Traverse City: new uses for insane asylum
Sunshine, fresh air, beauty as therapy, physical exercise through work: These were crucial components of mental health treatment in the mid 1800s, and Dr. Thomas […]
Michigan
Mackinac Island: a study of high horsepower
Most people who visit Michigan’s Mackinac Island come for just a few hours, so they’re more likely to study fudge shops and fort history than […]
LEED leaders in Michigan: Hotels, museums
Before George Heartwell’s 2004 election as mayor of Grand Rapids, Mich., he was a preacher for the United Church of Christ. Evangelizing continues, but the […]
Inside UP’s remote Isle Royale National Park
Our 100-passenger ferry is rocking me like a drunken, slapdash sailor, so my eyes stay closed during most of this three-hour ride. I am a […]
Sylvania Wilderness: virgin timbers, pure air
We all have our own ideas about where the Northwoods begins, but how do you define true wilderness? Is it simply the lack of condo […]
Grand Hotel: classy survivor of genteel times
There is no escaping the geraniums. They are woven into carpeting, printed onto toiletries, planted in front of the rocking chairs outside. There are about […]
Grand celebration begins in Traverse City
My 50th birthday is behind me, but not without a long stretch of celebrations that involved friendly strangers as well as friends, 2,000 miles away […]
Detroit battles bad rap, bad image
“It’s takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to lose it.” That comes from Warren Buffett, one of the richest guys in […]
Sultry Saugatuck: haven for artists, art lovers
For a town whose population is just 1,065, Saugatuck sure knows how to get around. One way is to ride North America’s only chain ferry, […]
Meet Muskegon: Lake Michigan’s wilder side
Here are signs that you’re not on our side of Lake Michigan anymore: * Billboards advertise blueberry farms and dune buggy rides. * Menus contain […]