Michigan Blue - Cottages 2020

COTTAGES ISSUE

Building by water

Personal lifestyles, chosen approaches DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 29, 2016

MIBLUEMAG.COM

DISPLAY UNTIL APRIL 1, 2020

COTTAGES 2016

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$5.95 COTTAGES 2020 MIBLUEMAG.COM

Double duty: Orchard Lake home staycation Family roots on Gun Lake | Artist Nawal Motawi’s tile art Benton Harbor gourmet | Red wine grapes | Cottage country galleries

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CONTENTS

features

30 Everyday getaway The Tursi family wanted their waterfront home to do double duty, eliminating the need for a cottage Up North. It had to provide comfort, a visible connection with nature and outdoor recreation.

By Jeanine Matlow

36 Tile-dyed Tile artist Nawal Motawi almost walked away from art as a frustrated art student. Today, she is a major art tile influence, running her highly successful Motawi Tileworks in Ann Arbor.

By Amy Eckert

42 Starting over

LOU DESROSIERS

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ON THE COVER Upper Straits Lake Home: The entrance to the home designed by DesRosiers Architects.

Photo by James Haefner.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES HAEFNER

A lifetime of family summers on Gun Lake prompts a couple to buy property, knock down an old cottage and build a modern abode, keeping family connections alive.

By Jeanine Matlow

“When you walk through the front door, the view takes your breath away. I want you to feel like you’re a part of nature with the glass as the only separation.”

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CONTENTS

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THEODORE BORNHORST

in every issue:

columns:

departments:

08 Letters and Contributors

20 Home Décor

11 Waterways

66 Tasting Room

Temporary wall murals can add color, depth and magic to a living space; they come in custom sizes for the DIY decorator and are easy to apply and remove.

By Jeanine Matlow

Unique beach rocks that glow, winter fashion collaboration by Stormy Kromer and Merrell, a Michigan-made pie cookbook, Inn at Bay Harbor renovations and Mackinac Grand Hotel sold.

Michigan’s newest red wine grape, named “Marquette,” is establishing roots at vineyards and impressing vintners with its hardiness and flavor.

By Greg Tasker

22 At The Helm

68 Dining Destination

Late winter is a good time to start shopping for boats and accessories at boat shows.

By Chuck Warren

Brother and sister chefs bring artistry to the kitchen and table at their Houndstooth eatery in Benton Harbor.

By Dawn Williams

10 Wavelengths Planning for the cottage.

By Howard Meyerson

23 Undercurrents Michigan’s iconic Kirtland’s warbler is not endangered, but it’s not out of the woods.

By Howard Meyerson

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26 State of Mine 24 Vintage Views “Autocamping” began as a rich man’s vacation, but as roads got built and auto ownership increased, more began to seek a night under the stars.

By M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson

65 Michigan Top 5 On dreary days at the cottage, consider visiting a local art gallery for inspiration.

By Kim Schneider

72 Reflections The cottage is a wonderful place for making memories that last.

By Jerry Dennis

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“Suite for Another Day in the World,” a poem about nature and life.

By Jack Ridl

28 The Sporting Life Terry McBurney is an antique fishing tackle collector. What he knows about old lures may surprise you.

By Bob Gwizdz

55 Excursions Michigan Nordic Fire Festival, Novi Boat Show and others, Michigan Winter Beer Festival, Great Indoor Folk Festival and The Polar Roll.

Compiled by Marla R. Miller

70 Historic Inns & Lodges Birch Lodge offers a quiet, luxurious and comfortable base on the water for those visiting or touring the eastern Upper Peninsula.

By Dianna Stampfler

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIK RINTAMAKI (LEFT); COURTESY BIRCH LODGE (RIGHT); ILLUSTRATION BY GARY ODMARK (BOTTOM)

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“When the glaciers melted back, they left pebbles, cobbles and boulders of this rock scattered throughout all the gravels in this area.”

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CONTRIBUTORS

www.mibluemag.com PUBLISHER: John Balardo ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Jason

Hosko

EDITORIAL

EDITOR: Tim Gortsema MANAGING EDITOR: Howard Meyerson COPY EDITOR: Tom Mitsos DIGITAL EDITOR: Chris Ehrlich GENERAL INQUIRIES: editorial@mibluemag.com CONTRIBUTUNG WRITERS: Christine Byron,

Jerry Dennis, Tracy Donohue, Amy Eckert, Bob Gwizdz, Jeanine Matlow, Leslie Mertz, Marla R. Miller, Linda Odette, Kim Schneider, Dianna Stampfler, Greg Tasker, Chuck Warren, Thomas R. Wilson, Dawn Williams

Amy Eckert An award-winning travel writer based in Holland, Amy has traveled the globe searching out great stories. She has contributed to numerous popular travel guides, and she is the author of two travel books about Detroit, the most recent being “Easy Detroit Outdoors.” Amy is the past president of the Midwest Travel Journalists Association. Find her at amyeckert.com.

DESIGN

ART DIRECTOR: Lindsay Emeigh DESIGNERS: Keagan Coop, Robin CONTRIBUTORS: James Haefner,

Vargo David Lewinski, Bill Lindhout, Gary Odmark, Johnny Quirin, Kim Schneider, Gabrielle Sukich, Glenn Wolff

SALES

GENERAL INQUIRIES: advertisingsales@grmag.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Jenn Maksimowski ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Chelsea Carter, Jessica Laidlaw, Renee Looman, Craig R. Rich, Bri Rodriguez, Susan Smalley RECEPTIONIST/OFFICE ASSISTANT: Alisha Andres TO ORDER REPRINTS: Receptionist, (616) 459-4545

PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Jenine Rhoades SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTIST: Robert Gorczyca PRODUCTION ARTIST: Stephanie Daniel ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Amanda Zwiren ADVERTISING DESIGNERS: Melissa Flores-Loera,

Christian Lott, Daniel Moen, Kendra Okamoto, Christopher Paluch, Marcus Thompson

WEB

DIGITAL STRATEGY DIRECTOR Nick Britsky DIGITAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR: Gerald Blakeslee WEB PROJECT LEAD: Matthew Cappo WEB PROJECT ASSISTANTS: Mariah Knott,

Luanne Lim, Kevin Pell, Bart Woinski

IT

David Lewinski A commercial and editorial photographer who specializes in creating environmental portraits and architectural images, David grew up in metro Detroit. For the past 11 years, he has created images for clients such as The New York Times Magazine, The Smithsonian, University of Michigan and Shinola. Find him at davelewinski.com.

Greg Tasker A Traverse City-based freelance writer, Greg enjoys writing about Michigan’s growing wine, beer and spirits industries. A former arts and entertainment editor for the Detroit News, Greg’s stories have been published in newspapers around the country and magazines like Backpacker and BBC Travel. Find him on Twitter @gtasker_dn.

Jeanine Matlow A Detroit-based writer and regular contributor to national and regional publications, Jeanine’s weekly Homestyle column appears in The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. Though not a Michigan native, she and her family (her husband, their daughter and whenever possible, the dog) like to visit a variety of places in Michigan.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please send letters in care of: Editor, Michigan BLUE Magazine, 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, or email to howardm@geminipub.com.

Letters may be edited for reasons of clarity and space.

Dawn Williams Before returning to journalism, Dawn spent more than two decades scripting award-winning ad campaigns for clients like KitchenAid, Ensure, School Zone and Rubbermaid.

She has a passion for meeting creative people and uncovering what makes them tick. Dawn lives in St. Joseph with her family in a house overlooking beautiful Lake Michigan.

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Michigan BLUE Magazine is published bi-monthly by Gemini Media. Publishing offices: 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331 Grand Rapids, MI 49503-144. Telephone (616) 459-4545; fax (616) 459-4800. General e-mail: info@geminipub.com. Copyright © 2019 by Gemini Media. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Michigan Blue Magazine, 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331 Grand Rapids, MI 49503-144. Subscription rates: one year $18, two years $28, three years $38, U.S. only.

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WAV E L E N G T H S

BY HOWARD MEYERSON

ate winter is that time of year when waterfront property owners and others begin planning for the upcoming warm seasons. Will it be the year to buy a boat, a personal watercraft or a standup paddleboard? Does the cottage deck need refinishing? Do stairs to the beach need to be rebuilt?

Fortunately, several home and garden, cottage, and lakefront living shows or boat shows are scheduled during the next two months. Each presents an opportunity to see what is offered in the marketplace, what new designs and technologies are available, and a chance to meet or arrange to meet with a variety of providers all under one roof.

To find out about those shows, be sure to check out the Excursions calendar found in the back of this issue. Many are shows where couples and others can confer with contractors, interior designers, landscapers and others about their anticipated projects.

This annual Cottages issue is a celebration of cottage life and waterfront living with stories about waterfront homes, great places to visit or dine, and other unique Michigan people and things. One of my favorite stories is Amy Eckert’s profile about artist Nawal Motawi, the Ann Arbor tile designer, and her company Motawi Tileworks.

Maybe you have longed for a custom kitchen backsplash, fireplace or bathroom wall.

Motowi’s creative work is in high demand.

Writer Jeanine Matlow, a regular contributor and the source of our home décor and many of our waterfront home stories, has a large presence in this issue. For those used to finding her home decorating stories in our Waterways section, that is changing.

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Jeanine’s regular home décor stories will now appear as an expanded and dedicated column about home decorating. Jeanine began writing for BLUE in 2014; she has a passion for homes that is obvious every time I speak with her.

“I come from a family of entrepreneurs, including my father, who had a women’s apparel store in New Jersey where I’m from,” she said. “I was always fascinated with his window displays and mannequins. As a child, I loved to draw rooms and see how other people lived and that curiosity continues today. I truly enjoy the entire process of my assignments, from the story concepts to interviewing homeowners and profession-

als and weaving it all together.”

In this issue, you also will find the story of Birch Lodge by Dianna Stampfler, another regular BLUE contributor. Birch Lodge is located on the shores of Trout Lake in the Upper Peninsula. It was opened in 1912 as a resort and sanitarium. Recently renovated and modernized to provide a laid-back, on-the-water vacation experience, this historic lodge is one of several we will bring you in our new Historic Inns & Lodges department, yet another look at special places in Michigan.

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Howard Meyerson Managing Editor, Michigan BLUE Magazine

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BIRCH LODGE

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Planning for a marvelous summer at the cottage

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WAT E R WAY S

Guests at the 134-year-old Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island will continue to enjoy the Victorian styling and hospitality that has made it a global icon.

Grand Hotel opens 2020 season with new owners, same traditions

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY GRAND HOTEL

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hen the white rocking chairs and American flags return to the 660-footlong porch of Grand Hotel this spring, it will be the dawn of a new era. Grand Hotel’s 134th season opener May 1 also marks a big change for Dan Musser III, who won’t have to report to work at 8 a.m. during the busy tourist season.

Musser family members owned and operated the Mackinac Island hotel since the 1930s and finalized the sale of one of Michigan’s most iconic landmarks to Denver-based KSL Capital Partners last fall. Musser assures “only good things are going to start coming” and not much will change regarding the hotel’s traditions and the guest experience.

What excites Musser is the behind-thescenes investments, including renovations

to employee housing that started this winter. He said the new owners have deeper pockets than his family, and “they can do things that Dad and I only dreamt of.

“The biggest change is no change,” Musser said. “As new owners and caretakers of the hotel, I am very pleased with their first initial investment.”

The 397-room, Victorian-era hotel dates to 1887 and is world famous for its whitecolumn porch, interior design by Carleton Varney décor and formal dress code. The sale included the hotel’s 18-hole golf course, the century-old Esther Williams Swimming Pool, its Woods Restaurant and Gate House restaurant, and a concession area at historic Fort Mackinac.

KSL’s affiliate Davidson Hotels & Resorts

added Grand Hotel to its lifestyle and luxury division, known as Pivot Hotels & Resorts.

Pivot also runs several iconic and upscale hotels across the country.

Musser maintains Mackinac Island will always be home, but he has a young family and they plan to spend more time in Ann Arbor. Musser will stay on as chairman for at least three years but will be more handsoff in hotel operations.

“We obviously took this very seriously,” he said. “I always thought we were stewards of this place. With their focus on our staff, maintaining the traditions and the things that make Grand Hotel so special, that was really the tipping point for our family to consider this.”

— Marla R. Miller

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Cool collab

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A rugged, stylish blend of elements by Stormy Kromer and Merrell speaks to the outdoor lifestyle so popular in Michigan.

Thorsen, the blue color was important to this Michigan-inspired collection as it relates to “Michigan’s water, cold winters and great lakes.”

Depending on inventory, these items are available on each company’s website (merrell.com, stormykromer.com) as well as through select retailers in and outside Michigan. The future of the items or the possibility of newly developed items will depend on the success and demand for items in this collection, according to Ballou and Thorsen.

“It was apparent that our two brands were meant to meet and launch this collection together,” Ballou said. “I’m really excited for consumers to learn about it and two Michigan brands collaborating.”

— Tracy Donohue

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MERRILL

wo iconic outdoor Michigan brands have decided to join forces for the cold season. Launched in fall 2019, a co-branded clothing collection created by Merrell and Stormy Kromer became available to consumers just in time for the cooler Michigan weather.

With both companies named after their storied founders and focused on the outdoors, their product offerings differ in that Rockford-based Merrell has an emphasis on trail wear, while Ironwood-based Stormy Kromer focuses on American-made, handcrafted apparel items.

Gina Jacquart Thorsen, president of Stormy Kromer, said she met Kelly Ballou, Merrell’s senior director of brand marketing, through a mutual friend. They both admired the products, reputations and shared values of their companies, and when timing was right, the co-branding partnership was born.

The well-curated collection includes footwear, outerwear and, of course, the classic Stormy Kromer cap. Merrell built the footwear and outerwear while Stormy Kromer produced the custom plaid fabric and cap.

“Our inspiration (for the collection) was what it’s like to live in Michigan, and the fall launch coincided with this,” Ballou said. “The items in the collection represent an intersection of fashionable and function through a new lens.”

To help make the collection fresh and visually cohesive, the designs were built around Stormy Kromer’s core plaid reimagined in black and gray with a pop of Merrell’s heritage cobalt blue color. The new custom plaid fabric is featured throughout the collection. The “Merrell blue” color also appears as contrast trim, stitching and laces in the footwear and cap. According to

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Lisa Ludwinski, the colorful author and founder of Sister Pie bakery and cookbook, proudly shows off one of her popular fruit pies.

CRANBERRY CRuMBLE PIE Makes one 9-inch pie COMPOTE • 12 ounces cranberries, rinsed and sorted • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar • ¾ teaspoon grated orange zest • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice CRuMBLE • 1 cup rolled oats • ½ cup packed light brown sugar • 1 cup all-purpose flour • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ½ teaspoon kosher salt • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, straight from the fridge

Creative baking at Sister Pie

PHOTOGRAPHY BY E. E. BERGER

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pple sage gouda is the most popular flavor at Sister Pie bakery, and the uniqueness of an apple pie with sage and gouda says it all.

Run by Lisa Ludwinski in Detroit’s West Village, the bakery has brought her national fame, particularly once her “Sister Pie” cookbook came out in 2018. Featuring 75 recipes and a big dose of her quirky character, it now is in its seventh printing. She also was a finalist in the James Beard Awards for outstanding baker in 2019.

Ludwinski started her pie-making career in her parents’ Milford kitchen. She opened Sister Pie (sisterpie.com) in 2015 with the help of grants, hard work and even a dance party that raised more than $26,000. A few examples of the creative pie flavors customers find at her bakery include buckwheat chocolate chip cookies and minted pea and potato hand pies. Her favorite is cranberry crumble.

“It's super tart and extra delicious with a big ol' dollop of whipped cream,” she said.

The bakery menu changes constantly with the season. You won’t find an apple pie

there in March. That makes it easier to kickstart the creative process. “From there, we love complementing the natural flavors with things like fresh herbs, citrus, nuts, seeds, cheese, edible flowers, etc.,” Ludwinski said.

She describes her bakery as a “goodfood/do-good” place. Her goals are to have happy employees, practice sustainable food business practices and buy local. The store’s products come from more than 25 Michigan farms and companies. Food scraps are recycled, packaging is biodegradable and boxes are reforested.

Being kind to others also is part of her mission. Someone without money to pay can take a prepaid slice from the “pie it forward” clothesline.

“Pie is for sharing — a delicious way to come together for, truly, any reason at all,” Ludwinski shares on her website. Sister Pie is at 8066 Kercheval Ave., Detroit. The book “Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a BigHearted Bakery in Detroit,” is available on Amazon and from various booksellers.

— Linda Odette

Preparation First, make the compote: Combine the cranberries, brown sugar, orange zest and juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat until the cranberries begin to burst.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely (or set in the freezer for a quick chill) while you continue to work. This compote can be made up to four days in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Next, make the crumble: In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Place the butter in the bowl and coat on all sides with the flour mixture.

