day, South Haven Michigan Flywheelers Museum’s Farm History Day offers a chance to learn about life on a rural farm in the early 1900s. Take a self-guided outdoor tour around the museum and participate in hands-on displays. michiganflywheelers.org MAY 10-12 — Mesick Mushroom Festival Come hunt for mushrooms, enjoy food of all kinds, concerts, events for kids, baseball and volleyball, and the great grand parade in Mesick. cad illacmichigan.com MAY 11 — 100th anniversary of Michigan State Parks, Ludington Enjoy a day of history and recreation at Ludington State Park. Visitors can see remnants of the original Hamlin Dam, Hamlin Cemetery and Civilian Conservation Corps Camp during a park history walk. Stay for a Civilian Conservation Corps program on how they helped build the park and exhibits at the historic beach pavilion. michigandnr.com MAY 12 — Celebrate Mom and Birds, Augusta Celebrate Mother’s Day and the season of renewal with a walk at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Moms get in free with their families. birdsanctuary. kbs.msu.edu MAY 16-19 — 59th National Morel Mushroom Festival, Boyne City This festival draws mushroom lovers from across the country. Familyfriendly fun includes hunt and taste, carnival rides, craft show and a beer tent with live music. bcmorelfestival.com MAY 18 — National Kids to Parks Day Hike, Paradise Join Tahquamenon Falls State Park staff in hands-on activities during a short hike around the lower falls. Make track books and participate in a scavenger hunt. All children are welcome to attend with an adult. facebook. com/tqfalls; michigan.gov/dnr MAY 22–27 — Fruitport Old Fashioned Days Celebrate Memorial Day weekend with this community-focused festival set on the waterfront. Good old-fashioned family fun with fireworks, a carnival, parade, 5K run, live entertainment and more. fruitportlionsclub.com

MAY 24 — Memorial Day Parade, St. Joseph A community tribute and parade to honor veterans who have served the country and sacrificed their lives to keep our freedom. Parade concludes with a short program at the bandshell. stjoetoday.com MAY 24-26 — Balloons over Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth Hot air balloons take flight over Frankenmuth with morning and evening competitions. Nightly balloon glow. Great free event for the whole family. bavarianinn.com MAY 24-AUG. 30 — Friday FUN Nights, Frankenmuth Main Street comes alive every Friday with live music and street performers. Discover talented musicians from around the state. frank enmuth.org MAY 25-26 — Dog Bowl, Frankenmuth Free and fun for the whole family. Head to Frankenmuth for the world’s largest Olympic-style event for dogs. Includes dock dog diving, disc dogs, agility, wiener dog races, shows, vendors and canine cruises at Frankenmuth River Place. dogbowlfun.com MAY 25-SEP. 2 — Miniature Train Rides, Benton Harbor A treat for the whole family. Take a ride on the 1950s-era diesel style train on Saturdays and the 1904 coal-powered Cagney steam engine on Sundays at Eden Springs Park. edenspringspark.org MAY 27 — Harbor Beach Memorial Day Parade Honor those serving our country, past and present, at this 9 a.m. community parade.

Music, taps and a short program celebrate our country’s elite and salute them. Marine City also hosts a parade at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day. bluewater.org

HOME & GARDEN THRU APR. 28 — Imaginary Botanicals, Midland Artist Kathleen Elliot creates sculptures out of flame-worked and blown glass, using a plethora of botanical forms, including leaves, flowers, fruits and vines, at Alden B. Dow Museum. mcfta.org APR. 1-21 — Butterflies in Bloom, Midland This interactive exhibit features thousands of brilliantly colored butterflies, from countries around the world, emerging from their chrysalis, feeding and flying all within the tropical environment of Dow Gardens’ conservatory. dowgar dens.org

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APR. 2 — Secchia Garden Lecture, Grand Rapids Award-winning author and plantsman Kelly D. Norris shines the spotlight on “Plants with Style.” Discover which to put on your A-list and gardening tips to create a sense of place at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. meijergardens.org APR. 5-7 — Nautical Yarn’s Knitters Weekend, Ludington Enjoy a cozy weekend of knitting and relaxation with Nautical Yarn and Ludington-area bed and breakfasts. B&B hosts have created a getaway that combines knitting, great food and time with friends. ludingtonbedand breakfast.com APR. 6 — Saturdays at The Pines, Midland Tour the historic home of Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow, known as the “Pines” during the selfguided tour while learning about the Dow family and their story at your own pace. Recurring monthly on the first Saturday and select weekdays. dowgardens.org APR. 6 — Spring Walk at Audubon Woods Preserve, Midland Look for signs of spring at the Audubon Woods Preserve in Isabella County on a leisurely guided walk to find tree buds and flowers opening, birds singing and signs of animals. chippewanaturecenter.org APR. 7 — Sustaining the Vision open house, Augusta Enjoy an early spring walk at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in celebration of W.K. Kellogg’s birthday. At the Sustaining the Vision open house at the Manor House, docents will portray W.K. Kellogg, Dr. Carrie Stains, Sister Hester and others. Also free admission April 22 to celebrate Earth Day. birdsanctuary.kbs. msu.edu APR. 10 — Birds and Coffee Walk, Augusta Held the second Wednesday of each month, enjoy the W.K. Kellogg Sanctuary’s trails on a guided bird walk, looking for the birds of the season. The hike ends with coffee and a review of bird sightings for the day. birdsanctuary.kbs. msu.edu APR. 26 — Arbor Day at Fernwood, Niles Join in a ceremonial planting of a tree to commemorate a day that celebrates these life-sustaining wonders of nature at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbotanical.org APR. 27 — Dream Catcher Workshop, Grand Rapids Create traditional dream catchers with natural materials and learn about the different

