Traverse SPECIAL INSERT
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Medical Insider FOLLOWING PAGE
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NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
DOG SLEDDING THE U.P.
MUSH!
p.30
Daytripper's Ski Guide p.24
Spinning Yarns in Suttons Bay p.17
Spotting a Snowy Owl
+ 2020 Conservation Short's Brewing Buzz A Winter Wedding 0121 TVM COVER.indd 1
JANUARY 2O21
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E X R A O L L E P R X E 5 lifts 32 runs 3 tubing lanes cross country snowshoe
at the river cabin with a cup of hot cocoa while sitting around the indoor copper hooded fire pit or our river side outdoor fire pit
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Contents january | features
Discover more about Up North, people, places, food and events.
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18 | DOG SLEDDING IN THE U.P. With the help of five enthusiastic dogs and a first-time sled driver, experience the pristine wilderness of the Upper Peninsula and the warmth of the people who live there.
24 | KNITTED TOGETHER A Michigan transplant discovers she’s not alone in finding comfort and healing in a Suttons Bay knitting community.
30 | DAYTRIPPERS’ SKI GUIDE Local skiers share their perfect day (and night) at four Northern Michigan resorts—from hitting the snowy slopes to warming up by the fire with friends.
34 | WINTER WEDDING With a shared love of snow sports, Michael Shaw and Anna Aldrich always knew they wanted a winter wedding. Otsego Resort in Gaylord made their dream come true.
NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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contents | departments
OLD MISSION PENINSULA 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms Sits on 3 Treed Lots Custom Cherry Cabinetry Multi-level Decking Gas Fireplace Finished Lower Level 10719 Center Road, Traverse City MLS #1866344 | $425,000
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231.944.4959
Ann@AnnPorterTC.com Visit AnnPorterTC.com for more information.
37 7 | EDITOR’S NOTE
37 | DINING
9 | UP NORTH
Be wooed by wings at The Hotel Frankfort & Restaurant.
Cherry Republic Founder Bob Sutherland serves up a heaping plate of generosity and some delicious pie. Plus, tips from Darling Botanical for growing some seriously lush houseplants this winter.
13 | JANUARY EVENTS
1/02 & 1/23
WINTER WINE WALK Otsego Resort
800.836.0717 // MYNORTHTICKETS.COM
4
43 | DRINKS Joe Short, founder of Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire, tells us what’s on tap for the beloved brewery.
44 | LOVE OF THE LAND
Start your year off right with art exhibits, yoga classes and snow sports.
Five conservancies share their 2020 preservation accomplishments and tell us what’s in store for 2021.
15 | TRAVEL
ON THE COVER
The pandemic forced everyone to rethink how they do business, ski resorts included. These innovative amenities will benefit skiers for many winters to come.
Dog Sled Team from Nature’s Kennel. Photo by Sarah Bence
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
17 | UP IN MICHIGAN Spotting a snowy owl should definitely be on your winter bucket list. These tips from a local expert could be the key to making it happen.
facebook.com/mynorthmedia instagram.com/mynorthmedia pinterest.com/mynorthmedia
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A MyNorth Media Publication VOLUME 40 • NUMBER 8
PRESIDENT/EDITOR IN CHIEF
Deborah Wyatt Fellows
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Michael Wnek
MANAGING EDITOR DIGITAL AND CONTENT EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR PROOFREADERS REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
ART DIRECTOR PRODUCTION DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR, SPECIAL SECTIONS GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Elizabeth Edwards Carly Simpson Allison Jarrell Elizabeth Aseritis Caroline Dahlquist Andrew VanDrie Kandace Chapple Kim Schneider Tim Hussey Theresa Burau-Baehr Rachel Watson Claire Houser
WEB DIRECTOR
Jen Berigan
DIRECTOR OF SALES SALES ACCOUNT COORDINATOR
Julie Parker Rachel Tramel
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Ann Gatrell Sarah Haase Chelsea Harland Meg Lau
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Erin Lutke
MARKETING COORDINATOR MYNORTH TICKETS CUSTOMER SUCCESS SPECIALIST OFFICE MANAGER BOOKKEEPER
Kara Jarvis
Emily Oakes Libby Stallman Kim Stewart
Editorial & Advertising Offices 125 S Park Street, Suite 155 Traverse City, MI 49684 Phone: 231.941.8174 | Fax: 231.941.8391 Subscriber Services Visit MyNorth.com/Account to renew your subscription, change your address, or review your account. Please email other subscription inquiries to info@mynorth.com or call 800-678-3416 between 8:30 am and 5 pm EST.
Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine, (ISSN10713719) is published monthly by Prism Publications Inc., 125 S Park Street, Suite 155, Traverse City, MI 49684. Periodicals class postage paid at Traverse City, MI 49684 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine, 125 Park St, Suite 155, Traverse City, MI 49684. Advertising rates available upon request. Subscription rate: $24.95 for 12 issues. Single issue price: $4.50. Manuscripts must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. All rights reserved. Copyright 2021, Prism Publications Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
COMINS, MICHIGAN 1-800-818-9971
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editor’s note
THE SUN RISES ON A NEW YEAR BY DEBORAH WYATT FELLOWS
W
ith this issue, we all start anew, leaving 2020 behind. Tragedy has dogged us as a country and as a region, both in health and economy. And at this writing, we are not out of the woods yet; however, hope is in the air for 2021. At MyNorth, we looked for ways to do what we could in a time of unprecedented struggle. An even larger audience sought out our products as people who live here and those from elsewhere looked for ways to get outside, find restaurants with takeout or outdoor dining, cook at home with local foods, feather their Northern nest, inspire their lives and still feel a sense of community. As always, we encouraged our audience to shop locally, needed now more than ever, and to give back to our nonprofits in a time of unprecedented need. And without faltering, we continued to celebrate this place we all love. That commitment continues with this month’s Medical Insider. As always, Medical Insider includes engaging and useable information about the healthcare resources in the North. But this year, we lead off with a celebration of just a few of our region’s many healthcare heroes. This is our way of acknowledging ou frontline workers by sharing some of the stories that represent the critical work they do. Through it all, and even as we experience a spike in cases this winter, they work to provide outstanding care to those suffering from COVID-19 while still caring for individuals who need non-COVID medical attention. These featured heroes are just a smattering of the thousands who stand alongside them, facing the same grit and challenges—on their hospital teams, in public health departments and in our first responder community. We owe our frontline healthcare providers our heartfelt thanks. Now, we move into 2021. The virus is going to go with us, but vaccines are on the horizon. And with the vaccines, we hope, will come an economy allowed to bounce back. At MyNorth, 2021 will find us still working from our homes, but with the new year comes some fresh, exciting new approaches to capture this place of our hearts. A hint: Watch for some new food and drink writing and for word that our redesigned MyNorth.com is live. But first of all, welcome our new art director, Tim Hussey. This is Tim’s first issue at the helm having had the benefit of a gracious handoff from our valued and talented Gail Snable, art director for many years who is now pursuing her own new directions. Tim got right to work! As you’ve already seen, we have a new logo and cover design. We had not changed our logo in a decade, and Tim has worked hard to keep the classic look of Traverse, while opening up the logo to bring it into 2021 with both grace and energy. You’ll see
that our font has returned to a “reader’s” typeface, reminding you with each turn of the page that this is a magazine meant to be read. Tim has a wealth of experience designing magazines, including as the founding art director of the magazine world’s darling, Garden & Gun, as well as holding posts at Outside, Esquire and more. In his years since graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, Tim has seen a lot of changes in the magazine world. As have we all. What attracted him to join us? Two key things: First of all, in his words, “It’s gratifying to find a magazine that has values and pride in their mission.” And second, he understands the power of a shared love of place. Again, in his words, “There is a sense of community, where you feel like you know everyone, even if the room is filled with faces you don’t recognize. There is an extended family kind of feeling, and it’s like, ‘If you’ve chosen to live here and love it here, then we have that in common and are kin.’” Tim joins a staff of people who wake up every day genuinely proud of our mission to celebrate and protect Northern Michigan. He stands on the shoulders, as we all do, of the many outstanding people who have shared their talents with MyNorth Media—people who gave, in some cases, decades of their professional lives to our mission and never wavered in the face of any challenge. Over four decades, I’ve learned more than a few things. One is that, while change is a constant, miraculously, there are always talented people who want to work with integrity and a belief in mission. That truth always renews me. So, let’s raise our faces to 2021 as we do to the sun. Let’s feel the warmth of a renewed sense of possibility, the glow of gratitude for those we love; the joy and optimism in what a sunny day might bring; and a belief that, like the sun, we can always hold on to those constants of wonder and beauty.
Deborah Wyatt Fellows is founder and editor in chief of Traverse Magazine/ MyNorth.com. debwf@traversemagazine.com.
NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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Up North
PEOPLE | NATURE | ARTS | NOSTALGIA | BUZZ | WISDOM | CURIOSITIES
A Generous Slice In a time of uncertainty, know that there will always be life, liberty, beaches and a thick slice of pie waiting for you at Cherry Republic. BY KIM SCHNEIDER | PHOTO BY DAVE WEIDNER
IT'S pretty much a given that a store selling all things
BOB SUTHERLAND, FOUNDER OF CHERRY REPUBLIC
cherry would make a great cherry pie. But what you might not expect is for pie to be the key part of the company mission statement, right alongside life, liberty and beaches. But Cherry Republic is not your ordinary store (or nation). The chain of six specialty shops with an active online business and anchor campus in Glen Arbor attributes a good part of its success to staying true to the words that founder Bob Sutherland put, perhaps a bit tongue in cheek, on a T-shirt that he started peddling from the trunk of his car in 1989. The tee read: “life, liberty, beaches and pie.” When Bob later added a cookie—generously filled with cherries and chocolate—and called it Boomchunka, a company built around a story of a cherry kingdom was born. From the very beginning—and still 30-some years later—that kingdom’s tale has incorporated life (supporting the lifestyle of the North and its farmers), liberty (freedom for employees to make a difference or make a customer's day), beaches (fun) and pie (generosity). In a way, the company’s whole mission was crafted around a statement Bob’s father would often make to him and his siblings, says Cherry Republic’s Marketing Director Andrew Moore: “Have fun, and be good.” Today, as a growing business with about 125 full-time employees and many more seasonal hires, Cherry Republic does good by purchasing more than two million pounds of fruit annually from Michigan farmers to craft into 200 products like salsas and mustards, soda and wine, pancake mixes and cherry-nut snack blends. Through a pledge to give back one percent of sales each year, the company has donated $2 million to organizations that protect Michigan's lands and waters. 4
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up north | a generous slice
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Additionally, a “Cherrish Michigan” campaign is giving $1 from each sale of several popular fruit and nut mixes to select nonprofits, among them Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, a Traverse City-based organization devoted to growing the local food economy, expanding clean energy infrastructure and sustaining livable cities and towns. “I didn’t want to see all those beautiful hillsides lined with housing instead of cherry trees,” Bob says. “The purest and simplest, least political way I could help farmers was by selling cherries. It was a niche that needed to be filled.” Today, the roomy store in downtown Traverse City is the biggest by volume sold. But fans will always love visiting the Glen Arbor campus where you enter under a cherry tree, walk paths that wind amid perennials and pass an Olympic pit-spitting arena and signs like “peaches, smeaches” and one oft-photographed favorite that reads: “This business is run by simpletons: Selling more than one fruit would be too complicated.” The company recently added cherry queso to its popular line of cherry salsas. There's a new cherry-lime soda that tested particularly well, some new salad dressings and a wine developed when a farmer had a bumper crop of a rare cherry and didn't know what to do with it all. New products come from “anything we can think up, how we can add cherry to it and make it our own,” Andrew says. But today's focus is on new categories— things such as cherry nutraceuticals, savory foods and wine—such a hit that Cherry Republic is now among the state's top largest wineries by volume. Just as product creation has stepped up, so has generosity. Through Operation Cherry Cheer, customers can nominate people who need their spirits lifted. Cherry Republic has sent free goodies to 250 people so far and is now moving to gifting surprises twice each week. And then there's the pie. Bob is known for the way he gives everyone pie when they come to his home, and when a business associate or consultant comes to a store, the visit always ends with a slice. “Pie is our generosity piece,” Andrew says, “and Bob always talks about that, how he loves sharing a piece of pie. It's just something he's always done—always thinking of others and how we can give back.”
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local businesses | up north
Visit MyNorth.com/ PlantFriends for these plants' names and needs.
A THRIVING REGION
low light
medium light
Lush & Leafy Dense foliage, rich colors and ornate patterns greet visitors as they walk through the door at Darling Botanical. The flourishing jungle-like shop in Traverse City’s Warehouse MRKT teems with plants—towering fiddle leaf figs, wispy ferns, spiky cacti. Owner and botanical expert Megan Kellogg knows each and every one, and she loves helping others find the right plants for their space. BY CARLY SIMPSON | PHOTOS BY DAVE WEIDNER
What's the biggest mistake new plant parents make? Watering—too much or too little. I always tell people to think of soil as a sponge. If you only get it a little wet, a lot of roots are staying dry and dehydrate to the point they’re compromised. Overwatering the soil makes it anaerobic and there’s no oxygen, so roots can’t breathe and so they decompose and die. Always completely saturate the soil, and then let it dry down before you water again.
TIP: Go by weight. Lift the plant and if it feels light, it’s ready for a drink. How do you pick the right plant for your space? When going plant shopping, the first question to ask is what kind of light do you have? The next part is design: My advice is to think of what shape you want—tall, skinny, round, pyramid. That visual texture can help narrow down choices.
TERRARIUMS TO-GO: Due to COVID-19, Darling Botanical is no longer letting customers make terrariums in the store, but you can get supplies to-go! SHOP ON INSTAGRAM: Darling Botanical regularly shares plants in its Ins-
tagram stories, along with prices and light requirements. Message to reserve and pay for a plant. Curbside pickup available. @darlingbotanical
It’s impossible to celebrate our 40th anniversary at Traverse without also honoring the small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have supported our mission throughout the years and who make Northern Michigan such a special place to live and visit. Each month we’ll continue to share these important anniversaries in print, and you can find the full list at MyNorth.com/ BizAnniversaries. —A.J. 23 YEARS Precision Collision & Auto Glass, Frankfort The Riverside Inn, Leland Cookie McCullough, Real Estate One, Traverse City Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre, Traverse City Anderson Aerial Photography, Traverse City 22 YEARS Bearcub Outfitters, Petoskey T.C. Mirror & Shower Door, Traverse City Island Breeze Fine Art Gallery, Mackinac Island Willow Vineyards, Suttons Bay 21 YEARS Ella’s, Traverse City Daniella Bell, Coldwell Banker Cadillac 20 YEARS Alliance for Senior Housing, LLC, Kingsley Wool & Honey, Cedar Snowden Companies, Traverse City Suttons Bay Trading Company Cottage Company and Cottage Company Interiors, Harbor Springs The Simonton-Walsh-Hanosek-Mangum Wealth Management Group, Traverse City Latitude 45 Bicycles and Fitness, Petoskey Priced Right Builders, Inc., Cadillac Spire Integrated Systems, Inc., Traverse City Inspired Living, Boyne City NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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Happy New Year
UPDATE YOUR CURB APPEAL, ANY TIME WITH ANY BUDGET
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CURB APPEAL
12/9/20 10:29 AM
TIX Watch for the MyNorthTix symbol and get your tickets at MyNorthTickets.com.
January ED ITED B Y L I BBY STAL L M AN
Please note, as these dates approach, some events may be modified, postponed or canceled to protect the safety of both event organizers and attendees. Check online or call ahead to confirm details. Throughout the year, visit MyNorth.com/Events for current community happenings.
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photo by Dave Weidner
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On display at The Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City through the end of January, the exhibit "Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy" celebrates the state’s incredible modern architectural design history from 1928 through 2012 with more than 50 photographs. dennosmuseum.org Amical’s Cookbook Dinner Series kicks off the new year in Traverse City with Chef Andy Ricker’s Thai cookbook “Pok Pok,” featuring recipes from his flagship restaurant in Portland. The special menu will be available Jan. 4–10. amical.com Maintain your healthy New Year’s resolution with weekly Yen Yoga classes at City Opera House (Mon.–Wed.) and Historic Barns Park (Thurs. and Sat.) in Traverse City, or check out their virtual live schedule from the comfort of your home. yenyogafitness.com Kids and adults can go dog sledding at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire, with beautiful views of Schuss Mountain along the trail. To schedule a ride, contact the Schuss Mtn. Nordic Center at 231-533-3000; 3300. shantycreek.com
THU
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Celebrate the New Year with five courses of house-made pasta paired with delicious Italian wines at Palette Bistro in Petoskey. MyNorthTickets.com “Paper + Scissors + Glue = New Collages,” an exhibition of 12 new works by Traverse City artist Joan Richmond, is on display in the Glen Arbor Arts Center's Lobby Gallery Jan. 15–April 22. visitglenarbor.com
FRI
Date night at Boathouse Restaurant on Old Mission Peninsula! A special dinner for two is $99. boathouseonwestbay.com
FRI
Snow tubing at Timberlee Hills in Leelanau County is the perfect family activity for a snowy winter day. It’s all the fun of sledding— without hiking back up the hill. timberleehills.com
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Launch into winter action by attending the longest consecutive ski jumping tournament in the country, hosted by the Ishpeming Ski Club in Negaunee. Watch U.S. and international ski jumpers defy gravity as they soar off the historic K90, Suicide Hill ski jump during this 134-year-old tradition. ishskiclub.com
FRI
“Adventures Out West” is the first in a series of virtual, onehour coffee chats through NMC Extended Education, highlighting interesting people in our community and their personal stories for you to enjoy from home! Registration begins Jan. 5. nmc.edu
SAT
The Bigfoot Snowshoe Race is a fun, competitive 5K or 10K for all ages and abilities. Run or snowshoe the super hilly route with plenty of logs to jump and branches to duck at Timber Ridge Resort in Traverse City. runsnow.com
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F I N D M O R E A T M Y N O R T H .C O M > E V E N T S
NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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Elizabeth Blair
Serving high-end, seasonal pastries and
FinePearls
confections
Justin Hankins Photography
using local ingredients
Quietly collected by women who know. 115 W. Main Street ~ Harbor Springs, MI ~ 231.526.7500 WestMainPearls.com ~ ElizabethBlair.com
445 E FRONT ST � TRAVERSE CITY
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Jewelers of America Cultured Pearl Association of America American Gem Society
DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY
Family run business specializing in Custom Roasted Coffee and Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls crafted from a family German recipe passed down from Matilda “Tillie” Dewes over 100 years.