Take a bench scraper and cut the butter into ½-inch cubes directly into the flour mixture in the bowl. Work to break up the cubes with your hands until they are lightly coated with the flour mixture. Continue to use the bench scraper to cut the cubes into smaller pieces — the idea is that you are cutting each cube in half.

Switch to a pastry blender and begin to cut in the butter with one hand while turning the bowl with the other. It’s important not to aim for the same spot at the bottom of the bowl with each movement but to actually slice through butter every time.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Sister Pie, copyright © 2018

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Shore-toshore bicycling New cross-state bike trail connects 275 miles of scenic pathways.

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you can start your journey in Kalamazoo, ride all the way to Port Huron and take the train back,” said Bob Wilson, executive director of Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

Route 1 visits 34 communities, offering easy access points and varying terrain, and winds its way by vineyards and farmland, rambling woods and waters, and urban centers in the eastern region. The trail is both a historical and a sightseeing adventure.

Many segments follow abandoned rail corridors and markers highlight unique facts and history. The route includes a mix

Cyclists enjoy a ride on the Marshall Riverwalk, one segment along the 275-mile bicycle route between South Haven and Port Huron.

of paved trail, gravel, crushed limestone and roads. There are a few stretches yet to connect so riders are not on main roads.

“A lot of the trail has this beauty of a canopy of trees over it,” Wilson said. “Most of the trail is relatively flat … There is a lot

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MICHIGAN TRAILS AND GREENWAY ALLIANCE

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tart with a sunrise or end with a sunset. Cyclists on the state’s newest long-distance cycling trail can dip their toes — or tires — in the sand, ride for miles under a canopy of trees, say hello to grazing cattle and smell the fresh farm air.

They can stop off for lunch and a wine tasting or stay overnight and explore the historic rail towns that once linked communities.

The 275-mile Great Lake-to-Lake Trails Route 1 runs from South Haven to Port Huron, passing by rolling farmland, urban attractions and historic points of interest.

Route 1 is the culmination of a decadelong effort by the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance to raise funds and awareness about the trail and coordinate efforts to connect various communities and trail systems across the state. Organizers believe the five planned Great Lake-to-Lake Trails will draw tourists and outdoor enthusiasts from near and far, and focus national attention on the state’s innovative trail system.

Departing from the shores of Lake Michigan or Lake Huron, cyclists can set out for a weekend ride or a weeklong vacation while exploring the communities of South Haven, Kalamazoo, Augusta, Battle Creek, Jackson, Brighton, Pontiac, Rochester Hills and Port Huron.

“A big chunk of it is parallel with Amtrak, so

PHOTOGRAPHY AND MAP COURTESY MICHIGAN TRAILS AND GREENWAY ALLIANCE

“A lot of the trail has this beauty of a canopy of trees over it. ... You don’t just get exposed to natural resources, but you get exposed to the history of the area.” BOB WILSON

of water along the trail, wetlands and rivers and lakes. You don’t just get exposed to natural resources, but you get exposed to the history of the area.”

For instance, in the 1930s, the town of Bloomingdale was the most active oil and gas town in the state. The historic depot now is a museum on the trail, which is drawing more visitors to the community, Wilson said.

The idea for the Great Lake-to-Lake Trails began in 2009 with several grants and key donations. Route 1’s completion linked individual trail systems in nine counties, 34 municipalities and 42 townships. Wilson credits philanthropist and Pinckney resident Mike Levine and a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation for spurring Route 1’s completion. Now in his 80s and legally blind, Levine joined trail officials on the inaugural ride last fall. A 34-mile segment from Stockbridge to Hamburg Township is named after him.

To learn more about the Great Lake-toLake Trails and other proposed routes, visit greatlaketolaketrails.org or michigantrails. org/trails/great-lake-to-lake.

— Marla R. Miller

UPTRAVEL.COM

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Lakeside retreat

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striking and elegant Schonbek chandelier, featuring more than 34,000 gem-cut crystals and nearly 200 lights, makes for a grand entrance inside the newly remodeled Inn at Bay Harbor.

The chandelier is one of the original features of the stately inn nestled on Little Traverse Bay that cultivates a true “Up North” resort experience. But something as sparkling awaits on the shores of the bay: Petoskey stones. Sunsets. S’mores by the fire.

And carefree vacation days.

The Inn, opened in 1998, has wrapped up a multiyear renovation and now is inviting families, couples, golfers and business travelers to relax and enjoy an escape there.

Staffers say the Inn focuses on authentic hospitality and approachable luxury with special touches and add-ons such as Kilwin’s chocolate-covered cherries, cookies and milk, turn-down service and afternoon tea.

“We have a very comfortable environment that people tell us they just really enjoy,” said Michael Costello, president and general manager. “We facilitate the collection of fond memories like Petoskey stones.”

Designed to reflect a refined turn-of-thecentury hotel, the Inn features 116 guest rooms with different floor plans, amenities and views, plus 35 cottages as part of

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the resort. There are traditional rooms that connect and one-, two- and three-bedroom suites with full kitchens, dining and living areas, and patio balconies offering lake, quarry and resort views.

Local culture and sense of place, including natural elements such as water, sand, the natural sky and the calming sound of waves, served as inspiration for the renovation.

“We knew we wanted it to be a northern Michigan lakeside retreat, a home away from home offering elegant comfort,” said Carolyn Farrugia, director of design for Boyne Design Group. “Bringing in those warm calming hues provides a sense of lakeside living. We wanted these classical elements but with a modern spin.”

Some of the suites are bright and airy with a beachy vibe, while others showcase natural hues and décor inspired by the region’s coveted Petoskey stone and cherry trees. The color palette is captured in furnishings and accent pieces set off against calming neutrals found in travertine stone fireplaces, quartz countertops and bedding.

Inn at Bay Harbor is owned by Boyne Resorts and one of only two Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels in Michigan. The Inn joined the luxury lifestyle hotel brand in 2016, around the time the makeover be-

Known for its stately appearance and comfortable living, Inn at Bay Harbor (top) finished its multiyear renovation, which includes comfortable bedrooms and sitting rooms that emphasize the region’s natural elements (middle and bottom) and décors that reflect the area.

gan on its lobby, two lakeside restaurants, full-service spa and salon, and café.

Although Inn at Bay Harbor offers upscale amenities, it also curates classic vacation activities.

— Marla R. Miller

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY INN AT BAY HARBOR

Inn at Bay Harbor unveils updated look that ties in local culture, elegant comfort.

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WAT E R WAY S Upper Peninsula rockhound Erik Rintamaki discovered rocks that glow under ultraviolet light on a Lake Superior shoreline at night while searching for agates.

Twinkle, twinkle, little stone!

Rock hunting at night for fluorescent treasures.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY ERIK RINTAMAKI

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hese days, most who walk the Lake Superior shoreline at night aren’t looking for starry glimmers in the sky but on the ground. They are scanning the beaches with ultraviolet flashlights, hoping to spot newly recognized fluorescent rocks — popularly known as Yooperlites — which glow with ember-like flecks and streaks of orange.

Their story begins thousands of years ago when glaciers carried them down from a rock formation called the Coldwell Complex on the Canadian side of Lake Superior, said Theodore Bornhorst, Ph.D., professor of geology and executive director of Michigan Technological University’s A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. The formation includes a rather unusual variety of the mineral sodalite — one that fluoresces orange under longwave ultraviolet light. “When the glaciers melted back, they left pebbles, cobbles and boulders of this rock scattered throughout all the gravels in this area,” he said.

But it wasn’t until a dark night in June 2017 that anybody really took notice.

That’s when self-described rockhound and Yooper Erik Rintamaki went to the beach armed with a UV flashlight. He hoped to find semiprecious gemstones known as Lake Superior agates, some of which softly fluoresce under UV radiation.

He had no luck with agates, but something else caught his eye.

“I was on my hands and knees, and at 4 o’clock in the morning, I found three little bright orange-glowing stones — one had a flower pattern on it, one had little stars all over it and one had lines going through it,” he recalled.

Over the next year, geologists suspected, and tests finally confirmed that the stones’ fluorescence was coming from sodalite, leading to Mineral News calling Rintamaki’s find “the first verified sodalite documented from the state of Michigan.” He trademarked the name “Yooperlites” for the stones and eventually quit his long-held job in a local casino to go into the Yooperlite business, promoting and selling the stones, and leading tours.

Bornhorst said the night search for these glowing rocks has caught on. A wide variety also is on display at the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. “You can go out, find a few, take them home, use your black light to show some people, and it’s a good story about your Upper Peninsula adventure,” he said. “And the current craze has left more agates on the beaches to be found during the daylight hours. Everybody’s happy.”

—Leslie Mertz

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WHERE TO GO: To find the fluorescing stones, Erik Rintamaki recommends Lake Superior beaches anywhere “from Whitefish Point west.”

Theodore Bornhorst suggests scouring the Keweenaw Peninsula shoreline from Copper Harbor to Ontonagon. Prime picking comes in early spring after winter ice picks up stones from deeper water and transports them to the beach.

For more information about minerals, check out the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum (mu seum.mtu.edu). Rintamaki’s Yooperlite tours are available at store.yooperlites.com/pages/ yooperlite-tours.

MICHIGAN BLUE

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CUSTOM HOMES

R E N O VA T I O N S

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C O T TA G E S 2 0 2 0

HOME DÉCOR

BY JEANINE MATLOW

Room with a view Graphic wall murals set the tone for your interiors.

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hether you have a waterfront property or not, the indoor environment always can be enhanced with sensational scenery. Artistic wall murals can deliver a dramatic backdrop that takes a space from basic to breathtaking.

“Murals present a unique opportunity to infuse your home with scenic allure, capturing your imagination and integrating a bit of romance,” said Jennifer Matthews, cofounder and creative director of Tempaper (tempaper.com), available through sources like Leon & Lulu in Clawson and Stonesthrow in Grand Rapids. “These captivating designs can completely change the atmosphere of your home, transporting you to a sumptuous garden, lush jungle or abstract paradise every time you enter.”

Consider the Zoe Bios Creative collection, which features abstract wall murals inspired by iconic American painters. A more traditional aesthetic would be the Chinoiserie collection that combines timeless design with state-of-the-art materials. Popular patterns like Garden, Lilly and Canopy come in matte and metallic finishes.

Matthews said wall murals can elevate the look of an average living and dining room, and transform bedrooms into attractive retreats. They can embellish other areas like studies and dressing rooms. “Murals create an opportunity for personal expression in any space,” she said.

Applying Tempaper isn’t a messy job. It is a temporary wallpaper with a self-adhesive backing meant to be a do-it-yourself product that’s easy to apply and remove. No pastes or professional installers are required.

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Some designs, like the Zoe Bios Creative collection, come in specific sizes or are sold by the panel. Others, like the Chinoiserie collection, are custom and sold by the square foot to ensure the right fit.

For those considering wall murals, Matthews suggested asking questions beforehand and getting a sample in advance to review the colors in person. Lastly, she advises avoiding textured surfaces when applying murals. Smooth, primed and painted surfaces with semi-gloss or satin finishes are ideal.

Picture perfect At The Detroit Wallpaper Company in Ferndale, clients can provide their own imagery from a Tuscan Villa to a favorite Lake Michigan destination that turns a dining room wall into a soothing beach scene.

People are becoming more comfortable with the concept of murals again, and there are a lot more options than there were 20 years ago, said Andi Kubacki, who coowns Detroit Wallpaper with Josh Young.

“There are a lot more ways to tell your particular story.”

Kubacki said today’s murals range from abstract patterns to vintage images of Detroit and hand-drawn maps. Their partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts offers them print murals featuring works by renowned artists like Diego Rivera and Vincent van Gogh. Standard styles that can be cut to fit are available through Detroit Wallpaper (de troitwallpaper.com), while custom varieties can be ordered from Great Wall (greatwall online.com).

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY TEMPAPER (TOP LEFT, TOP MIDDLE, TOP RIGHT); DETROIT WALLPAPER (BOTTOM LEFT, BOTTOM RIGHT)

Wall murals elevate rooms from basic to breathtaking. Many options exist for incorporating a mural into your home, including vibrant color patterns (above), stunnning scenic views (left), or illustrated art pieces (bottom left). Trying a more muted color or pattern (top right or below) is a great way to subtly enter a wall mural into your home.

“Murals are transformative. They set the tone for a space and can change the perspective, scale and feel of the room,” Kubacki added. “You can wrap an entire powder room with a large-scale image or install a mural on a dining room wall or even on the ceiling. Foyers are a really fun one, too.”

The best way to display a mural is to pick a solid wall with few obstructions. Though abstract designs and vintage images currently are on-trend, the right choice depends on a homeowner’s sense of adventure. For instance, a color photo could be made into a black-and-white or sepia tone image for a special effect. It’s up to the individual homeowner, said Kubacki, who also sources murals to commercial clients like retailers and hotels that can provide inspiration for residential settings.

A mural can be the starting point for a room or the last feature to be added. Buyers can expect quick turnaround times, even for custom murals that typically can be ready in a couple of weeks, Kubacki said. “Whatever you select will help you create a really dynamic space.”

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Jeanine Matlow is a Detroit-based freelance writer who enjoys writing about homes and home decorating.

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BY CHUCK WARREN

Dream big at Michigan’s winter boat shows

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or most Michigan boaters, winter is boat show season. It’s the time of year to research and review the latest accessories, technology and new models from the many manufacturers on display in venues across the state.

Michigan is home to some of the most wellknown boat builders in the marine industry.

Based in Holland on the West Michigan shoreline, Tiara Yachts continues to produce some of the most desirable boats in the world. Cadillac is home to Glastron, Wellcraft and recently has seen the rebirth of the Scarab name. And though it is not the same brand as the powerboats made famous in the 1980s by Don Johnson and “Miami Vice,” Scarab still is a top-notch example of the speed, handling and beauty expected in a high-performance powerboat.

Many manufacturers now offer entry-level boats for first-time buyers. These lower-cost models feature modern materials and designs that can dramatically reduce cleaning requirements and maintenance costs.

According to Nicki Polan, executive director for the Michigan Boating Industries Association, the MBIA shows — which include the Detroit Boat Show in January, the Novi Boat Show in March and Metro Boat Show later in the year — all are intended to introduce people to the boating lifestyle.

“We focus on bringing new people to boating.

We try to reduce the barriers to entry by showing that boats have become easier to handle, more affordable and need less maintenance,” Polan said. “Many people don’t realize that you can finance a boat for 15 years or more.”

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Personal watercraft, ski boats, fishing boats and live-aboard cruisers are on display at winter boat shows.

Boat shows also are a convenient place to see the latest marine industry trends. Jet drive technology, usually found in smaller ski boats, now turns larger cruisers into fast, nimble sport boats for wakeboarding and tubing. Big boat manufacturers are building luxury bowriders measuring more than 40 feet in length.

Although pontoon boats still represent one of the best-selling sectors in the market due to advancements in speed and handling, center console sales are rapidly increasing. Traditionally aimed at the hardcore fishing crowd, center consoles have become less utilitarian and are loaded with creature comforts. Outboard

engines now appear on 30- and 40-foot luxury sport models, quietly generating enough horsepower to push bigger vessels more than 50 miles per hour.

Offseason boat shows can be a good place to save money, whether trading in a current vessel or buying outright. Buyers often can find show specials they won’t see back in the showroom.

Changes in Michigan tax laws also have made it easier than ever to trade in an older vessel for something new. Rules like sales tax on the difference, or STOD, make it more feasible than ever to trade in since lower taxes make larger purchases more attractive.

While boat show attendance has remained fairly stable over the last decade, sales have steadily risen, according to show organizers.

Many shows have expanded to meet the increased demand. The upcoming 2020 Novi Boat Show increased its floor space by 90,000 square feet and sold out to exhibitors almost immediately. Celebrating its 75th year in 2020, the Grand Rapids Boat Show has grown to cover 5 acres.

“We’re going to have more big boats than ever on display,” said Henri Boucher, show producer for the annual event at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. “We’ve even got a 52-foot Carver coming in for the first time.”

Visitors also will find contests and raffles at each event. At the Grand Rapids Boat Show, scheduled for Feb. 19-23, guests can win a ride on one of the event’s biggest attractions.

For the past six years, the high-performance boating club, West Michigan Offshore, has brought in some of the hottest offshore powerboats on the Great Lakes.

“Our goal is to bring passionate boaters together,” West Michigan Offshore President Roger Zuidema said. “These boats bring lots of curious people to the show. They’ve seen them in movies or out on the water, and now, they want to see them up close.”