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origin stories and styles. Take home your very own handcrafted dream catcher during this program at Blandford Nature Center. bland fordnaturecenter.org MAY 3, 17 — Bird Walk, Midland Spring migration is underway with new birds arriving every day! CNC’s diverse habitats support over 200 bird species. Learn to identify birds with an experienced naturalist. chippewanaturecenter. org MAY 4 — Fernwood Spring Garden Festival and Plant Sale, Niles Celebrate spring in the garden at this one-of-a-kind horticultural event open to gardeners and those who love gardens at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbo tanical.org MAY 9 — WNEM After Hours: Go, Go Garden, Saginaw Join us for a celebration of spring in the garden and get ready for the garden season. A free set of seeds will be provided to attendees at Saginaw Art Museum. saginawart museum.org

MAY 18 — BFFS (Butterfly Finding Friends), Grand Rapids Come out for a fun morning in the meadow and search for butterflies at Blandford. Participants will learn butterfly identification, go on a butterfly scavenger hunt and take part in a butterfly-themed photo shoot. bland fordnaturecenter.org MAY 24-MAY 25 — Native Plant Sale, Midland Learn the importance of using native plants in your yard, how to get started in native plant gardening and how native plants contribute to a healthy ecosystem during this two-day sale. chippewanaturecenter.org MAY 25 — Noah Strycker, Niles In 2015, Noah Strycker set a world record by observing 6,042 species of birds (more than half the birds on Earth) in one calendar year, during a quest spanning 41 countries on all seven continents.

Enjoy a talk by this young scientist, author and travel pioneer at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbotanical.org

ART & MUSIC

MAY 10-11 — Hidden Lake Gardens Plant Sale, Tipton Get ready for planting season at Hidden Lake Garden’s annual plant sale. Shop unique and unusual plants including annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, conifers, hostas, daylilies, herbs, vegetables and more, and stay and enjoy Hidden Lake Gardens. canr.msu.edu/hid denlakegardens

THRU AUG. 25 — A National Treasure: Fred Meijer, His Collection and Legacy Sculpture Exhibition, Grand Rapids This landmark exhibition is timed to coincide with the centenary of Fred’s birth and charts the milestones of the collector and his collection, one of the most compelling stories in American cultural history at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. meijergardens.org

MAY 11 — Nature Spy: An Afternoon with Mary Jane Dockeray, Grand Rapids Join Blandford Nature Center’s founder Mary Jane Dockeray for a presentation that is both humorous and informative. Dockeray will share stories, slides and artifacts from her long career as a naturalist working with wildlife and people. blandfordna turecenter.org

APR. 5 — West Michigan University Gold Company Performs, Scottville West Shore Community College hosts the WMU Gold Company, an internationally regarded and award-winning vocal jazz ensemble from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. westshore.edu

MAY 11-12 — Michigan All-State Bonsai Show, Grand Rapids Enjoy stunning bonsai trees on display in the Grand Room at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Attend free demonstrations and watch bonsai artists at work. mei jergardens.org MAY 18 — Petunia Parade Planting Day, Ludington Community members join together in the beautification of Ludington Avenue by planting petunias along the route. Join in the fun and help plant 30,000 red, white and purple petunias along downtown streets and around the city marina. ludingtonpetuniaparade.com

APR. 5-20 — The Glass Menagerie, Alpena A drama of great tenderness, charm and beauty, The Glass Menagerie is one of the most famous plays of modern theatre on stage at Thunder Bay Theatre. thunderbaytheatre.com APR. 6 — Stars of the Sixties, Benton Harbor A rock ‘n’ roll reunion celebrating the greatest era of American music, Stars of the Sixties and The Lovin’ Spoonful come to The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College. themendelcenter.com APR. 6 & 26 — Fourth Coast Ensemble and Identity Cubed, Manistee Fourth Coast Ensemble, a vocal chamber quartet at Ramsdell

Regional Center for the Arts. Identity Cubed, a percussion trio, visits April 26 to expose new and exciting works that transcend the standard percussion ensemble. mynorthtickets.com APR. 11 — Celtic Woman: Ancient Land Tour, Benton Harbor Experience the Grammynominated Celtic Woman on their all-new tour, Ancient Land, at The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College. themendelcenter.com

EYEWEAR FOR

APR. 12 & 13 — Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, Midland See some of the best mountain films of 2018 featuring the people who live, play and enjoy those areas through high adventure, humor and a love for the outdoors. Chippewa Nature Center is hosting two screenings at Bullock Creek Auditorium. chip pewanaturecenter.org

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APR. 13 — Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Alpena This contemporary dance ensemble visits from Southfield for an evening performance at Alpena High School auditorium and to lead a workshop for area dance students. thunder bayarts.org

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APR. 13 — Jazz meets Classical: A Musical Melange, Marquette In a collaboration with the NMU Jazz Festival, the Marquette Symphony Orchestra presents nationally renowned trumpeter Allen Vizzutti, who will perform both a jazz piece and one from the classical repertoire with the MSO at Kaufman Auditorium. marquettesymphony.org APR. 16 — Lecture: Philosophies of the Middle East, Manistee The West Shore Community College Performing Arts Series hosts two separate times for this educational talk, held at the Vogue Theater in Manistee. westshore.edu APR. 20 — Rhapsody in Blue at Rozsa, Houghton The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra presents Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, popularized in Disney’s Fantasia, along with the hauntwith Ultrex ® fiberglass, a material pioneered through Marvin's century-long window and door innovation. ing ballet music to Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite MadeMade with Ultrex fiberglass, a material pioneered through Marvin's century-long window and door innovation. and the angst-ridden Chamber Symphony of Integrity is builtis with the strength of Ultrex fiberglass vinyland andother othercomposite composite windows doors.

