Stephen King once wrote, “The road to hell is paved with adjectives.” But sometimes an adjective is warranted. Sunday was a magical day.
That’s the day we opened Traverse City’s new Fairy Trails, an enchanted forest (now full) of fairy houses. Despite some cool, damp weather, hundreds of people turned out to celebrate.
Heather and I spent the morning getting our fairy house installed and then putting up wood markers on trees near other artist built dwellings. In the afternoon we were so busy getting things set up for the Spring Fairy Fling event that coincided with the opening of the Fairy Trails that we didn’t actually venture back into the woods until close to 2 p.m.
It was (with apologies to Mr. King) magical. Children everywhere, scampering about, checking out fairy houses and building their own. Exploring, discovering and, most importantly, playing in the forest, which was bursting with creative energy.
There were nine fairy houses created for the start of the event. By the end of the day there were at least five times that many – some simple, some elaborate, all enchanting. It blew us away.
Special thanks to everyone who helped make this happen, but especially – all of the artists, Rachel Jezowski who created the beautiful wood carved signs for the event, my mom who not only built a fairy house but helped in many other ways with the event, Gary and Allison from The Little Fleet for quenching our thirst, the whole team at ELF for being awesome hosts and collaborators, and Pete Farmer and Hot ‘n Bothered for the great performances! Thanks most of all to all of the families who turned out and helped make the day so special.
Read More
Today we are delighted to bring you a really fun post from a really talented person. Brittany Zeller-Holland used to work for us as a designer before going on to bigger and better things as an entrepreneur (check out her bio below for her impressive creative resume). Heather and I are planning a camping trip with our girls to the Upper Peninsula this summer and so we reached out to Brittany, who hails from the U.P., for some tips. Her tips turned into this post. We can’t wait to check out Brittany’s recommendations, and if you’ve been thinking about visiting the U.P., hopefully you get some helpful insights, too. Last thing: Brittany created the U.P. watercolor painting you see above specifically for this post. Amazing, huh?! You can purchase a print on Etsy – pre-order an 8×10 print here and 11×14 here.
Crossing the Mackinac Bridge from the Lower Peninsula still feels like going home to me. I consider the small towns, woods and quiet stretches of Lake Superior beaches of the Upper Peninsula the ideal place to have grown up. Though it’s been over a decade since I lived there and it’s contested whether I can call myself a Yooper (I lived on Mackinac Island for the first year of my life and was born in the hospital in Petoskey); I always roll the car windows down on the Mighty Mac and take a deep breath, remembering how those surroundings made me who I am.
When you spend your childhood in the Upper Peninsula you learn to endure long car rides, as many times visiting family or flight travel anywhere required a 4-6 hour drive to a major airport. There is an appreciation for getting new clothes, but also a frugality that comes from bi-annual school shopping and holiday trips to the closest mall 3+ hours a way. You take drivers’ training in blizzards without a second thought and wish there was a license classification for those of us that are allowed out when it snows in Lower Michigan. Most importantly, you learn that each season has adventures to look forward to, which make every frost-bitten finger and throbbing black fly bite worth it!
Read More
There’s something serene, peaceful and tranquil about Up North that is hard to describe to someone who’s never spent time here, but is instantly recognizable to someone who has. It’s a feeling, a smell, a breath of fresh air, and a peace of mind that is ubiquitous and lasting.
The point is that some places are more than places. They occupy more than physical space, they occupy space in people’s hearts and minds. You don’t have to be there physically to, in fact, be there, because such places embody a spirit that stays with you long after you’ve left.
Traverse City is such a place – one that empowers people to live purposeful, meaningful and active lives. But you don’t need to live here to live this way. Anyone, no matter where they call home, can Live North.
That’s because Living North isn’t just about living in Traverse City. It’s about a state of mind that values experiences over things, revels in the majesty of nature, and passionately chases big dreams.
At its core, Living North is about living boldly – in whatever you do, and wherever you do it.
Read More
We got hit with around 18 more inches of snow in Traverse City last week, and winter storms battered the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the country over the weekend. After a slow start to the snowy season, winter is on everyone’s mind.
When we decided to move to Northern Michigan we knew that winter was going to become a more prominent and more present part of our lives. When we announced our move in the summer, second only to “What the hell?” was the question “What about all the snow?” I have to admit, while I was excited about the easy access to winter sports, I was still a bit apprehensive about the rough winters Up North.
The dark and cold months have taken more of a toll as I’ve grown older, and I’ve become more susceptible to the winter doldrums. The dark in particular. It’s hard to get up in the dark, then close the laptop for the day and…dark.
As a family, we really wanted to thrive, not just survive, during the winter months in Northern Michigan. I took it as a good sign that we all started getting antsy around Christmas when there wasn’t a speck of snow on the ground. We were ready to start using the new gear – snowshoes, new coats, snow pants, etc. – that we had spent a small fortune on. We didn’t have to wait long, however, as the snow started coming after the New Year, and has barely stopped.
And then everyone came out to play.
Traverse City residents do not let a little white stuff (okay, a lot) slow them down. This is not Washington, D.C. which snarled to a stop due to one inch of snowfall early last week, and has been in full-on panic mode since Saturday’s huge storm. In fact, many people in Traverse City seem to embrace winter as much as summer, and take the extreme weather in stride. The town heats up as the temps cool down.
Read More