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Find us at Boyne City Indoors Farmers Market every Sat from 9am-12pm
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what to do | travel
READY. TO. SKI. The last 10 months have been busy at Northern Michigan’s ski resorts, as teams reevaluated every aspect of their business, from equipment rentals to dining, and prepared to operate safely and responsibly during the pandemic. Toward the end of October, when production began on this issue of Traverse, we caught up with the general managers at several area resorts—in addition to the three below, we checked in with Crystal Mountain, Shanty Creek, Mt. Holiday and The Homestead— to find out what’s new and how they were feeling about the quickly approaching ski season. We found an overwhelmingly optimistic outlook, several silver linings and innovative solutions that will benefit skiers and staff for winters to come. Read the full interviews with all seven ski hills at MyNorth.com/ski2021. T
BY CARLY SIMPSON | PHOTO COURTESY OF NUBS NOB
NUB’S NOB SKI AREA | HARBOR SPRINGS BEN DOORNBOS, GENERAL MANAGER | NUBSNOB.COM New This Season: Outdoors, we have nearly tripled the size of our Winter Garden Cafe, adding picnic tables, a fire pit and outdoor food and drink. The food-truck style venue will have a limited rotating menu and draft beer options. In addition, we added a slope-side pick-up window off the Pub. This window is for online food orders and for purchasing beer or wine—you can order curly fries and chili from the chairlift and pick it up outdoors on the bar deck. Other highlights include expanded terrain on Valley and many updates to our website for contactless payment and a streamlined experience at Nub’s. The Silver Lining: In many ways, the pandemic forced us to hit the accelerator on innovation at Nub’s Nob. This year skiers and riders will be able to purchase most of our products online, they will have a better experience in the rental building, they will have more outdoor options for eating and drinking and, most importantly, we will all remember that this sport is really about one thing—getting outside and enjoying the snow with friends and family. These moments of crisis bring a sharp focus; my sincere prayer is that this winter’s focus is on what we have gained and not on what we have lost.
BOYNE MOUNTAIN | BOYNE FALLS ED GRICE, PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER | BOYNEMOUNTAIN.COM New This Season: We’re launching online food ordering via both the Boyne Mountain app and resort website for takeout at several on-property establishments. Guests can also coordinate the advanced purchase of provisions and have their suite, condo or cabin stocked with groceries upon their arrival, or delivered to their door during their stay. Five new dining igloos provide seating for groups up to 10 in the Biergarten, and to-go light bites, beer and a limited bar selection are available at two additional Alpen Hut locations. Construction continues at Edelweiss Lodge, after being halted last spring due to the state shutdown. The true ski-in/ski-out hotel with 36 rooms is undergoing a complete top-to-bottom renovation to create a refined mountain lodge with a sense of modern luxury. Expected to reopen fall 2021. How are you feeling about the 2020/2021 season in three words? As always, optimistic!
CABERFAE PEAKS | CADILLAC PETE MEYER, GENERAL MANAGER OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS | CABERFAEPEAKS.COM New This Season: We added a 1,500-square-foot deck off of R Dub’s Pub to offer an open-air dining option. The deck is slope-side and will offer food and beverages as well as a fire pit and outdoor heaters. We also increased our snowmaking capacity by 33 percent, by adding another snowmaking pump and source well, and purchased all new kids’ rental skis, totaling more than 275 pairs. What do you want to say to our readers? I’ve never been so excited for winter. People need outdoor recreation for their mental and physical health during this extremely difficult time. The ski industry will serve an important role this winter as we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times. The pandemic has affected everyone in different ways. The slopes will be a healthy way to get out in the fresh, crisp winter air to recreate and feel a sense of normalcy.
NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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© Dave Speckman
TOUR
GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE 2020 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE Special Thanks to our VIRTUAL HOME TOUR! Presenting Partner:
IN YOUR
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Paths twist and turn, eager for your next adventure. A clear blue sky stretches on for miles. Hills roll on forever, white with snow. Natural beauty comes into focus and sets the stage for the perfect getaway. And there you are, in the middle of it all. In your element.
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essay | up in michigan
Seeking Snowy Owls With a wingspan of nearly 5 feet and piercing yellow eyes, snowy owls are magnificent. And this year I'm going to see one. (I hope.) BY CARLY SIMPSON
M
y friends have seen snowy owls; coworkers, too. I have not. I follow the Faceb o ok groups “Overheard in Leelanau County” and “Overheard in Traverse City,” where spotting locations and stunning photos are posted each winter. I look at the tops of telephone poles when I drive by and scan snow-swept fields. Nothing. But this year will be different (fingers crossed). I reached out to a local expert to learn more about these incredible birds. Elliot Nelson is the Michigan Sea Grant extension educator for the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Michigan Sea Grant funds research, education and outreach projects about our state's coasts and the Great Lakes. One of Elliot’s focus areas is birding trails, and he kindly agreed to answer my questions. He has a wealth of knowledge—much more than I could fit onto this page. For the full interview, visit MyNorth.com/ SnowyOwls.
Typically, snowy owls start showing up in late December and stay through mid-to-late March. Are there other trends to know? Snowy owls are irregular and complex migrants to the lower 48 states. They spend their summers in the Arctic tundra, where they nest on the ground (Not many trees that far north!) and raise their young on a steady diet of lemmings, other small mammals and occasionally other birds like ducks. In the fall, they begin to move about seeking to establish a winter territory with an ample food supply. Snowy owls don’t like to be crowded in the winter months and will spread out so they’re not directly competing with another owl for
the same food source. Some will stay in the tundra or live along the coastlines in the far north (some even move farther north to follow ice flows and feed on sea ducks). But some head south, especially in years when a lot of snowy owls are born that summer. Are there reliable regions to watch for them? In Michigan, the highest number of snowy owls recorded on a single day was in the Eastern U.P. region of Chippewa and Mackinac counties. The areas south of Sault Ste. Marie including Sault Township, Rudyard and Pickford see dozens of snowy owls set up territories throughout the winter. Even in years when not many migrate south, there’s still usually a small number of snowy owls to be found on the Rudyard Loop (M-48, Hantz Road, Centerline Road). The E.U.P. is known as one of the Midwest’s prime winter birding destinations. Downstate, Fish Point State Wildlife Area and the Saginaw Bay area are known as a really amazing place for snowy owls, especially in the last five years since the major snowy owl irruption occurred [more on that in a moment]. With that said, snowy owls have been far more numerous in the winter months in the last seven years or so. The Great Lakes coastline seems to be an area they move along and sometimes spend the winter on. They like to follow shorelines and are often found near dune habitat. Snowy owls are active during the day. Unusual for an owl, right? Snowy owls are primarily diurnal owls. This means they are active during daylight hours. They tend to be most
active hunting and moving around at dawn and dusk. During midday, they’re often perched on a telephone pole, fence post, barn or tree digesting their food or napping. Snowy owls often spend large amounts of time on the ground in midday eating or digesting and napping. Since they blend in so well, this is a tactic they use to stay safe and take a break. If you see a snowy owl on the ground for a large portion of the day, don’t be concerned, this is normal behavior. The number of snowy owls in Michigan varies from year to year. Why? Snowy owls are prone to a phenomenon in the natural world called irruptions. Irruptive events are times when an animal species tends to show up in numbers or locations that aren’t seen in a typical year. In addition, in a big irruptive year, snowy owls will be found farther south. In the winter of 2013–2014, we had one of the most massive irruptive events on record, with huge numbers in the North East and Great Lakes area. Single snowy owls were seen as far south as Florida, the Gulf Coast and one even made it to Bermuda! Snowy owls don't see many humans in the Arctic. Does that make it especially important to maintain a respectful distance? Never approach a snowy owl. If you flush it, that causes the bird to use extra calories it may not have used otherwise. It might also disrupt its hunting and feeding. If you see one near a road, stay in your car as the car tends to act as a blind and they’re less likely to flush if you slowly drive past them. If you care about the bird, enjoy from a distance and watch with binoculars or a scope.
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A DOg Sledding Adventure thrOugh the U.P. Wilds
mush
hOur TEXT AND PHOTOS BY
Sarah Bence
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Enjoy even more dog sledding fun by staying overnight in a heated cabin or yurt in Musher's Village. For more information, visit natureskennel.com/overnight.
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inside a pair of borrowed ice fishing boots, my toes curl up in apprehension. Or, more optimistically, it’s a fluttering kind of suspense. Ahead of me, five shaggy tails beat decisively back and forth. The dogs’ paws are covered in neon booties that dig and pad on a trail of packed snow in anticipation. It’s not even 9 a.m. and here I am, standing at the helm of a dog sled in the Michigan wilderness. Apart from the panting of the dogs, and my own thoughts, the world is muted in the particular silence of a deep, fresh snow. I tighten my grip on the sled handle—a thin rod I can barely feel through thick (also borrowed) mittens. I’m waiting for the “go” signal. Waiting to see if I can stay attached to the sled when these five dogs tear off into the woods. i was running late when I arrived at Nature’s Kennel at 7:30
a.m. The dog sledding destination is located in McMillan, near Newberry, in the eastern Upper Peninsula. I stepped out of my car and a man dressed in a burgundy flannel shirt and suspender snow pants inspected my outfit. “We need to fix you up,” he greeted me gruffly, ushering me into a wooden cabin. Then, “Here ya go,” as he handed me first a steaming mug of dark roasted coffee, and then a teetering pile of boots, insulated gloves, thick snow pants and wool socks. The idea to go dog sledding in Michigan came to me a few months ago. I had just moved back to my home state as an
adult. I’d spent the past few years living in England, where everyone loves to talk about the weather, and where I spread my general shtick of “you don’t know winter unless you’re a Michigander.” Within Michigan, though, it’s pretty well known that you don’t know winter unless you’re a Yooper. I wanted to see what a real Yooper winter was all about, and dog sledding seemed the perfect place to start. “Yooper,” for the uninitiated, refers to a “U.P.-er,” or someone from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. For those, like myself, from the Lower Peninsula, the term also carries implications of ax-wielding, log cabin-building, snow-plowing people of the land. That morning, the stereotype didn’t seem too far off the mark to me, as my dog sledding guide, Kyle, walked me through rows of sled dogs. I waddled in my tall boots and bulky snow pants trying to keep up. In the row next to our dog team, a boy with strawberry blonde hair, bright green shorts and skinny muscles aggressively shoveled snow off the path ... shirtless. It was 14 degrees. It’s exactly this attitude that makes for a good dog sledder, though. I asked Tasha Stielstra, who co-owns Nature’s Kennel with her husband, Ed, to describe the people of the U.P. to me: Those “who work with their hands and live in the woods,” she explained succinctly. “Our family does the same thing,” she said of Nature’s Kennel, which draws tourists each year hailing from lower Michigan to Slovakia to Thailand. “The U.P. culture is very accepting of this lifestyle. Owning over 200 dogs and living in the woods does not seem ‘normal’ to most people in more urban areas, but up here, it’s just another way of life.” It’s a way of life that some people dream of. This includes professional musher Laura Neese, who first discovered dog sledding at age 9 while growing up in central Ohio. “My family followed the Iditarod that year,” Laura said. “I knew right away that I wanted to be a professional dog musher when I grew up. I learned everything I could about the sport in the following years, and then started a team of my own when I turned 14.” Laura joined the Nature’s Kennel team in the fall of 2014. Now, at age 24, she is only at the beginning of her professional career in this sport. She’s a finisher of the Iditarod and the UP200—a world-renowned dog sledding race held near Marquette—but she is best known for placing third in the 1,000-mile-long Yukon Quest at age 21. Laura trains at Nature’s Kennel year-round, working with the dogs alongside Tasha and Ed. Ed started the kennel almost 25 years ago. Like Laura, the couple also had stints as professional mushers. Ed completed the iconic Iditarod race through Alaska eight times, and Ed and Tasha have both won the UP200. But how did they all get here, to a remote snowy
I wanted tO see what a real woodland cabin flanked by rows of, quite literally, hundreds of malamutes and huskies? It all started in the ‘90s, when a family friend of Ed's purchased a small dog team and asked Ed to help him train. Soon after, Ed started his own kennel. “I met Ed in Ludington one summer while I was working for the Lake Michigan Car Ferry,” Tasha explained. “He has always had sled dogs since I’ve known him, and we started to slowly build the business after we got married.” And now, with nearly 2,000 yearly visitors, 98 percent of whom come from outside the U.P., Nature’s Kennel has definitely grown. What inspires people from all over the world to make
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the trek to this secluded place? For a morning latched to the middle position, two of his peers or afternoon, Nature’s Kennel helps guests, ahead and behind him. Left: Ed Stielstra participates in the 2016 Iditarod. Right: Tasha Stielstra and her “This is Boggle,” my guide Kyle informs me, like myself, experience a slice of the best kind 9-year-old son Nate at the Tahquamenon as I harness the dog. “He’s not really into sledof U.P. life: That of a dog musher. Country Sled Dog Race in January 2020. It was Nate's first time racing. Opposite: ding, but we like to give him a run around every It’s not just the spirit of its people that The names of sled dogs past adorn one makes the U.P. such an ideal place for dog sledso often.” I observed the happily panting dog. of the sheds at Nature's Kennel. ding, though. “The eastern U.P. has some of the “Not … into sledding?” I question. most consistent snowfall you can find,” Laura told me. This “Yeah, for some dogs, sledding just isn’t their thing,” Kyle translates to dog sledding season lasting into April, often May, says. “They’re not competitive or interested or whatever, like and sometimes even June of each year. Tasha concurs, pointpeople. So usually we adopt those out. Dog sledding is a career ing out the perfect storm of climate and public land access. for these guys, so we don’t want to make them do something “The Newberry Field Office-Michigan Department of Natural they’re not into.” Not necessarily an athlete myself, I can relate Resources has been very helpful in supporting our business to Boggle. But this morning, even he’s looking ready. I almost miss Kyle’s signal from the sled in front of me, but and helping with trail access,” she said. And with 227 “wagthe dogs certainly don’t. They pull their line taut, and the secging tails to wake up to,” as Laura fondly refers to the dogs, ond my foot lifts from the snow-pressed brake, the sled lurchtrail access is important. These dogs are built for the snow and freezing temperatures, es forward. We’re off. We’re dog sledding. Wind rushes into my eyes, my cheeks, my hair. It’s all YOOper winter was all abOut, and dOg sledding I can do to hold on, as we hurtle and they’re built to run. Perhaps they’re the canine equivalent of the hearty and heartfelt people who live in the U.P. As a professional musher, Laura speaks of the dogs as her best friends, gushing about the life she has playing outside with them every day. I’m about to get a feel for that life myself. in front of me, I can see the dogs’ muscles bunch and
!
quiver in anticipation. One of them gives a happy yet impatient yap—I think it’s Linus? He’s a big, sandy-colored dog, placed in the lead position. His general enthusiasm is meant to inspire the other four dogs. A black and brown pup with perky ears is
seemed the perfect place tO start. around the trail’s first corner. I may be the one driving the sled, but these dogs clearly know what they’re doing. As the dogs’ paws pound the snowy trail, the bare maple trees and hardy evergreens blend into one another. My thoughts start to blend as well, entering a state of flow that is nearly addictive. The air that just recently felt so cold on my skin is easily forgotten. It’s suddenly obvious what Laura, Tasha, Ed and other dog mushers in this region see in the sport. As the dogs, and I, whip along wooded trails, I can’t help but think about the words Laura and Tasha used to NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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With the help of Nature's Kennel, writer Sarah Bence ventures out on her very first dog sled journey.
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You can do this! Nature's Kennel
is a sled dog racing kennel in McMillan, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula.
_
10-mile and 20-mile sledding
experiences are offered November–April each year, depending on conditions. Guests can drive their own team or sit as a rider. Overnight experiences are also available.
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Nature’s Kennel dogs
are well cared for and guests have the opportunity to meet them, hook them up to the sled and feed them after the run. When dogs retire, they're available for adoption.
_
Is dog sledding a good fit for you?
This is an activity anyone can do! According to Tasha Stielstra, co-owner of Nature’s Kennel, guests regularly include wheelchair users. Last year, they helped a blind man drive a sled, and this year a 95-year-old woman is returning for her fifth ride. To book a dog sledding experience: 906.748.0513 / info@natureskennel.com natureskennel.com
describe this sport, and their home up here in the North. Words that seemed contradictory to me at first. Joyful and humbled. Remote and welcoming. How can a sport, and a place, be both things? But it starts to make sense, as my feet feel firmer on the sled pads, as I tune in to the reins and the running patterns of each dog. I think of the gruff man who greeted me on arrival, and then loaded me up with hot coffee and warm clothing. The U.P. is a place of opposites. Just like dog sledding is a sport of push and pull. You need one to have the other, and without the opposition you don’t have much at all. Later, back in the log cabin, I peel off my boots and socks. My cheeks are flushed and my nose is running, and I know I have a long drive ahead of me across the snow-bordered Upper Peninsula roads, over an icy Mackinac Bridge and back to my Lower Peninsula home. But for now, the wood stove crackles quietly, surrounded by a crescent of drying boots, socks and mittens. I place my own pair in line. A sled dog, Maple, places her furry chin in my lap. Someone in flannel hands me a hot chocolate. I gratefully slurp, surrounded by banter of staff and guests from around the world, all sitting in the same warm radius. Sarah Bence is a freelance writer and occupational therapist based in Michigan. Follow her travel blog @endlessdistances on Instagram.