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MICHIGAN TOP 5

Wildly friendly animal encounters Fun animal encounters for families and friends each spring.

BY KIM SCHNEIDER

W

At Hidden Ponds, your horseback ride does more than just bring smiles and get you onto scenic trails; it helps support a rescue effort with a twist. you dine at the Catfe Lounge is that you keep the lid on your latte; one can only surmise that has something to do with the cats roaming tables and shelves and rubbing lovingly against legs and arms. This nonprofit restaurant, with a suggested $10 donation per visit, doubles as the primary adoption and fostering hub for cats. catfelounge.com Relax to ‘chicken TV,’ Suttons Bay: You might say you’re helping preserve the past when you book Hillside Homestead through Airbnb and have for yourself or family a circa-1900 farmhouse preserved down to the pump organ in the parlor or old-fashioned wood stove. Book the ala carte breakfast, and owner/historic interpreter Susan Odom will cook the eggs you can gather from the chickens paired with bacon she cures herself. Spring views include blossoms in surrounding orchards. hillsidehomestead.com Ride and Rescue, Coldwater: At Hidden Ponds, your horseback ride does more than just bring smiles and get you onto scenic trails; it helps support a rescue effort with a twist. The ranch takes in abused and neglected horses, and their rehabilitation is accomplished in part with the help of troubled teens who get rehabilitation of their own in the helping. bit.ly/HiddenPonds

≈

Kim Schneider is an award-winning travel writer who shares her travel savvy with BLUE readers every issue.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY HILLSIDE HOMESTEAD

hen warming air brings people out of a late winter hibernation, it’s a great time to visit with furry and feathered friends as they emerge from dens, migrate across waterways and frolic in their own distinct versions of a spring-has-come happy dance. Here are five ways to enjoy Michigan’s wilder side, all with a nod toward conservation.

Band owls on Whitefish Point: Each spring, summer and fall, starting March 15, a pair of scientists set up a research station in the birding gift shop at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. They welcome others as they take bird measurements and chat about their broader findings while letting the luckiest of the group pet a tiny saw-whet owl and send it off to fly. This is the nation’s top site for owl banding.

Visitors help by adopting an owl or joining a count. As many as 25,000 hawks soar across the point each spring. wpbo.org Brush a rhino, feed a moose: Potter Park Zoo, Lansing: If interaction sparks caring, which sparks a conservation ethic, then Michigan’s original zoo — nearly 100 years old — is doing something right, particularly with the little-known, bucket list-worthy animal encounters offered behind the scenes for a fee. Visitors leave with a special connection to residents like Doppsee, an endangered black rhino who unexpectedly loves back scratches and cuddles, or orphaned Alaskan moose Meeko. The donations help zoo conservation efforts and research and the on-site breeding and release of the rare Puerto Rican crested toad. Go May 16 to visit animals after hours while sipping and tasting at the annual Wine & Stein event. potterparkzoo.org Have coffee with a kitten, Ferndale: The main requirement if

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EXCURSIONS

music of Disney live with original classics performed by the West Michigan Symphony at Frauenthal Center. westmichigansymphony. org APR. 26-27 — Bringin’ Back the 80s, Frankenmuth Bring back hair-teasing memories by paying tribute to the music, trends and events of the 1980s at Heritage Park. 80sfest.org

MAY 18 — Mega 80s, Muskegon Since their emergence onto the Detroit music scene, featuring some of the best players in Detroit, the Mega 80s has taken southeast Michigan by storm. Performing at Frauenthal Center. frauenthal.org

MAY 22-26 — Cirque du Soleil Crystal, Saginaw Crystal is the first-ever experience on ice from Cirque du Soleil. World-class ice skaters and acrobats take their frozen playground by storm with speed and fluidity at The Dow Event Center. doweventcenter.com

APR. 27 — ShakesBeer!, Midland Shakespeare + beer = ShakesBeer. Toss back a pint and get ready for an evening of witchcraft, prophecy and murder as we read aloud a shortened version of Macbeth at Creative 360. becrea tive360.org MAY 2-5 — Shrek the Musical, Muskegon Come out for this family favorite presented by Muskegon Civic Theatre at Frauenthal Center. muskegoncivictheatre.org MAY 4-5 — Michigan Antique Festivals, Davisburg Davisburg Antique Festival at Springfield Oaks County Park with five indoor buildings, including the historic Ellis Barn, and Classic Car Show. miantiquefestival.com MAY 5 — Antiques on the Bluff, St. Joseph A premier event for St. Joseph and antiquers around southwest Michigan. Held rain or shine on the first Sunday of each month until Oct. 6. stjoetoday.com MAY 5 — Spring Concert by Cadillac Area Symphony Orchestra, Cadillac Celebrate spring with this seasonal concert at the Cadillac Community Auditorium. cadillacsymphony. org MAY 8, 12, 15, 19, 22 — Pookie Goes Grenading by Wolf’s Head Theater Company, Marquette This play by JC Lee follows 14-year-old weirdo Pookie as she stops at nothing to put on her play, proving great art doesn’t come at a finite price. She gathers a rag-tag group of losers, including her high school counselor, to assist her during this fast-paced play with seriously smart dialog at the Ore Dock Brewing Company. upshakes.org MAY 18 — The Ernie Pyle Show, Manistee A one-man play that celebrates the inner-struggle of beloved war correspondent Ernie Pyle, his shy love of people, his tenderness and his salty Indiana-farmer humor at Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts. mynorthtickets.com