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Chuck Warren is a boating writer and licensed captain who lives in Grandville. He has worked on boats for 40 years.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MICHIGAN BOATING INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION

AT T H E H E L M

C O T TA G E S 2 0 2 0

UNDERCURRENTS

BY HOWARD MEYERSON

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K irtland’s warbler focus shifts from ‘recovery to conservation’

ederal officials announced last fall that Michigan’s rarest warbler, the Kirtland’s warbler, was removed from the federal Endangered Species List. The tiny songbird that nests in northern Lower Michigan jack pine forests and winters in the Bahamas is no longer endangered; it no longer needs federal protection, though a continuing state private/public conservation partnership has been formed to assure it continues to thrive.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY JIM HUDGINS, USFWS

“The focus has shifted from recovery to conservation; everyone has been preparing for this eventual delisting.” BILL RAPAI That is excellent news for the warbler, which some are lobbying to make our next state bird, replacing the robin. With its bluegray back, black stripes and yellow breast, and now an icon of conservation success in Michigan, the Kirtland’s warbler was among the first animals listed under the 1967 Endangered Species Preservation Act, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It officially was declared “endangered” in 1973 when the federal Endangered Species Act was signed into law. The Michigan Endangered Species Act was created in 1974, the first year the Kirtland’s warbler census hit an all-time low of 174 singing males (pairs).

The census dropped again in 1987 before steadily climbing to more than 1,000 pairs in 2001. Today, the upper Midwest population is estimated at 2,000 pairs or more — double the recovery goal set for the species.

“The effort to recover the Kirtland’s warbler is a shining example of what it takes to

save an imperiled species,” FWS Principal Deputy Director Margaret Everson said in a press release. “Truly dedicated partners have worked together for decades to recover this songbird. I thank them for their efforts and applaud this historic conservation success.”

Once only found in the northern Lower Peninsula, the warbler’s range has expanded to parts of the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin and Ontario. Most, however, still are found in the Lower Peninsula. The population’s growth and recovery resulted from coordinated efforts by the Michigan DNR, U.S. Forest Service and conservation groups like the Michigan Audubon Society, among others.

Their two-prong recovery strategy focused on creating and managing needed critical habitat and reducing losses by parasitism. Kirtland’s warblers nest only in younger jack pines, which hide their ground nests under lower branches. Those low branches disappear on older trees, so thousands of acres of jack pine forest have to be managed to provide that condition. Brownheaded cowbirds also were trapped and removed from those areas, thus reducing a form of parasitism. Cowbirds lay their eggs in warbler’s nests, and the larger cowbird chicks are more aggressive and outcompete for food provided by the adult warbler who unwittingly raises the cowbirds, as their own smaller offspring die.

While the Kirtland’s warbler is no longer endangered, it’s not quite out of the woods either.

“The focus has shifted from recovery to conservation; everyone has been preparing for this eventual delisting,” said Bill Rapai when delisting was proposed. He is chairman of the nonprofit Kirtland’s Warbler

Alliance that is working on its future conservation. Rapai called the warbler a conservation-reliant species, meaning ongoing jack pine management and cowbird control will continue to be needed. Money is being raised to pay for work.

Readers who are interested in supporting that effort and participating in the next chapters of the Kirtland’s warbler story can find out more at kirtlandswarbler.org.

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Howard Meyerson is the managing editor for Michigan BLUE Magazine.

More than 2,000 pairs of Kirtland’s warblers are now found in the upper Midwest.

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VINTAGE VIEWS

BY M. CHRISTINE BYRON AND THOMAS R. WILSON

‘Thoreau at 29 cents a gallon’ Autocamping and the freedom of the open road.

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Back in the day, autocamping was popular with families and their pets at sites like Houghton Lake in Roscommon County.

the road often was a conflict between comfort and adventure.

A specialized autocamping industry quickly developed, offering ease and comfort with such products as tents, camp bedding, camp stoves, cooking equipment and other unique gear. The Auto-Kamp Equipment Co., based in Saginaw from 1914-30, offered the Auto-Kamp trailer with a tentstyle top, two fold-out beds, a fold-up dinette table, a complete kitchen outfit, ice-box storage and a two-burner gasoline stove.

By carrying equipment in their autos, travelers could stop along the road, sometimes in an open field, a pasture or an orchard, with or without the farmer’s permission. Church and schoolyards often were a spot of choice to set up camp for the night.

This did not always go over well with the pastor or teacher who found the grounds covered in litter, smoldering fire pits, tramped down vegetation and other detritus from the campers. The need for campgrounds was apparent, and the Michigan State Park Commission was formed in 1919.

Several state parks were established in the

1920s, and autocampers quickly took advantage. Municipalities also started offering free campgrounds, reasoning that campers would spend money in their communities.

Autocamping began as a rich man’s vacation alternative, but in the early part of the 20th century, the era of mass motoring opened the world of camping adventure to the middle classes as autos became more affordable. Soon terms like “motor gypsying,” “motor hoboing,” “autotramping” and “motor vagabonding” referred to those motorists living on the open road.

As written in the June 1912 issue of “Motor Car” magazine of the autocamper, “You are your own master, the road is ahead; you eat as you please, cooking your own meals over an open fire; sleeping when you will under the stars, waking with the dawn ...

Thoreau at 29 cents a gallon.”

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BLUE Vintage Views columnists M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson reside in Grand Rapids. They are authors of the book “Historic Leelanau: Recognized Sites and Places of Historical Significance.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY VINTAGE VIEWS

I

n the 1910s, Michigan saw an increase in automobile ownership, more development of good roads in the state and an enthusiasm for motorists to take to the open road. Autocamping offered the traveler a new freedom, breaking the constraints of railroad and steamship schedules and overcrowded, expensive hotels. With folded tents and camping gear, thousands of Michiganders headed for the countryside. Autocamping offered the driver an opportunity to feel himself “king of the road,” limited only by the quality of the roads, his machine and his ability to repair it.

Motorists traveling long distances were advised to make extensive preparations and carry equipment that should enable a driver to meet every possible emergency, short of a total rebuild. The editors of the “Official Automobile Blue Book” published a list in 1920 of what to take on tour, which included such items as a set of socket wrenches, machinists’ hammer, small vise, cutting pliers, grease gun, assorted cotter pins and many more necessities. A roll of chicken wire, 12 inches wide, could be used to get out of deep sand or mud. Despite the many items suggested to bring along, the editors also recommended that the automobilist “travel as light as possible.”

Autocampers enjoyed getting away from the routines of everyday life, living a timeless existence and getting “back to nature,” although campers had to endure many hardships along the way. The experience of

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C O T TA G E S 2 0 2 0

S TAT E O F M I N E

BY JACK RIDL ILLUSTRATIONS BY G. ODMARK

Suite for Another Day in the World “Suite for Another Day in the World” by Jack Ridl is reprinted with permission from Wayne State University Press, publisher of “Saint Peter and the Goldfinch,” a 2019 book of poems by Ridl.

I – Everything Bloomed Earlier This Year While another fissure cut off another wall of ice, all the earth’s water rising, our magnolias, lilacs, redbuds, azaleas lifted their color into the sun and tonight’s forecastfrost.

We will cover the forget-me-nots

limbs, along the way of spring’s occasion of crocus and violet. I think feathers, abandoned nests, letters with no envelopes, and a new lamp.

On the counter beneath the kitchen window the cat sleeps curled into herself, parenthetical between this melt and April’s onion snow.

and the cluster of peonies her grandmother fi rst planted in her hidden garden.

The lily of the valley’s sprawl will hold

In the basement, where it’s just warm enough, the spiders will hang their webs.

II – The Snow Has Been Gone a Week The sky is a scrim behind the dark-barked trees, their branches waiting in the negative space of air. This light lingers in the stark

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IV – Again the Squirrels The squirrels are hanging from the feeder meant for the morning arrival of grosbeaks, fi nches, chickadees, the assertive jays. The feeder clangs, dangling, and I try to sit zazen, feel the startled beat of my silly heart wanting to slam the door sending black tails, gray tails sailing

We’ll drape a sheet over the haphazard assemblage of crocuses, daffodils, and jonquils.

against the cold.

to cross this space into the world you know: the branches where you perch, the ground where you search the air…

III – Sparrow I have no idea if you are lark, java, white-throated, vesper, song, or saltmarsh sharp-tailed.

I have Sibley’s guide, Peterson’s, and one for our area. But even if I memorized your markings, you would not be the bird sitting on the lowest branch of the old beech outside our bedroom window.

I want

from their clutch of the ebony, oiled sunflower seeds.

“Only for the birds,” I chant.

“Only for the birds,” my mantra mocking myself, my morning, my monotonous hope that the day will unfold into something other than its inevitable chatter, its necessary way of forcing us to interrupt.

I will wait for night, for the moon’s light draping across our eyes, for a rainfall that mutes it all.

V – Maybe It’s another morning, the sun pulled slowly hand over hand to sow its earth-bound light dappling the grasses, fuzzy whites, lady’s mantle, lamb’s ear, and lying across

years on the porch, in her chair — a pot of tea, biscuits, currant jam, her Pall Malls, and a fresh deck of cards to fi ll her day with solitaire. She talked to herself as if collecting those who walked by. “Will she ever get rid of that hat?”

“It’s Wednesday so there’s the lousy liquor in his bag.”

Our pansies are getting leggy.

The shaggy irises are blooming.

the variegated leaves, hexing what we think we see. Besides

the light’s arrival. On the porch the dog at peace between his paws.

to a branch on the white pine, onto the curly willow, back down and around the trunk, stops to scratch, then heads across to the garden.

A red-winged blackbird balances on the top of the pink azalea, its last blooms landing amid the swatch of maidenhair ferns.

The hostas are rising, their leaves green and blue-green and widening as if receptive to any ant or rain.

My grandmother spent fi fty-three

VIII – Stopping at the Window to Watch the Squirrels It is early Monday morning and it is gray. And it is January, a gray early Monday in January. There is snow on our borrowed bit of earth.

Most everyone is working or going to work or coming home. Out the backyard window, through the stagger of hemlocks, blue spruce, and white pines, the juncos, wrens, fi nches, and redpolls, nuthatches, and chickadees rise

the lily-padded pond, the frogs with ever-croaking gulp swallow

VI – The View from the Porch The gray squirrel takes its circular route up the maple, out on a limb, leaps

of coral bells and columbine, settles into the full dark of the hemlock.”

VII – The Cat and I Watch the Morning It’s what we do. Each morning.

The cat still sleeping on the sill, tail twitching. Standing at the window, I sip my coffee, new-brewed and caramel-creamed. Within the sprawl of this light, I want to turn and say, “Watch how the light moves across the liriope, sharp-cutting in shafts through the winter leftovers of brown and yellow, how it lies on the platter-leaved butterbur drips down the fragile dangle

and dive like lost kites on a wind-fi lled day, then dart within the tangles of branches to the feeders hanging, perhaps high enough, perhaps low enough, a sprawl of dropped black-oil sunflower seeds dappled among the fallen pinecones. We no longer go to work. We keep the feeders full and fi ll our cups with coffee, hot and tempered with cream.

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Jack Ridl is the author of seven published poetry collections and professor emeritus of English at Hope College. He is the recipient of several national awards, including the Chapbook Award from The Center for Book Arts in New York City. He lives in the Douglas area with his wife and their Spinone Italiano dog, Vivian.

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THE SPORTING LIFE

A sampling of Terry McBurney’s Michiganmade fishing lure and gear collection.

BY BOB GWIZDZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHNNY QUIRIN

T

A collector of tackle

erry McBurney is a collector. And a historian. And because of that, he also is a storyteller.

For the last 16 years, McBurney has written a monthly column for Woods-N-Water News, an outdoors publication out of Imlay City that is largely hunting- and fishing-oriented. His is one of the senior columns in the periodical, one of the most popular, and it deals entirely with antique fishing tackle.

“He stepped in I don’t know how many years ago, and all of a sudden he had a terrific following,” said Tom Campbell, editor of WNWN. “The feedback he’s gotten from readers has turned into some fantastic finds and stories down the line. That’s always been

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great, and we love that Terry has vast knowledge, and there’s hardly ever a question that he can’t answer. And he’s always willing to help; he doesn’t just write about it, he lives it.”

Indeed, fishing tackle has been a big part of his life since almost ever.

“My passion has always been fishing,” McBurney said. “I got a job in a sporting goods store at 15 and worked at it until I graduated from college. Then I went to work full time for a fishing tackle distributor.”

A Chicago native, McBurney, 76, relocated to Michigan briefly to stock Meijer sporting goods departments, but Meijer decided to go with another distributor, so he moved back to Illinois. But Meijer then asked him if he’d

take over as its buyer, and in 1973, he moved to West Michigan permanently. During his tenure, Meijer briefly published an outdoors magazine, and that’s when McBurney discovered writing.

His early work “wasn’t very good,” according to McBurney. But he stayed with it and credits his late wife, a retired English teacher who helped him polish his writing.

McBurney became a tackle collector almost by accident, he said.

“I love fishing tackle of all types,” he said.

“I’ve got my father’s reels. I’ve got his bamboo rod. You never think about it, but then all of a sudden, you’ve got a collection of old stuff.”

McBurney specializes in Michigan-made fishing tackle.

“Lures, rods, reels, accessories, whatever …,” he said. “The big Michigan companies — Heddon, Shakespeare, Paw Paw — I don’t collect

Terry McBurney outside of his home with an antique rod and reel (top). An assortment of pikie-style lures made by Fred Phillips, of Blanchard, in the 1930s (bottom).

those. I collect smaller companies. I’ve really had a lot of fun writing about smaller companies; it can be really difficult because everyone is gone, and the paperwork has been destroyed.”

McBurney has become a fixture at sporting shows, where his displays always draw a crowd.

It’s all “show and tell,” he said, and folks regularly bring items to him to identify and sometimes purchase. But he’s more interested in where the items came from, how the owners acquired them and what they know about them.

“I do buy,” he said, “but I’m looking for good stories. My main purpose at the shows is to talk to people. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve learned so much.”

Visitors to his booth often try to buy his pieces, but McBurney never sells his personal collectibles, even when pressed. He does a lot of appraisals and, when he finds something truly unique, will offer fair value for it, but it’s increasingly rare that he finds something that flips his switch. “…. one out of 30 will be interesting stuff,” McBurney said. “Every two or three years, you’ll see something that’ll curl your hair. And I shoot straight with people — I tell them exactly what they have.”

For example? A show visitor showed him a Hosmer Mechanical Froggie, a Dearborn-made bait with 54 individual pieces — pulleys and screws and glass eyes. It sold for $2 in the 1930s.

The lure had belonged to the fellow’s girlfriend, who’d failed to sell it at a garage sale and considered just throwing it away.

McBurney asked the guy what he thought it was worth. He guessed $25. McBurney paid him $1,200.

“It’s beyond rare,” he said. “I don’t take it to shows — it’s too rare. It wasn’t dirty, but it was well worn. It was probably out of John Hosmer’s tackle box, and he fished the heck out of it. It’s the only one I’m ever going to see.

“I just love meeting people like that.”

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Bob Gwizdz is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast and writer. He lives in East Lansing with his wife Judy.

MICHIGAN BLUE

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EVERYDAY

g e t a w a y Family home on Upper Straits Lake earns staycation status.

BY J E A N I N E M AT L OW PHOTOGR A PH Y BY JA M E S H A E F N E R

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This 5,000-square-foot waterfront haven was built with the idea of eliminating the need for a second home Up North.

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Built on the end of a peninsula with a 270-degree view of the lake, the home was designed to provide its owners an expansive view of the lake.

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hile cottages are synonymous with long-awaited, short-term stays, there’s no need to pack bags and head to another home when you live on a lake year-round. No matter the season, there’s plenty to enjoy when the abode is as majestic as the home architect Lou DesRosiers designed for Courtney and Duane Tursi on the shoreline of Upper Straits Lake in the city of Orchard Lake.

The professional couple approached DesRosiers several years ago looking for a home on the water where family members could relax, enjoy fun in the sun, watch a blizzard by the family room fireplace or lounge in a luxurious open-air grotto during a major rainstorm.

“When you walk through the front door, the view takes your breath away,” said DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Architects in Bloomfield Hills, who is known for creating high-end homes with a special connection to the water. “I want you to feel like you’re a part of nature with the glass as the only separation.”

The Tursis say their 5,000-square-foot home does just that. It provides the comfort of home with the ability to enjoy a waterfront lifestyle without building or acquiring a second place somewhere else in Michigan.

“This is our Up North. With active kids, we’re so busy we could only go there a few times a year, so we put our budget into the grotto,” said Duane, who feels the wellness benefits kick in whenever he’s on his way home. “That last half a mile, I really start to unwind.”

