Leelanau.com Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

Visit Up North Rentals is hosting an Open House this week. Visit their new location at 600 W Front Street in Traverse City anytime between 1pm - 4pm for light refreshments. On Friday, they will have their official Ribbon Cutting, celebrating with hot dogs and burgers!

At your visit, learn about their summer photo contest, where you could win a FREE 3 night stay at one of their cottages or condos.

Visit Up North Rentals has properties available throughout northern Michigan. New properties added daily! Let them make one of their vacation homes, your home away from home.

Kevin Pang of the Chicago Tribune writes:

We pulled into the gravel driveway of the Whaleback Inn, rang a bell and walked into a gorgeous lakeside cabin that encapsulates, in so many words, Northern Michigan: woodsy, serene, friendly. We were greeted by Scott Koehler, ever warm and helpful, who runs the inn with wife Tammie. We asked what there was to do around town, and he enthusiastically handed over enough maps, brochures and pamphlets for a startup tourism board.

Read more of Kevin's article at the Chicago Tribune. Also visit the Whaleback Inn's website for reservations and more information.

Want a reason to visit the Whaleback this winter? The Whaleback Inn is offering a special package for the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association event, Taste the Passion. Visit the LPVA website for more information.

Photo: Kevin Pang, Chicago Tribune

Looking for something to do this winter?  The Grand Traverse Lighthouse has announced they will be extending their Keeper program throughout the winter.  The program is normally offered from April through November.  A special Off Season Keepers Program will run from December through April.

MLive's travel writer, Kim Schneider, tells us more about Winter Keeper Program at the lighthouse.

In the high season, keepers must commit to a week. In the off season, you can stay just one night (or more) for $25 a person, per night, up to four people at a time. Keepers also are expected to do basic maintenance chores and give historical information to any cross-country skiers or snowshoers who may be passing by.

Read Kim's article for more information. Or visit the Grand Traverse Lighthouse website for a Keeper's manual and application.

Photo: Grand Traverse Light in Winter by Pentax K1000 Gal

On M-22, just before Leland, you will notice The Snowbird Inn nestled among maple and oak trees, beside a tidy barn on sandy forest soil. An expansive home graciously awaiting the visit of far off travelers, this century old house resides right here in Northern Michigan, in the cranny of Good Harbor Bay. Together, innkeeper Lisa Psenka and her family tend to the art of sharing their home and the region they love.

The pleasures of staying at a bed and breakfast are many, among them is the guarantee that no two experiences will be identical. At the Snowbird, a tender toddler greets guests with a glad hello, then hustles back into the kitchen to help her mother bake muffins. Just outside the door, a dining table--stretching across the room--serves as the central gathering place for a potpourri of guests, some of who have traveled from half way around the world. Together, they commune over quiche, sampling a bit of Lisa's delicious menu offerings, exchange stories and maybe gossip about the notorious Al Capone who is confirmed to have once lived nearby.

The Inn serves as a base for guests who spend their days adventuring: touring wine country, swimming at one of many nearby beaches or hiking the regions National Lakeshore. On a rainy fall day, one may chose to read on the couch. In the summer, guests can take a book to the lake or simply walk the ten minute trail to the picturesque bay. With 18 acres to explore, there is much to see, but one will not stray far before they intersect Lisa's vegetable and herb garden--growing voraciously--fueled by the steady mist of morning rain and the soil she has nourished tenderly.

On any given day, Lisa rises early prepare breakfast for a house of guests and readies her two girls for school and the days calendar. The Psenka family purchased the house about twenty years ago and after a year of ownership, they extended their space to travelers. Although the Snowbird is a base for this young family, the girls are accustomed to sharing their space and maintaining an atmosphere that is as relaxing and as tranquil as its picturesque setting.

Check out The Snowbird Inn at their website: www.snowbirdinn.com. They have an extensive site that explores the history and activities of their inn and the region; the families collection of endeavors, including the production of bottled cider and a micro-brewing operation already in the works.

Nestled among a wooded country road stretching the distance of South Lake Leelanau, you may be surprised to discover one of the oldest historic resorts in the state of Michigan, second only to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Known as Fountain Point, this enchanting hotel and collection of cabins summons guests back to a coveted time in American culture--when family stood at the forefront of our social and communal lives. Building on their own rich family history, brothers Erik Zehender and Theo Early are beginning a new chapter--as proprietors--with minds on a mission, while holding the Fountain Point's core values at heart.