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MAY 24-25 — Way UP North Music festival, Marquette Two stages with regional and national acts are set to perform over two days for the inaugural year of this festival at Lakeview Arena. wayupmusicfestival.com MAY 25 — Laith Al-Saadi in Concert, Lexington In 2016, Laith Al-Saadi won America’s hearts and a spot in the finale of NBC’s “The Voice.” Now, he’s poised to bring his authentic blend of blues, soul and classic rock to audiences around the nation, including Lexington Village Theatre. lexingtonvillagetheatre.com MAY 25-27 — Movement Electronic Music Festival, Detroit This internationally recognized music marathon delivers three days and three nights of nonstop performances from more than 100 artists across five stages at Hart Plaza. movement.us

LAND, AIR & SEA

APR. 5-7 — Mackinaw Raptor Fest, Mackinaw City Hunt for migrating raptors at this birding event at the tip of Michigan’s mitten. Mackinaw Raptor Fest is for anyone who loves to watch and learn about bird migration. mackinawrap torfest.org APR. 6 — The Lowell 50, Lowell This old-world style gravel road race is both challenging and scenic with several routes along the banks of the Flat River, good for the elite road bike racers to anyone looking for a great ride. thelowell50. com APR. 11 — Orienteering and Survival Skills, Walker Join Discovery Channel star Luke McLaughlin to develop survival and orienteering skills and explore the idea of creating a community of environmentally based thinkers. gvsu.edu/groundswell Apr. 13 — Barry-Roubaix, Hastings Like the classic it is named after, this race tests riders against 80 percent rolling gravel roads, pavement, 1 mile of rough two track, rocks, sand, mud and possibly snow and ice on the scenic roads of Barry County. barry-roubaix.com APR. 25-28 — National Trout Festival, Kalkaska Celebrating its 83rd year, this fishy festival includes trout tournaments, children’s fishing contest and more. nationaltroutfestival.com APR. 26-28 — Fourth annual Jeep on the Mac The bridge is calling. Show your Jeep pride in a celebration that crosses Michigan’s most iconic

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landmark — The Mackinac Bridge. A welcome party, trails to ride, special luncheon, prizes and more. Nearly 800 jeeps made the trek in 2018. stignace.com APR. 27 — Blue Water Salmon Stakes, St. Clair This fishing tournament raises proceeds for local charities with family events and more. bluewatersportfishing.net APR. 27 — Hurt the Dirt, Rockford Enjoy trail running? This race has sold out every year since 2013 and features 100 percent singletrack trail racing in Luton Park. hurtthedirt. com APR. 27 — Rust Shaker, Harrison Come out and enjoy one of Michigan’s best mountain bike trails on the Harrison Campus of Mid Michigan College. It’s set in a beautiful forest with massive trees and rolling hills, making it a great race for all skills and abilities. midmich. edu/community/foundation/events/rust-shak er APR. 27 — Yankee Springs Time Trial, Middleville The 30th annual Yankee Springs Time Trial is the largest off-road time trial in the Midwest and the first race of the MMBA’s Championship Point Series. The course is a fast and flowing mountain bike loop with several technical climbs and descents at Yankee Springs. yankeespringstt.org APR. 27-28 — 31st annual Whitefish Point Bird Observatory Spring Fling The observatory welcomes recreational bird watchers from around the world to Whitefish Point. Birders can learn more about avian migration and conservation in the Great Lakes, plus field trips and guest speakers. wpbo.org APR. 27-28 & MAY 18-19 — Basic Seamanship Training, South Haven Whether you are a seasoned sailor or a novice, this training prepares you for sailing aboard a traditional Great Lakes sloop by teaching basic knot tying, best practices for safety at sea, sail handling and historic sailing techniques. michiganmaritime museum.org APR. 28 — I Ran the D, Detroit The third annual I Ran the D is one of the most iconic races in Detroit. This 5K run/walk starts at the Big Tiger and finishes running around the Comerica Park field. Get outdoors for a day of fun with your family, friends and coworkers. foxsports.com/ detroit

MAY 4 — Thunder Bay Theatre Break a Leg 5K, Alpena Support Thunder Bay Theatre and a healthier lifestyle during this 5K event that benefits theatre education. thunderbaytheatre. com MAY 4 — Blessing of the Jeeps, Mesick One day only, five fun off-road courses, 30-plus vendors and sponsors, 2,000 Jeeps, and 5,000plus Jeep enthusiasts! cadillacjeepers.com MAY 4 — Get Your Bearings, Commerce Township Test your trail running, mountain biking, canoeing and orienteering skills during this adventure race at Proud Lake Recreation Area.

Coed, four-, two-person, and family options. lost arrowsports.com MAY 4 — Mud Sweat and Beers, Traverse City This mountain bike race and fat tire bike fest celebrates 10 years, bringing together rockin’ terrain, races for all rider levels plus a great post-party to support Mt. Holiday. mudsweat andbeers.com MAY 4 — Harbor Beach Can2Can Fishing Tournament This annual event brings hundreds of fishermen to Harbor Beach. hbcan2can.com MAY 4-12 — Friends Good Will and Lindy Lou at Tulip Time, Holland Friends Good Will sets sail to Holland to participate in Tulip Time Festival and this year Lindy Lou is coming, too. The Michigan Maritime Museum’s flagship replica tall ship and river launch boat welcomes visitors aboard for dockside tours. michiganmaritime museum.org MAY 5 — Hellkaat Hundie, Dorr This charity gravel road race raises money to help find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Departs from 5 Lakes Brewery and offers riders three routes from 25 to 100 miles along beautiful and hilly country roads. hellkaathundie.com MAY 5 — Run Like an Animal Half Marathon 2019, Saginaw Townships Do you waddle like a penguin, or trout like a horse? Either way you won’t want to miss this otterly amazing race at Swan Valley High School. tritofinish.com/runlike-an-animal MAY 11 — Fort 2 Fort Challenge, Mackinac Island This challenging race for runners and walkers of all ages celebrates Fort Holmes and Fort Mackinac. Start inside Fort Mackinac with a rifle salute, run or walk on a winding route past scenic island landmarks to Fort Holmes,