THE PER FECT BLEND While the home’s façade emulates a Cape Cod cottage, DesRosiers considers the house a bit of a hybrid with its warm and welcoming frontage and borderline contemporary windows on the lakeside. Repeat features keep it all cohesive, like the Connecticut fieldstone that evokes East Coast shingle-style homes on the ocean.

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The grotto (top and bottom) is a favorite place where people gather by the fireplace. The covered open-air space offers protection from inclement weather, sun and bugs with its automated screens.

At the entry, a gently arched canopy roof with a Douglas fir ceiling tops the Connecticut fieldstone columns. Gabled roofs with undulating cedar shakes at the peaks feature copper-covered bay windows. Each wing has a two-car garage, while a spare space below provides boat storage.

Residential structures must be multifaceted to accommodate an intimate dinner party or an occasional crowd while being flexible enough for the family, DesRosiers said. The layout has to be versatile and serve simultaneous functions, from workout routines to movie marathons. The lakefront setting is another consideration.

“Water is integral to human beings; it’s part of our makeup. We’re infatuated with it,” said DesRosiers, who noted the continual change of the color and texture from the light and the wind.

I NSIDE OU T With so many tailor-made spaces, it might be hard to pick a favorite, but the well-appointed grotto off the lower level lakeside typically wins. The open-air space was designed with sophisticated seating, a flatscreen TV above the fireplace and a built-in grill. Perfectly positioned under the upper deck, stone arches conceal automated retractable screens while radiant heat and paddle fans accentuate the wood ceiling. A stately curved staircase nearby reveals an outdoor shower below.

The Tursis are an active family with a passion for outdoor sports. They were looking to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, DesRosiers noted. “They are very energetic and wanted their home to express their lifestyle with all the creature comforts like the grotto that turned out to be such a big hit. It’s just a fun place to be,” he said.

I NTER IOR MOTI V ES To reflect the Tursis’ style, Cheryl Nestro, principal and CEO of Tutto Interiors in Northville, took a more modern approach

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to a traditional interior with the hub of the home leading the way. “With the open concept, they were initially very focused on the kitchen and all the details that went into it like the barrel ceiling in the pantry,” she said. “The house evolved from the central part of the home; it’s kitchen-centric, everything else flows from there.”

Working closely with the cabinet company, Nestro handled material selections for the painted finishes, granite countertops, ceramic subway tile backsplash, cherry wood floors and more. Other distinctive elements include the custom furnishings and attractive accent lighting found throughout, like the crystal pendants in the kitchen and the iron drum shade in the dining area. The neutral color palette was chosen for its calming effect with soothing grays from Benjamin Moore, like Plymouth Rock and London Fog. Each room features a unique detail overhead like the coffered ceiling in the family room. The cozy seating area by the marble fireplace contains slightly oversized chairs, a comfy custom sectional and a cocktail table-ottoman combo that serves as a multipurpose piece.

Key components in the main floor master bedroom include a tray ceiling and a classic arch above the bed with indirect lighting around the perimeter. Striped wood veneer wallpaper highlights customsized nightstands and a tufted headboard.

An upholstered bench sports acrylic legs, while pocket draperies simply dress the window to maximize the views.

On their wish list for the master bathroom: hidden linen closets, his-and-her vanities and a mosaic tile pattern on the floor. Classic cabinets designed by Nestro that were painted and glazed join the ultimate soaking tub overlooking the lake.

Throughout the extensive project, Nestro noted that the homeowners were a pleasure to work with and receptive to suggestions.

To sum up their sumptuous surroundings, “It’s all about comfort,” she said.

R IGHT AT HOM E With three kids and a full calendar, Courtney Tursi said casual gatherings are a common occurrence. People often congregate in the kitchen to create memorable meals before heading downstairs to the popular grotto. With an open plan on both floors, the kitchen overlooks the family room and the lake on the main level. Other highlights on the lower level include a home theater and a pingpong table.

Courtney said Nestro was instrumental in the interior selections: “Without Cheryl, our home wouldn’t be furnished, and the walls would be white.”

It’s been almost five years since the Tursi family settled in, and the compliments keep coming. “People are amazed at the panoramic view and they love the grotto and the kitchen,” she said. Being at the end of a peninsula with a 270-degree view of the water is very special for Duane.

Though the couple previously lived on a lake, they were looking for a flat lot that was better suited for their active family.

They also enjoy surfing, tubing and wakeboarding and a variety of fireworks.

“The lake extends the backyard as it relates to the land, and the lot that’s just north of an acre, is great for Frisbee, soccer and whiffle ball,” Duane said.

“We chose Lou early on and we learned so much. Then Cheryl brought such a nice perspective to the interiors. There was such a good balance and the result is great,” said Duane, who also praised their builder Thomas Sebold and Associates in Bloomfield Hills with Glenn Kunnath as the general contractor.

With a custom build, you get to think about the details: how you live and work, where you bring in groceries and what the flow is like when you entertain, Duane said. “That’s the benefit of planning,” he added.

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Jeanine Matlow is a Detroit-based writer and regular contributor who loves writing about homes and cottages.

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Tile-dyed Ann Arbor-based Motawi Tileworks aims to change the art of the home one tile at a time.

By Amy S. Eckert Photography by David Lewinski 36

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Nawal Motawi stands in front of a large art tile installation depicting a landscape and a tile fireplace façade.

Racks of tiles

fill the warehouse at Motawi Tileworks, row upon row of ceramics, each painted or dip-dyed by hand.

The one-of-a-kind tiles have added color and elegance to homes, libraries and hospitals across the country. And their distinctive artistry has earned the Ann Arbor-based business a reputation for excellence.

But Nawal Motawi, the artistic force behind the ceramic manufactory, might never have found her way to this creative endeavor had she followed an early impulse to leave art behind.

Art, lost and found “I was ready to quit,” said Motawi, who was at that time enrolled as a sophomore at the University of Michigan’s Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design. Focused on drawing and painting in the university’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, she grew impatient with what she saw as an overemphasis on — and, in her mind, an ill-placed love of — abstract art.

“So often, I saw artists creating abstract, experimental paintings,” said Motawi, who watched as fellow classmates tried to justify sometimes poorly crafted works with grandiose explanations of the art’s meaning and relevance. “But you can’t talk your way into making art good. Art isn’t objective. I got sick of it.”

Motawi also longed to create something not simply beautiful but also useful.

A visit to Detroit and a survey of People Mover stations helped reignite Motawi’s artistic passion and chart her future course. Many of the city’s transit stations were adorned with ceramic tiles produced by Pewabic Pottery, founded in 1903 and renowned for its handcrafted quality. In the early 20th century, Detroit’s Pewabic tiles were featured prominently MICHIGAN BLUE

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Nawal Motawi (top right) started making art tiles as a cottage business and built a highly successful art tile business with 40 employees and clients all over North America. Mitch Segall (bottom left) is part of the pressing department where unfired clay is pressed into shape, edged and trimmed before drying.

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in many of the city’s most architecturally stunning buildings, including the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Guardian Building.

“I was simply blown away by the tile work,” Motawi said of that visit, which redirected her educational course. “Ceramics, ceramic tile.

That was the perfect fit for me.”

Motawi’s early art-inspired visit to Detroit marked the mere beginning of her time there.

Following graduation, the young ceramist was hired by Pewabic Pottery. And once again, Motawi found a good fit.

“Working at Pewabic was very useful to me,” she said. “I worked in production. I worked in bookkeeping. I really learned the business side of things there. And Pewabic allowed me free studio space, so I developed artistically.”

Pewabic Pottery’s historic emphasis on handwork, vibrant glazes and historically inspired designs also suited Motawi, who still prefers creating images that honor the aesthetics of the art nouveau, arts and crafts, and midcentury modern movements. Following her stint at Pewabic, Motawi built a ceramics studio in her garage, selling art tiles at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market before founding Motawi Tileworks in 1992.

Creative process In the ensuing 28 years, Motawi Tileworks (mo tawi.com) has exploded from a one-woman operation into one employing more than 40 individuals. The company purchased Rovin Ceramics, its sole clay source, in 2011, and currently sells tiles in more than 300 locations in 14 states and Canada. In 2018, Motawi Tileworks experienced its most profitable year yet, earning more than $3 million in sales.

The tiles sold by Motawi aren’t run-of-themill backsplash tiles. Rather, the tilemaker produces three distinct types of tile, each handmade in Ann Arbor. It’s a process fascinating to

watch, one open to the public at the free docentled tours, held four times weekly.

Tilemaking begins with Adobe Illustrator, a computer software program used to translate Motawi’s designs first into wax, then into a rubber master mold. Slabs of moist clay, comprised entirely of natural materials, are pressed into the mold, carefully trimmed by hand and checked for imperfections. After drying for 24 hours, the tiles are fired before and after glazing.

Field tiles, which are the single-color tiles that make up the bulk of a typical installation, are somewhat convex in shape, providing an appearance of richness and depth otherwise lacking in flat mass-market tiles. The slightly rounded edges of Motawi’s field tiles have the added advantage of feeling unusually comfortable underfoot.

Motawi’s single-color relief tiles are ideal as accent pieces and bear images of flora, fauna and geometric shapes. Both field and relief tiles are dip-dyed in one of 35 standard glazes, developed and created of all-natural materials by Motawi on-site. The dipping process allows the color and luminescence of the glaze to shine; hand-dipping allows for slight nuances of color, rendering each tile unlike any other.

Motawi’s third variety of tile is the multicolored art tile. Sometimes referred to as a raised-line tile, this method traces its roots to the Middle East and involves the outlining of an image with slightly raised lines. The depressions formed between the lines form tiny, shallow reservoirs, ready to be filled with pools of glaze in something akin to a paint-by-number.

Artisans use stainless steel-tipped bulb syringes to fill in the recesses of the art tiles that have become a hallmark of Motawi Tileworks.

Finished tiles are typically hung as standalone art pieces or integrated into larger installation projects with designs that include twisting grapevines and clambering ivy, brilliantly blooming poppies, roses and peonies, or geometrical patterns inspired by the art deco, arts

“I like the colorwork that is standard in Motawi tiles. I like their finishes.

But Motawi tiles also can be fully customizable, and in a word, that is the great advantage of Motawi Tileworks.”

Justin Sharer

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and crafts, and midcentury modern eras.

The company’s most striking art tiles stem from the works of several beloved 20th-century designers. Motawi is the only tile manufacturer licensed to recreate the designs of architectural titan Frank Lloyd Wright, bringing new life to the master’s geometrical patterns and floral images. The designs of Japanese printmaker Yoshiko Yamamoto are similarly part of Motawi’s catalog, featuring images of elegant redwoods, mountain landscapes and colorful birds.

Also popular are the images of Charley Harper, an illustrator famous for his highly stylized images of the natural world. Well suited to a midcentury décor, Harper’s works include

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whimsical nuthatches and woodpeckers, cats and squirrels up to their cheeks in acorns. New for 2019 was Motawi’s expansion of its 3-by6-inch Harper subway art tile line, featuring brightly colored cardinals and blue jays, owls and chipmunks.

Homeowners looking for very specific tile installations — customized images or precise color matches — find in Motawi a tilemaker expertly suited to unique design needs. After all, she sees herself first and foremost as an artist.

Designing with tile It is Motawi’s ability to customize that inclines interior designers such as Justin Sharer to sug-

gest the tilemaker to homeowners planning design projects. The owner and creative director of Plymouth-based Sharer Design Group, Sharer has a personal affinity for the arts and crafts aesthetic, having himself studied Frank Lloyd Wright in college, and that heightens his interest in Motawi’s designs.

“In Plymouth, there are a lot of arts and crafts-era houses,” Sharer said, “so Motawi’s designs are often a very good fit for those homeowners.” And if he recommends the tilemaker to his largely suburban Detroit customer base, many times he doesn’t need to: His clients often arrive asking specifically for Motawi tiles.

“They’re looking for a level of finished product that just can’t be achieved at some of the big box stores, with their cases and cases of identical tiles,” Sharer said.

And in those instances where a homeowner desires a design or color not in any existing catalog? Again, Motawi can satisfy Sharer’s clients.

“I like the colorwork that is standard in Motawi tiles,” Sharer said. “I like their finishes. But Motawi tiles also can be fully customizable, and in a word, that is the great advantage of Motawi Tileworks.”

When asked for her own decorating tips, Motawi urges homeowners to consider the focal point of a room and begin there.

“Think about what grabs attention in the given room,” she said. Typically, it’s a fireplace or a dining nook, but it might be the chronological era or geographical location in which the home was originally constructed. Once you’ve settled on that, she said, narrow in on a specific color, texture or theme to add a visual pop to that architectural element.

“But remember that design projects are very much individual,” Motawi said. “Ultimately, a homeowner should simply focus on the designs and colors that they like. A professional designer will help sort out the details.”

≈

Amy Eckert is an award-winning travel writer and author based in Holland.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MOTAWI TILE

A variety of Motawi tiles were used to create this attractive, custom “sunflower” fireplace facing.

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Modern materials and a new site plan give the family cottage a fresh look and new outlook on Gun Lake.

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Starting

OV E R M O D E R N C U S T O M C O T TAG E H O N O R S FA M I LY A N D H I S T O RY.

BY J E A N I N E M AT L OW PHOTOGRA PH Y BY BILL LINDHOUT

For many Michigan leisure seekers, seasonal stays and scenic settings often go hand in hand.

Such is the case for Catherine “Cahssey” Augenstein, who has spent summers on Gun Lake in Middleville since she was a kid. Now, she and her husband Don, who currently live in Cleveland, have their own special getaway for memories to be made, a custom cottage that embodies past, present and future. Situated on the Hastings Point peninsula adjacent to the Yankee Springs Recreation Area, their new build has an added perk with her siblings next door and their dad two doors down in houses that have been in their family for generations.

Guided by Cahssey’s personal ties to the area, she and Don acquired the original cottage on their property when it became available in 2004 and where they lived until 2016. When it came time to rebuild, however, they had a hard time seeing past what they had. Cahssey credited Mathison | Mathison Architects in Grand Rapids with nudging them to another level. “They helped us expand our thoughts, and now, it’s a very comfortable place,” said Cahssey, who also worked with builder Dale Deverman. “It feels so open, and it really brings in the surrounding beauty.”

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Lake-facing upstairs bedrooms (left) provide an airy feeling of being connected to nature. The simple, open-plan main floor (top right) provides plenty of space for family gatherings, while the cork floor (lower right) is easy on the feet.

The more the merrier Though their new 2,200-square-foot home has a modern aesthetic, the unique structure exudes a classic cottage feel that welcomes all who enter. With four grown children and a total of 16 cousins in the mix, the quaint location offers the ultimate gathering spot for the couple and their extended family. “It really has become the place where we see each other throughout the year,” she said.

With only nine cottages on the point, multigenerational dwellings are typical in the tight-knit community where staying connected to their neighbors remained a priority. The original home was oriented toward the road where everyone would sit on the porch and greet passersby. Now, a wraparound deck spans three sides of the distinctive dwelling with a wider section on the side reserved for al fresco meals that lure the locals. “We enjoyed being the welcoming committee, so we still wanted it to feel open for people to stop by,” Cahssey said.

Relaxed atmosphere Low-maintenance living also made the list for their new digs. “We wanted it to be pretty easy to manage and functional, not fussy,” she said about the house they hope to pass on to their children where cork floors stand up to dog claws. “It’s quiet with kids and easy on the feet.” In the kitchen, comforting Robin’s egg blue cabinets have a retro effect while Formica countertops contribute to the casual vibe. A storage closet with a stackable washer and dryer provides an efficient area nearby. Wood accents like the walnut that tops the kitchen bar and the shelving in the living area lend warmth to the peaceful surroundings.

The main floor layout features sweeping views of the water from the big open space dotted with contents that have sentimental value like family heirloom furniture and paintings by Cahssey’s mother, who was an artist. A pair of vintage Green Stamps chairs provides the perfect perch to admire MICHIGAN BLUE

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“They wanted a home that was easy and open and comfortable.

It reflects their life. From the street, it’s very tidy and clean and simple. I love that dichotomy.”

E VA N M A T H I S O N the lake. “We sit there all the time,” she said.

A wide staircase to the second story features Danish wool carpet and a walnut railing. The cedar ceiling above envelops the cozy landing claimed by the cat that leads to lake-facing bedrooms with built-in storage. As Cahssey explained, “We only have four bedrooms because we have the overflow of the house next door. Everybody’s used to finding an open bed.” High ceilings can accommodate bunk beds for future grandkids.

Fresh perspective

Cutouts in the flat roof (top) provide light for the deck below. The Gun Lake cottage (bottom) was oriented on the site so its length is facing the water.