After a blustery day of dog sledding, kick back and warm up by a cozy wood stove.
WHERE TO STAY:
Chamberlin’s Ole Forest Inn in Curtis— N9450 Manistique Lakes Rd. (Hwy. 33)— is nearby and has welcoming, old-fashioned Upper Peninsula vibes, with cozy beds and colorfully wallpapered rooms. The inn is affordable, offers breakfast and regularly runs specials with Nature’s Kennel, including dog sledding and even ice climbing packages. Other nearby lodging options include: Quality Inn, Halfway Lake Resort and Sandtown Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast.
WHAT TO PACK:
Nature’s Kennel can provide snow pants, gloves and boots as needed, but it’s best to bring plenty of your own gear (think warm everything), including: Waterproof, lined gloves Winter coat and hat > Thick winter socks > Sunglasses (these will help protect your eyes from the wind during the ride) > Adhesive body warmers (apply these to your base layer of clothes for extra warmth) > Plenty of snacks for the road trip > Insulated thermos (to fill up on hot chocolate for your drive home) > Camera > >
WHEN SHOULD YOU GO?
Dog sledding is offered in the winter months, ranging from November through April and dependent on conditions. You can call 906.748.0513 or email info@natureskennel.com for more information on scheduling and weather conditions.
WHAT ABOUT COVID-19?
Nature's Kennel is planning to offer dog sledding trips in 2021. Dog sledding naturally lends itself to social distancing, but Nature’s Kennel has taken some extra precautions, including distancing and sanitation, to ensure the safety of their guests.
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A Michigan transplant discovers she’s not alone in finding comfort and healing in this small town’s knitting community.
KN T W SE
W
hen people ask me why I moved to Michigan, I usually say,
“I needed a change!” or, “Living in Washington, D.C. for two years took its toll!” or, “I want to live somewhere with snow before snow disappears!” These things are true. But, not the whole truth. As I was graduating from grad school in D.C., I was working to get back up on my feet after my second autoimby MOLLY KORROCH mune diagnosis. The second bout had slammed me to the ground. I was 27 years old and even getting out of bed was a struggle. Eating was a struggle. Sleeping was a struggle. I had my own life and work in D.C., but my body was exhausted from continuous battle. After graduation, in the face of my struggle, my parents suggested spending the summer at our cottage in Suttons Bay. I wanted to live and work in D.C. and stand on my own two feet, but the fact remained that, much to my chagrin, I still needed help making it to the end of each day. The breeze off the lake was a tonic. I found myself drawn to the outdoors, wanting to play in the beautiful Michigan summer like I did when I was a kid. I wanted to go to yoga classes, and take hikes and swims, but, still, my body held me back. Slowly, with the help of my family, I re-learned how to take care of myself. They helped me find new things to occupy my hazy brain until I could build strength for more strenuous activities. My mom (and I) decided that a simple long-term project would help me focus. It would bring a consistent thread through my otherwise snarled existence of freelance writing and shaky health. I decided— not having knit a single stitch since I was about eight years old—that I would knit everyone a personalized scarf as a Christmas gift. My family would serve as the guinea pigs for Molly’s Knitting Experiment. About 10 scarves total. My mom raised an eyebrow, but I assured her that YouTube would be my guide. We went to a craft store in Traverse City to pick up some subpar yarn that I wouldn’t be afraid to mess up. But then, arriving back in Suttons Bay, we treated ourselves to a
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photographs by C O U RT N EY K E N T NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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visit to Leelanau Fiber. Leelanau Fiber, on St. Joseph Street, feels like an oldfashioned candy shop. A huge variety of colors and textures cover the walls and skeins of yarn are stuffed into every corner. I wandered around the store and took in the incredible array of natural and dyed colorways. Cotton and alpaca and sheep and goat. My mom chatted with Betsy, the woman behind the counter, as I dragged my fingers across the fibers, taking a strand and rubbing it between my thumb and forefinger to feel its softness and weight. I picked out two bright cotton yarns in white and cherry red. I had a new goal: stripes. As I walked back to the counter, I caught the tail-end of a conversation that was obviously about my health situation. I shot my mom that withering scowl only disgruntled daughters can give their mothers. She held her hands up in surrender and said, “I know, I know, but we’re about to leave you up here by yourself and I’m worried. It takes a village!” As it turned out, Betsy is also a mom. She immediately sided with mine and invited me to come to the shop’s knitting group the next week. I smiled and nodded with zero intent to return. My folks left and the days grew colder. I made my own meals and sometimes took short walks around the neighborhood. I began a habit of sitting on the couch in the evenings and knitting while watching a show, and that clear feeling of independence crept back in.
The first scarf I knitted was for me. I figured that, by the principle of the first pancake, this would be the most messed up scarf. It was simple knitted stitches for every single row. After dropping stitches and cursing at the damn thing many times, I finally finished. What I had knit was a wide and uneven gray monstrosity that I hope no one will ever look at too closely. However, I will say, it’s very warm. This barrier smashed, I parlayed the accomplishment high and graduated myself to more advanced sections of knitting YouTube. As it turns out, knitting stripes isn’t something that translates well on video. I kept catching the yarn and not knowing whether or not it looked right from the back or the front. The trouble with knitting is—much like in life—you often can’t see the mistake until you’re a couple of rows past it. The humbling realization that it took me two full episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to complete a single row of stitches forced me to seek help. Again. I knew I needed to visit the knitting group. I grew anxious as Wednesday evening approached. The vulnerability and exposure it takes to ask for help were still very raw for me. But, still, I put on my puffer and drove the 10 minutes into town. The shop looked different but no less cozy on knitting night. There was a big card table set up in the main room and several ladies sitting around it. I walked in and stood blankly. They looked at me and I looked at them. Then, I saw Betsy sitting in the corner. I’d forgotten her name, but she remembered
I felt a connection to these women who had also struggled, and I knew that night I wanted to know
MOR E.
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mine. She introduced me to everyone sitting in the circle: Cindy, Jackie, Darryl, Diane, Demarie and a few more. They smiled up at me and invited me to sit down with them. I explained my stripes problem. Cindy and Darryl helped me while we all shared bits about ourselves and how we came to be there. I learned that Diane and Demarie, who sat knitting with the group, had purchased Leelanau Fiber together in 2017, self-described fiber fanatics whose aim is to promote a community of friends and fiber enthusiasts in Northern Michigan. I also learned that they each have their own fiber farms where they keep goats, sheep, alpacas and even a couple of Angora rabbits. As Diane and Demarie chatted that night, telling me the story of their friendship, farms, Leelanau Fiber and the personal challenges they’d faced along the way, I felt a connection to these women who had also struggled, and I knew that night I wanted to know more.
names like Malabar, Captain, Henry, Obama, Poncho, Lefty and Harley. Captain keeps trying to chew the corner of my notebook, and Harley the ram keeps hitting the wall accidentally turning off the light switch by his stall. The friendly little honey-colored goat is named Sandy. While all the animals are friendly—Demarie’s three-year old granddaughter comes out to play with them all—Sandy stands out as the friendliest. Her tail wags furiously and she reminds me of how my childhood dog would sprint to the front door, tail thumping, as soon as she heard my dad’s car in the driveway. And I notice that she is small. When I ask why Sandy is so much smaller than all the other goats, Demarie and Diane explain that she is what farmers call a bottle baby. Sometimes, when the mothers give birth, they won’t feed
“her kids call me ‘the enabler!’” jokes Diane Kiessel, as she and Demarie Jones toss out peanuts like dog biscuits to Demarie’s small flock of goats and sheep. The animals swarm around us, bumping into our legs and each other as they vie for treats. The smallest goat has buttery-colored curls and keeps nudging my hand in hopes of a good scratch. “Yeah, Diane’s my B.F.F.!” Demarie says. “My Best Fiber Friend!” It’s a cold February day when I first visit Demarie’s farm, but the gray light is Above: A sample of yarn from Leelanau Fiber. warmed by the atmosphere inside the Right/Opposite: Knitting group members chat during knitting night at Leelanau Fiber. barn. Demarie’s Three Little Birds Farm Bottom: Diane Kiessel, co-owner of is just west of Omena, and in neighboring Leelanau Fiber and owner of Dragonfly Valley Fiber Farm. Suttons Bay, Diane owns Dragonfly Valley Fiber Farm. Diane began her farm back in 2007, but Demarie’s journey to becoming a farmer began after her husband passed away on February 14, 2016. That spring, one of Diane’s sheep gave birth to a baby lamb on Easter Sunday. “I had the first baby lamb on my farm,” Diane says. “We had talked about the lamb, so I texted Demarie and said, ‘I have a baby! Come see the baby!’” Demarie drove to Diane’s farm to visit and fell in love with the lamb. Diane says, “It was the first smile I’d seen on her face in weeks and something possessed me to ask, ‘Do you want the lamb?’” Demarie didn’t even have her farm yet, but Diane offered to keep the lamb for her, so she said yes and named the lamb Hosanna, “Anna” for short. Five months later, Demarie and her daughter’s family bought the farm where Anna now has a permanent home and is a mother to her own lambs. their babies; then it’s up to the farmer to bottle-feed the ba“After my husband died, things started snowballing,” Debies at all hours, hence the term. These baby animals form a marie says. “It was the lamb, then the farm, then the shop!” Each animal on Demarie’s farm has a unique character. She bond with their caretakers. keeps chickens, Angora goats, Southdown Babydoll sheep, “When you have bottle babies, you’re out there in the two alpacas and two Angora rabbits. All the animals have fun barn at two o’clock in the morning with a heat lamp,” Diane
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Demarie Jones, left, and Diane Kiessel at Demarie's Three Little Birds Farm, just west of Omena.
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The trouble with knitting is—much like in life—you often can’t see the mistake until you’re a couple of rows
PA S T I T .
says. “It’s completely quiet, and all you can hear is the animals chewing. At first, you feel like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to get up and feed these babies,’ but then you get out there, it’s so quiet and the animals are there. The goats are so funny because they sleep in family groups. I just wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Both Demarie and Diane have been working with fiber since they were very young. Demarie grew up with sheep. Her grandparents had a sheep farm, and her grandmother taught her to knit and crochet. “Goats were new, but sheep aren’t new,” says Demarie. “I was going to stick with the sheep and the alpacas, but then I fell in love with the goats!” “Are your kids farmers?” I ask. “They are now!” Everything with the farm is a learning process. Diane and Demarie both constantly seek opportunities within the fiber community to learn and improve the care of their animals. They attend the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan every year. It’s one of the largest fiber festivals in the country, and it’s a great source of information. They go to learn and to meet with the community. It’s a competition, but the primary purpose is to learn better care, husbandry and nutrition for the animals. “The world is small, but the fiber community is even smaller and everyone is so nice,” Diane says. And while they are constantly learning new and more efficient methods from their colleagues, they can’t do everything on their own. Every year, Diane and Demarie shear their goats, but they hire someone to shear the sheep and alpacas. You can place goats on a stand and simply move around them, but sheep and alpacas are much more labor-intensive. Once sheared, the goal is to clean the collected fiber and send it out to be milled into yarn for their shop. Right now, it’s all stuffed in grocery sacks around the barn. I ask when they’ll have enough fiber to send out and they both start chuckling, “We have enough!” The hard part, they explain, is making all the decisions on what exactly to do with the collected fiber. The choices are overwhelming. They plan to send some of their wool to a mill in East Jordan and the rest to a mill in Frankenmuth. Each mill specializes in different forms of production. Diane and Demarie need to decide how they want the fibers blended with other fibers or if they want it blended at
all. Do they want it dyed into colors or spun into yarn or made into roving? “Roving is pre-yarn,” Diane explains. It’s when the fiber has been cleaned, combed and carded, which is a process by which the fiber is pulled into the same direction by short metal bristles. You can do this by hand with two “carders” that look like pulling two brushes against each other or with a machine that looks like a giant version of the inner mechanics of a music box. After it’s made into roving, a fiber artist can pull the fibers apart and spin it into yarn themselves. Demarie is more interested in natural fibers; whereas Diane is drawn toward vivid colorways. “We have totally opposite tastes,” Diane says. “It’s not that I dislike it or she dislikes it, but it’s just our different tastes.” I look at these two women and realize it’s this complementary aspect of their friendship that makes their partnership work. i look back now, and
I can see that those first f e w w e e k s a l o n e Up North were lonelier than I realized at the time. I was in desperate need of community, and I didn’t even know it. Even though I was afraid, I’m so glad I took the chance. I left that first meeting with multiple invitations to Thanksgiving dinners. I discovered that one of my “knitting ladies,” as I began to call them, had my grandfather as her high school history teacher in Lansing. Not to mention, I was well on my way to completing my knitting project. I completed all 10 scarves to rave reviews. The striped one included. That evening, after my first visit to the knitting group, I felt included, comforted and supported in a way I hadn’t felt from anyone but family in a long time. Diane is absolutely right: The world is small, but the fiber world is even smaller. (And everyone is incredibly nice.) In fact, one knitting lady in particular is now a dear friend. I’m so grateful for that initial foothold into my little world up here in the North, for the community on St. Joseph Street that Demarie and Diane so dedicatedly foster and for the inspiration I found on the farm watching two women pursuing their friendship and their passion. Molly Korroch is a journalist based in Suttons Bay. Visit her website at mollyhunterkorroch.com or follow her @mollykorroch. Courtney Kent is based in Traverse City and photographs weddings, families and lifestyle. courtneykentphotography.com
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ASKIGUIDE
THE
DAY TRIP
PERS FROM HITTING THE SNOWY SLOPES, TO WARMING UP BY THE FIRE WITH FRIENDS, LOCAL SKIERS SHARE THEIR PERFECT DAY (AND NIGHT) AT FOUR NORTHERN MICHIGAN RESORTS
ONE Treetops Resort TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ASHLEY JOHNSON
GAYLORD
T R E E TO P S .C O M
M
y friends and I plan trips to Treetops ever y year, but this time it was just for the girls! We started our excursion by renting cross-country skis. The staff was so helpful getting everyone fitted and ready for the trails. Once we were all geared up, we took off. It was a gorgeous day and the sun was shining, taking the edge off the chill from the wind. The more
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we skied, the more we warmed up. The hilly landscape kept us moving and provided us with beautiful scenery that we won’t soon forget. The trails had signage throughout that kept us on the right track and led us back to the lodge, where we ended up hanging out by the bonfire to warm up a bit. (Nothing like a few snacks and refreshments after a long day of skiing!) The staff at Treetops was beyond accommodating, and although we didn’t have time to enjoy it, there is an awesome pool and hot tub, which would have been a perfect way to end our unique experience. It was really great getting the girls together for a fun-filled day—we can’t wait to do it all again next year!
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TWO Crystal Mountain TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KARA JARVIS
THOMPSONVILLE
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lthough we hadn’t been skiing since I was a junior in high school and my brother was in 8th grade, we volunteered to take a group of our younger brother’s middle school friends to Crystal Mountain for an evening of nighttime skiing. Our hesitation to hit the slopes after nearly a decade without strapping on skis was eased by some of our favorite wintertime memories growing up in Northern Michigan: Crystal Mountain every Friday after school. In no time and with little convincing needed, we were on our way to Thompsonville! When we arrived, the nostalgic smell of hot chocolate and fresh snow paired with the buzz of the chairlift fueled our adrenaline. We rented our skis, gave each other a pep talk and, admittedly, hit the bunny hill for one run to reacclimate. Our first trip up the chairlift reintroduced me to the beauty of the grounds at Crystal Mountain. A fresh blanket of white snow dotted with twinkly white lights across the picturesque village and families skiing together made for a storybook view. My brother and I compromised on which hills we would hit first and found ourselves exploring each of the chairlifts along with the new runs (and views!) each of them led us to. We ended the night with hot chocolate and local brews at the Vista Lounge, where we found one of our favorite local artists, Drew Hale, serenading an audience dressed in sweaters, ski boots and snow pants. On our drive home to Traverse City, we all agreed: Let's not allow another decade to pass before our next Friday night ski trip.
*Photo taken in 2019
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THREE Mount Bohemia TEXT AND PHOTOS BY LEXIE CERK
MOHAWK, KEWEENAW PENINSULA
M T B O H E M I A .C O M
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our hundred miles north of Traverse City you’ll find the home of some of the longest runs and deepest powder in the Midwest. After hearing about Mount Bohemia for years—and eyeing the new pair of skis I received for Christmas—this was the year my husband and I finally made the trek north to the Upper Peninsula. We snowshoed a mile to a remote cabin not far from Mount Bohemia, pulling our gear by sled. Our home away from home was a 30-minute hike in, completely off-grid, with a wood stove and sauna to keep
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us warm in the single-digit weather. After an hour of getting the cabin organized, we once again geared up and ventured out, trading the nowcomfortable cabin temperatures for a day on the slopes. Riding the chairlift at Mount Bohemia was incredible, with Lake Superior coming into view the higher up we went. The runs that maneuvered through the woods on backcountry trails were my favorite part, not just for their names—Mordor, Gandalf, The Shire (shoutout to my fellow “Lord of the Rings” fans). As if the day were not perfect enough, we ended it with a cup of hot chocolate and a soak in the Nordic Spa—the largest outdoor hot tub in the U.P. Mount Bohemia’s “no beginners allowed” slogan is not to be taken lightly. Trails are primarily black and double black diamond, but if you are equipped, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are already planning our trip back!