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EXCURSIONS

the highest point of the Island, then back to Fort Mackinac. runmackinac.com; mackinacparks. com MAY 17-18 — 10th annual Tight Lines for Troops, Manistee This annual charity fishing tournament provides a unique experience for Michigan’s veterans to fish Lake Michigan and pier/shore divisions. In 2018, the fleet included over 50 captains and their boats for 300 veterans, plus a public Welcome Back celebration along the Manistee riverwalk. tight linesfortroops.com MAY 17-19 — Blessing of the Bikes, Baldwin Bikers come from all across the country to take part, beginning with the ceremonial entrance on Friday afternoon down the M-37 corridor and culminating with the Blessing at the Airport on Sunday. cadillacmichigan.com MAY 17-19 — Steelheaders Pro-Am, South Haven This is the Steelheaders’ biggest tournament event of the year! The best salmon and trout fishermen head out to Lake Michigan.

Multiple divisions for Pros and Ams plus the one-day shootout. southhavensteelheaders. com MAY 18 — ForeShore Adventure Run, Muskegon This adventure run features more climbing, tougher water obstacles and tons of fun on a wet and sandy 5K course. Celebrating its fifth year at Pere Marquette Beach, the event benefits the Muskegon Rescue Mission’s homeless shelters and food pantries. foreshore.org

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MAY 18 — Big Bay Relay, Marquette to Big Bay Rally your team and battle the other teams in your division for the top ranking, or simply make it your goal to cross the finish line together. Teams cover about 26 miles and take turns running until they reach Thunder Bay Inn. noquetrails.org MAY 18 — Arcadia Grit & Gravel Mountain Bike Race, Arcadia The AG&G race spans Manistee and Benzie counties, covering 26 miles of challenging gravel roads, hidden gem two-tracks and the world-class single track of the Arcadia Dunes trail system. endomanpro motions.com MAY 18-19 — Weekend at White Lake Stage Race Michigan’s newest cycling road race and stage race along the shores of Muskegon County’s White Lake area. facebook.com/pg/ whitelakestagerace

MAY 24 — Blessing of the Fleet, South Haven Join the Michigan Maritime Museum for a celebration of the 2019 summer season and blessing the museum’s fleet and many boating excursions on Lake Michigan and the Black River. The blessing is followed by a picnic. michiganmaritimemuseum.org MAY 24-26 — Ride The Keweenaw Weekend Experience all the great riding and hiking in the Keweenaw region with everything from guided rides and runs to enduro racing and social events. copperharbortrails.org MAY 24-26 — Warblers on the Water, Beaver Island Enjoyed by novices and experts alike, the Beaver Island Birding Trail has been recognized nationally and visited throughout the year.

This special weekend includes birding field trips by expert guides, special workshops and presentations, and hikes with fellow birders in search of colorful warblers. beaverislandbird ingtrail.org

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MAY 25 — M-66 Mountain Bike TT, Ionia The singletrack race loop is approximately 8.5 miles long and runs along the Grand River. It’s a nice balance of tight technical wooded sections, paired with fast-flowing open fields, also great for spectators. 1xsports.net MAY 25 — Top of Michigan Community Marathon, Charlevoix to Harbor Springs A marathon run on a USATF-certified course to benefit the Top of Michigan Trails Council and Petoskey. This is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. The event includes a half-marathon, a 10K run/walk event and two 5K run/walk events. trailscouncil.org MAY 26 — 14th annual Blessing of the Boats, Muskegon Vessels follow the Aquastar down the Muskegon Channel to Lake Michigan for the ceremonial Washing of the Lighthouse.

Then, it’s the Blessing of the Boats in the South Breakwater Cove, as boaters are asked to cruise by the Aquastar for a blessing. aquastar cruises.com MAY 26 — 31st annual Lost Boat Ceremony, Muskegon A tribute to the 52 submarines that were lost in World War II, taking the lives of over 3,500 Americans. The event ends with the running of the USS Silversides submarine’s engines — 75 years old and still running with crankshafts made in Muskegon. silversides museum.org

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EXCURSIONS

MAY 31 — USO-Style Swing Dance, Muskegon Come aboard the USS LST 393 for a USOstyle swing dance, featuring a live jazz band and authentic swing dancing on the top deck of a World War II ship. lst393.org

tional cuisine with local wine, craft beers and more at this unique event at NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. All of the food is prepared by Great Lakes Culinary Institute students and served at numerous tasting tables. nmc.edu/culinary

Perry Hotel, Petoskey Historic Stafford’s Perry Hotel hosts a re-creation of dinner on the famously tragic Titanic complete with fabulous food, costumes staff, live entertainment and interesting presentations. theperryhotel.com

MAY 31-JUN. 2 — Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix A great way to experience the thrill of racing in the city where the car was invented.

Feature cars of the IndyCar Series, SportsCar Championship, the high-flying SUPER Trucks and the Trans Am Series. detroitgp.com

APR. 13 — Formal Japanese Tea Ceremony, Saginaw Experience an authentic formal Japanese Tea Ceremony amid the peaceful setting of the Saginaw-Tokushima Friendship Garden Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House.