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Horizontal siding softens the exterior that blends effortlessly with the setting. According to Evan Mathison — co-founder and principal of Mathison | Mathison Architects with his father Tom — the original house was in poor condition, so they made way for a custom home that would suit today’s lakefront lifestyle.

“We wanted to play with more modern materials and finishes … with an orientation that aligned with everything else on the point,” Mathison said.

The rich family history in the area was an integral part of the design process. “They have a family value system that’s very authentic,” Mathison added. “The form of the house represents that value system with a modern twist.”

The home is a fairly narrow building with glass on three sides. A gabled roof joins deep overhangs that fit the waterfront setting. The horizontal flat roof was their interpretation of a wraparound porch on a traditional house where the roof form is meant to mimic the line of the lake. Perched high above the water, the outdoor threshold for gathering and relaxing was oriented the long way on the lake to take advantage of the view.

The threshold overlooking the lake includes an expansive wood deck and a screened porch. Triple-pane windows and doors include a 20-foot lift-and-slide sys-

tem that expands the modest footprint. The home also has an unfinished basement that can accommodate kayaks and a wood-retaining wall along the concrete stairs leading to the house from the lakeside.

Bright ideas The fact that the deck floats a little on the landing highlights the depth of the covered porch and the sophisticated outdoor rooms.

“We completely reoriented the new building with remnants of the old building, and it’s so efficient with insulated foam walls,” said Mathison, who connected with the couple after they searched online for green architects.

The home heats and cools quite easily, he said.

A self-sufficient biofuel fireplace requires no venting or flue, and a geothermal open-loop system pulls in water from the ground.

The flat roof also contains black river pebbles and a green section with sedums.

Cutouts provide natural light to the outdoor space below.

All together now “They wanted a home that was easy and open and comfortable. It reflects their life,” Mathison said. “From the street, it’s very tidy and clean and simple. I love that dichotomy.”

The laidback lifestyle at the lake keeps the couple and their kids coming back to their casual cottage, where Cahssey loves to cook for the active family who enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking. While pontoon and ski boats are shared with other kin, Don, who loves to sail, has a Hobie Cat. Other popular pastimes include walks with their dogs, cross-country skiing and yoga on the deck when all the cousins are there.

“We go there to get away, relax and entertain,” Cahssey said.

≈

Jeanine Matlow is a Detroit-based writer and regular contributor who loves writing about homes and cottages.

SPECIA L A DVE RTISIN G SECTION

Life on the Lakeshore A MICHIGANDER’S DREAM

From the rushing rivers that run through it to the sparkling lakes that surround it — and all the sandy-bottomed oases in between — Michigan flourishes with bodies of water that beckon vacation-home and year-round dwellers alike. There’s simply no place like the Great Lakes State to call home, and no better place to find the right craftspeople to design, build, renovate, or style your space.

W

HETHER IT’S A HUMBLE summer cottage nestled amid towering pines or a glorious estate overlooking a rocky shoreline, whether you’re starting with a new foundation or reimagining an existing structure, or whether you want to preserve existing details and décor or completely redesign from floor to ceiling, the artisans featured on the following pages will

capture your visions and transform them into reality.

Utterly splendid reality.

Bring the rich colors and textures of the outdoors in; create warm, welcoming spaces; discover function within form; or stretch your arms and expand your boundaries into new dimensions — all with the guidance and skills of some of the finest professionals you’ll find in Michigan and beyond.

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In desperate need of a definitive style, this second-story addition and renovation provided the perfect space for a show-stopping staircase, complete with customfabricated steel railings.

Scott Christopher Homes RESIDENTIAL CUSTOM HOME BUILDER AND RENOVATOR

SCOTT CHRISTOPHER, Owner

620 3 Mile Rd. NW, Ste. A, Grand Rapids, MI 49544 scottchristopherhomes.com

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Below: Historical renovations require an added level of ingenuity to preserve and replicate materials and elements of historical significance, while at the same time updating the function, flow, and amenities that are needed in a modern-day family home.

Specially designed and fabricated windows were used to replace the crumbling original windows without losing their bygone charm.

AFTER

BEFORE

BEFORE Above: The addition of a second story and notable changes in the exterior style resulted in a stark contrast between the “before” and “after” representations of this lakefront home.

AFTER

SCOTT CHRISTOPHER HOMES may have a reputation for building custom homes, but nearly half of their business comes from renovations of all scopes and styles — and that’s not by circumstance; that’s by design.

From small improvements to complete additions to taking entire homes down to the studs; whether the style is contemporary, transitional, or historical; and especially if your property is on a lakefront, Scott Christopher Homes has the expertise to transform the home you live with today to one you’ll cherish tomorrow.

While many builders only take on renovation projects when they aren’t busy building custom homes, Scott Christopher Homes views remodels as just as significant, if not more. A custom-built, from-scratch home is a blank canvas with unlimited possibilities, whereas a renovation challeng-

es the builder to work within the constraints of the current footprint. And it's in those confines and complexities that the Scott Christopher Homes team thrives.

“We have to get resourceful and that’s what really excites us,” Christopher says. “Preserving the integrity of pieces that are special to our clients, or coming up with creative solutions for how to accomplish the end goals within the existing space, are just a few of the ways remodels push us to be better craftsmen of our trade.”

Although renovations are enjoyable for the team, they also require serious considerations. Carefully measured scheduling and coordination are key, and time spent up front with the plans, design, and cost study is vital to preventing the overruns and frustrations that can often come with renovations.

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BEFORE

AFTER Taking a tired, traditional Tudor and transforming it into a sleek, contemporary residence required significant engineering and building ingenuity to accommodate the open-concept design and the stylized, suspended staircase.

“We take the time to work with our clients to analyze their home’s potential for renovation and to ensure that their objectives can be met,” Christopher says. “We have the experience to understand what it will take to not only complete the project, but also to properly estimate both time and budget.”

Because most clients stay living in their home during a renovation, the team must take extra care and follow special protocols to ensure the least disruption to the homeowners.

“We have to be very sensitive to the fact that there are people living on the construction site,” Christopher says.

“Our renovations are well-orchestrated, with a focus on getting in and out as efficiently, attentively, and respectfully as possible.”

The team also does their best to limit inconveniences by providing special touches such as temporary, roll-in kitchens

with electricity and running water so homeowners can live more comfortably and maintain their lifestyle and routines.

It’s that level of service that has clients talking and their neighbors taking notice — and it’s what has kept Scott Christopher Homes in the custom home building and renovation business for over 30 years.

“The majority of people who call us for a renovation do so because they don’t want to move, but their house no longer serves their needs,” Christopher says. “One of the biggest rewards for us is that when our work is done, our clients end up loving their homes again.”

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This soaring space was made cozy and inviting by utilizing a neutral palette with pops of reds and greens in cottage-friendly linens, plaids, and velvets.

Antique game boards make for fun and colorful wall art.

TOM RIKER AND JAMES DOLENC, Founders 900 N. Franklin St., Ste. 800, Chicago, IL 60610 1380 Wildflower Ln., Glenn, MI 49416

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James Thomas Interiors RESIDENTIAL DESIGNER

EVERY YEAR, over Labor Day weekend, James Dolenc and Tom Riker host a front porch party at their vacation home in Glenn, Michigan. It’s a time to celebrate with friends and family, to toast the closing of another magnificent Michigan summer, and to showcase what they do best: create approachable spaces infused with James Thomas Interiors’ effortlessly elegant interior design.

Though they have different backgrounds — Tom’s in architecture and James’s in commercial interiors — both share a natural flair for hospitality that extends beyond their perennial holiday gathering and into the relationships they build with clients and the homes they design.

The goal, always, for James Thomas Interiors is to create a welcome home. What that looks like for one client may not be the same for another, and getting to the heart of each individual homeowner’s signature style is one of the most rewarding parts of the process.

“You might see a common thread throughout all of our projects, but they're very different because our clients are different,” Riker says. “We enjoy working in diverse aesthetics because that makes it fresh and exciting.”

“I always say that we’re guides, in terms of the design process,” Dolenc adds. “Whether it’s a contemporary or more traditional home, Tom and I approach it with the same principles, and work hard to learn as much as possible from our clients to ensure we’re all on the same page.”

They achieve this harmony through their Five Layer Design Process, which incorporates the story, the structure, the romance, the character, and the spirit. Every detail is considered, resulting in a comprehensive theme for the home.

Inspiration can come from a number of sources; from a texture or color scheme spotted at a favorite travel destina-

Top: Hospitality is in the details and not one is missed as the tables are set for an evening of friendship, conversation, and good cheer.

Bottom: James Dolenc, Tom Riker, and Teddy welcome guests to their annual front porch party at their Glenn, Michigan, home located just minutes from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

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"Whether it’s a contemporary or more traditional home, Tom and I approach it with the same principles, and work hard to learn as much as possible from our clients to ensure we’re all on the same page." — JAMES DOLENC

Red, white, and blue never goes out of style with this homage to summer holidays. Antique Strie velvet on the club chairs is paired with bold and neutral accent and sofa pillows.

tion, to a room’s specific focal point, to a nod toward the home’s surrounding landscape, whether it’s a wooded lot, metropolitan setting, or waterfront property.

Just as the process is layered, so is the blend of furniture, art, accessories, light fixtures, and wall coverings, giving the home both personality and depth.

“There should be a mix of styles and pieces from different places,” Dolenc says. “We love pulling in a quirky flea market

find just to give it added character, or balancing vibrant flora and water hues from the outdoors with a mingling of neutral, calming elements.”

No matter how the style unfolds, the final outcome is a well-rounded, well-appointed home that draws in hosts and guests alike to bask in a cozy corner, socialize in a cheerful great room, or break bread across a beautifully set dining table.

Crossman Group Create An Impression

WATERFRONT & LUXURY HOMES

WOODLAND SCHMIDT A leader in Michigan for client satisfaction.

Andrea’s 27 years of experience have resulted in her becoming the number one waterfront Realtor® in the state.

Call Andrea at 616.218.0267 Serving West Michigan Registered Landscape Architects 4353 Three Mile Road N.E. Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525 616-363-6400 www.kappeslandscapes.com

ASSOCIATE BROKER | GLOBAL LUXURY SPECIALIST 466 East 16th Street | Holland, MI 49423

TO VIEW ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES WITH ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, PLEASE VISIT:

www.AndreaCrossman.com Information believed to be accurate but is for REFERENCE only. ®, TM and SM are licensed trademarks to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation.

An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity

Each Coldwell Banker® Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

BELLAIRE

ESCAPE | FEAST | SHOP | STAY

FIND

Yo u r s e l f

w w w. D e s t i n a t i o n B e l l a i r e . c o m

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY iSTOCK

EXCURSIONS

Make a date with the state Enjoy the season and the fun, from outdoor celebrations to dramatic and stirring performances indoors.

FA M I LY F U N PA G E 57 H O M E & G A R D E N PA G E 5 9 A R T & M U S I C PA G E 6 0 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 6 3

Yesss! Cottage Life.

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Reminisce about loon calls, watching the sunrise, feeling the breeze. Check out cottage and lakefront living shows or boat shows.

Shop for a canoe or kayak. Take the kids to a winter festival or out on a late winter scavenger hunt. Attend a folk music festival, go to a botanical garden. Learn about glass art or try curling, if you dare.

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EXCURSIONS

February/March

Feb. 15-16 Winter is no time to sit around. The Polar Roll in Ishpeming promises challenging terrain, wild weather and friendly Yoopers. The largest winter fat-bike event in Michigan offers a 15- or 30-mile course, plus a snowshoe option. Get your free hugs at the Hugs and Bacon Aid Station, celebrate with a post-race party at Barrel+Beam and head home with guaranteed memories. thepolarroll.com

March 12-15 Longing for a new boat, camper, cottage or outdoor living space? Start shopping early at one of the many home, garden, boat and camper shows held in February and March. See a complete listing in Excursions. Novi Boat Show offers hundreds of new 2020 boats, high-end shopping at Harborside Market, boating simulator training, scuba dive demos, DIY seminars and more. Take a boater safety course for a free ticket. This is the boat show you don’t want to miss at Suburban Collection Showplace. noviboatshow.com

Feb. 28-March 1 Feb. 22 Drinking beer outdoors in the middle of winter makes you a true Michigander! The Michigan Winter Beer Festival in Comstock Park celebrates 15 years with 1,100 Michigan beers on tap, plus food, music and fire pits at Fifth Third Ballpark. Find your favorite stout or try a new one!

Celebrate winter, fire, family and fun at the Michigan Nordic Fire Festival in Charlotte. Live like a Viking for the weekend and watch a Viking ship burning, spear-throwing competitions, sword-fighting demonstrations and fire dancers. Kids events, horn blowing, reenactment camp and dozens of other high-energy activities, plus an adult mead hall with entertainment on Friday and Saturday. michigannordicfirefestival.com

Feb. 23 Lift your spirits with live folk and bluegrass music in the historic and intimate setting of The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Now in its 12th year, the Great Indoor Folk Festival in Traverse City features more than 100 musicians from northern Michigan’s folk, bluegrass and acoustic music scene. This free, family-oriented jam session runs noon-5:30 p.m. with seven stages spread throughout the Mercado corridor. thevillagetc.com; facebook.com/greatindoorfolkfestival

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 COURTESY THE POLAR ROLL/RYAN STEPHENS PHOTO (TOP LEFT); NOVI BOAT SHOW (TOP RIGHT); iSTOCK (BOTTOM LEFT); MICHIGAN NORDIC FIRE FESTIVAL (BOTTOM MIDDLE); GREAT INDOOR FOLK FESTIVAL (BOTTOM RIGHT)

PEOPLE, PL ACES AND EVENTS TO EXPLORE IN MICHIGAN

COMPILED BY MARLA R. MILLER

FA M I LY F U N Jan. 30-Feb. 1 — North American Snow Festival, Cadillac This traditional winter festival brings out snowmobilers, ice fishers, polar plungers and winter lovers for fun on the area’s frozen lakes.

Or warm up indoors with the chili cook-off, live music, kids activities and entertainment. nasfcadillac.com Jan. 31-Feb. 1 — Let’s Chill Winter Fest, Milan Family activities include a chili cook-off, the area’s only Wine Walk, indoor and outdoor winter games, snow sculpting, an artisan tent and food, warming shelter and bonfire at Wilson Park. letschillwinterfest.com Jan. 31-Feb. 1 — Shadow Fest, Charlevoix Celebrate Groundhog’s Day with candlelight walks, snowboard rails contest, kids games and crafts, disc golf, scavenger hunt, soup contest, free movie at Charlevoix Cinema and beer tent and live music. visitcharlevoix.com/shadowfest Jan. 31-Feb. 2 — 16th annual Magical Ice Festival, St. Joseph Frosty fun and ice-carving action make this festival fun for all ages. Visit the Fire & Ice Tower, ICE Wars! competition, SnowBiz Scavenger Hunt, frozen fish toss, ice bowling and Waikiki weekend featuring tropical fun for the family. stjoetoday.com Jan. 31-Feb. 2 — Ice Breaker Festival, South Haven Admire the ice sculptures, compete in cardboard sled races, fling frozen fish, try curling or ice skating and warm up with food and drink specials in the pub slide. southhaven.org Feb. 1 — Winter Exploration for Kids, Niles Fernwood Botanical Garden Children ages 6-10 can explore the wintry trails 2-4 p.m. to look for animal tracks and magical winter features at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbotanical.org Feb. 1 — Snowfest, Downtown Muskegon Gather outdoors for popular events such as snow volleyball and a cornhole tournament, sample area chili during the “Battle of the Bowls Chili Cook-Off,” enjoy entertainment and more. jcimuskegon.org/snowfest

Feb. 2 — Winter TryAthlon, Muskegon Try three Winter Olympic sports at Muskegon Winter Sports Complex: luge, ice speedskating and cross-country skiing. This family-friendly event is geared toward novice and serious competitors. msports.org Feb. 5-8 — 98th annual Michigan Tech University Winter Carnival, Houghton Featuring dozens of huge snow statues all around campus, this event brings together students and the community to participate in broomball, comedy skits, sleigh rides, a queen coronation and lots of winter fun. mtu.edu/carnival Feb. 7–8 — Harbor Springs Ice Festival, Harbor Springs A great weekend of family fun, including live carving events, ice sculptures, winter sports demos, carriage rides and more. downtownharborsprings.com Feb. 7-8 — Curling Fest 2020, Chelsea Enjoy one hour of curling on the pristine ice of the Arctic Coliseum. Equipment included, plus pizza and snacks available. chelseamich.com Feb. 8 — Winter Family Day, Grand Rapids Bundle up for wintry fun in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden. Ice sculptures, take-home craft, interactive naturalist walk, hot cocoa and more at Meijer Gardens. meijergardens.org Feb. 12 and March 11 — GRAM Discovery Club: We Love Art, Grand Rapids Celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing a love of art with children ages 3-5. Families can go on a scavenger hunt, story time and create an art project at Grand Rapids Art Museum. The March 11 program is an Art Safari. artmuseumgr.org Feb. 12-16 — Michigan Ice Fest, Munising Fun for novices, experts and spectators, the world’s best ice climbers suit up to climb ice cliffs along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

The fun includes clinics, climbing events, workshops, demos, a photo contest and more. michiganicefest.com Feb. 13-16 — Disney on Ice Presents: Road Trip Adventures, Detroit This ice-skating adventure whisks families away on a Disney getaway full of magical participatory moments at Little Caesars Arena.

