The Leelanau News Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

Every month we make a post where you can let folks know about news items, fun things you did and observations of what's happening in the great outdoors.

Every May we know we can expect cherry blossoms and the beginning of the summer travel season.

This May on Leelanau.com, we're also going to be focusing on summer travel with stories about cool vacation ideas and (hopefully) some vacation giveaways courtesy some of our great sponsors.

Stay tuned!

Photo: J Jumps by Andy McFarlane

Leelanau's Black Star Farms is enjoying an amazing run of good news.

After being named one of bedandbreakfast.com's Top Ten Eco-Friendly Inns, they were invited to provide a prize for Wheel of Fortune's Green Week. The show will reportedly air tonight (Apr 11) at 7 PM on WPBN TV 7&4, and a contestant did win the prize. More from the Traverse City Business News.

On the heels of that comes news that Wine Enthusiast magazine has selected Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay as one of America's Top 25 tasting rooms in its May issue.

It seems almost an anti-climax to report that this week they added online wine ordering to their web site.

Image courtesy Wheel of Fortune / Sony Pictures.

Maple City is nestled in the heart of Leelanau County in a grove of grand maples trees. The countryside around Maple City is hilly with many farms, orchards, and lakes. Many Maple City settlers came to the area because of the Homestead Act of 1862 which "allowed anyone to file for a quarter-section of free land (160 acres)." If the homesteader had "built a house on it, dug a well, broken (plowed) 10 acres, fenced a specified amount, and actually lived there" the land was given to that homesteader. "Additionally, one could claim a quarter-section of land by "timber culture" (commonly called a "tree claim")." A timber culture required that the homesteader "plant and successfully cultivate 10 acres of timber."

Maple City was founded in 1866 and was originally called Peg Town. In 1866 William Parks and J. T. Sturtevent built a shoe peg factory. When the post office was established in March of 1875 the name Maple was chosen, but the name Maple City was the one actually given. In 1890 a Friends Meeting House was built east of Maple City, and in 1916 the meeting house became a Catholic Church. Today Maple City is between Glen Arbor and Traverse City and just south of beautiful Lime Lake.

Wikipedia on Maple City

In Sugar Loaf deal reached in the Leelanau Enterprise, Eric Carlson reports that Omena resident Brad Lutz has signed an option to purchase Sugar Loaf Resort from Kate Wickstrom.

The resort has been closed for skiing since March 2000. Lutz offered no timetable for reopening the resort, but made it clear that he expects the return of skiing at Sugar Loaf to be "a central focus" of his efforts. The condition of ski lifts and other facilities at Sugar Loaf Resort is such that no skiing will be possible there this ski season.

"Of course, we want skiing to return," Lutz said. "Sugar Loaf has some of the best runs anywhere in the Midwest."

But, Lutz added, he is "going into this deal with some fear and trepidation" and is well aware that he may be facing many obstacles.

"I've heard people in Leelanau County say they'll believe it when they see it when it comes to Sugar Loaf," Lutz said. "Actually, that's just about the right attitude to have in this case. I'm enthusiastic, I'm local, and I believe in Leelanau County – but I have no illusions. This will not be simple or easy."

I have no illusions either, but I am excited to see some new life in a place that was once the winter heartbeat of Leelanau - here's hoping that we'll all be Sugar Loafers once again!

The Homestead Resort is holding a bridal show at their new Mountain Flowers Lodge next Sunday (Feb 3) from noon to 5 PM. The event features a fashion show, tours and vendors of wedding services showcasing their services and answering your wedding questions.

You can register to win any of dozens of prizes and there will be food, wine and music. For more information, call 334-5100 or visit www.thehomesteadresort.com.

I found this cool 1905 postcard from the Northport Beach Hotel in the collection Benzie County's Don Harrison. Don scans all of his postcards in large and his collection of postcards from Michigan (especially Benzi & Leelanau) is a great place to while away a few hours.

The Leelanau Enterprise article Autos help, hinder 'resorting' has another view of this impressive structure and relates that the 110 room Northport Beach Hotel opened in July of 1903 but burned down on July 6, 1908.

We have re-launched our Ski Leelanau! page for the 2007-2008 ski season.

We'll be posting regular ski reports for the Homestead Resort's Bay Mountain ski area and nearby Crystal Mountain. We also have cross-country trail reports and a blizzard of skiing and winter fun links and photos for Leelanau County, Traverse City and the surrounding area.

Check it out at leelanau.com/ski.

With nearly one hundred lodging clients, from single unit cottages and small B&B's to large motels, resorts and vacation rental businesses, it's fair to say we know the internet lodging business inside and out.

Beyond simply developing web sites that help people learn about and book stays at your property, Leelanau Communications can help your business develop online marketing strategies that bring travelers to your site and help you put "heads in beads".

Click through to our Lodging & Travel Web Site Design & Marketing page to see examples of our work or contact us to learn how we can help your lodging or travel business succeed on the internet!

Preliminary input from from the Leelanau Tourism Initiative listening sessions has been posted to the web.

Participants listed hoped-for outcomes from increased tourism to the Peninsula such as year-round sustainability of local economy, jobs and community revitalization & economic diversification along with things they hoped to avoid like chains, congestion and elimination of our current lifestyle.

Click to read the findings.