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FOUR The Homestead TEXT AND PHOTOS BY CLAIRE HOUSER
GLEN ARBOR
T H E H O M E ST E A D R E S O RT.C O M
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he Homestead is an awesome place to ski for the day. Aside from the beautiful northwest drive from Traverse City to Glen Arbor, the top of the resort offers a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan that you just can’t beat. We drove out on a warm, sunny day at the end of the season, hoping to get a little more time on the slopes, and ended up having more than a great time enjoying all that the resort had to offer. The sun was shining full force, and upon our arrival, there was no denying that everyone was stoked. The snow had begun to turn into slush from the rising temperature and sunny day, but it didn’t stop us from having a blast. It was the kind of day when you decide to hang up your winter jacket and spend the rest of the day on the hill in a T-shirt. After hours of skiing, working up an appetite, we stopped by Whiskers, a resort eatery. The food was amazing, and we even got the chance to meet the head chef. Whiskers serves traditional bites as well as glutenfree options, perfect for our group. Not only was the menu on point, but the full bar wasn’t too shabby either. It was a fantastic way to end the ski season, and we all went home tired but with memories of a day that would get us through to the next snowy season!
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WINTER WEDDING
M
ichael Shaw smiles when he tells the story of meeting Anna Aldrich—the future Anna Shaw. He was sitting with a group of his buddies at a bar in Ypsilanti, near where he was finishing up at Eastern Michigan University. He spotted Anna across the room, did a double take and told his friends, “I’m going to marry that girl.” A year and a half later, Michael was a state trooper and Anna was a nurse and they were ready for the forever commitment. Michael proposed to Anna in front of their families at Anna’s family’s Italian restaurant, Caruso’s in Angola, Indiana. She said, “Yes! Yes!” almost before he’d gotten down on one knee. One of the many things this couple has in common is a love of snow sports—Anna is a boarder and Michael skis. With that in mind, they envisioned a winter wedding. Once
ANNA ALDRICH
+
MICHAEL SHAW J anuary 12 , 2019 STORY BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY
Warmer Together
He spotted Anna across the room, did a double take and told his friends,
“I’m going to marry that girl.”
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they’d decided that much, they knew it would be at Otsego Resort in Gaylord. As Anna explains, the resort has been “near and dear to my heart my entire life.” She began skiing there when she was three years old and has since spent every Christmas there with her family. Many guests and members of the bridal party arrived a couple of days early to ski and hang out at the River Cabin—a bar with an outdoor fire pit at the base of the back slopes and next to the Sturgeon River. The following afternoon, the couple was married at St. Mary Cathedral in Gaylord by Father Bernie, the same priest who married Anna’s parents (he also skis at Otsego Resort!). The reception was held in the resort’s Duck Blind Grille— a knotty pine-paneled room with an expansive view of the ski slopes—a winter wonderland that lit up when the sun went down and the slope lights went on. After what the couple describes as a “phenomenal dinner,” it was everyone on the dance floor for the rest of the evening. “I remember looking at the clock at 8:30 and telling Michael, ‘I’m getting tired. I don’t know if I can make it,’” Anna says. “And the next thing I knew, it was midnight.” After a leisurely brunch at the Duck Blind Grille the next morning, it was time for goodbyes—mixed with gushes of gratitude for such a perfect occasion. “We got to spend so much time with the people we love, Michael says. “Otsego Resort made that happen. It’s like having your own city for the weekend.”
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r r Resources VENUE: Otsego Resort, otsegoresort.com / PHOTOGRAPHER: Samantha Nicole Photography, samanthanicolephoto.com / VIDEOGRAPHY: Lindsey Leigh Media, lindseyleighmedia.com DINNER & BRUNCH: Otsego Resort, otsegoresort.com / CAKE & REHEARSAL DINNER: Caruso's Italian Restaurant, carusos-restaurant.com / GOWN: Laura Jacobs Bridal, laurajacobsbridal.com HANDMADE TUXEDO: Elevated Citizen, elevatedcitizen.com / MUSIC AT WEDDING AND COCKTAIL HOUR: Higher Plain / FLOWERS: Flowers by Evelyn, 989.732.6227 / DJ: Adam Freeman, djadamfreeman.com / GUEST FAVORS: Alpine Chocolat Haus, alpine-chocolat-haus.com
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A Supplement to
MI 5 | Sparking Change in Digital Health From receiving 24-hour urgent care on your phone to high-risk pregnancy consultations for rural moms via video, COVID-19 has the region’s top healthcare innovators stepping up to meet demand for telemedicine solutions. MI 8 | COVID-19 Heroes Healthcare professionals worked tirelessly on the frontlines when the pandemic hit Northern Michigan, not knowing they would still be fighting the virus months later. These are their stories of teamwork, grit and resilience. MI 16 | Life-Saving Stroke Care Early action is critical when someone suffers a stroke. Meet the neurosurgeon who has brought life-saving expertise to Munson Healthcare. MI 20 | Holistic Health: A Whole-Body Approach to Well-Being Healthcare is moving toward prevention, and practices like Traverse City’s Table Health bring innovation along with cost-effective, transparent and patient-centered care. MI 24 | Innovation in Prostate Care: The UroLift He came North to retire—but it didn’t last long. Now, Dr. Shumaker performs an innovative non-surgical prostate procedure, increasing quality of life for men in Northern Michigan. MI 26 | With the Help of an ‘Angel’
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SPARKING CHANGE IN DIGITAL HEALTH
JUNE MURPHY, D.O. › DIRECTOR OF MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE
COVID as a catalyst for telemedicine
by Laurel Sutherland | photos by Dave Weidner
Munson Healthcare uses the telemedicine platform Perinatal Access to livestream ultrasounds during real-time video visits with prospective mothers.
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SPARKING CHANGE IN DIGITAL HEALTH «
It should come as no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a swift and unprecedented adoption of telehealth tools to help keep both patients and healthcare professionals safe. Development of products that were expected to take years happened in weeks. Connecting with healthcare professionals via phone or video call went from a convenient novelty to a necessary safety measure in short order. Necessity, along with emergency changes to HIPAA guidelines and insurance reimbursement, spurred rapid growth in the telemedicine world. Today, in Northern Michigan, patients have access to everything from 24-hour urgent care consultations to prenatal visits, all through telephone and video. Telehealth offers patients the option to enjoy access to safe, convenient and affordable care, virtually. For healthcare providers, telehealth enables specialists in more metropolitan areas to reach rural patients. Much uncertainty remains as to how changing regulations and safety measures will impact telehealth in the future, but it’s expected to have far-reaching impacts beyond the pandemic. One thing is certain: COVID-19 changed the game in healthcare technology, and healthcare leaders, as well as patients, across Northern Michigan are taking note.
Innovators Step Up to Meet Demand McLaren’s New App Provides 24/7 Care Due to the pandemic, more people are choosing to stay in Northern Michigan for a longer period. In response to this trend and safety concerns related to COVID-19, McLaren Northern Michigan piloted a telemedicine app during the early stages of the pandemic that’s now live across all McLaren hospitals. Through the app, patients can build and keep relationships with primary care doctors and specialists even when they’re not in Northern Michigan. The app, McLarenNow Virtual Visit, is accessible on smartphones, tablets or computers with a webcam. “Through the height of COVID, we say 50 percent or more of our visits were telephonic and telemedicine,” says Brad Rider, McLaren Medical Group Director of Operations. “Telehealth is a game-changer because it gives patients and providers the ability to interact no matter where they are.” The app also allows patients to connect with a board-certified physician anywhere, anytime for urgent care needs such as coronavirus screening, cold, flu, minor injuries, illness or skin conditions.
Remote Care for High-Risk Pregnancies Munson Healthcare is innovating to provide high-quality obstetrics care for high-risk pregnancies across the North through a combination of in-person and remote specialist consultations. The goal? Increase access to care while decreasing travel for prospective moms in regions without the specialists found in Traverse City. In the past, patients with high-risk pregnancies who required care from a maternal-fetal medicine specialist had to travel to Traverse City. This left patients to weigh travel costs against potential pregnancy complications. Telemedicine provides patients
access to the care they need in the comfort of their community. Munson, in partnership with Wayne State University, provides patients a questionnaire to proactively identify potentially high-risk pregnancies in need of a specialist provider. For those women in Alpena, Manistee and Cadillac, Munson leverages a telemedicine platform called Perinatal Access. The platform livestreams ultrasounds to a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist in Traverse City during a real-time video visit with the prospective mother. This saves patients travel time and increases care access because these prospective moms can “see” an MFM specialist without the drive to Traverse City. Munson hopes to expand the technology to also serve the Sault Ste. Marie and one in the mid-region of Northern Michigan. “Our goal is to serve patients where they are, as close to home and as safely as possible,” says Nurse Manager Melanie Thompson. “We are ensuring people have access to care that perhaps they would not have had because of travel involved.” In addition to telemedicine resources for high-risk pregnancies, Munson also regularly offers on-site MFM specialist care in Cadillac and Manistee and offers 24/7 on-call coverage. Though Munson no longer delivers babies at Manistee Hospital, their OB/GYN practice does provide the full gamut of pre- and postnatal care. “With Perinatal Access, I can provide an MFM consultation on the spot so patients don’t have to have sleepless nights worrying,” says Munson Healthcare Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist Dr. June Murphy. “If I see something during the ultrasound, they know within a few minutes.”
Improving Rural Medicine via Digital Tools 20Fathoms’ HealthSpark initiative is launching a rural telehealth accelerator in early 2021, hoping to position Northern Michigan in the center of solving rural healthcare’s most pressing challenges via digital healthcare tools. As an accelerator, HealthSpark, located in Traverse City, offers the kind of support needed for digital healthcare startups and early-stage companies to take root and grow at a time when rural medicine is looking for innovative solutions. HealthSpark President Jack Miner is a leader in venture-stage technology startup companies and previously led the venture teams at Cleveland Clinic and the University of Michigan. Through HealthSpark, Miner sees an opportunity for Northern Michigan to become a healthcare hub, innovating and providing digital tools that can meet the increasing challenges found in rural healthcare. “We are seeing telehealth work for providers and patients,” Miner says. “There is an opportunity to use this modality to address today’s most pressing challenges, and we believe rural health systems can lead the way.” HealthSpark’s accelerator helps digital health startups, in part, by providing experts who can help the companies be successful in working with a rural hospital system, from reimbursement and supply chain to regulatory concerns and patient safety. The accelerator helps startups that address key issues impacting rural health, including socioeconomic and social determinants of health, care access, mental health resources and broadband internet access.
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COVID-19 HEROES by Laurel Sutherland | photos by Michael Poehlman
Local healthcare professionals worked tirelessly on the frontlines when the pandemic hit Northern Michigan and the battle continues. We’re sharing some of their stories here—stories of incredible interdisciplinary teamwork, grit and resilience, long hours beyond normal responsibilities, gratitude for colleague and community support and capable task forces that remain intact. COVID-19 hit Northern Michigan, as it did the country, with a sudden urgency—the likes of which most of us have never seen. While Munson Healthcare and McLaren Northern Michigan work every day to prevent infections, secure patient and staff safety and care for patients with skill and compassion, the pandemic has put both healthcare communities to the test. Frontline healthcare professionals throughout the country, and the world, have performed heroic acts, and Northern Michigan healthcare professionals dove into the fray with commitment and vigor, remaining vigilant in the face of this virus. The following are just a handful of the many local healthcare heroes.
Kathy Stutzman, BSN, RN-BC Manager of A2 Cardiothoracic/COVID Unit Munson Healthcare As manager of Munson Hospital’s A2 cardiothoracic unit in Traverse City, Kathy Stutzman, BSN, RN-BC, is used to being flexible in high-pressure situations. But COVID-19 presents an unprecedented challenge. The reality of the pandemic hit home for Stutzman on St. Patrick’s Day 2020—when her Munson Medical Center unit was designated as the best place to care for COVID-positive patients. Knowing this meant a huge effort to relocate the unit’s patients to another part of the hospital and gear up for COVID-19 patients, Stutzman arrived home that night in tears. Her husband reminded her that she was prepared for this. Stutzman worked closely with her unit manager, Resource Nurse Clinician Tim Nastbergen, to relocate cardiothoracic patients, opening up their unit to accommodate COVID-19 patients. They worked daily from 6:30 in the morning until after 9 at night to ensure patients were transported safely—all while navigating ever-changing PPE protocols.
“On the cardiothoracic floor, we look for the positive,” Stutzman says. “It is a special group of people. It was high pressure, but we worked together to get it done. Nurses from various specialties throughout the hospital stepped up and volunteered to care for the COVID patient population.” Due to hospital restrictions, COVID patients are unable to receive visitors. This leaves Stutzman and her team to provide comfort for patients facing the prospect of death without family members present. “My motto is ‘no one should ever have to die alone.’ When we took the Nightingale Pledge, we said we would care for those who needed care,” Stutzman says. Stutzman is proud of the way Munson leadership, staff, nurses and providers have united to give outstanding care to COVID patients. She was heartened by the incredible outpouring of support from the community—from notes and banners to cowbells and cheers at shift changes. Her proudest moment to-date navigating the pandemic is sending home the first COVID patient who had been intubated. When he was discharged, everyone involved in his care, from respiratory therapists to physical therapists, nurses and others—a true cross-section of the hospital—was there to see him off with a dance while playing his favorite song, “Sweet Caroline.”
Amy Milbrandt, MLS (ASCP) Infection Preventionist McLaren Northern Michigan Amy Milbrandt is responsible for analyzing data and developing protocols to investigate and prevent infection at McLaren Northern Michigan facilities. Her job is to make sure both patients and hospital personnel are safe. COVID-19 upped the ante. In March 2020, she received a call over a weekend asking her to join McLaren’s incident command team forming to address COVID. “I was impressed by the team,” Milbrandt says. “We got together and went right to work. We focused on PPE and bed and staff availability. We made it a priority to be prepared.” Milbrandt was tasked with setting up isolation units for COVID-19 patients. Additionally, she defined protocols for “donning and doffing” (taking PPE on and off) in a sustainable manner and educated staff on CDC and state guideline changes. She is an integral team player and the primary decision-maker when it comes to reviewing whether PPE meets CDC guidelines. 4
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She works day-in and day-out to make sure all McLaren staff, providers and community members have the latest safety information. “I work closely with three infectious disease doctors and our clinical education team to make videos that loop on the floor showing providers how to don and doff PPE,” Milbrandt says. Milbrandt is proud of how her team came together and collaborated, sharing priorities and working long hours. She also appreciates how the community presented creative solutions, such as Petoskey Plastics shifting gears to make face shields and gowns for the hospitals, local distillery Gypsy Vodka making hand sanitizer and community members coming together to sew masks.
Enda McGonigle Manager of Logistics Munson Healthcare We all now know the challenges of ensuring our frontline healthcare workers have the PPE they need to provide care safely. At Munson Healthcare, that responsibility fell upon the shoulders of Enda McGonigle, Munson’s manager of logistics, who is responsible for ensuring Munson sites across all of Northern Michigan have PPE and supplies. McGonigle worked tirelessly during the initial days of the pandemic to ensure the health system was prepared to serve COVID-19 patients. However, he is quick to say that no one person is a singular hero in the success of Munson’s COVID response. “It was a team effort. No one person on this team could have made this work,” McGonigle says. “I have more than 150 team members across the Munson System and we rely on medical and non-medical staff to help us be good stewards of PPE to keep people safe and protected. Frontline staff are the heroes we are here to support.” In the face of unpredictable pandemic resource demands, McGonigle had to ask staff across all Munson hospitals and ambulatory locations to be adaptable. Early on, he was asked to be a part of Munson’s incident command team representing logistics. Logistics played a vital role in incident command, which included leadership from every hospital within the Munson system providing two daily updates, seven days a week. The crux of McGonigle’s work was developing a supply chain plan for each site to see that resource allocation considered PPE preservation and conservation needs. He also led the resource allocation committee that met daily to focus specifically on monitoring PPE preservation and conservation. They were
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responsible for devising creative solutions to keep Munson’s emergency preparedness inventory prepped—from masks and sanitizer to respirators. He credits Munson’s distribution center and the Northern Michigan Supply Alliance—a collaboration with Trinity and Spectrum Health to share supply chain knowledge—with putting Munson in a preferred position at the beginning of the pandemic. “We had space, trucks and a pretty sophisticated approach to inventory management,” McGonigle says. “The development of the resource allocation committee is really groundbreaking because it brings together the clinical team across Munson Healthcare as well as reps from nursing administration, ethicists and educators to thoughtfully operationalize change.” McGonigle is thankful for Munson’s Foundation for Charitable Giving and the at-home heroes who stepped up to supplement cloth masks for patients and visitors, as well as Iron Fish Distillery for providing hand sanitizer. He’s also impressed with the team approach and excellent integration to respond to the unprecedented crisis in the supply chain.