313presents.com Feb. 13-17 — Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest Mythical Creatures is the theme of this annual

celebration featuring a fishing contest, kids activities, arts market and craft show, chili cook-off, ceremonial snowman burning and entertainment tent. lescheneaux.net/snowsfest Feb. 14-16 — Petoskey Winter Carnival A Petoskey winter tradition continues with indoor and outdoor fun that includes the area’s famous bump-jumping competition, cardboard sled race, ice skating and other family activities. petoskeydowntown.com Feb. 15 — Winter Ice Festival, Sault Ste. Marie Enjoy a day of winter fun and watch awardwinning ice sculptors carve and create before your eyes. Over 50 sculptures on display throughout downtown, plus a farmers market, Ice Wars competition at 6 p.m., food and more. saultstemarie.com Feb. 15-16 — Free Fishing Weekend, statewide Grab a pole and your family or friends and take advantage of free fishing on both inland and Great Lakes waters for residents and out-ofstate visitors. No license or recreation passport required. michigan.gov Feb. 20-22 — Under the African Sky, Ann Arbor A delightful collection of African tales performed through storytelling, acting, dancing and drumming for ages 3-9 at Wild Swan Theater. wildswantheater.thundertix.com Feb. 21-22 — Great Lakes Comic-Con, Warren The 10th anniversary celebration includes guest speakers, exhibitors, free board gaming and tournaments, adult and kids costume contests, and classic arcade games at Macomb Community College. greatlakescomicconvention.com March 7-8 — An Afternoon at the Sugarhouse, Midland Discover the magic of maple syrup season and experience the process of making syrup from start to finish at Chippewa Nature Center. Offered weekends in March. chippewanaturecenter.org March 13-14 — St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, Grand Ledge This annual celebration is set in historic downtown Grand Ledge and consists of an Irish Stew cookoff, live music, Irish dance performances and a grand parade. glstpats.org March 13-15 — Kids Festival Weekend, Boyne Falls From inflatable obstacle courses, paintball

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and rock walls to family movies, dance parties and coloring contests, this weekend at Boyne Mountain is geared toward kids of every age. boynemountain.com March 14 — Muskegon’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Families, organizations, fraternal groups, businesses, marching bands and more march in this exciting parade along “O’Clay Street!” jcimuskegon.org March 14 — Caberfae Spring Carnival, Cadillac This send-off to the ski season includes an outdoor Snowbar & Grill, rail jam, costume parade and Big Air contest with music at the base of the slopes. caberfaepeaks.com/spring-carnival March 14 — St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, Ludington Grab your green gear for a full day of St. Patrick’s fun! Start with the Irish Jig 10K/5K at 9 a.m., followed by a noon parade and

festive 4 p.m. party at the Ludington Library. downtownludington.org/stpatricksday March 14 — Maple Syrup Festival, Lansing Celebrate nature’s own “Liquid Gold” at Fenner Nature Center. Visit the Sugar Bush for demonstrations, try tapping a tree and sample treats like maple creme and maple cotton candy. mynaturecenter.org March 15 — Corktown St. Patrick’s Day Parade Don your green and enjoy a day of Irish cheer in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. Parade winds down Michigan Avenue, plus family fun zone with step dancing, inflatable amusements and more. detroitstpatricksparade.com March 21 — Maple Syrup Day, Midland See how maple syrup is made and celebrate with crafts, activities and demonstrations 10-4 p.m. at Chippewa Nature Center. chippewanaturecenter.org

March 21 — Krazy Daze, Harbor Springs Ski Over the Pond, get your face painted, listen to some great tunes and take part in the Silly Slalom at Boyne Highlands spring family event. boynehighlands.com March 21 — Spring Fling, Harbor Springs Don’t miss this Mardi Gras party on the slopes.

Nub’s Nob rings in spring with the Soaker Cup, costume contest, silly races, family fun and live music. nubsnob.com March 22 — Marche du Nain Rouge, Detroit At the Marche, Detroiters are the parade. This festive trek through the Cass Corridor includes human-powered floats, music, themed costumes and revelers representing all corners of the city. marchedunainrouge.com

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HOME & GARDEN Feb. 7-9 — Mid-Michigan Women’s Expo, Lansing Pampering, seminars, shopping, mainstage presentations and over 250 exhibitors await at Lansing Center. kohlerexpo.com Feb. 8 — Plant Women Presentation, Niles This special lecture highlights the women who have advanced the fields of plant science both historically and in the present at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbotanical.org Feb. 8 — Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt, Augusta Uncover winter wildlife mysteries and naturebased challenges in a self-guided scavenger hunt at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Warm-up spots along the trail with warm drinks and treats. birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu Feb. 8-9 — Shipshewana on the Road, Kalamazoo This traveling indoor market features handmade crafts, collectibles, food and unique trinkets at Kalamazoo County Expo Center. Other Michigan dates include Feb. 1-2, Warren; March 7-8, Birch Run; April 4-5, Mount Pleasant. shipshewanaontheroad.com Feb. 16 — Seed Starting, Niles Learn techniques of starting plants from seed indoors at Fernwood Botanical Garden. All seed and supplies provided. fernwoodbotanical.org Feb. 21-23 — Southwest Michigan Home & Garden Expo, Benton Harbor Inspire, innovate and rejuvenate your home!

Exhibitors, free workshops and tips for your home, garden and lifestyle at The Mendel Center. swmhomeshow.com Feb. 22 — Edible Horticulture, Niles Presentations on sustainable food systems, cooking and eating roughage, kitchen container gardening, home winemaking and the basics of canning make for an educational day at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbotanical.org Feb. 22-23 — Greater Lansing Orchid Show, East Lansing Warm up winter with a dose of spring! Show includes orchids in bloom, vendors and exhibits, free workshops, orchid photography and more at Michigan State campus. greaterlansingorchidsociety.com

Feb. 27-March 1 — Cottage & Lakefront Living Show, Novi Make your family’s summers at the cottage memorable with an updated look. Find decorating ideas, fine art, lakefront marketplace, builders, seminar stage, vacation services and more at Suburban Collection Showplace. showspan.com/cld March 1-April 30 — Butterflies Are Blooming, Grand Rapids Longing for 80-degree weather? Visit the Tropical Conservatory at Meijer Gardens and marvel over the 7,000 tropical butterflies that freely fly in the conservatory. meijergardens.org March 5-8 — West Michigan Home & Garden Show, Grand Rapids West Michigan’s largest home and garden show features garden displays, free seminar stages and over 350 exhibitors ready to help you get the growing season started at DeVos Place. showspan.com/wmh March 6-8 — U.P. Builders Show, Marquette The UP Builders Show provides a one-stop shop for homeowners and cabin dwellers who have questions, renovation ideas or want to see the latest products and services at the Superior Dome. upbuildersshow.org March 12-15 — Lansing Home & Garden Show, East Lansing Incredible gardens, extensive landscaping projects, a Standard Flower Show and four free seminar stages surround hundreds of exhibits featuring looks for home and garden at the MSU Pavilion. showspan.com/lhg

giveaways aim to provide a weekend of fun and pampering focused on women and their families at DeVos Place. kohlerexpo.com March 13-15 — Spring Into Flowers Weekend, Bay Harbor Celebrate the season of blooms! Inn at Bay Harbor and Sweetwater Floral have partnered to teach guests how to create a stunning centerpiece to take home, sip wine fireside, enjoy afternoon tea and a flower chat. innatbayharbor.com March 14-15 — Ann Arbor Orchid Festival Beautiful orchids are the focus of this free festival that includes orchid judging, vendors, talks and demos at University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens. mbgna.umich.edu March 14-29 — Spring Flower Bulb Show, Tipton Lift your spirits with signs of spring as thousands of bulbs, flowers and foliage bloom in this special display at Hidden Lake Gardens. canr.msu.edu/ hiddenlakegardens March 21 — Spring Bluebird Festival, Traverse City Nature and bird lovers of all ages will enjoy a day of learning about native nesting birds.

Programs on bluebirds, nature and environmental exhibits, nest box building workshop and more. michiganbluebirds.org/springfestival March 21-22 — HBA Saginaw Home & Garden Show The largest home and garden expo north of Detroit brings together 200 exhibitors offering the latest products and services for the home, garden and outdoor living at the Ryder Center. hbas.org

March 13-14 — Northern Michigan Regional Home Show, Petoskey Showcasing the best northern Michigan has to offer for home and renovation projects, talk to builders, landscapers and designers and attend free seminars at North Central Michigan College. hbanm.com

March 22 — Andrea Wulf: The Invention of Nature, Niles Bestselling author Andrea Wulf presents the story of Alexander von Humboldt, the great scientist and intrepid explorer, at Fernwood Botanical Garden. fernwoodbotanical.org

March 13-14 — Muskegon Home, Garden + DIY Show, Muskegon Fricano Place hosts over 50 exhibitors for home projects, home décor, landscaping and more.

Do-It-Yourself and demonstrations on floral design, furniture refurbishing and gardening. muskegonhgs.org

March 27-29 — Cottage & Lakefront Living Show, Grand Rapids Find decorating inspiration, exhibitors, products and services at this annual expo dedicated to cottage and lakefront living. Cottage art show, seminars, photo contest, marketplace and more at DeVos Place. showspan.com/clg

March 13-15 — West Michigan Women’s Expo, Grand Rapids Over 350 exhibitors, seminars, shopping and

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ART & MUSIC Through March 1 — Detroit Collects: Selections of African American Art from Private Collections Explore the rich history of collecting African American art in the Detroit region, featuring works

by Romare Bearden, Al Loving, Charles McGee and Gilda Snowden. dia.org Jan. 26-April 26 — A New State of Matter: Contemporary Glass, Grand Rapids This exhibit at Grand Rapids Art Museum features work by contemporary artists who are using glass in innovative ways while also presenting the medium’s metaphorical possibilities. artmuseumgr.org Jan. 31-Feb. 1 — Ann Arbor Folk Festival, Ann Arbor Get ready to find your folk! The annual fundraiser for The Ark, this festival returns to the University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium for its 43rd year. theark.org/folk-festival Jan. 31-March 29 — Northern Indiana Artists Exhibit, Fernwood Botanical Garden This NIA show features a variety of work in various mediums and styles from some of its members at Fernwood Botanical Garden. Artist Reception 2-4 p.m. Feb. 9. fernwoodbotanical.org Feb. 1 — Live at The Acorn-Pink Floyd Tribute Echoes of Pompeii, Three Oaks Experience a 10-piece orchestra with a state-ofthe-art visual and sound show with lasers, videos and images of the iconic band. acornlive.org Feb. 1 — Eighth annual Art & Craft BeerFest, Lansing Hosted in REO Town at three different venues on the same block, this festival combines indoor art, comedy, movies and music. artandcraftbeerfest.com Feb. 2-March 1 — Sunday Classical Concert Series, Grand Rapids On Sundays throughout winter, enjoy live classical music performances set amidst Grand Rapids Art Museum’s architecture and galleries. artmuseumgr.org Feb. 8 — John Proulx Trio, Muskegon John Proulx’s piano playing is hot and swinging, and his voice recalls the smooth, mellow sounds of a young Chet Baker. His trio performs at The Block. theblockwestmichigan.org

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Feb. 8 — Comedian Greg Hahn, Traverse City A favorite on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show, comedian Greg Hahn brings his positive high-energy humor and physical comedy to City Opera House. cityoperahouse.org Feb. 8 — Art, Love and Chocolate Tour, Grand Rapids Art Museum Make it a Valentine’s Day date with a special guided tour that explores love, companionship, passion and dedication depicted in artwork and finish with a sweet treat at Grand Rapids Art Museum. artmuseumgr.org Feb. 8 — The Manhattan Transfer with Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Benton Harbor Known for their vocal versatility that incorporates pop, jazz, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, and symphonic, The Manhattan Transfer joins SMSO for a genre-defying concert at The Mendel Center. themendelcenter.com Feb. 11 — Michigan Speakers Series presents Nic Sheff, Benton Harbor Nic Sheff discusses his struggle with substance abuse disorder, which inspired the movie “Beautiful Boy,” at The Mendel Center. themendelcenter.com Feb. 13 — An Intimate Evening with Serita’s Black Rose Duo, Ludington A three-time Eclipse award-winning songstress, Serita Crowley performs funk, rock, blues and neo soul at Ludington Area Center for the Arts. ludingtonartscenter.org Feb. 13-22 — Significant Other, Marquette Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this lively new play at Forest Roberts Theatre. As funny as it is genuine, “Significant Other” follows singles pursuing relationships in 21st century New York City. nmu.edu/forestrobertstheatre Feb. 16 — Jimmy Grant Trio & Third Coast Swing, Ludington National touring act from California, Jimmy Grant and Tommy Davy give a matinee performance at Ludington Area Center for the Arts. ludingtonartscenter.org Feb. 20-22 and 26-29 — I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Houghton A cabaret musical exploring the funny side of courtship and marriage, one scene builds laugh upon laugh until the bittersweet moments before the final curtain at McArdle Theatre. mtu.edu/rozsa

Feb. 21-23 — Dance Retreat Weekend, Bay Harbor Learn three styles of dance — swing, waltz and rumba — during this weekend event at Inn at Bay Harbor, culminating with dinner and a performance. innatbayharbor.com Feb. 21-23, 28-29, March 2, 6-8 — Mamma Mia!, Ludington The sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. The storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, presented by West Shore Community College’s Theater Department. mynorthtickets.com Feb. 22 — Live from Charlevoix: Jill Jack Jill Jack’s magical connection to her audience is the result of her generous artistry. Since 1997, she’s won 41 Detroit Music Awards, and her melodies and lyrics touch that secret heart of audiences. livefromcharlevoix.com Feb. 22 — Marquette Symphony Orchestra: Family Pops Concert Under the baton of Maestro Octavio MásArocas, the youth choir performs selections from one of Aaron Copland’s most popular works, Old American Songs, at Kaufman Auditorium. marquettesymphony.org Feb. 29 — The Music of John Denver, Ironwood A concert featuring Layne Yost and others captures the simple soul of John Denver’s music through guitar, fiddle and upright bass arrangements at Ironwood Theatre. ironwoodtheatre.net Feb. 29 — Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, Houghton Chinese conductor Xun Sun and KSO Music Director Joel Neves lead an evening of orchestral masterworks at Rozsa Center. mtu.edu/rozsa Feb. 29-Aug. 2 — Highlights from GRAM’s Design Collection, Grand Rapids This exhibition features over 100 design objects drawn from GRAM’s permanent collection together with select loans. On view are furniture, glassware, ceramics and industrial design objects. artmuseumgr.org March 10 — Danú: St. Patrick’s Celebration, Traverse City Travel on a musical journey to Ireland with one of the leading traditional Irish ensembles of today at City Opera House. cityoperahouse.org

March 10-15 — Fiddler on the Roof, Detroit Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher and team bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece at Fisher Theatre. broadwayindetroit.com March 11-12 — Okee Dokee Brothers, Houghton This Grammy Award-winning duo has put their passion for the outdoors at the heart of their Americana Folk music and plays at Rozsa Center. mtu.edu/rozsa March 13 — Cello Sensation Sujari Britt, Muskegon West Michigan Symphony presents Sujari Britt, the 17-year-old cello sensation featured on the “Today” show and TheGrio’s “100 History Makers in the Making,” at Frauenthal Theater. frauenthal.org March 13-14 — St. Patrick’s Party, Norton Shores Throw on some Irish gear and enjoy Irish jigs, food and dancing presented by Michigan Irish Music Festival at Bella Maria’s Ristorante and Event Center. michiganirish.org March 16-April 25 — Superior Wilderness: Art from the Isle Royale Collection, Houghton Selections of art from the Isle Royale artist-inresidence program on display in Gallery A at Rozsa Center. Reception on March 20. mtu.edu/rozsa March 24-29 — Ann Arbor Film Festival, Ann Arbor Founded in 1963, the AAFF was independent before “independent film” and continues its strong independent spirit as a premier showcase for bold, visionary, experimental and high-caliber films. aafilmfest.org March 27-28 — Real To Reel Film Festival, Saugatuck Over 65 Mountainfilm on Tour: Saugatuck films, directors and speakers, artists, live music, demos, parties, outdoor adventures and more hosted by Saugatuck Center for the Arts. mountainfilm.sc4a.org Mar. 28 — House of Hamill, Muskegon Rose Baldino and Brian Buchanan create exciting original jigs, reels and songs while breathing new life into traditional Irish fiddling at The Block. theblockwestmichigan.org March 28 — Manual Cinema: Lula Del Ray, Houghton Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow

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puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive visual stories for stage and screen at Rozsa Center. mtu.edu/rozsa

LAND, AIR & SEA Feb. 1 — 52nd annual International 500 Snowmobile Race, Sault Ste. Marie Watch as snowmobilers go head to head on a 1-mile oval ice track. A week’s worth of events culminates during this 500-mile endurance challenge. i-500.com; saultstemarie.com Feb. 1 — 46th annual Sagola Township Tip-Up Town, Channing Ice-fishing contest on Sawyer and Edey lakes, plus food, drinks, entertainment and winter fun at Sagola Township Sportsmen’s Club. stsportsmen.com Feb. 1 and March 7 — Mackinac Island Turtle Trek Enjoy a lantern-lit ski and snowshoeing trek through some of Mackinac Island’s natural winter wonderland. mackinacparks.com Feb. 1 — YooperBeiner Snowshoe Race, Ironwood Take your snowshoeing up a notch! This USSSA sanctioned event includes 5K/10K snowshoe race/walk and kids race at Wolverine Nordic Ski Trails. wolverinenordic.com Feb. 1 — 44th annual White Pine Stampede, Antrim County Join the thousands who have skied this pointto-point cross country race on groomed trails that wind through picturesque scenery in Antrim County. 50K, 20K and 10K routes ending at Shanty Creek Resort. whitepinestampede.org Feb. 1 — Frosty 5K & Merry Mile, Iron Mountain Race includes a competitive and noncompetitive 5K run/walk as well as a fun 1-mile course to raise money for Walk for Warmth at Crystal Lake Senior Center. frosty5k.wix.com/dicsa Feb. 1 — Winterlaufe 8K Race, Frankenmuth This unique winter run and USATF-certified race takes participants through scenic countryside, across the 1904 Gugel Bridge and then back to town. frankenmuthjaycees.com/jaycee-race-series Feb. 1, 8, 15 — Snowshoe hikes/ski events, Ludington State Park Ludington State Park offers free snowshoeing events and guided winter hikes for locals and guests alike. The lantern-lit trail is a 1-mile loop through the park with bonfires along the route. michigandnr.com/parksandtrails

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Feb 1, 8, 15 & 22 — Lantern-lit Ski and Stroll and Guided Snowshoe Treks, Paradise Adventurous types can explore the wilderness on a guided off-trail snowshoe hike at 2 p.m. or wait until sunset and take a leisurely, self-guided trek on a lantern-lit trail at Tahquamenon Falls State Park’s Upper Falls. michigan.gov/tahquamenonfalls Feb. 2 and 6 — Adventures for Women: Snowshoe Hike, Midland Bring a gal pal for an afternoon hike on snowshoes while noticing birds, animal tracks and other points of interest in the woods. On Feb. 6, come out for an evening hike and discover the beauty of a winter night at Chippewa Nature Center. chippewanaturecenter.org Feb. 5-9 — 54th annual Detroit Camper & RV Show, Novi Camping is a great way to enjoy the outdoors.

Upgrade to a new camper and find the latest in accessories, campgrounds and more at one of the state’s annual expos. Other dates: March 5-8, Battle Creek; March 12-15, Port Huron; March 20-22, Flint; March 27-29, Traverse City. michiganrvandcampgrounds.org Feb. 7-9 — Birch Run Hunting and Fishing Expo Shop hundreds of exhibitors specializing in fishing, hunting and other outdoor fun activities including trout pond, fishing simulator and shooting gallery. birchrunhuntfish.com Feb. 8 — Honey Bear Classic, Big Bay Support the Big Bear Pathway and participate in youth and adult ski events, prizes, refreshments and a warming fire. The Honey Bear 12K or 24K classic challenge are timed events around the Bear Mountain Loop. noquetrails.org Feb. 8-9 — 44th annual VASA Festival of Races, Traverse City A Traverse City tradition since 1977, this weekend includes a variety of cross-country ski races from 6K to 50K, fat-bike races, snowshoe race, plus post-race awards party at Timber Ridge Resort. vasa.org Feb. 13-16 — Labatt Blue UP Pond Hockey Championship, St. Ignace Bundle up and bring the beer for one of the largest pond hockey tournaments in North America and the largest tournament in Michigan on Moran Bay. labattbluepondhockey.com

Feb. 13-17 — UP 200, Midnight Run & Jack Pine 30, Marquette to Grand Marais This annual tradition includes three-sled dog races. The UP 200 is an Iditarod qualifier that tests the skill and endurance of mushers and their dogs. The Midnight Run features a challenging course from Marquette to Chatham. The JackPine 30 is a shorter, 30-mile sprint from Gwinn to Marquette. up200.org Feb. 14-15 — 28th annual Top of the Lake Snowmobile Show & Ride, Naubinway Admire a large collection of antique sleds or hit the trails on a group day and night ride, plus speakers, auction and Ice Bridge crossing. snowmobilemuseum.com Feb. 14-16 — West Michigan Golf Show, Grand Rapids Get ready to tee off and plan your next golf outing with the area’s top equipment dealers, courses and resorts set up inside DeVos Place. showspan.com/wmg Feb. 15-16 — 81st annual Pine Mountain Ski Jumping Tournament The Kiwanis Ski Club was awarded a spot on the FIS Continental Cup calendar, bringing the top ski jumpers in the world to Iron Mountain. kiwanisskiclub.com Feb. 19 and March 25 — Maritime Lecture Series, South Haven Learn how St. Joe went from the first lighthouse on the bluff to the two lighthouses that stand there today during this 6:30 p.m. program at Michigan Maritime Museum. On March 25, presenter Ross Richardson discusses the Manitou Passage and the Beaver Passage, home to the largest collection of lighthouses and shipwrecks in all of Lake Michigan. michiganmaritimemuseum.org Feb. 19-23 — Grand Rapids Boat Show Ready for a boat upgrade? Celebrating its 75th year, this show offers 5 acres of the latest and greatest power boats at DeVos Place. Board a variety of makes and models and marvel over the amenities and marine technology. showspan.com/grb Feb. 22 — Reel Fun Festivus and Ice Fishing Tournament, Alpena If you’re a fisherman, head to Grand Lake in Presque Isle for this unique tournament. Limited tickets are sold with 1,250 predrilled holes, no shelters and prizes determined on fish weight. icefishingalpena.com

Feb. 22 — Dogman Challenge Fat Bike Race, Charlevoix Racers see who can complete the most laps in two hours and compete for cash prizes and trophies while enjoying the scenic trails around Mount McSauba Recreation Area. dogmanchallenge.net Feb. 27-March 1 — 47th annual Outdoorama, Novi The original Michigan sportsmen show is the largest size ever, offering everything for hunting, fishing, boating, canoeing, hiking, mushroom hunting or bird watching. Visit the Outfitter’s Expo area and attractions like Big Buck Night and the Trout Pond at Suburban Collection Showplace. showspan.com/out Feb. 28-March 1 — World of Wheels Autorama, Detroit America’s premier custom car show series returns to Cobo Center, now TCF Center, with a large display of custom hot rods, competition and concept vehicles and unique vendors and exhibitors. autorama.com Feb. 28-March 1 — Gaylord Boat Show This exciting event celebrates Michigan’s boating lifestyle with over 75 watercrafts on display, including the newest and hottest models for 2020 at The Ellison Place. gaylordboatshow.com Feb. 28-March 2 — 10th annual Copper Dog 150, Calumet This sled-dog race finds 350-plus dogs racing through Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The race starts in Calumet and travels across the Keweenaw. copperdog150.com

March 7 — Great Bear Chase, Calumet Celebrating 40 years, this challenging Nordic event offers freestyle and classic races on Swedentown Trails in the heart of Copper Country. greatbearchase.com March 13-15 — Outdoor Life Field & Stream Expo, Lansing Show deals, trophy contests, seminars, archery, shooting ranges, exhibits, products and more to get you ready for your next hunt, adventure or fishing trip at The Lansing Center. fieldandstreamexpo.com March 13-15 — Traverse City Boat Show It’s the No. 1 boat show in northern Michigan, featuring an incredible selection of pontoons, ski boats, cruisers and boating accessories at Grand Traverse County Civic Center. traversecityboatshow.com March 14 — Slush Cup, Schuss Mountain It’s a spectacle to behold as skiers and riders attempt to cross an icy 60-foot pond. The wild and crazy weekend includes a frozen fish toss, snow shovel racing, seal slide and other winter shenanigans. shantycreek.com March 14-15 — Midwest Fly Fishing Expo, Detroit The Michigan Fly Fishing Club throws the biggest and longest-running fest of its kind this side of the Mississippi, featuring the biggest names in angling at Macomb Community College Sports and Expo Center. midwestflyfishingexpo.com

Feb. 29 — Mountains of the Midwest Winter Triathlon, Ironwood Love winter endurance sports? This unique triathlon combines Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire snow biking at Wolverine Nordic Ski Trails. wolverinenordic.com

March 19-22 — Ultimate Sport Show, Grand Rapids An annual tradition for outdoorsmen, exhibitors come with the latest in outdoor gear, travel ideas and fishing boats. Attractions include nearly 100 fishing and hunting seminars, taxidermy, antique lures, fishing simulator and 110,000-gallon indoor lake at DeVos Place. showspan.com/usg

Feb. 29 — 25th annual Quiet Adventures Symposium, East Lansing Over 150 exhibitors, speakers and demonstrations make this a day of learning and fun for campers, hikers, cyclists, kayakers, anglers and paddle sport enthusiasts at MSU Pavilion. quietwatersociety.org

March 20-21 — Carnival Weekend, Boyne Falls Bigger and better every year, Carnival Weekend is the party of the season designed for adults who want to act like kids. boynemountain.com

March 7 — Huma Loopa Licious Fat Bike Race, Traverse City Formerly Beard of Zeus, this race wraps up Short’s Brewing Fat Bike Series with a grueling finish in front of 1,000 spectators at the Suds and Snow Microbrew Festival. sbfbs.com

G R E AT TA S T E S Feb. 1 — Soup-er Bowl, Downtown Ludington Want a great winter warm-up idea? Grab a map and stop at participating businesses for an afternoon of diverse soup tasting. downtownludington.org/soup

Feb. 1 — Ninth annual Beer and Wine Festival, Gaylord Spend the evening mingling and tasting an array of Michigan craft beer and wine while enjoying spectacular food stations from the culinary team at Treetops Resort. treetops.com Feb. 1 — Festival of Foods, Traverse City Enjoy tasty samplings and learn new cooking skills from area chefs at Hagerty Center. Choose four savory workshops and enjoy samples and appetizers. nmc.edu Feb. 8 — Bridgman Polar Party Join the party inside a giant inflatable igloo and enjoy food, local breweries and wineries, live music, and more. Proceeds benefit the Bridgman Foundation for Excellence. smrchamber.com Feb. 8, 22 and March 7 — Skiable Feast, Gaylord Eat, drink, ski and repeat! This Treetops Resort winter adventure takes you on a 6K cross-country ski excursion with five gourmet food and beverage stations along the way. treetops.com Feb. 8-9 — Taste the Passion, Leelanau Peninsula There is “snow” much fun to be had along the wine trail. Sip wine by an outdoor fire, explore the snow-covered vineyards and indulge in sweet and savory bites paired with your favorite wine. lpwines.com Feb. 8 — 12th annual Chocolate Extravaganza, Chelsea This family-friendly tour offers decadent chocolate and Valentine-themed treats and activities in 30 local restaurants, galleries and cafes. chelseamich.com Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Dinner, Hickory Corners Say “I love you” with a romantic dinner date at the historic W.K. Kellogg Manor House. Enjoy a fourcourse dinner with live music overlooking beautiful Gull Lake. conference.kbs.msu.edu Feb. 14 — Black Star Farms Valentine’s Harvest Dinners, Suttons Bay Treat your sweetheart to a special Valentine’s themed dinner at the Inn at Black Star Farms.

This wine-paired culinary experience is inspired by the best local and seasonal ingredients. blackstarfarms.com Feb. 14-15 — Chocolate Covered Boyne, Boyne City Chocolate makes this Valentine’s weekend

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EXCURSIONS

extra sweet in Boyne City. Kids activities, a chocolate dessert contest and delicious treats make this the sweetest celebration around. boynecitymainstreet.com

between the bays is romantic in winter white. Stop off at the OMP wineries to taste their top rieslings perfectly paired with a delicious small bite. wineriesofomp.com

course meal at Boyne Highlands, showcasing seasonal American/local Michigan fare with hints of refined dishes dear to executive chef Dean Grill’s heart. boynehighlands.com

Feb. 15 — Romancing the Riesling, Old Mission Peninsula Even before the first sip, the wine trail drive

Feb. 16 — Chef’s Table Dining Experience, Harbor Springs Dine at the best table in the house with this five-

March 5 — Brew on the Bay, Alpena Brew on the Bay warms up winter with beer and wine from around the state while supporting Rotary Club of Alpena. facebook.com/ alpenarotaryclub

pennant system

• Proven Bird Deterrent people love them; birds don’t!

• Aids in reducing mess on docks • Easy to install Use Coupon Code Springtime2020 to receive 15% off doripole.com

March 5 — V313, Detroit Eastern Market V313 brings together people interested in sustainable and healthy plant-based living.

Sample vegan food from some the area’s top restaurants and food trucks, plus shopping, interactive exhibits, expert presentations and more at Eastern Market. migreenteam.com March 7 — 14th annual Suds and Snow, Traverse City Billed as the ultimate party in the woods, join beer drinkers and sports enthusiasts for an afternoon of winter fun. Hike to the back woods of Timber Ridge Resort for music stages, food and revelry. sudsandsnowtc.com March 14 — Brew Ski Festival, Harbor Springs There is fun on tap from morning to midnight with snow, more than 200 brews and live entertainment at Boyne Highlands. boynehighlands.com

310 Dunes Drive, Manistee This beautiful 5 BR, 3.5 BA-home with 100 feet of WIDE, SANDY, walk-right-out beach frontage ON LAKE MICHIGAN is not too big, not too small, and more than just right; it’s perfection. There truly is no better frontage than this! NO STEPS! And inside you’ll find just what you need for year-round living, and then some great extras. You’ll love the open living space, red birch floors, granite center island, gas fireplace, fun sun room, office loft, main-floor master suite that overlooks LK MI and offers access to the deck and beach, and an enormous finished basement with all kinds of extra rooms and storage (and a putting green!) You’ll also love the on-demand water heater, the over-sized garage and a optional room to bring the laundry on the main floor. Must see in person! $990,000

Call/Text Suzanne Riley 231-620-9561  LakeMI.com

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March 21 — Sips, Chips & Dips, Leelanau Peninsula Who can resist chips and dip? This casual tour pairs everyday snacks with Leelanau wine and makes for a fun day on the trail. lpwines.com March 24 — Forks & Corks, Lansing Held at Cooley Law School Stadium, each suite features a dish from one of metro Lansing’s best restaurants paired with a fine wine. forksandcorkslansing.org

EXCURSIONS LEGEND Explore these collective Michigan area websites for more regional events and details.

Blue Water Area bluewater.org Detroit Metro CVB visitdetroit.com Great Lakes Bay Region gogreat.com Harbor Country harborcountry.org Pure Michigan michigan.org Southwest Michigan Tourist Council swmichigan.org Upper Peninsula Tourism & Recreation Association uptravel.com West Michigan Tourist Association wmta.org

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MICHIGAN TOP 5

BY KIM SCHNEIDER

Cottage country art Todd and Brad Reed Photo Gallery

distance in their shots of lakes midwave or closeups of eagles and sleeping fawns. If yours is a lakeshore or Upper Peninsula cottage, chances are they’ve uniquely captured a landscape you love. toddandbradreed.com

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY TODD AND BRAD REED PHOTO GALLERY

Freshwater Gallery, Boyne City This is an oasis of warm space and riotous color midwinter as you explore under a soaring wood ceiling. The art is hung on brick walls, scattered throughout a space with room enough for the massive wooden beds crafted by owner Tony Williams. More than 200 artists are featured. The venue also doubles as space for concerts curated by his wife Robin Lee Berry. freshwaterartgallery.com

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aybe it’s the gift of unscheduled time, maybe the inspiration of lake and woods, but no trip to our family cabin has ever ended without the practice of art in some form. On rainy days, someone inevitably reaches atop the hutch, on which my husband’s nature-loving grandmother painted the likeness of a favorite bird, and pulls down the well-worn box holding a potholder kit of hooks and fabric loops.