Recurring monthly on the second Saturday of each month. japaneseculturalcenter.org

APR. 13 — Backyard Edibles, Grand Rapids Learn how to use native plants to create a backyard oasis full of wildlife and wild edibles, plus tour the food forests at Blandford Nature Center. blandfordnaturecenter.org

G R E AT TA S T E S

APR. 6 & MAY 4 — Delicious Demise, Montague Participants learn about cultural food differences, plus take on a role in the interactive-themed dinner event at Bygone Basics Culinary School. bygonebasics.com APR. 12 — A Taste of Success: Sip, Savor, Support, Traverse City Meet the great chefs of tomorrow! Enjoy a strolling dinner of interna-

APR. 13 — Cheers & Chocolate, Muskegon The foodie event pairs sweet and savory culinary delights with fine wines and beers at the stateof-the-art Culinary Institute of Michigan. Each year, student chefs create the entire menu, featuring incredible chocolates, desserts and hors d’oeuvres. everywomansplace.org APR. 13 — Annual Titanic Dinner, Stafford’s

Apr. 13 — Angry Bear Festival, Marquette Join other beer drinkers for the spring thaw along the shores of Lake Superior. Modeled after some of the great beer festivals of Europe. ore-dock.com APR. 27 — Taste & Tour of Old Town, Lansing A chance to tour Old Town’s lofts and townhomes while sampling food and beverages at businesses throughout the district. iloveold town.org

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APR. 27 — Beerfest at the Ballpark, Lansing Rain or shine, sample from more than 300 craft beers, ciders, meads, spirits and wine from over 60 Michigan breweries and cideries, plus food and music at the Cooley Law School Stadium. beerfestattheballpark.net APR. 28 — 20th annual VegFest, Novi A Michigan tradition for 20 years, VegFest features the best of what’s healthy, compassionate and sustainable. Sample vegetarian and vegan cuisine, watch a cooking demo, enjoy expert and celebrity speakers, shop specialty vendors and more at Suburban Collection Showplace. vegmichigan.org MAY 1-31 — Traverse City Uncorked This monthlong celebration of the region’s wine industry will grab you by the taste buds! Wine experts, wine lovers or those along for the ride will find special wine tastings, packages and culinary events to suit every palate and budget. lpwines.com MAY 3 — Detroit Zoo Brew Lions and tigers and beers, oh my! Zoo Brew is the perfect place to shed your winter blues. The Detroit Zoo’s spring event features more than 60 beers from select Michigan craft breweries, live music and food for purchase. detroitzoo.org MAY 4 — Derby Day Soiree, Mackinac Island Pack your Derby Duds for an evening of juleps and jockeys. Sip on blue ribbon-worthy mint juleps and bourbon. Live broadcast of the Kentucky Derby accompanied by music, food and commentary at Island House Hotel’s 1852 Grill Room. theislandhouse.com

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MAY 4-5 — Spring Sip & Savor, Leelanau Peninsula Bask in the coming spring and enjoy Leelanau wines paired with small bites during this self-guided tour. Take your time and explore any of the 24 participating wineries in any order you choose over the weekend. lpwines. com MAY 9 — Food Truck Festival, Frankenmuth Featuring 20 food trucks and a great selection of regional and national craft beer, there is fun for the whole family at Frankenmuth River Place. frankenmuthriverplace.com MAY 17-19 — Empire Asparagus Festival Head to Empire for spear-ited asparagus fun! The community celebrates under a big tent with beer, food, aspara-swag, costumes and live music. Join in the 5K fun run, asparagus cook-

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EXCURSIONS

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off, arts fair, poetry contest and more. empire chamber.com MAY 17-18 — World Expo of Beer, Frankenmuth Over 150 beers and alternative beverages from breweries around the world in Heritage Park. worldexpoofbeer.com MAY 17-18 — MorelFest Wine & Dine, Boyne City If you love to eat morels, but foraging for them isn’t your thing, this foodie event features the tasty and elusive morel cooked up as gourmet hors d’oeuvres paired with fine wines and live music. bcmorelfest.com MAY 17-24 — Petoskey Restaurant Week Foodies flock to Petoskey for the chance to have their taste buds wowed while enjoying the many other activities on Little Traverse Bay. petoskey restaurantweek.com

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MAY 18 — Blossom Day, Old Mission Peninsula Relish samples of new release wines from each of the nine wineries, as well as spring’s arrival to beautiful Old Mission Peninsula. Enjoy seasonal food and wine pairings and other activities, like winemaker chats and winemaking tours. wineriesofomp.com MAY 18 — BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass, St. Joseph Celebrate spring and get ready for summer at this seventh annual barbecue event.

Enjoy live music, craft beer, regional wines and barbecue vendors smoking up ribs and more at Whirlpool Centennial Park. stjoetoday.com MAY 25-26 — Art & Wine Festival, Berrien Springs Start summer with art and wine. Artists showcase various mediums, from pottery to photography, paintings and glass work. Enjoy live music from Keith Scott and food offerings from Classic Catering, plus wine at Lemon Creek Winery. lemoncreekwinery.com EXCURSIONS LEGEND Explore these collective Michigan area websites for more regional events and details.

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TA S T I N G R O O M

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BY GREG TASKER | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY 2 LADS WINERY

On t he cut ting edge

F

rom the beginning, Chris Baldyga and Cornel Olivier envisioned something different, something bolder, something more modern for their boutique winery high on a hill near the tip of Old Mission Peninsula in northwestern Michigan.

Both had worked for older family or classic-style wineries before embarking on their own in 2006, purchasing a farm and vineyard on a winding stretch of Smokey Hollow Road about 15 miles northeast of Traverse City. They met as cellar rats at nearby Chateau Grand Traverse, where Baldyga once helped with vineyard work during high school summers.

Looking to play up their youth — they were both around 30 at the time — as well as their camaraderie on and off the rugby field, the pair came up with 2 Lads Winery, eschewing the traditional use of family or

geographic names or “chateau” as part of their brand. They also created a stylish, distinct matte black label, foregoing bland or kitschy designs.

And breaking from the norm in Michigan’s then-fledgling wine industry, they built an industrial-style building to house their tasting room and wine-making operations.