Karen DenBesten, M.D. Director of Infection Prevention McLaren Northern Michigan Karen DenBesten, M.D., organized McLaren Northern Michigan’s COVID-19 response. No small task. DenBesten assembled an interdisciplinary incident command team that invested thousands of hours to ensure the safety of staff, patients and the community. The team worked together to develop a respiratory isolation unit, source and access testing materials, procure PPE and create protocols for COVID-19 safety and treatment. DenBesten led the charge every step of the way, staying on top of changing CDC recommendations and updating best practices and protocols daily. There was an initial surge of cases at McLaren, which the team handled skillfully. Since then, there continue to be changes that present new challenges to DenBesten’s team. There is no letting up: The task force continues to meet daily to address ongoing changes. “I’m so incredibly proud of the hospital staff, administration and community,” DenBesten says. “We listened to science and rose to the challenge. We came together to create a safe experience.” DenBesten is proud of the safety precautions McLaren’s interdisciplinary incident command team put in place. To date, no staff members have contracted COVID-19 as a result of their work at the hospital. 4
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COVID-19 HEROES «
ENDA MCGONIGLE › MANAGER OF LOGISTICS
AMY MILBRANDT, MLS (ASCP) › INFECTION PREVENTIONIST
“I HAVE MORE THAN 150 TEAM MEMBERS ACROSS THE MUNSON SYSTEM AND WE RELY ON MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL STAFF TO HELP US BE GOOD STEWARDS OF PPE TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND PROTECTED. FRONTLINE STAFF ARE THE HEROES WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT.” —ENDA MCGONIGLE
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“WE WOULD NOT HAVE FUNCTIONED WITHOUT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN OUR DEPARTMENT. IT WAS A HUGE TEAM EFFORT FOR THE HOSPITAL AS A WHOLE.”
KAREN DENBESTEN, M.D. › DIRECTOR OF INFECTION PREVENTION
—REBECCA SOMERVILLE
REBECCA SOMERVILLE › RESPIRATORY THERAPIST
CHRISTOPHER LEDTKE, M.D. INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST ›
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COVID-19 HEROES «
“We’ve saved some really sick COVID patients, making the work incredibly rewarding,” DenBesten says. “The most challenging part has not been the long hours or my concern for my safety and the safety of my family. It has been the disregard for how serious this is from some members of the public. This is a highly contagious and potentially lethal and debilitating virus that needs to be taken seriously and respected.”
Christopher Ledtke, M.D. Infectious Disease Specialist Munson Healthcare When COVID-19 arrived at Munson in March 2020, Infectious Disease Specialist Christopher Ledtke was tasked with answering some critical questions. How will we screen, test, isolate and treat COVID-19 patients? Where will we put COVID-positive patients? And, who will care for COVID-19 patients? Addressing those challenges quickly became much more than a full-time job. Throughout the pandemic, Ledtke has maintained his normal day-to-day hospital and clinic responsibilities, while adding 3-4 hours of meetings, texts and calls around the clock to ensure timely infectious disease expertise is available to every Munson facility. If there’s a question about COVID-19 protocols, it goes to Ledtke and his team. “It has become a 24/7 job. We answer questions like, ‘Can you review this protocol?’ or ‘This doctor or nurse is sick or has been exposed, what do we do?’” Ledtke says. Ledtke, along with his partner Mark Cannon, M.D., PhD., and the entire infection prevention and infectious disease team writes and reviews protocols to prevent the spread of disease throughout the nine-hospital system of Munson Healthcare. They do everything from determining the safest way to plan for surgeries to being mindful of testing resources and making sure sick patients have the resources they need. “We are trying to be as adaptable as we can,” Ledtke says. “We have a really strong group of administrators running the show here. We are dealing with limitations in supplies and a system with many locations that are all trying to get on the same plan,
which is a challenge. Our response has been excellent.” Ledtke applauds Munson’s frontline staff who have stepped up. He called out Infection Prevention Coordinator Megan Priede and VP of Quality and Patient Safety Joe Satangelo as all-stars in Munson’s response to this pandemic.
Rebecca Somerville Respiratory Therapist Grayling Hospital, Munson Healthcare Rebecca Somerville is fueled by adrenaline. Her favorite places to work in the hospital are the ever-changing intensive care unit and emergency department. She is not one to be fearful. But COVID-19 frightens even this brave respiratory therapist. “We were blindsided,” Somerville says. “We went from 0 to 100 within one day, but our department pulled together 150 percent.” Somerville says her department, the cardiopulmonary department, collaborated with the inpatient team and other ancillary services to ensure they had enough resources to provide critical care. “We would not have functioned without every single person in our department. It was a huge team effort for the hospital as a whole,” Somerville says. The team at Grayling Hospital went from wearing no masks to working in what they dubbed “battle gear” nearly overnight. In the past, the Grayling team would stabilize and transfer respiratory patients. COVID changed that. COVID-19 patients were not stabilized and transferred, they were stabilized and admitted and Sommerville’s department needed to rely on hospitalist physicians and surgical nurses for additional support to meet patient care needs. “It brought us closer as a team,” Somerville says. “Everyone was sharing ideas. We were dealing with modes of ventilation we hadn’t dealt with for a long time. We were at the forefront of treating COVID patients, and our whole team did a great job.” Somerville is thankful that her team never lacked PPE and that the Grayling community showed amazing support by making masks, providing food to employees, writing encouraging messages on the sidewalks and posting signs.
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Gary GaryB.B. Rajah, Rajah, MD MD Director, Director, Munson MunsonHealthcare Healthcare Endovascular EndovascularStroke StrokeProgram Program
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GARY RAJAH, M.D. › NEUROSURGEON
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Lifesaving Stroke Care in Northern Michigan by Laurel Sutherland | photo courtesy of Munson Healthcare
Stroke touches everyone’s life; the stroke patient, their family, their caretakers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every 4 minutes, someone dies of a stroke. The difference between death and survival is early action, making it critical to have robust stroke resources close to home. Michigan native and neurosurgeon Dr. Gary Rajah joined Munson Healthcare in June 2020 to expand Munson Healthcare’s stroke center. Rajah is already making a difference in the lives of people impacted by a stroke in Northern Michigan by bringing endovascular stroke treatment to Munson, a lifesaving and lifechanging service not previously offered in the region. Rajah is drawn to stroke care because of the critical nature of the specialty and the chance for amazing outcomes. Prior to joining Munson Healthcare’s stroke center, Rajah completed medical school and a seven-year neurosurgery residency at Wayne State University. He then completed a vascular/endovascular/neurosurgery fellowship at the University at Buffalo Gates Vascular Institute at the Canon Stroke & Vascular Research Center. After completing his fellowship, he chose to join Munson because it was important to him to serve a Michigan stroke program that did not yet offer in-house endovascular treatment.
The stroke care processes and treatments Rajah has spearheaded at Munson enable the retrieval of blood clots from the brain via a blood vessel. The procedure, called a thrombectomy, previously required a flight downstate. The treatment wasn’t available in Traverse City before Rajah joined the team, because it requires a highly trained neurosurgeon, and recruiting that talent has been challenging due to Munson’s rural location. Munson has been a Primary Stroke Center since 2012 due to its dedicated stroke-focused program, but the addition of 24/7 endovascular services makes Munson a candidate for Comprehensive Stroke Center designation by The Joint Commission, a nonprofit that accredits healthcare organizations and programs. “Time is critical when it comes to stroke treatment, so keeping patients in Northern Michigan will save lives and improve outcomes,” Rajah says. “We are able to truly change someone’s life in a matter of minutes. Patients improve on the table during the procedure. They go from not being able to talk to talking, and not being able to move an arm to moving their arm. This procedure has been around and has been regarded as a standard of care since trials in 2015. We were glad we could finally bring it to Northern Michigan.” Shortly after the expanded stroke center opened in August 2020, the team immediately began working with interventional radiology techs, ICU nurses, anesthesia, pharmacy and the operating room to swiftly treat patients with thrombectomies and other endovascular approaches such as clipping aneurysms. An aneurysm is a balloonlike bulge that can grow in an artery, and as it does, it can leak blood into the spaces around the brain. Clipping an aneurysm is when a neurosurgeon opens the skull and places a tiny clip across the neck of the aneurysm to stop or prevent it from bleed-
ing. Aneurysms that are completely clipped have an extremely low risk of regrowth, extending patient life expectancy. Expanding the stroke program uniquely positions Munson Healthcare to offer 360 care (emergent, post-operative and rehab) to stroke patients in Munson’s entire service area in Northern Lower Michigan, but also includes bringing leading-edge stroke care closer to patients in the Upper Peninsula. Though patients from the Upper Peninsula and Munson’s locations in Grayling and Cadillac still need to be transferred to receive endovascular stroke treatment, the travel time to receive the procedure is significantly shorter than it was previous to the expansion of Munson’s stroke center. During a stroke, the brain loses, with each hour, as many neurons as it does in almost 3.6 years of normal aging. Every minute counts when it comes to saving a stroke patient’s life and making a significant impact on their ability to function post-stroke. Rajah and the Munson Stroke Center team were able to make significant progress in a short amount of time to implement new stroke care processes and achieve excellent outcomes. This work took a lot of innovation on behalf of the hospital staff to get comfortable with the process. In addition to implementing new processes, the department also became one of only seven hospitals in the U.S. with a state-ofthe-art imaging machine, the ARTIS Icono Biplane Angiography System, that enables high-precision 2D, 3D and 4D brain scans to enhance timely stroke diagnosis. Munson plans to continue to expand its stroke program through the addition of a second ARTIS Icono Biplane Angiography System and recruiting additional physicians to keep Northern Michigan’s approximately 250 annual stroke patients close to home.
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1000 Pavilions Circle | Traverse City | gtpavilions.org | (231) 932-3000 MyNorth Medical Insider 2021
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HOLISTIC HEALTH: WHOLE-BODY APPROACH TO WELL-BEING by Laurel Sutherland | photos courtesy of Table Health
If you long for a healthcare provider who knows you, your family and your healthcare story, you’re not alone. Both providers and patients pine for a more meaningful doctor-patient relationship. Fortunately, the healthcare system is moving toward a more patient-centered approach focused on prevention as opposed to procedures. Direct primary care and functional medicine practices like Traverse City’s Table Health are championing the movement by offering cost-effective, transparent and relationship-based care. continued on page 22
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ANDREA STOECKER, D.O. › TABLE HEALTH PROVIDER
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Functional Medicine: Caring for the Whole Person The philosophy behind functional medicine is the antidote to transactional, pharmaceutical-driven medicine. It aims to keep biologic systems in balance by treating the mind, body and spirit. Driven by developing a long-term relationship between the healthcare provider and patient, functional medicine focuses on the underlying cause of disease rather than symptoms alone. For example, it may focus on stress management or diet to remedy gut dysfunction rather than prescriptions that provide short-term comfort. “We want to return to a time when the family doctor truly knew their patients and their patient’s families and incorporate modern conveniences and technology,” says Table Health Operations Manager Christine Straley.
Direct Primary Care: A Model for Flexible, Affordable Care This way of taking care of people is new in the healthcare insurance world, but it isn’t new to medicine. Table Health uses the functional medicine approach in a direct primary care (DPC) model. DPC is an alternative to traditional fee-for-service thirdparty-payer billing, and effectively allows providers to spend more time with patients and keep costs transparent. DPC patients pay their physician or practice directly with a monthly or annual fee. This fee covers most primary care services, such as clinical and lab services, care coordination and consultative services. DPC practices suggest patients keep a high-deductible policy for emergency care or procedures such as a mammogram, colonoscopy or MRI done in another facility where insurance is accepted. Meanwhile, DPC practices work to reduce the burden of healthcare costs by practicing preventative medicine and providing 24/7 access to providers to triage patient needs and reduce the use of urgent care or the emergency department when possible. “Our goal of direct primary care is to have cost-effective care that is transparent and relationship-based,” Straley says. “Because we are not bound by the regulations of insurance, we can spend more time with our patients, meeting them on a relational, emotional and physical level.”
How it Works Functional medicine and DPC provides an alternative option to patients across the country who want more from their doctor-patient relationship. For example, someone struggling with underlying issues such as fatigue, depression and anxiety has the opportunity to learn more about lifestyle factors that impact
health status. Together, patients and providers address the root causes of ailments through diet, exercise, stress management, body treatments and supplements. “It benefits anyone from a six-month-old to a 90-year-old. It’s a whole life approach,” says Table Health Provider Meghan Sarna, FNP. “Many of our patients are in their 40s and 50s, a high-stress time of life when we are often raising children, taking care of our parents and in a demanding stage of our careers. Stress is a huge driver of our health.” At Table Health, every patient receives a one-hour first visit to establish a relationship with a primary care provider and begin setting goals. From there, the approach looks like a hybrid of what you might typically expect from a primary care doctor with added aspects that are unique to functional medicine. For example, patients may get lab work and an annual physical, but also receive regular follow-up with a health coach throughout the year. Depending on each patient’s needs, a team of licensed physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nutritionists, bodyworkers, mental health professionals, health coaches and movement specialists work together to serve each individual. “When you see how it impacts people’s health and see them get better, it's inspiring,” says Table Health Provider Andrea Stoecker, D.O. “I’m passionate about it because it’s actually helping people live better and heal rather than covering up symptoms for short-term results.”
Driving Lasting Wellness Trailblazing health centers like Table Health serve less as a conventional healthcare provider’s office and more as a hub for health. They offer more than annual physicals and urgent care by supporting patients year-round with educational resources such as webinars, lectures and classes to empower lifestyle changes that have an impact on both day-to-day wellbeing and long-term health outcomes. The trend toward patient-centered, preventative care puts patients in control of their health and aims to ensure they feel seen and heard. Innovative approaches like DPC and functional medicine practiced at Table Health meet growing patient demand for a more individualized healthcare experience. “If people leave and feel that someone was empathetic, compassionate, responsive and listened to them, then we are doing our job and we are doing something really powerful in this community,” Stoecker says.
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Innovation in Prostate Care: The UroLift McLaren doctor brings non-surgical outpatient prostate procedure to Northern Michigan, providing quicker recovery times. by Laurel Sutherland | photo by Dave Weidner
When Bryan Shumaker, M.D., retired from a large urology practice downstate in 2011, he moved Up North to his Boyne-area vacation home. In addition to practicing urology, Shumaker was an astronomy professor and looking forward to his home’s proximity to the nearby Headlands International Dark Sky Park. He didn’t intend to continue his urology practice in Northern Michigan. However, after visiting McLaren Hospital, he realized there was an opportunity to bring his leading-edge urology expertise to serve the greater Petoskey community. Shumaker stepped back in, and with him came the UroLift, a life-changing prostate procedure that has increased quality of life for the countless men who visit McLaren for prostate treatment. Most men will experience an enlarged prostate in their lifetime, and with it, significant urinary discomfort. Patients with enlarged prostates typically begin treat-
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ment with medication. As the prostate grows, so does the dosage needed to curb symptoms, which comes with side effects such as changes in blood pressure and dizziness. Surgery is typically the next best option for relief. For many years, the transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has been the gold standard of prostate care. TURP is a surgical procedure that requires a one- to two-day hospital stay, a catheter for 24 to 48 hours and four to six weeks away from strenuous activity. The UroLift offers a non-surgical, outpatient alternative to TURP that allows patients to return to physical activity sooner. The UroLift procedure takes less than an hour, and patients return home the same day without a catheter. Shumaker compared the procedure to a basic injection—minimally invasive and completed with local anesthetic.
“I like the UroLift because it’s all outpatient, and people do amazingly well with it,” Shumaker says. “Satisfaction rates with the procedure are extremely high.” After UroLift, patients can expect some immediate improvements, two to three weeks of mild urinary urgency and consistent positive progress in the weeks and months following the procedure. “Our bladders are muscles,” Shumaker says. “When we open the urinary tract up, it takes time for the bladder to rebuild strength and transition from emptying in frequent small amounts to less frequent larger amounts.” Since McLaren Northern Michigan serves patients from across the North, a minimally invasive procedure with little follow-up sets Shumaker at ease. “I can send patients home without worrying about close post-op observation, which is very important in rural medicine,” he says.
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BRYAN SHUMAKER, M.D. › BOARD-CERTIFIED UROLOGY SPECIALIST
MyNorth Medical Insider 2021
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‹ JORDAN WIEBER
CRIME PREVENTION OFFICER
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With the Help of an 'Angel' Michigan State Police Angel Program expands to Traverse City. by Kandace Chapple | photo by Michael Poehlman
Jason DeBeck is an “Angel” for the Michigan State Police (MSP) Angel Program, and he shared one story that says it all: A man who walked—yes, walked—the nearly 30 miles from Grayling to Gaylord to turn himself into the Angel Program at the MSP Gaylord Post. “And this wasn’t during the summer,” DeBeck says. “It was cold, sometime in March or April. For me, that shows that people desperately need help and will go to any length to get it. It’s a much-needed program.” Started in 2016 at the Gaylord Post, the Angel Program allows those with a drug or substance abuse problem to turn themselves in at any MSP Post and an “Angel” will help them get the help they need for rehabilitation. The program is available at all 30 MSP Posts, and while that’s good news for towns Up North like Cadillac and Gaylord, there’s been no such program in place for much of Northern Michigan. That’s why, this year, the Traverse City Police Department is stepping in to fill a need. Within the next month, the Law Enforcement Center (851 Woodmere Ave., Traverse City) will offer the Angel Program. Anyone can walk in Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and get the help they need, says Jordan Wieber, Crime Prevention Officer with the Traverse City Police Department. The program is traditionally offered at only MSP Posts, but a handful of city police departments are starting to come on board throughout the state. “This program is a proactive approach,” Wieber says. “For those in need, we want you to know that the police have compassion, and that we hope to change lives.” Michigan had 2,729 overdose deaths in 2017. Of those, 1,941 were opioid-related and 699 were a result of heroin use. Nationally,
since the onset of COVID-19, Wieber says overdoses are up 25 percent. Locally, they have seen an increase as well. “COVID has definitely affected opioid and narcotics usage in our area and everywhere,” he says. “We’re excited to team with the Angel Program and get people into recovery. Addiction can reach anyone.” Corey Hebner, Community Services Trooper at the Michigan State Gaylord Post, agrees. “For years, an addict was painted as a willing participant,” he says. “But is there always a choice? The truth is that it’s a sickness; it doesn’t discriminate. The problem can start with opioids prescribed by a doctor, and you think that’s safe. But then you develop a sudden addiction. A lot of times we find that these are moms who were in car accidents or a high school sports player who was injured. Those are also the faces of addiction.” Hebner adds that the same plant is used to make opioids and heroin. So once people run out of their prescription, they will then seek a different source and will find a cheaper and more lethal version of it in heroin.