Games of Pictionary may or may not count, but there always was plenty of creativity there, as well as in hours spent coloring, making tie-dye shirts or heading out by kayak in the pre-dawn to capture in photos the lake’s changing color and light.

Here are five cottage country galleries to inspire your own artful season, places to

find new art for the walls or simply to enjoy on a rainy day at the cottage.

Tamarack Gallery, Omena You’ll find expertly curated art at this bendin-the-road gallery found in one of nature’s most artful Michigan towns: Omena. Tamarack sits across the street from the bay and the setting is reflected inside in clay vases that resemble birch bark trees, misty landscapes and mixed media works that inspire storytelling of your own. tamarackartgallery.com Todd and Brad Reed Photo Gallery, Ludington Arguably the top nature photographers in the state — and surely in the running for kindest — this father-son duo leaves no arms-length

Otis Pottery, East Jordan Though it’s open year-round, it’s good to call ahead in winter to be sure you’ll find David or June Otis or their son, David, at work on their distinctive pottery that is often finished in their new wood-fired kiln. Pick up a teapot set for your cottage — inspired by June’s Japanese heritage — or other functional dishware or massive pots that often boast brightly colored accents of turquoise inspired by Michigan lakes. otispottery.net J. Petter Galleries, Douglas There’s nothing hidden about the fact that Saugatuck and Douglas are the state’s hotbed of art galleries, but Petter Galleries stands out in being both a fine art gallery and an artisan wine gallery. Find some 1,000 specially chosen works of art inspired by landscape, form or moments in time, and 400 specially chosen bottles of wine. jpettergalleries.com

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Kim Schneider is an award-winning travel writer who shares her travel-savvy in every issue of BLUE. MICHIGAN BLUE

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TA S T I N G R O O M

BY GREG TASKER

eoff Frey’s palette was wowed when he sipped his first glass of Marquette, a red hybrid grape, during a wine event in St. Paul, Minnesota, nearly a decade ago. The varietal, one Frey was unfamiliar with, had been aged two years in American oak by a Minnesota winery.

“Oh, my God, I thought, ‘This is a really nice red wine.’ It blew me away,” said Frey, adding the wine reminded him of his favorites, Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignon.

“I thought the Marquette grape in the right hands could be the best dry red wine in Michigan and elsewhere. It was balanced, had strong tannin flavors, all the fruit and hints of leather — everything you would desire in a wine.”

Fast-forward several years, and Frey is the owner of a boutique winery in northwestern Michigan, Crooked Vine Vineyard and Winery, outside Petoskey, and among the growing number of Michigan producers of Marquette. The hybrid is taking root at vineyards in Michigan and cold-weather states along the Canadian border.

Sometimes called the grandchild of pinot noir, Marquette was developed from an indigenous American grape and European vinifera by researchers at the University of Minnesota. The university has been breeding cold climate grapes since the 1940s; Marquette’s journey began in the 1970s and was unveiled to the world in 2006. It’s named after Pere Marquette, the Jesuit explorer who spent considerable time in Michigan.

“There’s no denying that Marquette shares some characteristics with pinot noir, not only when you look at it but, more importantly, when you make wine,” said Andrew Horton, enology specialist at the Uni-

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versity of Minnesota. “Depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made, Marquette can take on various red fruits in flavor and aroma. It has some peppery notes, as well.”

In Michigan, wineries from the Upper Peninsula to the southeastern corner of the state are producing Marquette wines, everything from rosés and bubbles to barrelaged and ice wines. The largest concentration of Marquette growers is in the Tip of the Mitt, an American Viticultural Area that stretches from south of Charlevoix to the Straits of Mackinac and east to Alpena. Like other appellations in Michigan, the Tip of the Mitt is a distinctive wine region.

“It’s quickly becoming the signature red wine grape of our region,” said Dustin Stabile, head of production at his family’s winery, Mackinaw Trail Winery, outside Petoskey. “It makes such a great wine and is so versatile. Lots of cold-hardy grapes can grow up here, but that one grows the best for us.”

Stabile said the winery initially began working with Marquette in 2010 and planted its first vines in the Petoskey area in 2013.

The winery now has 6 acres of Marquette and plans to plant more vines. Last year, the winery produced about 600 cases of a dry Marquette wine.

Michigan winemakers like Stabile are part of the first generation working with the grape. One of the issues with Marquette and other hybrids is tannin structure. Stabile said Mackinaw Trail has been adding tannins during fermentation to give the wine more structure.

Among the vintners growing Marquette in southeastern Michigan is Youngblood Vineyard in Macomb County, outside Detroit.

“The only way to have a vineyard in Metro

Marquette grapes

Detroit is to grow a cold-hardy grape,” said Jessica Youngblood, who owns the winery with her husband Dave. “The Marquette is super cold hardy and makes amazing wine.”

The family has planted about 26 acres of vines on their 50-acre farm; not only Marquette but other winter-tolerant hybrids like Frontenac, Petite Pearl and Prairie Star. The winery produces several hundred cases of wine per year.

“I think Marquette has a good future,” Youngblood said. “There are so many things you can do with Marquette. You can make a dry wine, sweet wine, semi-sweet, sparkling, rosé … a port. It’s just so versatile.”

Despite its youth, Marquette already has had an impact on the Michigan wine industry. In two of the past three years of the Michigan Wine Competition, a Marquette wine was chosen as the Best of Class in the dry red category by a prestigious panel of judges.

Youngblood Vineyard’s 2018 Marquette was

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM SCHNEIDER

G

A wine grape for the time

the most recent winner; Walloon Lake Winery near Petoskey previously took the honor.

The grape also is helping put the Petoskey region on the Michigan wine map.

“Before Marquette came out, there weren’t a lot of wineries opening in Petoskey,” said Stabile, whose winery was among the first to start growing grapes in the region. “You look back to the 1990s and early 2000s, and there were zero wineries in the Petoskey region. Now, there are 17.”

Stabile predicts an even bigger future for the grape. “In the past, people have said it should be cabernet franc, and now they’re saying it’s blaufränkisch. If you’re going to choose a red grape for Michigan, it needs to grow and ripen anywhere in Michigan, and that’s Marquette.”

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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 S

Creative cookery inspired by the season is the operating philosophy in the kitchen at Houndstooth.

BY DAWN WILLIAMS

Celebrating the unexpected Brother/sister team at Houndstooth offers new menu every two weeks.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY GABRIELLE SUKICH

T

here’s nothing conventional about the hip, new restaurant called Houndstooth, located in the Benton Harbor Arts District. From its urban eclectic décor and mouth-watering menu to the brother/ sister team who boldly chose Friday the 13th as opening night, Houndstooth is a stimulating dining experience designed to feed all five senses.

Siblings, owners, and head chefs James and Cheyenne Galbraith dreamed of creating a unique restaurant for years while working for other industry frontrunners. Houndstooth celebrates the unexpected.

“We serve humble, approachable dishes with unique spices and herbs …,” said James, a quiet man who lights up when discussing his passion for food and the decision to have a new menu every two weeks. “Our cooking style is inspired by the seasons and in order to capture the best, freshest produce, the menu has to change.”

“This allows us to bring artistry back into the kitchen,” said Cheyenne, who grew up skipping college parties to study cookbooks.

“This isn’t just a service industry; we need to be creative and always open to learning because you can never know everything there is to know about food.”

That dedication to creative freedom inspired Houndstooth line cook Kayley Bergestrom to support the Galbraiths’ vision. “I started working with them in 2015 when they were both at the Bistro at the Boulevard Hotel, and they’re such good teachers and mentors,” Bergestrom said. “I average 14-hour days, but I learn something new every day, which is rare.”

On a mission to “show southwest Michigan how to eat,” the Galbraiths are enjoying the response of their patrons who they see “sharing plates, serving each other and not asking to modify dishes.”

One such dish is James’ spin on chicken and waffles, the Black Bean Chicken, made with

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GABRIELLE SUKICH

a Chinese doughnut, gochujang aioli and shishito peppers. Another shareable is the Wagyu (beef) Tartare with cured egg yolk, black truffles and shoestring potatoes. But if you ask the duo for their favorite, they look at one another, laugh and divulge that it’s not on the menu. “It’s a secret you have to ask for,” Cheyenne said. “It’s our own cheesy gordita crunch that’s so delicious; we eat one almost every night.”

The bar program at Houndstooth (eat houndstooth.com) reflects the team’s stance on inventive liberty. One concoction is the Whoopsy Daisy, made with vodka, Amaro Nonino, poblano, lemon and dry cider. Bar director Chloe Lindstum also created a cocktail that toasts the building’s heritage as a pharmacy, aptly named Dr. Sheffield, mixed with rye whiskey, old fashioned syrup, fresh orange and bitters.

Originally the location for Sheffield’s Drug Store, the perfectly weathered building has had several past lives, including that of a jazz club and tattoo parlor. Today, the smartly modern space features an airy, expansive seating area with exposed brick, restored tin ceiling, an assortment of warm, personal touches and a gorgeous terrazzo bar custom made with tiny hidden surprises like keys and the Houndstooth logo. The pair also recruited their father, a talented wood craftsman, to complete the careful rehab with handmade white oak tables and shelving. “My dad promised me a treehouse when I was a kid,” James said laughing, “so it was time he delivered.”

The late chef Anthony Bourdain said, “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park.

Enjoy the ride.” Houndstooth is one of those rare restaurants that not only follows Bourdain’s take on aspiring to greatness but also executes on it five nights a week.

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Dawn Williams lives in St. Joseph with her family in a house overlooking Lake Michigan.

This creative wilted greens and cauliflower dish is one of the ever-changing offerings served at Houndstooth.

Where memories are made

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HISTORIC INNS & LODGES

BY DIANNA STAMPFLER

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ravelers once again are heading to the heart of the Upper Peninsula for rest and relaxation at the historic Birch Lodge on Trout Lake.

Designed by Dr. Edgar Ford and constructed by H. Emery as the Birch Lodge Hospital and Summer Resort Sanitarium (also known as the Trout Lake Sanitarium), the expansive 10,000-square-foot main building opened in 1912 following Ford’s unexpected death. His wife Cornelia and their sons were only able to run the massive property themselves for three years before transferring the mortgage to the next in a series of owners.

In 2019, two couples who had never met and in fact were both trying to acquire the property joined forces to preserve Birch Lodge. These four individuals had one common goal — to welcome guests back to this unique and impressive resort (listed with both the National and State Registers of Historic Places).

Bob Kraemer, president of Birch Lodge and co-founder/principal of Detroit-based Kraemer Design Group, and his wife Maureen dedicated their time and experience to overhauling the main lodge into 12 elegant guest rooms (including four suites), and common areas like the lobby, dining room and bar. Jim

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Listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, Birch Lodge offers cozy guest rooms (above) and common areas (below) where guests can shoot pool and enjoy refreshments.

Woodruff, who brings decades of boutique lodging experience to the table (including time at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado), lives on the property with his wife Carol, managing the daily operations.

“Preserving this hospitality gem in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula ensures travelers from near and far will experience a comfortable, historically inspired stay in a classic Americanstyle resort, just as visitors have for decades,

with a few modern additions to elevate their time at the lodge,” Bob Kraemer said. “This is a truly special place, and we hope to make new memories in the years to come.”

The three-story, wood-framed lodge sits on a fieldstone foundation and boasts what Woodruff calls the “second-largest front porch in Michigan,” stretching 100 feet and overlooking 1,200 feet of private beach on Trout Lake. The white clapboard siding is offset by a deep green roof and matching shutters remi-

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY KYLE BERRYMAN/KRAEMER DESIGN GROUP

Breathing new life into Birch Lodge

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY KYLE BERRYMAN/KRAEMER DESIGN GROUP

Visitors enjoy Birch Lodge’s quiet location on Trout Lake (below) by rocking on the porch or taking the boat out fishing. It’s 50-seat restaurant is being updated (right).

niscent of the early 20th-century style.

Historically preserved and adorned with the finest in luxury décor and amenities, each guest room has its own distinct design theme.

One of the most unique is the Pet Deer Room, which pays tribute to a series of fawns who resided on the property and even were allowed inside the lodge in those early days.

An intimate 50-seat restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, is scheduled to open in 2020. Resort guests, locals and destination foodies will find seasonal and regionally sourced fare — including wild game — on the upscale U.P. menu. Off the lobby, the Birch Bar (circa 1945), begs one to belly up for a cold brew or craft cocktail while listening to tunes from the vintage jukebox or shooting a game of pool.

Adjacent to the main lodge, an authentic 1964 brick midcentury modern motel offers eight pet-friendly guest rooms, each with panoramic views of the lake. Every room is outfitted with retro-style décor and accessories like light fixtures (with USB ports), cocktail sets and alarm clocks reminiscent of the era.

“The excellent location gives a fairly unique

balance between being able to visit places, yet coming back to the beauty of the lake and surrounding nature,” said Willem van Polen from Bovenkarspel, Netherlands, who vacationed in the Upper Peninsula last summer with his family. “The (motel) rooms are all in ’60s style, but with all the luxury of the present day for kids who need their Wi-Fi.” Those looking to spend time exploring the local woods and waters can request a picnic to go, complete with snacks and beverages to be enjoyed after time on the trail or lake. At the end of the day, guests are invited to gather at the firepit for beverages and s’mores. Boat and kayak rentals also are included for guests.

The year-round resort sits on a picturesque 20-acre parcel and is surrounded by the 26acre Anna Badgley – Little Trout Lake Nature

Preserve, owned by the Little Traverse Conservancy and named for the one-time owner who donated the original half-acre in 1991. Anna and her husband Cliff bought the property in 1952, operating it until her passing in 2006.

Walking the grounds of Birch Lodge (birchlodge.com) evokes a sense of calmness and serenity, likely why the site originally was chosen. And, just as it has for more than a century, the property delivers a rejuvenating experience where guests escape back into themselves for quiet reflection. After all, it is just what the doctor originally ordered.

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Dianna Stampfler is a freelance writer who lives in Walloon Lake. Her first book, “Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses,” was published last year by The History Press.

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REFLECTIONS

BY JERRY DENNIS | ILLUSTRATION BY GLENN WOLFF

A

Making memories

friend was telling me about a rustic lakefront cabin that two generations of his family have rented every summer since 1950. That struck me as a fine tradition, so I asked what he liked best about it. Without hesitation, he said, “Making memories, of course.”

Many of us have found that cottages, cabins and camps are veritable memory incubators. Their walls are practically drenched with them. Funny how it works, though. The memories that rise to prominence as the years pass might not be the ones you expect. Not the Fourth of July celebration watching fireworks but running around the yard catching fireflies. Not learning to waterski behind the new powerboat but rowing to the island in the old wooden rowboat. It’s like taking a toddler to the zoo. You lead her to the elephant enclosure, but all she wants to look at are the sparrows at her feet.

One bright memory that often comes back to me is sitting in lounge chairs with our friends, Jim and Maryann, in front of their cabin on Platte Lake. It was a warm, humid July night and we were enjoying that feeling of contentment that comes at the end of a long day in the sun, in boats, swimming, fishing, playing lawn games, cooking over a grill.

As we chatted and poked the bonfire, we became aware of flashes of lightning low in the sky across the lake. “Heat lightning” we used to call it when we were kids, though meteorologists assure us there’s no such thing: it’s regular lightning so far away that the sound of the thunder can’t reach us. It occurs often on summer nights simply because that’s when masses of warm humid air are most likely to rise and meet cool air — the basic conditions that make thunder and lightning.

The lightning that night was flashing silently inside mountainous, anvil-topped thunderheads towering above the horizon

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north of us. Someone was getting pounded by a storm. We tried to guess how far away it might be. Thirty miles? Fifty? Jim pulled out his phone and checked the radar map, and we were astonished to see that the only thunderstorm in the upper Great Lakes region sat squarely on top of the Straits of Mackinac, 130 miles from us.

Just before dark that evening, we had sat in our chairs watching the kids fishing from the end of the dock. They were casting bobbers and worms and had caught a few small perch.

I was surprised they caught anything at all.

The water there is shallow and lacks cover — not a place that should attract game fish. But

suddenly, Chris had reared back on his rod, bending it double, and a largemouth bass that must have weighed 4 pounds leaped from the water, ran for the drop-off and promptly broke the line. I checked Chris’ reel and discovered the drag had malfunctioned, but no matter. It was the biggest fish anyone could remember being hooked from the dock — maybe the biggest fish they had seen hooked in the lake, period — and you can be sure Chris will never forget it.

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Jerry Dennis lives near Traverse City. His books include “The Living Great Lakes.” Visit him at jerrydennis.net

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