The 10,500-square-foot steel-and-concrete structure includes a 1,300-square-foot tasting room, accented with bright colors and shapes and a long bar fronting a floor-to-ceiling window with a panoramic view of the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay, the shoreline just 1,000 feet away.

“Michigan is one of the emerging, more youthful wine areas in the world,” Baldyga said. “It doesn’t have a lot of street

“At the end of the day, we’re trying to create a less stuffy feel.”

— Chris Baldyga

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TA S T I N G R O O M

“Michigan is one of the emerging, more youthful wine areas in the world. It doesn’t have a lot of street cred globally or around the nation, but we show well at the worldclass level, comparing our wines against others.”

— Chris Baldyga

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cred globally or around the nation, but we show well at the world-class level, comparing our wines against others. We wanted to capture the boldness, the energy of making wine in Michigan. It’s challenging but exciting.

“We’re pretty irreverent winemakers,” he added, noting winemaker and business partner, Olivier, a South African transplant, came to northern Michigan as part of a work-and-study abroad program and stayed. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to create a less stuffy feel.”

In the decade since, 2 Lads has exceeded their expectations, and they’ve managed to remain true to their initial goals, making a limited selection of quality sparkling and still wines from just six grape varietals, including riesling, chardonnay and cabernet franc, grown on the 58-acre “green farm.” They produce about 8,000 cases a year with limited distribution.

They’ve also refrained from making drastic changes. The parking lot has never been expanded and still has just 14 spots. They’ve resisted adding a deck on the lakeside, despite persistent requests from visitors who want to enjoy their wine al fresco.

Stepping into the winery’s second decade, the owners are rethinking one significant part of their operation: the tasting room experience of guests, as well as employees.

“It’s become a dull roar,” Baldyga said, noting servers have to shout over the tasting room clatter to communicate with guests during busy months. “It shouldn’t be a riproaring … experience for anybody. I think we’re plasticizing the experience. We need to decelerate. Our job is to slow things down, to create that moment of discovery.”

Plans have not been fully formed, but 2 Lads envisions a different, calmer tasting room in the spring. Guests will be directed

to a table or the bar to take a seat and enjoy a wine flight, perhaps paired with food. There will be no more lining up at the bar or standing shoulder to shoulder in the tasting room waiting to elbow a spot.

Reservations will be encouraged, and walk-ins will be accepted for seating only.

The tasting room will have six tables, five seating six people and one seating four. In addition, the bar, currently stand-up service, will have 10 seats.

Baldyga imagines some guests will be irritated to show up and not have space readily available or to be able to linger in the tasting room. He said he expects the interaction with a designated server per table will take a little longer, meaning guest turnover will be far less.

“You won’t be hearing a monologue.

Our servers will be savvy and professional enough to tell whether customers want to talk about wine or engage with the people they’re with,” he said, pausing before adding, “If you have a better experience, you’ll want to come back.”

That move doesn’t surprise Michael Schafer, a sommelier and advocate of Michigan wines, who said 2 Lads has been cutting edge since the winery opened, succeeding on its own terms. Its selection of higher-end wines should enable it to prosper, even with a heretofore-unheard-of model for a Michigan tasting room.

“It’s a calculated risk for them, but I think it can work,” said Schafer, who bills himself as The Wine Counselor, offering educational classes on wine and spirits. “They’re in the upper echelons of Michigan wineries. If it doesn’t work, they can go back to doing what they were doing before. It’s a no-lose situation, really.”

≈

Greg Tasker is a Traverse City-based freelance writer. He writes frequently about Michigan’s growing wine industry.

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D I N I N G D E S T I N AT I O N

Southerner’s casual, unpretentious décor supports its unique appeal and crafted southern dishes like Nana’s fried chicken (below), which is known to sell out.

BY MARLA R. MILLER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB WALCOTT

A

Southern roots

metal rooster sign with “Hey there, welcome” written on brown paper invites diners to walk down the hall.

There, the cottage-esque Southerner restaurant opens into a cozy dining room with windows overlooking the Kalamazoo River, antique tables with mismatched chairs, plates and silverware, and blue wide-mouth Ball jars.

Imagine walking into grandma’s house for Sunday dinner, except someone else is doing the cooking so you can sit back, relax and catch up over cocktails with a marina view. The unpretentious ambiance, served up with a plate of finger-lickin’ good fried chicken, welcomes people from all walks of life.

Inspired by chef Matthew Millar’s southeastern Tennessee roots, he wanted to capture the spirit and tradition of southern cooking and the meeting of two cultures through food. The Southerner’s name pays

homage to one of the first passenger trains that linked the south and the north.

Like many Appalachian families, Millar’s family moved north in the 1950s to find work in factories and the automotive industry.

Millar, born in Detroit, carries on the home cooking of his mother, Nana and great aunts.

“Food was more than just fuel,” he said.

“It could really touch your heart and soul. It was about the spirit of it.”

Millar, an accomplished chef and twotime semifinalist for the regional James Beard award, worked as an executive chef in fine dining and tried owning other restaurants. He finally found his calling with unique Southern-style dishes.

“I had always wanted to do something like this,” he said. “I wanted to do something a little more down to earth, a little more simple and honest.”

Millar and co-owner Katie Fris opened the restaurant four years ago. The two

Chicken, grits and other southern fare make The Southerner a downhome destination.

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“The food makes you feel good, the hospitality, the location.

It’s grandma’s house.”

— Katie Fris

Whether ordering burgers, barbeque, breakfast or cocktails, Southerner has become a popular stopping place for area visitors and boaters.

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worked together at New Holland Brewing Co., and Fris always admired Millar’s standards and cooking.

“He’s a trendsetter in food,” she said.

Located on busy Holland Street leading to Saugatuck, the yellow one-story building has been expanded several times. The original structure housed a net shop that offered fishing net rentals and repairs.