How the Angel Program Works Those in need can turn themselves in at any Angel location, says Hebner. “If they come in voluntarily, there are no tricks to that,” he adds. “We know it sounds too good to be true, but the big thing is that we want to get people help. We can’t arrest our way out of this problem.” He notes that the person must come voluntarily, not as part of an intervention by the family. Also, he has seen people get pulled over for a traffic violation and when drugs are found, they claim they are on their way to the post. “It doesn’t work that way,” he says.
Once the person comes in and requests help, any drugs are taken and destroyed by the police. If a person is overdosing, they will call 911 and have the person medically treated first and foremost. Next, an Angel is called and they are brought in to help assess the needs of the person. The screening includes how long and how much the person has been using, if they have any type of insurance and the current availability at rehab programs. Typically, female Angels are called for women seeking treatment, and male Angels are called for men. Angels are volunteers and must undergo a background check. Some have personally dealt with substance abuse in the past, but must be in recovery for at least two years before becoming a volunteer. Angel Jason DeBeck, owner of Nathan's House, a recovery residence for men in Boyne City, says that he, too, has been on the dark side of addiction. It’s the reason that he decided to become an Angel and to help others when he heard about the program at the Gaylord Post. “Addicts and alcoholics understand each other,” he says. “Once you find the bottom, it’s time to find help. We call that the ‘gift of desperation.’” DeBeck has been sober for more than eight years after seeking help through the human resources department of his employer at the time. He has since found joy in helping others find hope in recovery. “There’s a tremendous reward for Angels to be a part of this program,” he says. “We get to pass on a little bit of who we are and our story, and we get to help others.” DeBeck ends with this: “I know you don’t want to see a blue uniform at a time like this, but there’s compassion and care there—and help when you’re ready.”
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Medical Insider M E D I C A L L I ST I N G S
ACTIVE BRACE AND LIMB
MCLAREN NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Cadillac: 231-775-3577 | Petoskey: 231-487-0998 Traverse City: 231-932-8702 activebraceandlimb.com | See our ad on page 2
416 Connable Ave. | Petoskey, MI 49770 800-248-6777 | mclaren.org See our ad on page 2
ALLIANCE FOR SENIOR HOUSING
MONARCH HOME HEALTH SERVICES
PO Box 753 | Kingsley, MI 49649 888-816-4040 | AllianceforSeniorHousing.com See our ad on Back Cover
821 S Elmwood Ave Ste D | Traverse City, MI 49684 231-932-0708 | monarchhomehealth.com See our ad on page 19
BAY VIEW OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
MSU FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
560 W. Mitchell, Suite 210 | Petoskey, MI 49770 231-487-2340 | bayviewob.com See our ad on page 4
312 S. Union St. | Traverse City, MI 49684 231-715-4016 | msufcu.org See our ad on page 1
BOARDMAN LAKE GLENS
MUNSON MEDICAL CENTER
1400 Brigadoon Ct. | Traverse City, MI 49686 231-941-1919 | boardmanlakeglens.com See our ad on page 4
1105 6th St. | Traverse City, MI 49684 231-935-5000 | munsonhealthcare.org See our ad on page 14/15
COPPER RIDGE SURGERY CENTER
OMPT SPECIALISTS PHYSICAL THERAPY
4100 Park Forest Dr. | Traverse City, MI 49684 231-392-8900 | surgerytc.com See our ad on page 1
305 W. Front St. l Traverse City, MI 49684 231-237-7100 l OMPT.com See our ad on Inside Back Cover
FYZICAL THERAPY & BALANCE CENTERS
PINE REST CHRISTIAN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
4000 Eastern Sky Dr. Ste. 6 | Traverse City, MI 49684 231-932-9014 | Fyzical.com/TC See our ad on page 19
1050 Silver Dr. l Traverse City, MI 49684 231-947-2255 l pinerest.org/teletherapy See our ad on page 18
GRAND TRAVERSE CHILDREN'S CLINIC
TETER ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS, INC
3537 W. Front St. Ste G Traverse City, MI 49684 231-935-8822 | gtchildrens.com
1225 West Front Street | Traverse City, MI 49684 800-346-0161 l teterop.com See our ad on page 4
HEARING SOLUTIONS OF NORTHWEST MI
THE VILLAGE AT BAY RIDGE SENIOR COMMUNITY
3241 Racquet Club Dr. Suite B | Traverse City, MI 49684 231-922-1500 | hearingsolutionstc.com See our ad on Inside Back Cover
3850 Scenic Ridge | Traverse City, MI 49684 231-995-9385 (TRS: 711) l heritageseniorcommunities.com See our ad on page 2
HOSPICE OF MICHIGAN
TRAVERSE HEATLH CLINIC
10850 E. Traverse Hwy., Ste. 1155 | Traverse City, MI 49684 888-247-5701 | hom.org See our ad on page 18
1719 S Garfield Ave Traverse City, MI 49686 231-935-0799 | traversehealthclinic.org
HUMANA - GREGORY TARRANT 18610 Fenkell St., Suite A | Detroit, MI 48223 231-620-6533 (TTY: 711) | Humana.com/gtarrant See our ad on Inside Front Cover
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In times like these, communication with one another is more important than ever... • Open and available to help you with all of your hearing healthcare needs, including diagnostic hearing services and a wide range of hearing aids • Some hearing aid services available curbside • Conveniently located in Logan Place West in Traverse City • Call 231-922-1500 to schedule an appointment Dr. Sandy Leahy Audiologist
Dr. Kathleen Sawhill Audiologist
www.hearingsolutionstc.com
Not All Physical Therapy is the same Experience the OMPT DIFFERENCE for yourself!
COMING SOON TO DOWNTOWN TRAVERSE CITY 305 W. Front Street www.OMPT.com 231-237-7100
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ONE PLACE, ONE PERSON FOR YOUR SENIOR HOUSING INFORMATION ( A FREE Service)
As we hold our collective breath at this time, assisted living residences offer a maintenance free lifestyle, says Connie Hintsala, owner of Alliance for Senior Housing, LLC, with residents loving how staff is going above and beyond to keep them safe. Families have reported back to Connie they are thankful for the communication and information they receive from the management and staff. With technology and assistance from staff, our parents and grandparents are learning how to use Facebook, tablets, email, and the like. Calling a list of residences will not only take time but will add to your stress. Take a minute, call one agency, Alliance for Senior Housing and receive all the information you need to make a wise decision for your loved one.
Whether you’re in a crisis or planning the future, we’ll guide you through the entire process. You’re not alone. First, (for the foreseeable future) we’ll have a phone appointment, conference call or can meet virtually. If possible, we may meet face to face in your home. We’ll listen to your needs and desires and discuss your financial situation. Secondly, within that first meeting, you’ll receive information on: • Types of housing and amenities (Independent living and assisted living) • Continuum of care complexs • Cost and various funding options • Resources and attorney names if needed Connie Hintsala, Senior Housing Expert at Alliance for Senior Housing
Third, after narrowing down your choices, we’ll arrange tours (if available), email photos, arrange virtual tours, make connections and provide a spreadsheet.
Connect with Connie by calling 888-816-4040 or emailing her at connie@AllianceforSeniorHousing.com www.AllianceforSeniorHousing.com
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Dining RESTAURANT GUIDE | LOCAL TABLE | DRINKS
TEXT BY ALLISON JARRELL | PHOTOS BY DAVE WEIDNER
CHICKEN WING SECRETS Chicken wings are always front and center during football season and at Super Bowl parties, but the wings at The Hotel Frankfort & Restaurant have a loyal following year-round—and for good reason. Director of Food & Beverage John Spence shares what goes into serving up these mouthwatering wings (with nearly a dozen sauces to choose from!). 4
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dining | chicken wings
More Must-Try Chicken Wings Want more wings? Check out these Red Hot Best winners! TAHQUAMENON FALLS BREWERY & PUB 24019 UPPER FALLS DR., PARADISE | TAHQUAMENONFALLSBREWERY.COM Top off a hike along the falls with these seasoned, breaded and fried lip-smackers.
CLAM LAKE BEER COMPANY 106 S. MITCHELL ST., CADILLAC | CLAMLAKEBEERCO.COM All the flavors you need to make a glorious mess: traditional, cherry BBQ, buffalo and sweet chili.
THE PELICAN'S NEST
We've heard you have quite a following when it comes to your wings, especially with your new Frankfort Beach sauce. What was the inspiration for adding it to your menu? We have amazing wings and we wanted to create a signature sauce that you could only get from us. After several experiments, we settled on a mixture of BBQ sauce, hot sauce, fresh local honey, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper. That mixture turned out great, but it was missing something. So, we took it one step further and caramelized the wings on the grill, and now they have a bit of a cult following. We are looking into bottling the sauce this year! What's your favorite wing flavor that you offer? Definitely the Frankfort Beach; however, our Angel Wing sauce, Thai sauce and Buffalo sauce are right up there. (Angel Wings are flavored with butter, garlic, Parmesan and dry buffalo spice.) We've come to try the wings—what else is a must-order on the menu this winter? Drink recommendations? Our crab cakes are a must-try—we use jumbo lump crabmeat with very little binder, and we serve them as a proper Maryland-style crab cake (no crabby patties here!) with our fresh-made lemon aioli. Our seared tuna also gets great reviews, as well as our local fish entrees. Since we make most of our mixers in house, our signature drinks are very popular. Our most popular cocktail is our blueberry mojito; We use fresh mint from our garden, lime, agave nectar and local blueberries.
The Hotel Frankfort & Restaurant 231 Main Street, Frankfort | thehotelfrankfort.com
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5085 SHANTY CREEK RD., BELLAIRE | THEPELICANSNEST.COM Choose your sauce and load up on napkins: big bang, garlic Parmesan, Franks honey garlic, Caribbean jerk, Frank's RedHot or the house BBQ sauce.
RAY'S - BBQ, BREWS & BLUES 204 INGHAM ST., GRAYLING | RAYSGRAYLING.COM Order ‘em up, spiced and smoked, by the pound with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
HOP LOT BREWING COMPANY 658 S. W. BAY SHORE DR., SUTTONS BAY | HOPLOTBREWING.COM House-smoked and served with celery sticks and your choice of buffalo sauce or house-made bbq, ranch or blue cheese dressing.
SPORTSMAN'S RESTAURANT AND IRISH PUB 111 W. LUDINGTON AVE., LUDINGTON | SPORTSMANSLUDINGTON.COM Bone in or bone out. Almost a dozen sauces to choose from. Get your wing fix here!
LUCKY DOG BAR & GRILLE 223 S. BENZIE BLVD., BEULAH | LUCKYDOGBARANDGRILLE.COM Smoked and served by the pound. Choose from buffalo, BBQ, honey jack bacon, honey sriracha, dry rub, garlic butter Parm or plain. Choices, choices!
DIGS GASTROPUB 154 W. WASHINGTON ST., MARQUETTE | DIGSMARQUETTE.COM Wet wings? (Honey BBQ, Soda Pop, BBQ, Diablos Alas …) Dry rub (Jamaican, Korean, vindaloo curry, Parmesan garlic…) Boneless? Bone-in? DIG those wings!
PEEGEO'S 525 HIGH LAKE RD., TRAVERSE CITY | PEEGEOS.COM A Peegeo’s original—order these fresh, never frozen charbroiled wings bone in or out. Choose from flavors like Mexican, TexMex, Asian or BBQ.
photo by Dave Weidner
THE HOTEL FRANKFORT
T R AV E R S E / JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1
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restaurant guide | dining
RESTAURANT GUIDE | WATER VIEW BLD | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER BAR | ALCOHOL SERVED $ | ENTRÉES INDER $10 $$ | $10-20 $$$ | ABOVE $20
PETOSKEY & MACKINAC STRAITS
ALANSON/BAY HARBOR/INDIAN RIVER Dutch Oven Café and Deli French toast and farmers omelet stratas, sandwiches on famous homemade bread. BL •
$ 7611 U.S. 31, ALANSON, 231.548.2231
Knot Just a Bar Contemporary sports and oyster bar perched on the Bay Harbor marina. B • $ 4165 MAIN STREET, BAY
HARBOR, 231.439.9989
Original Pancake House Crepes, waffles, pancakes, omelettes, egg specialties. LD • BAR • $-$$ 840 FRONT ST., BAY HARBOR, 231.439.2770
The Queens Head Wine pub serving wine, spirits and draft beer along with delectable pub fare. LD • BAR • $ 250 N. HURON
ST., CHEBOYGAN, 231.445.7101
Vintage Chophouse/ Wine Bar All-American steakhouse flavored with retro sophistication. LD • BAR • $-$$$ INN AT BAY HARBOR AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION, 3600 VILLAGE HARBOR DR., BAY HARBOR, 231.439.4051
Vivio’s Northwood Inn Locals love this cozy, rustic, wildlifedecorated log cabin with Italian cuisine and specialty pizzas. LD • BAR • $-$$ 4531 S. STRAITS HWY., INDIAN RIVER, 231.238.9471
CROSS VILLAGE/HARBOR SPRINGS/ PELLSTON/PETOSKEY Barrel Back Smoked pork tacos, chopped salads, gourmet pizza and pasta, grilled beef tenderloin and more. Over 20 craft beers on tap and signature cocktails. LD • BAR $-$$$ 04069 M75, WALLOON LAKE, 231.535.6000
Mitchell Street Pub and Café Classic pub with fresh peanuts, fantastic nachos, Maurice salad, patty melts. LD • BAR • $-$$ 426 E. MITCHELL ST., PETOSKEY, 231. 347.1801
CREEK RD, BELLAIRE, 231.533.9000
New York Restaurant Looks like the East Coast, tastes like heaven. D • BAR • $$-$$$ CORNER OF STATE AND BAY, HARBOR
NEW Provisions Wine Lounge Sommelier-curated wines by
SPRINGS, 231. 526.1904
Palette Bistro Little Traverse Bay views with casual upscale dining, outdoor seating and an evolving seasonal menu. Wine bar, weekend brunch and popular happy hour. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 321 BAY ST., PETOSKEY, 231.348.3321 Pour Public House Charcuterie, gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups, bruschetta. LD • BAR • $-$$ 422 E MITCHELL ST., PETOSKEY,
231.881.9800
Roast & Toast Hip coffeehouse with daily house-made soups, bread, bakery items and salads. On-site coffee roasting. A consistent MyNorth Red Hot Best winner. BLD • $ 309 E. LAKE
STREET, PETOSKEY, 231.347.7767
Sam’s Graces Café & Bakery Artisanal bakery and brick oven pizzeria. BL • $ 324 E. MITCHELL ST., PETOSKEY, 231.489.8278 Side Door Saloon Excellent sandwiches, quesadillas, steak, whitefish and pastas. LD • BAR • $ 1200 N. U.S. 31, PETOSKEY, 231. 347.9291
Stafford’s Bay View Inn Gracious 1886 inn with a big veranda, glorious gardens and bay view, American fare. Sun. brunch. BLD • $$-$$$ 2011 WOODLAND, PETOSKEY, 231347.2771 Stafford’s Perry Hotel Circa-1899 hotel with a wraparound front porch and killer views of Little Traverse Bay. LD • BAR • $$–$$$ CORNER OF BAY & LEWIS, PETOSKEY, 231.347.4000
Stafford’s Pier Regional cuisine. Pointer Room—fresh seafood. LD • BAR • $$ Dudley’s Deck—LD • BAR • $$ Chart Room—D • BAR • $$ 102 BAY ST., HARBOR SPRINGS, 231.526.6201 Tap30 Pourhouse Inventive sliders, award-winning chili, Frito pie and more along with 30 beers on tap. LD • BAR • $ 422 E MITCHELL ST., PETOSKEY, 231.881.9572
Terrace Inn Planked whitefish and housemade desserts in a Victorian setting. D • BAR • $$ 1549 GLENDALE, PETOSKEY, 231.347.2410
Thai Orchid Cuisine Outstandingly fresh and authentic noodles, curries and salads. LD • $-$$ 433 E. MITCHELL ST., PETOSKEY, 231.487.9900
Villa Ristorante Italiano Chianti bottles hang from stucco walls and authentic handmade pasta, osso bucco and handrolled cannoli star. D • BAR • $$-$$$ 887 SPRING ST., PETOSKEY, 231.347.1440
Willow Inspired farm-to-table modern American cuisine with global wine and craft cocktail bar. D • BAR • $$ 129 EAST BAY ST., HARBOR SPRINGS, 231.412.6032
Beards Brewery Pizza, burgers, salads, wings and culinary surprises including pho. LD • BAR $$ 215 E LAKE ST. PETOSKEY,