First, to speak of Fountain Point with an eye on the future, one must understand a bit of the resorts past. The "Fountain" sprang up unexpectedly in the mid 1800's, when a French fur trader sank a drill in the sandy shore of Carp Lake, now known as Lake Leelanau. Hoping for oil, he instead struck a gushing geyser of fresh water flowing in a terrestrial river--900 feet deep--far below the glacial substrate that shaped the region and gave birth to Lake Michigan. Ownership of the land changed a few times, then a hotel was built before roads reached that far; families from mid-western states began ferrying from the south end of the lake, gathering at this aqua oasis for fun and relaxation.

In 1936, the depressed economy had whittled the resort's financial strength to the bone. Erik and Theo's great-grandfather, Victor A. Gebhardt, a diamond importer and Cincinnati jeweler (he and wife Blanche had been guests since 1917), purchased the resort and the establishment has remained under the care of this family since. The two men spent the summers of their formative years working for their mother. In that time, they observed and participated in the rich legacy of family traditions brought by their guests; today, some of those same families gather in the exact cabin they have shared for five generations. Under quiet observation, the brothers have relished the power of place and the renewal of family spirit that their guests experienced year after year.

The next generation of leadership at Fountain Point anticipates success and strength. Change is destined to greet the resort, as the brothers bring to life their personal dreams and visions for this historic treasure. Together they have witnessed the erosion of family values and are dually aimed at providing a place where restoration can occur for present and future generations. Collectively, the community and the seasoned guests are likely to benefit, as the new owners bring their rich and fond memories of the past at Fountain Point with their shared vision of the resorts success for years to come.

Check out the Fountain Point website, or drive by the resort on County Rd. 641 just before the village of Lake Leelanau. The place is a pure oasis of fun, old-time family style: without the television. The perfect setting for a romantic and playful wedding, a staff retreat or a family reunion. Turn in and tune up to a big Northern Michigan family adventure!

With the summer tourist season coming to an end, the Glen Arbor Sun reflected back, on what some thought might have been a dismal season, with surprising results.  Not only did many businesses have stay consistent in year's past, but many saw an increase in business.   Read what Glen Arbor Bed and Breakfast owner's, Patricia and Larry Widmayer, had to say:

On account of the global economic recession, and stormy waters for Michigan in particular, owners Patricia and Larry Widmayer had forecasted a 20-percent drop in the number of guests this year. But that didn’t happen. Their numbers, and profits, have been as steady as a trusty skipper at sea. In fact, their tally has increased.

The National Park, the beaches, the inland lakes, the rolling hills and the wineries have a lot to do with that, of course, but the Widmayers also cite the state-funded Pure Michigan advertising campaign as keeping the local tourism industry afloat.

“Many people have commented to us that they’ve seen the Pure Michigan campaign. It makes you want to come here,” said Patricia, who spends most of the year in Evanston, Ill. and sees the ad campaign on Illinois television. “The ads have a great look and feel, whether you want to go out on the golf course or to the beach,” Larry chimed in.

The article cites more business owners who had a successful 2009 summer season.

Sugar Loaf Resort closed almost ten years ago, but thanks to the efforts of Cleveland and Centerville Townships and the Leelanau County Planning Department, Sugar Loaf has a vision for the future.  A series of three visioning sessions, supported through the EPA's Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) program and funded through efforts of the Leelanau County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (LCBRA), and its Environmental Consultants, were held last month.

The 250 participants received an overview of the area and constraints to development. Sabine Martin, from TAB, facilitated the 8-person groups, which outlined their land use and design visions for the area. Each group presented their visions and priorities, and had chance to rank all priorities and visions. The top priorities from the sessions included topics such as: a year round recreational center, increased job opportunity, development of the airstrip for revenue, and local commerce. The priorities form all of the sessions are listed on the Cleveland Township government site.  In addition to the sessions, the public was able to submit comment online.

What's next? A report will be prepared, with input from the three session and public comments, by the TAB (Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities) program of Kansas State University. The authors will be Lisa Szymecko and Dr. Sabine Martin, with renderings done by Professor Pat Crawford of Michigan State University. The report will be released in August and will form the basis for the Townships' Sub-Planning process.

Acting as a private citizen, Leelanau County Commissioner David Shiflett has posted a petition to call on Leelanau governmental units to get control of Sugar Loaf. TV 9 &10 interviewed David about the petition last night.

