When Blood Runs Cold

A waterside drink at BlueWater Bistro A display at True BLUE Gallery

Barnes Park and Campground

TORCH LAKE

Torch Lake is famously beautiful, a freshwater anomaly of turquoise and sea green. (It shares the same white sediment and low organic content as the Caribbean.) Torch is also very long, measuring 19 miles from end to end, which works both ways for those who want to enjoy its waters: restaurants, lodging, and marinas are pretty far flung, some concentrated in Eastport, at the northern end, and more in Alden and beyond, on the southeast shore.

Eastport is a tiny spot on the map, but a good starting point for exploring the northern end of the lake and the attractions dotting the surrounding countryside. Alden is a sweet village on southeastern Torch Lake with around 125 residents but thousands of seasonal visitors. It’s also nearer the south end action, namely the famous Torch Lake Sandbar. (Some blame Kid Rock.)

Nosh & Nibble

Lay in supplies at the Eastport Market before casting off. This full service, one-stopshop carries everything you could possibly need. eastportmarket.com

Enjoy lunch on-site or to go at Torch Lake Café, originally an 1880s church, with a divinely inspired menu. Sizeable lunch and dinner menus, pizza, entertainment, karaoke, one of the best kids’ menus ever, and a full bar round out the experience. torchlakecafe.com

Grab a morning espresso and house-baked goodie from The Muffin Tin and return for indulgent Lobster Bisque at lunchtime, plus beer, wine, cocktails. (231) 676-2040

Check out the subs, Italian sides, salads, and unique pizzas at BlueWater Bistro & Pizzeria. Guests can even buy a round for the staff as a thank-you for all that delicious flavor. torchlakepizza.com

Must-sees & Must-dos

Families love Torch Lake Township Day Park (William K. Good Day Park), on 3 acres with 75 feet of shoreline, including a buoyed swimming area. Find picnic tables, covered pavilions (fee), and basketball, as well as a playground, boat launch, on-site restrooms, and ample parking ($10). On the way, swing by 31 Scoops for burgers, sandwiches, and ice cream. antrimcounty.org/park.

On land, tour Providence Organic Farm’s natural café and food market, bursting with colorful organic produce, gifts, and products from over 30 regional vendors. (231) 5992020. Or drive the kid-friendly Torch Lake Tour: In addition to breweries, a distillery, wineries, and cideries, tours also include farm experiences, cafes, bakeries, gifts, and more. torchlaketour.com/wineries

Browse True BLUE Gallery’s Art for the Sake of the Lake and learn about the Torch Lake Watershed. (Proceeds support Torch Conservation Center.) Visit on Facebook or call (231) 421-4822.

Check out the model trains and restored train cars—plus much more—at the Alden Depot Park & Museum. Fun fact: During the heyday of train travel, Alden was considered the finest depot north of Grand Rapids. aldendepot.com

Last but not least, savor the aromas at Alden Mill House, with 200 spice varieties and 33 house- blends, plus the stuff of your kitchen dreams. (Now there’s a souvenir you’ll actually use.) aldenmillhouse.com Campground, fronting Grand Traverse Bay, on the west side of US 31. A beautiful beach, two pavilions, playground, two bathhouses, 3 miles of walking trails, plus areas for baseball, basketball, and volleyball make this a family favorite.

Not wanting to pitch a tent? Settle in at the nicely renovated Torch Bay Inn and Cottages, also on the west side of the highway. Visitors give it high marks. torchbayinn.com

Relax big-time at the seriously upscale Torch Lake Bed and Breakfast. Amenities abound, from Aveno hair and bath products to dockage for your boat…or seaplane, if you prefer. torchlakebb.com

Sleep tight at The Inn at Torch Lake, where four suites and one apartment with wet bars, fireplaces, gourmet kitchen or kitchenette await. Wake to an in-house breakfast buffet. Inn-at-torchlake.com.

The Alden Muffin Tin A beach view at Torch Lake B&B

Dock It

Boaters can put in at the Eastport boat launch, a roomy DNR site with restrooms and parking for 55 cars/trailers. Two cement ramps easily accommodate larger boats. (Michigan Recreation Passport required.)

Downtown Alden’s Safe Harbor has boat launch and docks, and is adjacent to Valleau Landing Park with portable restrooms and carry-in launch. Parking is off-site, but nearby, at Alden Depot Park.

Dewitt Marine, north of Alden at the mouth of Clam River on Torch Lake, is a full service marine center, including Tritoon pontoon rentals. The nearby Clam Shack sells food and necessities. dewittmarine.com.