231.753.2221
CHARLEVOIX & CHAIN OF LAKES
The Bistro Local favorite for saucer-sized homemade pancakes, home-cooked comfort food and soups like carrot bisque and chicken ’n’ dumpling. BL • $ 423 MICHIGAN ST., PETO-
BELLAIRE/BOYNE COUNTRY/WALLOON
SKEY, 231.347.5583
Boyne Highlands Main Dining Room—Casual American with Scottish influences. Focus on fresh, seasonal, local ingredients. Seminole Pub. BLD • BAR • $–$$ 600 HIGHLANDS DR., HARBOR
SPRINGS, 231.526.3000
Chandler’s Brick-walled and -floored dining inside or on the patio offers two ways to savor this art-filled eatery’s upscale menu. LD • BAR • $-$$$ 215 HOWARD ST., PETOSKEY, BELOW SY-
MONS GENERAL STORE, 231.347.2981
City Park Grill Hemingway drank at the massive mahogany bar in this casual spot. Scratch cuisine, wood grill, hand-cut steaks, pastas, fresh whitefish, and live entertainment. LD • BAR • $$ 432 E. LAKE, PETOSKEY, 231.347.0101
Jose’s Authentic taqueria with made-to-order Mex. LD • $ 309 PETOSKEY ST., PETOSKEY, 231.348.3299
Julienne Tomatoes Fresh sandwiches, comfort food, and homemade pastries like lemon raspberry bars, banana caramel flan. BL • $ 421 HOWARD ST., PETOSKEY, 231.439.9250
Pelican's Nest Gourmet burgers, smoked ribs, sandwiches, salads and homemade desserts. D • BAR $-$$ 5085 SHANTY
Boyne City Taproom Craft beer, wood-fired pizzas, wraps, burgers. LD • BAR • $-$$ 220 S. LAKE ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.459.4487 Boyne Mountain Resort Everett’s Restaurant & Lounge—Elegantly prepared fish and game dishes. BLD • BAR • $-$$$; Eriksen’s—Stunning view of the slopes and menu with Austrian and German touches. BLD • BAR • $-$$; Forty Acre Tavern— American pub fare with an extensive beer list. LD • BAR • $-$$ ONE BOYNE MOUNTAIN RD., BOYNE FALLS. 844.732.6875
Café Santé Beside Lake Charlevoix featuring bistro classics. BLD • BAR • $-$$ 1 WATER ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.582.8800 Corner Bistro French-inspired small plates, classic cocktails, wine, beer, Sunday brunch. LD • BAR • $-$$ 102 N. BRIDGE ST.,
BELLAIRE, 231.350.7344
Friske Orchards Cafe Cheerful roadside restaurant features farm-fresh breakfasts, homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, and a bakery. BL • $ 10743 U.S. 31 S., ATWOOD, 231.599.2604 Lake Street Pub American pub with outdoor patio and firepit, BYO mac ‘n’ cheese, cocktails, 26 beers on tap. LD • $
the glass and bottle, classic cocktails, Michigan craft beer and small plates. LD • BAR • $$ 123 WATER ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.582.2151 Red Mesa Grill Colorful decor and creative Latin American cuisine with Costa Rican and Argentinean influences punctuate this lively spot. LD • BAR • $$ 117 WATER ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.582.0049
Stiggs Brewery Hand-crafted brews, from-scratch food like whitefish cakes, bourbon chicken sandwich, top sirloin wagyu steak. LD • BAR $-$$ 112 S. PARK ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.497.6100 Shanty Creek Resort Lakeview—Innovative regional cuisine at Shanty Creek Resort with a view of Lake Bellaire. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. The River Bistro—Breakfast buffet, sandwiches, pizzas and 45 regional beers on tap; Arnie’s at the Summit—Breakfast, Lunch, (spring-fall) Ivan’s Mountainside Gril—Schuss Village-Pub food. BLD • BAR 1 SHANTY CREEK RD. (M-88), BELLAIRE, 800.678.4111
Short’s Brewing Co. Sip Joe Short’s fabulous brew, and dine from the deli menu in a renovated hardware store. LD • BAR • $ 121 N. BRIDGE ST., BELLAIRE, 231.533.6622
Terrain Restaurant Honest yet ambitious contemporary American food with a focus on local ingredients. D • BAR • $$ 213 N BRIDGE ST., BELLAIRE, 231.350.7301
Torch Riviera Pasta, seafood, steaks, ribs, pizza. D • BAR • $$ 12899 CHERRY AVE., RAPID CITY, 231.322.4100
Walloon Lake Inn Exceptional culinary skills play out in a newly renovated, century-old pine-paneled lakeside lodge. D
• BAR • $$-$$$ 4178 WEST ST., WALLOON LAKE VILLAGE, 231.535.2999
CENTRAL LAKE/CHARLEVOIX/ EAST JORDAN/ELLSWORTH
Bridge Street Taproom Michigan craft brews, beerfriendly small plates, local charcuterie and bird’s-eye views of the yacht traffic on Round Lake. D L • BAR • $-$$ 202 BRIDGE ST.,
CHARLEVOIX, 231.437.3466
The Cantina Tacos and tequila with indoor and outdoor seating. Live entertainment. LD • BAR • $-$$ 101 VAN PELT PLACE, CHARLEVOIX, 231.437.3612
Charlevoix Pizza Company Scratch-made dough, fresh ingredients, golden crust, prepared daily. Plus, cheesy bread and wings. LD • $-$$ 311 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.437.6300 East Park Tavern French-influenced American cuisine featuring prime rib, John Cross Whitefish and specialty cocktails at the Quay Restaurant and Terrace Bar in Charlevoix. LD • BAR • $$–$$$ 307 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.7450
Esperance Gourmets will adore dishes prepared with dazzling technique in this specialty food and wine shop. D • $-$$$ 12853 U.S. 31 N., CHARLEVOIX, 231.237.9300
That French Place Authentic French creperie and ice cream shop. BLD • $ 212 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.437.6037 Grey Gables Inn Graceful, intimate, Victorian atmosphere across from the harbor. D • BAR • $–$$$ 308 BELVEDERE, CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.9261
Lake Charlevoix Brewing Co. Craft brewery with good eats—grilled cheese sammies, tacos, quesadillas and beef jerky. LD • BAR • $-$$ 111 BRIDGE PARK DR., CHARLEVOIX,
231.437.3220
Pigs Eatin’ Ribs Real smokehouse with mouthwatering BBQ. Weekend breakfast. BLD • $-$$ 1418 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.7447
Rowe Inn A unique fresh and from-scratch dining experience that has stood the test of time. D • BAR •$$$ 6303 E. JORDAN RD., ELLSWORTH, 231.588.7351
Scovie’s Gourmet Fresh salads, sandwiches, soups and baked goods star here. Dinner is bistro-style comfort food. LD • $-$$ 111 BRIDGE ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.237.7827
202 S. LAKE ST., BOYNE CITY, 231.497.6031
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dining | restaurant guide Stafford’s Weathervane Local fish, seafood and regional cuisine in a Hobbit-style Earl Young stone structure with a massive fireplace overlooking the Pine River Channel. LD •
BAR • $$ 106 PINE RIVER LN., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.4311
Boone Dock’s Log lodge with roomy deck, shrimp, burgers, steaks. LD • BAR • $$ 5858 MANITOU, GLEN ARBOR, 231.334.6444 Boone’s Prime Time Pub Seafood, steaks and burgers in a cozy cabin with a fireplace and a lively, friendly wait staff. LD •
Dilbert’s Soups, sandwiches, omelets and other home cooking served in a homey atmosphere. BLD • $ 11303 U.S. 31, INTERLOCHEN, 231.275.3005
Hofbrau Lively cedar-paneled former general store serves locals and Interlochen performers. Steak, seafood, bluegill and barbecue. Sun. brunch. LD • BAR • $-$$ 2784 M-137, INTERLO-
Terry’s Place Small white-tablecloth eatery with a high tin ceiling. Try the perch or filet mignon. Mouthwatering. D • BAR
BAR • $$ 102 ST. JOSEPH, SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.6688
Torch Lake Cafe Inventive, ultra-fresh cuisine with sharable options like the seafood platter with black garlic butter. Or devour an elevated fried bologna sandwich with pickled green tomato and house Dijon all on your own... BLD • BAR • $-$$$
W BURDICKVILLE RD., MAPLE CITY, 231.228.8869
231.256.9912
231.263.8120
Villager Pub ’50s atmosphere, whitefish, Mexican, ribs, sandwiches and pizza. LD • BAR • $-$$ 427 BRIDGE ST., CHAR-
Fischer’s Happy Hour Tavern Rustic family-style roadhouse known for burgers, soups and raspberry pie in season.
OLD MISSION PENINSULA
LEVOIX, 231.547.6925
LD • BAR • $ 7144 N. M-22, BETWEEN NORTHPORT AND LELAND, 231.386.9923
ELK RAPIDS/GAYLORD/GRAYLING/MANCELONA
Funistrada Casual trattoria features Italian specialties such as veal saltimbocca and lasagna. D • BAR • $$ 4566 MCFARLANE,
PENINSULA DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.223.4333
Hearth & Vine Café at Black Star Farms Farm-to-table menu that pairs with Black Star Farm’s wine, cider and craft cocktails. LD • BAR • $-$$ 10844 E REVOLD RD., SUTTONS BAY,
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 5PM–9PM • BAR • $-$$ 13512 PENINSULA DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.223.4222
The Homestead Nonna’s Restaurant—Classically inspired, contemporary Italian cuisine. D • BAR $$-$$$ Beppi’s Sports Bar—Hand-tossed pizzas, paninis and salads. D • BAR • $-$$ 1
231.223.7280
• $$ 112 ANTRIM ST., CHARLEVOIX, 231.547.2799
4990 US31 N, CENTRAL LAKE, 231.599.1111
Chef Charles’ Culinary Institute of America-trained Chef Charles Egeler makes gourmet pizzas, Ligurian-style takeout pesto, salads and sandwiches in a classic pizzeria. LD • $ 147
RIVER ST., ELK RAPIDS, 231.264.8901
Cellar 152 Gourmet meals to take out or eat in a wine bar on the Elk River. BLD • BAR • $-$$ 152 RIVER ST., ELK RAPIDS, 231.264.9000
The Local All-American breakfast and lunch done better. BL •
Broomstack Kitchen & Taphouse Great burgers, hand-cut fries, Sicilian-style pizza. Curling in the winter. LD • BAR • $ 172
CHEN, 231.276.6979
Dick’s Pour House Homemade soups and pies, sandwiches, pizza. LD • BAR • $-$$ 103 W. PHILIP ST., LAKE LEELANAU,
Judson Market and Restaurant Newly re-branded market and restaurant offering house-made and local items. Glutenfree, vegetarian, full bar. BLD • BAR • $$ 211 E. MAIN ST., KINGSLEY,
MAPLE CITY/BURDICKVILLE, 231.334.3900
231.944.1297
$$ 145 AMES ST., ELK RAPIDS, 231.498.2190
WOODRIDGE RD. (OFF M-22), GLEN ARBOR, 231.334.5000
Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen Every day’s Mardi Gras at this festive spot, where Cajun, Creole, seafood, sandwiches and big brunches accompany lively zydeco, jazz and blues. LD •
Hop Lot Brewing Co. Family-friendly microbrewery with four-season patio and games serving ribs, tacos, wings and a s’more kit to top it all off. LD • BAR • $-$$ 658 S WEST-BAY SHORE
BAR • $-$$ 617 AMES, ELK RAPIDS, 231.264.0530
DR., SUTTONS BAY, 231.866.4445
The Town Club of Elk Rapids After a renovation in 2019, this famous landmark has been rebuilt and is already being appreciated for its daily lunch specials and famous Prime Rib Thursdays. LD • BAR • $$ 133 RIVER STREET, ELK RAPIDS, 231.264.9914 Bennethum’s Northern Inn Fresh eclectic cuisine and updated regional favorites in a cozy Northwoods setting. Creative kids menu, Sun. brunch. LD • BAR • $-$$$ 3917 SOUTH OLD
Joe’s Friendly Tavern A rustic, comfy spot with bar food: whitefish, burgers, sandwiches, chili and soup. BLD • BAR • $$
27, GAYLORD, 989.732.9288
Paddle Hard Brewing A fun-loving community hangout with artisan tacos, pizzas and brews. LD • BAR 227 E MICHIGAN AVE.,
GRAYLING, 989.745.6388
Spike’s Keg O’ Nails An Up North classic for burgers since 1933. LD • BAR $ 301 N. JAMES ST., GRAYLING, 989.348.7113 Tap Room 32 Twenty handles of Michigan craft beers and a menu of modern brew-friendly vittles like truffle fries and Korean beef tacos. D • $$ 141 NORTH COURT AVE., GAYLORD,
989.748.8552
The Old Depot 1900s train depot features homestyle burgers, steaks, chops, prime rib, seafood, pies and pastries. BLD • $$ 10826 M-32 E., JOHANNESBURG, 989.732.3115
Sugar Bowl Restaurant This vintage 1919 eatery serves whitefish, prime rib and Greek specialties. BLD • BAR • $$-$$$
216 W. MAIN ST., GAYLORD, 989.732.5524
Treetops Sylvan Resort Hunters Grille, & Sports Bar. Steak, burgers, ribs, pasta, signature pizza, chicken, fish and glutenfree selections. Featuring a selection of 100 Michigan craft beer, wines, fabulous martinis. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ WILKINSON RD., GAYLORD, 800.444.6711
Shirley’s Café An ultra-friendly, all-homemade oasis. BLD • $ 528 S. WILLIAMS ST., MANCELONA, 231.587.1210
11015 FRONT ST., EMPIRE, 231.326.5506
Knot Just a Bar Fish and burgers in a modern, beachy pub perched over pretty Omena Bay. LD • BAR • $-$$ 5019 BAY SHORE DR. (M-22), OMENA, 231.386.7393
La Bécasse Part the heavy velvet curtains and find a Provençal paradise. D • BAR • $$-$$$ C-675 & C-616, BURDICKVILLE,
231.334.3944
Market 22 Deli, pizza, bakery. Eat in or take out. BLD • BAR • $ 497 E HARBOR HWY., MAPLE CITY, 231.228.6422
Martha’s Leelanau Table A European-style cafe with an emphasis on regional cuisine made from scratch, including some gluten free dishes and pastries. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ 413 N. ST.
45th Parallel Cafe Artsy spot with creative breakfast and lunch. BL • $-$$ 102 S. BROADWAY, SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.2233 Art’s Tavern Burgers, whitefish, steaks, Mexican and pizza. Smelt year-round at this legendary watering hole. BLD • BAR •
$-$$ 6487 W. WESTERN AVE., GLEN ARBOR, 231.334.3754
The Bluebird A mainstay for locals and boaters since 1927. Specialties: cinnamon rolls, whitefish, seafood, steak, pasta, creative ethnic feasts during the off-season. Sun. brunch. LD • BAR $$ 102 E. RIVER ST., LELAND, 231.256.9081
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Mission Table Farm-to-table restaurant serving seasonal, locally sourced fare and craft cocktails. D THURSDAY, Old Mission Tavern Prime rib, fresh fish, pastas and ethnic specials. LD • BAR • $$ 17015 CENTER RD., TRAVERSE CITY,
DOWNTOWN TRAVERSE CITY Friendly French bistro with a bay view, fireplace Amical and street patio. Prix fixe menu from 4–5:30pm. Sun. brunch. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 229 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.941.8888
NEW Benedict A family-friendly restaurant offering breakfast and lunch sandwiches, pastries, salads, soups and more. BL • $ 405 S. UNION ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.1000
Blue Tractor Cook Shop An Old Town favorite with fromscratch farmer food. and Michigan-crafted beers. LD • BAR • $-$$ 423 UNION ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 922.9515
Bubba’s Happening Front Street spot with battered mahi and chips, burgers, chimis, salads and tacos. BLD • BAR • $ 428 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.995.0570
The Cooks’ House A sweet little dollhouse of a spot, home to sustainable local cuisine with a French sensibility. LD • $$-$$$ 115 WELLINGTON ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.8700
Cousin Jenny’s Cornish Pasties Homemade pasties. BLD • $ 129 S. UNION ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.941.7821
JOSEPH ST., SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.2344
The Dish Cafe Eclectic menu with creative salads, quesadillas, enormous wraps, sandwiches and smoothies. LD • BAR • $
North Country Grill & Pub The Boone family keeps the classics (whitefish, prime rib, and yellow belly perch) while flirting with fondue, fried pickles, Phillys and Cubans. LD • BAR • $$
Fig's New location in State Street Marketplace. Daily menu with locally sourced foods: bar snacks, ethnic foods. BL • $$
108 S. UNION, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.932.2233
420 ST. JOSEPH ST., SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.5000
329 E STATE ST. 231.256.2222
Pegtown Station Pizza, subs, burgers, sandwiches, salads and breakfast—all done well. BL • $ 8654 S MAPLE CITY RD.,
Firefly A dazzling small-plate menu, sushi, steaks and burgs at a sophisticated hotspot on the river. BL • $-$$ 310 S. CASS ST.,
MAPLE CITY, 231.228.6692
TRAVERSE CITY, 231.932.1310
Streetside Grille Seafood, burgers, pasta, flatbread pizzas, great beer list and more. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 111 N. ST. JOSEPH ST.,
The Good Bowl Fresh, authentic Vietnamese eatery. Donates $1 for every bowl to the charity of your choice. LD • BAR $-$$
SUTTONS BAY, 231.866.4199
328 E FRONT ST.,TRAVERSE CITY, 231.252.2662
The Tribune Ice Cream and Eatery House-cured lox, breakfast burritos, meatloaf sammies and burgers share the menu.
