Top Ten

this week’s top ten

Must-Dos for Harbor Days

Elk Rapids’ hometown festival, Harbor Days, kicks off Wednesday, Aug. 3. There are a million things to do—or, at last count, at least 50—and you can find the whole schedule at elkrapidsharbordays.org. But there are a few events we at Northern Express recommend you don’t miss. Thursday, Aug. 4, catch the Harbor Days Car Show by the Bay starting at 4pm or get out on the water with Paddle Antrim for the evening Paddle at Rotary Park at 6:30pm. Friday, take the kiddos to Arnold’s Amusements (open 3pm to 11pm) and watch the Fireman’s Waterball Contest at Veterans Memorial Park at 7pm. Saturday is the Grande Parade (noon), the Sand Sculpture Building Contest (2pm), the Swan Race (4:30pm), and the stunning firework show (10pm). Unaffiliated but conveniently timed for beer lovers, Short’s Fest will be held at the brewery’s Pull Barn in Elk Rapids, featuring drinks, food truck fare, live music, and more. (Tickets: $35-$65 at eventbrite.com.)

2 tastemaker

Sage’s Deep-Fried Deviled Eggs

Mom always warned us that too much of a good thing isn’t a good thing. And in most cases of culinary lily-gilding—Twinkies transformed into “Raspberry Zingers,” doublecheese pizzas with cheese-stuffed-crusts, etc.—she’s right. In the case of Sage’s latest lounge menu offering, however, she’s four aces short of a full deck. For starters, the Odawa Casino restaurant recently dunked everybody’s favorite hella-good hors d’ovum in a deep fryer. And that’s after whipping those deviled-egg yolks with sriracha and before topping them with candied bacon and green onion. Sweet, salty, rich, creamy, and crunchy all at once, these deep-fried devils are about as close to heaven as you can get here on earth. Find them at Sage Restaurant in Petoskey’s Odawa Casino, 1760 Lears Rd. (231) 3444420, odawacasino.com

Float Your Vintage Boat

Go back in time with the historic, antique, and classic boats set along the tree-lined boardwalk of the Boardman River in downtown TC during the 2022 Boats on the Boardwalk on Saturday, Aug. 6 from 10am to 4pm. Hosted by the Water Wonderland Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc., vintage boats of any material and older than 25 years are welcome. wwcacbs.org

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Hey, watch It! Obi Wan Kenobi

If you lost interest in that galaxy far, far away sometime in the past 23 years, consider checking back in for Obi Wan Kenobi. The six-episode miniseries on Disney+ is the most consistently engaging bit of Star Wars mythology since the 1980s. Central to the appeal is Ewan McGregor, whose portrayal of a younger, headstrong Obi Wan Kenobi was the highlight of the convoluted prequel trilogy. Here, McGregor plays a decidedly different version of the character: older, grumpier, wearier, and haunted by the horrors of his past. Called back into action by the kidnapping of a young Princess Leia (newcomer Vivien Lyra Blair, uncannily channeling the late Carrie Fisher), Kenobi must confront his failures, relearn how to be a Jedi, and face down a certain helmet-wearing former apprentice. That the show manages to wring so much tension and suspense out of characters we know will survive to fight another day is an impressive storytelling trick and might just re-energize your love for Star Wars. Now streaming on Disney+.

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Jeans for every

Available online or in-store. season. Open 7 days a week.

www.hullsoffrankfort.com 231-352-4642 419 Main St, Frankfort www.hullsoffrankfort.com

6 Five Days in a Two-Lake Town

Onekama is known—in Michigan, at least—as the “Two-Lake Town,” nestled between Portage Lake and Lake Michigan. This weekend, the Manistee County gem is celebrating all things summer with their 49th annual Onekama Days, starting Thursday, Aug. 4, and running through Monday, Aug. 8. The family-friendly extravaganza is intended as a last hurrah before the back-to-school madness—and the accompanying sports practices and music lessons and other extracurriculars—gets underway. Rib dinners, karaoke nights, a 5K run/walk, a vintage car show, a cornhole tournament, live music, and a parade are just a few of the weekend’s scheduled events. (And if you didn’t get your fix over the Fourth, there will also be a fireworks show over Portage Lake on Saturday.) Many of the events are free, so hop on M-22 and enjoy the drive along the Mitten State’s most beautiful highway. Win, win. See the full schedule of events, sign up for the race, and learn more at onekama.info/onekamadays.

Stuff We Love: Getting Smarter with Age

Raven Hill Discovery Center is all growed up. Founders Cheri and Tim Leach’s “baby” turns 30 years old this summer, and if you haven’t been since your own kids were small, consider taking your grands before Labor Day shrinks the hands-on hot spot’s hours from 10am to 4pm weekdays to six weekend hours only. Trust us, you’ll need the time. With 175 acres, a museum, music garden, Beyond Jurassic Park walk, one-room schoolhouse, alternative energy house, accessible treehouse (pictured), and lots more to explore, this East Jordan science-art-and-history hub is bigger and better than ever. They’ve just added a new Connections Trail, a half-mile outdoor path that allows kids to walk like other civilizations did—on roads made of flagstone, concrete, cobblestone, brick, gravel, macadam, asphalt, and cement, as well as upon the Ancient World’s outdoor Sweet Track, a replica of a causeway found in England and dating back to 3807 BCE. miravenhill.org

Upgrading and Upcycling in Cheboygan

Great Lakes Tissue Company, a paper mill based in Cheboygan, has been using 100 percent recycled materials to make their tissue products for nearly 30 years. Their bread and butter: recycled food and beverage cartons, which are made primarily of paper but also contain a small amount of polyethylene (plastic) and aluminum. They recently announced a collaboration with the Carton Council of North America, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) to go even greener. The partnership sends new funds to the mill for upgraded equipment that is both more efficient with the poly/aluminum residue and reduces water use throughout the pulping process. The residue is then sent to St. Mary’s Cement in Charlevoix, skipping the landfill and offsetting the use of coal as fuel. This new venture is part of NextCycle Michigan, a program designed to foster recycling, recovery, and reuse initiatives. For more creative sustainability solutions, check out nextcyclemichigan.com.

ExperiencePeaceful Senior Living

We have allthe comforts of home without the work or worrysoyou can relax.

Independent Living 231-995-9385 Assisted Living-MemoryCare231-932-9757 3850 Scenic Ridge,off Silver Lake Road,Traverse City,MI49684 TRS Dial 711

Photo by Lindsey Makuwatsine

bottoms up Brew’s Cucumber-Mint Gimlet

As its name suggests, Brew in downtown Traverse City knows a bit about quenching thirst. Their raw-brick ambiance beckons first thing in the morning for coffee and espresso creations (try the chai tea latte and thank us later) and invites you to settle in for the afternoon with a glass of wine or local suds. As for that elusive late-night nip? Brew’s got the tonic for that, as well, and it lives up to the buzz. Brew’s curated cocktail program, courtesy of Roman Albaugh of the Bartending Company, is offered after 3pm and runs the gamut from standards to seasonal recipes and even a few booze-free alternatives. For heady, peak-of-summer days, the Cucumber-Mint Gimlet is giving us life. Floral Hayman’s gin, a squeeze of lime, and simple syrup are shaken with cucumber and mint to make this quencher of a cocktail shine when enjoyed on Brew’s outdoor patio (though it’s just as refreshing in the AC). Find it for $11 at Brew, 108 E. Front Street, Traverse City. (231) 946-2739. brewtc.com Northern Express Weekly • aug 01, 2022 • 5