Don & Katy Kilwin working in the bakery during the early days of Kilwins. (Photo courtesy of Kilwins Chocolates Franchise, Inc.) Katy Kilwin with their chocolate enrober, which coats various types of candies with chocolate. This exact enrober is still used in our production today. (Photo courtesy of Kilwins Chocolates Franchise, Inc.)

The original Kilwins Bakery, situated on Petoskey Street in Petoskey, is where Don & Katy Kilwin began their sweet treats journey 75 years ago. (Photo courtesy of Kilwins Chocolates Franchise, Inc.)

75 Years of Fabulous Fudge

(And the other sweets we know and love at Kilwins)

By Alexandra Dailey

This year marks the 75th anniversary of one of northern Michigan’s favorite sweet treat destinations for both year-rounders and seasonal visitors. Nearly eight decades ago, Kilwins was born as a mom-and-pop bakery, and the company of confections has grown to include more than 150 locations nationwide.

Since its humble beginnings, Kilwins has prided itself on creating high-quality products, from its original baked goods to candies, ice cream, and everything else they can dream up involving chocolate, caramel, and fudge. Using original recipes, the finest ingredients, and presenting top-notch customer service, Kilwins has withstood the test of time through hectic summers and quiet winters.

The Start of It All

In 1947, Don and Katy Kilwin purchased a bakery in Petoskey with an aim to make the best baked goods possible. The original 1947 Kilwins Bakery had an old converted cokeburning oven that ran on natural gas, and, unfortunately, it was burning the bread and cookies. Brand-new bakery owners Don and Katy didn’t want to present their community with burnt baked goods, so they made a big decision: The Kilwins sold their car so they could purchase a new oven.

As a result, Don and Katy were without personal transportation, but they were able to produce bread, cookies, and other confections they were proud of. And, to boot, their customers loved their creations. From there, it was a road to success—even if the Kilwins didn’t have a car right away to drive that road.

In the mid-1960s, Don and Katy began experimenting with making chocolates and candies as a way to increase cash flow during the slow winter season. Discovering their true calling, the husband and wife duo sold the bakery side of the business in 1971 (which is now Johan’s Bakery) and moved into the current Howard Street storefront in downtown Petoskey. The basement became candy-making central and the place where they discovered future favorites and happy accidents.

Meredith Brown, owner and general manager of the original downtown Petoskey store on Howard Street, admits that fudge was one of those happy accidents that has experienced longevity. Things went awry while preparing a batch of caramel in the basement decades ago, and the unexpected yet pleasant surprise was the creation of Kilwins’ fudge—an item that people from all over know about and seek when visiting northern Michigan.

Another readily sought-after favorite is Kilwins’ best-selling product, the delicious and trademarked Kilwins Milk Chocolate Pecan TUTTLE Nut Caramels—their take on a traditional Turtle.

“TUTTLEs feature only the finest pecans and copper-kettle cooked caramel, handdropped and coated with our Heritage Milk Chocolate,” says Amanda Crandell, brand and marketing project manager in Petoskey.

Don and Katy ended up enrobing (coating) chocolates, creating candies, formulating fudge, and making caramel as a stand-alone item or using it to cover apples and popcorn until 1978, when they sold the business to Wayne and Lorene Rose.

The Next Two Decades

Between 1978 and 1995, the Roses helmed the company and began to expand it. They opened stores in Harbor Springs, Mackinac Island, and Traverse City during the late ’70s and early ’80s, thus franchising Kilwins. And then there was the big change: The Roses started making Kilwins “Original Recipe” ice cream in 1985.

Kilwins prefers to keep flavors on the side of traditional or classic when it comes to their ice creams. You’ll always find vanilla and chocolate and combination flavors featuring in-house-made products, like fudge and caramel. Kilwins uses its original recipes while continuing to develop and innovate new recipes and ideas over time, but chasing fad and trendy flavors isn’t what they’re about.

“We try really hard to stick to the classics that we know our customers love,” Crandell says. “We are very careful and strategic about releasing anything new and test new products thoroughly before rolling them out to our stores.”

When it comes to perma-favorites, “Superman and Blue Moon ice cream flavors are always popular with kids,” says Brown. “And vanilla and chocolate-based sea salt caramel ice creams are quite popular among adults.”

The McCarty Era

In 1995, 10 years after the Roses introduced their ice cream, the company changed hands again. Don and Robin McCarty—store managers with the company since 1979—purchased Kilwins from the Roses and started to broaden the Kilwins brand and retail presence even further. Don McCarty still leads the company to this day, and he’s opened a