"Every year that the Sugar Loaf resort remains closed, more and more people leave the area," says David Shiflett, Leelanau County Commissioner. "The businesses are floundering, their struggling to survive."

Shiflett decided -- on his own time -- to start an online petition to encourage the county to help private investors take over the resort.

"My personal belief is 'let's give it a whole new look, wipe the slate clean, start with a new plan and go from there.'"

Background (Preamble)

Since the winter of 2000, Sugar Loaf resort has been closed, resulting in a loss of the employment for over 300 people at the resort itself, not to mention the impact on the economy of Leelanau County, and the Grand Traverse region as a whole.

The residents, business owners, and tax payers can no longer accept the fate of what once was our economic engine. It's time to take control and form a public/private collaborative for re-development.

Petition

We, the undersigned Leelanau County tax payers, residents, visitors, and friends, call on Leelanau County's Landbank authority, Brownfield Redevelopment authority, Economic Development Corporation, with assistance from Leelanau County Board of Commission, Cleveland Twp. Board, Centerville Twp. Board, to take the necessary steps to get control of the lands, buildings, recreational facilities, and Infrastructure that make up the historical Sugar Loaf Resort Hotel, Ski Runs, Sugar Barn, and Sugar Loaf Service Company and Sewer Plant, including, if necessary, the formation of a nonprofit or municipal entity to manage the facility for the benefit of the entire community.

We urge all private and governmental entities, and all citizens, to come together in a joint effort to bring about the redevelopment of this significant community asset.

Click to read & sign the petition to Purchase & Redevelop Sugar Loaf.

Today's feature is courtesy Absolute Michigan, and you can click to read about many more Notable Books on Absolute Michigan. The Michigan Notable Books program annually selects 20 of the most notable books published in the year. The selections are reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience. Learn more about the program at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks.

Leelanau Press -- More than 50 historic cottages' interiors and exteriors are documented in this beautiful publication detailing the resort community nestled in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes in Leelanau County. Like taking a trip back in time, the book's descriptive narratives and lavish photographs highlight each individual cottage's lore and memories, and will delight readers with interests in local history, architecture and family traditions.

Rarely seen interior images of fifty cozy summer cottages and narratives provide a portrait of a special place and state of mind evoked by summer cottage living on beautiful Glen Lake. These cottages are viewed against the backdrop of early summer resort life in northern Michigan the first half of the twentieth century. Dietrich Floeter’s duotone photographs and author Barbara Siepker’s captivating historical narratives include personal anecdotes on each cottage. The cottage is shown in its glory and reveals its importance in the lives of its owners and the broader community. In total they document the essence of these wonderful old cottages as well as life and time of bygone years.

These rich cottage images have been captured with care and reverence by Traverse City photographer, Dietrich Floeter. His intention choice of a wide view camera replicates the type and style of camera that would have been used during the time period of the early resort era. Floeter has captured their essence through close attention to light and detail which he has meticulously set up and framed. Floeter has been a commercial photographer for twenty-three years, specializing in architectural, industrial and aerial work.

A few articles of interest include Historic Cottages of Glen Lake on the Glen Arbor Association website, Siepker’s book remembers historic cottages on the Glen Arbor Sun website and Glen Lake Book Wins Big on MyNorth.com. You may also want to check out this slideshow of Glen Lake from the Absolute Michigan flickr pool.

If you want more information or would like to purchase this Michigan Notable Book visit The Cottage Books website, which is owned by author Barbara Siepker.

The new m22colortour.com web site hopes to cooperatively market M-22. A feature in the Traverse City Record-Eagle relates that Rand McNally recently rated the scenic route as one of the five greatest driving tours in America and that:

The M-22 Color Tour promotion is a collaborative effort of the visitors bureaus in Benzie and Manistee counties, along with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The three organizations pooled resources and marketing dollars to spread the word about the color route.

In addition to the Web site, the groups printed about 10,000 rack cards that are available at their respective offices, at Michigan Welcome Centers and at businesses along the route...

At a time when many folks are watching their gas gauges, one appeal of the M-22 Color Tour is that it's a one-tank trip for many in Michigan and across the Midwest. That makes it an appealing day trip or weekend getaway for those who want to savor autumnal beauty.

It certainly is a gorgeous route, as you can see from the photos in the Michigan Highway M-22 Group on Flickr - here's a slideshow for "fall" from the group which I imagine will grow as the color proceeds.

I should add that you can also find great places to stay along M-22 on our lodging page!

photo courtesy m22colortour.com