115 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.929.7687
BLD • $ 110 E. NAGONABA ST., NORTHPORT, 231.386.1055
Western Avenue Grill Birch-bark-rustic motif with canoes hung from the rafters. Pasta, seafood, whitefish and burgers. LD • BAR • $$ 6680 WESTERN AVE. (M-109), GLEN ARBOR, 231. 334.3362
LEELANAU COUNTY
Jolly Pumpkin Wood-fired steaks, fresh fish, and artisan pizzas along with fresh ales crafted onsite. LD • BAR • $$ 13512 OLD
Wren Contemporary comfort food and a constantly changing menu to feature locally sourced ingredients. D • BAR • $$ 303 N. ST. JOSEPH ST., SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.1175
The Green House Café Sandwiches, soups and salads. BL • $ Grand Traverse Pie Co. Exceptional cream and fruit pies, coffee, baked goods, pot pies, chicken salad and quiche. BL •
$ 525 W. FRONT ST. AND 101 N. PARK ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.922.7437
Little G's Fusion Cuisine Asian and Latin taqueria. LD • $ 531 W. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2713
Mackinaw Brewing Co. Nautical-themed brewpub offers great house-smoked meats, several styles of beers, tasty burgers, fish and ribs. LD • BAR • $$ 161 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 933.1100
GRAND TRAVERSE AREA
INTERLOCHEN/KINGSLEY Bradley’s Pub & Grille Burgers, ribs, bluegill, brisket, trout and so much more. LD BAR • $-$$ 10586 US31, INTERLOCHEN, 231.275.6401
Mama Lu’s Modern Day Taco Shop Fresh tortillas with a mix of traditional and modern ingredients at this hip, fun taqueria and bar. LD • BAR • $$ 149 E FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2793
Minerva’s In the historic Park Place Hotel. Italian-American menu, elaborate Sun. brunch. BLD • BAR • $$ 300 E. STATE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.5093
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restaurant guide | dining
Mode’s Bum Steer Classic steakhouse serves tender, wellaged charbroiled Black Angus steaks, seafood, ribs, soup, sandwiches. LD • BAR • $$ 125 E. STATE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.947.9832
North Peak Brewing Co. Wood-fired pizzas, seafood, sandwiches, microbrewed beer and a jam-packed bar scene. LD • BAR • $$ 400 W. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.941.7325
Omelette Shoppe Vast array of omelets, homemade breads and pastries, soup and sandwiches. BLD • $ 124 CASS,
231.946.0912, AND 1209 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.0590
Pangea’s Pizza Pub Craft pies, creative toppings. LD • BAR $-$$ 135 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.9800
TRAVERSE CITY–SOUTH Boone’s Long Lake Inn Steaks, prime rib, seafood, daily specials. D • BAR • $$ 7208 SECOR RD., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.3991 Centre Street Café Fine and flavorful sammies. Saturday brunch 10:30am-6pm. Mon.-Fri. Open 10am-3pm. Closed Sunday. BL • $ 1125 CENTRE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.5872 The Filling Station Microbrewery Thin-crusted wood-fired flatbreads and flavorful house brews revitalize the Depot. LD • BAR • $-$$ 642 RAILROAD PLACE, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.8168
Right Brain Brewery Traverse City’s beloved brew pub now at a new location. BAR • $ 225 E. 16 ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.944.1239
Hermann’s European Cafe Austrian-born master pastry chef Hermann Suhs creates international cuisine, seasonal specialties and divine desserts in an alpenhaus-style dining room. LD • BAR • $$ 214 N. MITCHELL, CADILLAC, 231.775.9563
Herraduras Mexican Bar & Grill Authentic dishes like flautas, enchiladas and carnitas, plus shrimp chimis and steaks. LD • BAR • $ 1700 S. MITCHELL ST., CADILLAC, 231.775.4575
Lakeside Charlie’s A fine deck on Lake Mitchell. The hunt club–style restaurant features burgers, aged beef, fish and wild game. LD • BAR • $$ 301 S. LAKE MITCHELL, CADILLAC, 231.775.5332
Maggie’s Tavern Chili, burgers, steaks, wet burritos and kid selections are served up in a lively 19th-century setting. LD •
Poppycock’s Fresh seafood, pasta, unique sandwiches and salads, including vegetarian specialties and award-winning desserts. LD • BAR • $-$$ 128. E. FRONT ST. TRAVERSE CITY,
TRAVERSE CITY–WEST
Rare Bird Brewery The likes of pork belly sliders, oysters on the half shell and great burgers served up alongside great beer.
13671 S. WEST BAY SHORE DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.947.7079
Red Ginger Wrap yourself in fresh, sleek surroundings and the spicy-exotic flavors of Asia. D • BAR • $-$$$ 237 E. FRONT
• $-$$$ 13890 SOUTH WEST BAY SHORE DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.9393
Scalawags Whitefish and Chips Ultra-fresh Great Lakes fish fry. LD • $ 303 E. STATE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.933.8700 Seven Monks Taproom Pair any of 46 beers on tap (including European Trappist ales) with your burger and lively sides like sweet potato frites and Scotch egg. LD • BAR • $-$$ 128 S.
$$ 700 COTTAGEVIEW DR., STE. 30, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.929.1960
231.723.8000
Red Spire Brunch House Classic American fare: breakfast and lunch all day. BL • $$ 800 COTTAGEVIEW DR., ST. 30, TRAVERSE
The Cabbage Shed Suds, and superb eats like seared scallops, rack of lamb and Ritz-crusted walleye. D • $-$$ 198
CITY, 231.252.4648
FRANKFORT AVE., ELBERTA, 231.352.9843
Sleder’s Family Tavern Bar fare and entertainment under the original tin ceiling in one of Michigan’s oldest saloons. Kiss Randolph the moose before you leave. LD • BAR • $-$$ 717
Dinghy’s Local favorite for 25 years with house-smoked meats including famous ribs, half-pound burger, Big BLT, award-winning Friday fish fry. LD • BAR • $$ 415 MAIN ST.,
RANDOLPH ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.947.9213
FRANKFORT, 231.352.4702
The Silver Swan Ethnic fare and killer desserts. LD • $ 13692
The Fillmore House-crafted burgers, salads and wood-fired pizzas (p.m. only), all rich with Michigan ingredients. LD• BAR
231.941.7632
LD • BAR • $$ 229 LAKE AVE., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2053
ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.944.1733
UNION ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.929.4807
Slate Prime cuts of beef and the freshest seafood with inspired toppings and sides. D • BAR • $$$ 250 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.5912
Sorellina Authentic Italian pasta, zuppa and insalate. LD • BAR
• $$-$$$ 250 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.5912
Sugar 2 Salt Traverse City's hot brunch spot serves up what is in season. B • $-$$ 1371 GRAY DR., SUITE 300, TRAVERSE CITY,
231.409.8382
Taproot Cider House Brick oven pizza, great salads, inventive entrees paired with hard cider, microbrews, wine and spirits. LD • BAR • $-$$ 300 E. FRONT ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2500 The Towne Plaza Eclectic American cuisine focusing on local ingredients. BLD • BAR • $-$$$ 202 E. CASS ST., TRAVERSE CITY,
231.929.090
Thirsty Fish Sports Grille Family-friendly sports bar with seafood, burgers, steaks, pasta and a 600-gallon fish tank. Live music on the patio. LD • BAR • $-$$ 221 E. STATE ST., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.421.1165
TRAVERSE CITY–EAST Don’s Drive In A ’50s-style diner and drive-in with booths, burgers, fries, shakes, nostalgic jukebox. LD • $ 2030 U.S. 31 N.,
TRAVERSE CITY, 231.938.1860
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa Aerie—16th-floor panorama of East Bay and regional fine dining. Music on weekends. D • BAR • $$-$$$ Sweetwater American Bistro—BLD • $$ U.S. 31 N., ACME, 231.534.6000
Randy’s Diner Soups, salads, sandwiches, all-you-can-eat cod. BLD • $ 1103 S. GARFIELD, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.946.0789 Red Mesa Grill Colorful spot with a fireplace, flights of tequila and Latin American cuisine. LD • BAR • $-$$ 1544 US31,
TRAVERSE CITY, 231.938.2773
Reflect Bistro and Lounge at Cambria Suites Hotel Breakfast, dinner and Happy Hour 4-7 p.m. daily. BD • BAR • $-$$$
255 MUNSON AVE., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.778.9000
Smoke and Porter Public House An American smokehouse where farm-to-table and whole beast butchery meet the fire pits. LD • BAR • $-$$$ 1752 US31, TRAVERSE CITY, 231.642.5020 Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel Bourbons 72—Seafood, prime rib and more. D • BAR • $-$$$ 7741 M-72, WILLIAMSBURG, 231.534.8888
Rough-hewn eatery affords a great Apache Trout Grill bay view along with ribs, steak, pasta and salad. LD • BAR • $$
Harrington’s By The Bay Sunday brunch, seafood, steaks, burgers, sandwiches—with a bay view. BLD • BAR PepeNero From-scratch southern Italian cuisine. LD • BAR •
S. WEST BAY SHORE DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.932.0203
Spanglish Authentic, homemade Mexican fare with occasional American accents. BLD • $ 1333 YELLOW DR.,
TRAVERSE CITY. 231.943.1453
Trattoria Stella Hip locally sourced fare with an Italian accent. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 1200 W. ELEVENTH, TRAVERSE CITY,
BAR • $ 523 N. MITCHELL, CADILLAC, 231.775.1810
FRANKFORT/ELBERTA/ONEKAMA/ MANISTEE/ARCADIA Birch & Maple Scratch cuisine prepared with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. Friendly folks and fab craft cocktails. BLD • BAR • $-$$ 727 MAIN ST., FRANKFORT, 231.399.0399 Bungalow Inn This former rustic cabin offers steak, ribs and fish-fry specials, perch. LD • BAR • $-$$ 1100 28TH ST., MANISTEE,
• $-$$ 318 RIVER ST, MANISTEE, 231.887.4121
The Fusion Asian delights like fiery curries and lettuce wraps (plus creative cocktails) served in a serene atmosphere on Frankfort’s main drag. BLD • $–$$ 300 MAIN ST., FRANKFORT,
231.352.4114
West End Tavern Craft cocktails, wood-roasted chicken and more elevated pub fare served up beside West Bay.
The Hotel Frankfort Fine dining served up at this in-town inn. BLD • $-$$$ 231 MAIN ST., FRANKFORT, 231.352.8090 L’chayim Delicatessen NY-style deli with sandwiches and bagels. BL • $-$$ 325 MAIN STREET, FRANKFORT, 231.352.5220 Mayfair Tavern Burgers, steaks, fish. LD • BAR $-$$ 515
BENZIE, MANISTEE, CADILLAC
North Channel Brewing Co. Watch the action at the drawbridge in a refined industrial atmosphere with meats smoked daily and excellent craft beers on tap. LD • BAR $-$$
231.929.8989
LD • BAR • $$ 12719 SOUTH WEST BAYSHORE DR., TRAVERSE CITY, 231.943.2922
FRANKFORT AVE., ELBERTA, 231.352.9136
BENZONIA/BEULAH/HONOR/THOMPSONVILLE Crystal Mountain Resort Thistle Pub & Grille—Wood-paneled eatery, continental and Scottish specialties. LD • BAR • $-$$$ Wild Tomato Restaurant & Bar—Family Favorites. BLD • BAR • $-$$ M-115, THOMPSONVILLE, 231.946.3585 OR 231.378.2000
86 WASHINGTON ST, MANISTEE, 231.299.1020
Rock's Landing Eclectic menu combines local ingredients with ethnic influences. Intimate dining, feet from Crystal Lake. D • BAR $$ 1157 CRYSTAL DR., FRANKFORT, 231.399.0158 Stormcloud Brewing Brewing Belgian-inspired ales to pair with inventive, smart bistro fare. LD • BAR • $-$$ 303 MAIN ST.,
Geno’s Sports Bar and Grill Burgers, broasted chicken, pizza, soups, salads. LD • BAR • $ 14848 THOMPSON AVE., THOMPSON-
FRANKFORT, 231.352.0118
Lucky Dog Bar and Grille Burgers, smoked wings, brats, sandwiches, craft beer, cocktails. LD • BAR • $-$$ 223 S. BENZIE
Taco 'Bout It Mexican Fusion Tavo and Tarrah Hernandez turned their food truck into a restaurant dream-come-true with ultra-fresh tacos on hand-pressed corn tortillas. LD • BAR
VILLE, 231.378.2554
BLVD., BEULAH, 231.383.4499
• $-$$ 344 RIVER ST, MANISTEE, 231.887.4441
Platte River Inn Classic dining in a casual atmosphere. Steaks, Italian, Mexican. BLD • BAR • $-$$ 10921 MAIN ST., HONOR,
Timbers Restaurant Family-owned restaurant with steaks, prime-rib pasta , whitefish, craft beer, regional wines. LD • BAR
231.227.1200
• $-$$ 5535 M-115, CADILLAC, 231.775.6751
The Roadhouse Fresh Mex with a cool cantina atmosphere.
T.J.’s Pub Take a step down from the sloped sidewalk for panini, mex and pizza below the stately Ramsdell Inn. LD • BAR •
LD • BAR • $-$$ 1058 MICHIGAN AVE., (US 31), BENZONIA, 231.882.9631
Ursa Major Bistro Breakfast, burgers sandwiches. BLD • $-$$
$ 99 RIVER ST., MANISTEE, 231.398.9174
245 S BENZIE BLVD., BEULAH, 231.383.4250
CADILLAC Blue Heron Cafe Dazzling upscale sandwiches, soups and salads as well as from-scratch pastries. BL • $ 304 N. MITCHELL,
FIND MORE NORTHERN MICHIGAN RESTAURANTS! Go to MyNorth.com/Restaurants
CADILLAC, 231.775.5461
NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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beer | drinks
THE BUZZ AT SHORT’S BREWING Joe Short, founder of Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire, fills us in on the Northern Michigan beer scene and what’s coming up next for Short’s, including new releases from sister company Superfluid Supply Co. and brands like Starcut Ciders and Beaches Hard Seltzer. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL
How would you describe the current state of the craft beer industry in Northern Michigan? The current state of Michigan beer is robust! There is great camaraderie among the state’s breweries, small and large alike. I do feel we are reaching the saturation point for sure. I would say that’s more so for packaging microbreweries than it is for brewpubs. Every town needs a brewpub or two ... or three ... How has COVID-19 impacted operations? COVID has really put pressure on the packaging side of production and limited how we do hospitality. It’s also taken a huge toll on our mental health and overall spirit—especially our co-workers in hospitality working the Pub and Pull Barn (our taproom in Elk Rapids). Draft production has been reduced due to bars and restaurants closing or with limited capacity. That has shifted the bulk of our production to cans and bottles. Honestly, we’re having a difficult time keeping up. So much so, that we’ve had to eliminate a handful of specialty products we were hoping to have in the lineup this past year just to keep the flagships like Local’s Light, Soft Parade, Huma Lupa Licious and Bellaire Brown flowing! I’m being consistently reminded that our team at Short’s is the best around. We’re always moving and adapting our processes and operations. COVID has just brought it to a whole new level. I’m always so impressed with our team. They make me so proud and confident that we can overcome any challenge. We continue to remain focused on being eternally optimistic and fighting the good fight. The biggest takeaway is not knowing if we’ll
need to make changes. It’s knowing that when the time comes, we will be ready to change, modify, expand or contract any component of our operation and to do it as quickly and as efficiently as possible. What’s next for Short’s, Superfluid Supply Co. and your other brands? We’ve got a few things brewing! Starcut Ciders are really doing well. We’re the largest hard cider producer in Michigan, and Pulsar, our dry cider, has turned into one of our company’s bestselling products. Beaches Hard Seltzer is taking off with our cocktail-inspired variety packs. Our team is so great at creating flavorforward products that are low-cal and low-carb, and we’re excited to bring that full-flavored approach to hard seltzer in a way that no one else really has. We’re so excited to bring some of Arcadia Brewing Company’s most popular legacy products back to market through Superfluid Supply Co. [Arcadia Brewing Company ceased operations in Kalamazoo in 2019.] We have quite the lineup planned for 2021, including Porter Rico (ale brewed with coconut) and Loch Down Scotch Ale. We’re also working on some capital improvements to our facilities, such as upgrades to the pub in Bellaire, a yearround taproom in Elk Rapids—The Pull Barn—and a new building and equipment for the production facility, including a new kettle and a new packaging line.
Read More To check out the full interview, visit MyNorth.com/ShortsBeerBuzz.
JOE SHORT
FOUR MUST-TRY 2021 BEER RELEASES PB&J Short’s blends its Peanut Butter Stout with its flagship fruit ale, Soft Parade, to create a whole new concoction that tastes just like your favorite childhood snack.
$PLURGE This medium-bodied tropical double IPA gets citrus and pineapple flavors from the seven varieties of hops it’s crafted with.
GOOD HUMANS Made with Carabrown Malt and dry-hopped with Simcoe and Golding hops, this double brown ale has sweet toasted caramel and toffee flavors.
FURRY BUDDY WITH NITRO A light stout that offers all the joy of a classic stout, but with a fraction of the calories and carbs. Furry Buddy features a gentle balance of malty sweetness and roasted caramel notes.
NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE
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love of the land
Preserving the North in 2020 2020 was a big year for land conservation in Northern Michigan—fragile wildlife habitats were preserved, forests were fortified and trails were blazed. We touched base with five conservancies to hear about their 2020 preservation achievements . BY ALLISON JARRELL | PHOTO BY SHEEN WATKINS, @SWNATUREPHOTO
Big plans! See what each conservancy has in store for 2021 at MyNorth.com/ConservancyGoals.
LEELANAU CONSERVANCY LEELANAUCONSERVANCY.ORG
HEADWATERS LAND CONSERVANCY HEADWATERSCONSERVANCY.ORG
Acres Protected: 888 acres, with another 89 expected by year-end.
Acres Protected: 1,200 acres of land and two inland lakes at the end of 2019; plus 260 acres and more than a mile of river frontage by the end of 2020.
GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL LAND CONSERVANCY GTRLC.ORG Acres Protected: 5,072 acres of land, including 19 miles of shoreline (during the Campaign for Generations).
LITTLE TRAVERSE CONSERVANCY LANDTRUST.ORG Acres Protected: Roughly 1,000 acres, including the 280-acre Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve.
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UPPER PENINSULA LAND CONSERVANCY UPLANDCONSERVANCY.ORG Acres Protected: 880 acres—two conservation easements (200 and 600 acres) on managed forests and a 40-acre veteran’s memorial nature preserve. Note: Acreage numbers were collected in November 2020, prior to publication, and may have increased since then.
T R AV E R S E / JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1
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