For years, it operated as Elbo Room, a well-known breakfast hot spot named for the

view of the curve in the Kalamazoo River.

Breakfast may be tradition, but Nana’s fried chicken is The Southerner’s real bread and butter. In the summer, locals, boaters and tourists buy it by the bucket.

Served hot and juicy and large enough for two, Nana’s half-fried chicken comes in a traditional buttermilk batter or Nashville hot with two sides. Homemade biscuits, braised greens simmered in miso, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked beans, cabbage slaw and grits are among the savory sides.

The Southerner offers a simple but eclectic menu, ranging from fried bologna sandwich to bobwhite quail. Specialties of the house include mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, country fried pork shoulder steak and Michigan whitefish, plus rotating specials.

Some of the recipes come from family.

Millar credits the cinnamon roll to his Nana, the bread and butter pickles to his wife’s mom and many of the desserts to his greatgrandmother.

Millar seeks out quality and authentic products, buying Benton’s bacon from Tennessee and Anson Mills antebellum grits from South Carolina. He uses locally sourced produce and other seasonal vegetables as much as possible and makes the biscuits,

BEST VIEW. BEST VIBE. BEST TASTES. THE SOUTHERNER 880 Holland St., Saugatuck (269) 857-3555; thesouthernermi.com Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 5-10 p.m. seven days a week; breakfast/ lunch served daily 9-3 p.m. and dinner 5-10 p.m. May 27-Oct. 1.

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jams, jellies, hot sauce and pickles in-house.

In the summer months, Millar takes the cooking outside, smoking and slow-cooking pulled pork, ribs, smoked sausage, pork chops, turkey, even wild boar. The barbecue fare highlights regional flavors from Memphis, New Orleans and the Carolinas.

“I’m more interested in what came before me and how that translates into the modern table,” he said. “Southern cooking is one of the country’s only real regional cooking styles. There’s a lot of American history woven into southern cooking.”

Millar manages the kitchen, while Fris and husband Jonathon run the front of the house, bar and administrative duties. Fris continues to refine the restaurant’s liquor selection, offering unique whiskey, scotch, rum, gin and other spirits.

Fris said there are no rules to the cocktails, even creating boozy slushies with gin and mezcal that are popular in the summer months. They both emphasize quality standards and teaching and training of kitchen, wait and bar staff.

The Southerner offers a couple of transient slips for small boats and can seat larger groups, which is why the owners say to count on a wait during the busy summer months. They welcome people in the winter and spring when there is a slower pace, more space and seasonal specials. An added perk: The quaint feel and waterfront view never go out of season.

“The food makes you feel good, the hospitality, the location,” Fris said. “It’s grandma’s house.”

≈

Marla R. Miller is an award-winning journalist who lives in Norton Shores.

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REFLECTIONS

A bountiful weekend

Birding, mushroom hunting offer memorable experiences.

BY JERRY DENNIS

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ILLUSTRATION BY GLENN WOLFF

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many. It was a bumper year. Spring had arrived late, and the morels hat Friday, we played hooky to go birding at Sleeping Bear Point. were two weeks behind schedule. It had been cold most of April and We had heard a few days earlier that hundreds of migrating half of May, then came three days of warm rain, and the mushrooms warblers had dropped into the aspen thickets on the dunes to all popped at once. rest and were trapped there by a north wind and circling merlins and Sunday, we visited another secret spot and found more morels. accipiters that picked them off the moment they tried to leave the asWhile searching, we came across a tiny spotted pens. We wanted to see this for ourselves, so we fawn, one or two days old, curled on the ground got up early enough to be there before dawn.

Maybe it’s my age, and watching us without fear. Chelsea gathered In two hours of searching, we saw only a few but lately, I’ve been an armload of wild leeks with bulbs the size of birds and no warblers, though we might have appreciating temporary my thumbs. The leaves were starting to yellow, heard a yellow-rumped warbler. We would later learn that a warbler drop occurred that same things. Time with the ones a stage I always assumed meant the bulbs were morning 150 miles north at Whitefish Point. So, I we love. Children’s laughter. inedible. But they were delicious skewered with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and shrimp guess we missed it.

Thunderstorms. Mayflies. and cooked over the grill.

We left the dunes and drove to a park on That evening Andy, Andrea Little Glen Lake where we saw a and Alison joined us for dinner.

Wilson’s warbler, a redstart and I put chicken on the grill alonga yellow warbler. Then we conside Chelsea’s kabobs, Aaron tinued south, stopping now and made mushroom miso soup and then to pick ditch asparagus and Nick served appetizers of morels scope the thickets for warblers. tossed in flour and fried in butAt Otter Creek, birds were ter. After dinner, we built a fire everywhere: alder flycatcher, in the backyard and sat around common yellowthroat, chestit roasting s’mores and telling nut-sided warbler, a green herstories. on. We walked into the woods Maybe it’s my age, but lately, to a cluster of ash trees we saw I’ve been appreciating tempofrom the road and found 20 rary things. Time with the ones white morels at their base. I we love. Children’s laughter. wondered aloud if this would Thunderstorms. Mayflies. The be a good place for ovenbirds. glimpses we’re granted now and They’re one of my favorite songthen of something like radiance. birds but are relatively scarce; The weekend came and was we see only one or two most gone in a flash, but we were fine years. We walked over a small with that. It’s the way all the best rise, and there was one below things go. us, kicking the leaves for bugs.

Saturday, Aaron and Chelsea arrived with their popup Jerry Dennis and his wife Gail camper and set it up in the live and work in a 140-year-old backyard. Nick joined us, and farmhouse overlooking Grand Trawe hiked to a favorite spot to verse Bay. Visit them at jerryden look for mushrooms. We found nis.net.

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