YP Playlist: Short Days & Long Nights

By Emily Petrovich of NewEra Social Marketing

Winter is coming. Actually, it feels like winter is already here.

The days are shorter with a noticeable lack of sunshine… the nights are longer and increasingly colder. There must be some correlation between these seasonal factors and a dramatic increase in our proclamation that we will not go into “hibernation mode” (while actually experiencing a decrease in willpower and motivation.) We tend to gradually allow ourselves extra holiday treats while gazing woefully out our windows at the gray skies, swearing we will lace up our running shoes or hit the gym at some point tomorrow, despite the appeal of our warm homes with comfy couches and cozy blankets. Bonus points (and even more of a challenge to resist) if there’s a fireplace. Must. Not. Hibernate!

Okay, okay – not all of us go right into hibernation mode at the first sign of snowflakes. The Traverse City area offers so many wonderful opportunities to stay active during the winter months, indoors and out. But it can be tough to keep your energy up if you typically arrive to work at or around first light and leave when it’s completely dark. We feel you, friends. We’re here for you. That’s why we’ve combined TCYP forces to create a musical snack mix for your listening pleasure, sure to keep your spirits up all winter season long!

Our first playlist features favorites from several of our YP’s – songs that energize, motivate, and inspire us. The overall flow starts by pumping you up and finishes by gradually bringing things back down – perfect for a winter work day.

Check out our Short Days & Long Nights playlist on Spotify.

 

 Are there any songs you would add? Let us know in the comments!

Guest Blogger: Kelsey Lauer Visits Ice Cave Wonderland

The last time I can remember West Grand Traverse Bay freezing over was in 2009. This year, about 90% of all the Great Lakes are frozen, and I am thrilled to experience winter the way I remember it as a child. While it's unsafe to go explore them now, the Lake Michigan ice caves will live on in legend. Never before have we Michiganders seen something like this, and hundreds of people visited these magnificent natural beauties. Lucky for us, YP Kelsey Lauer and her boyfriend took the trip out and snapped some incredible pictures. Read on to hear about (and see!) their adventure. (All photos by Colin Johnstone.)

By now, most of the people in Northern Michigan have heard about the spectacular ice caves that formed on Lake Michigan in Leelanau County near Northport.

I was alerted by these amazing pictures that were popping up all over my social media news feeds, and after hearing someone call them a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” I decided I had to go check them out along with boyfriend Colin and his camera on a sunny but FRIGID afternoon.

A once in a lifetime opportunity was a total understatement. I've never before seen such majestic jagged ice sculptures that stretch towards the sky, looking like a giant hand had reached down and sculpted the ice.

A rugged, frozen landscape set off by the icy blue sky looked as if it could have come from another world.

We weren’t alone in our adventure, either; it looked as if a few hundred other people had accompanied us out onto the ice, complete with one very small dog wearing a hooded coat and bright pink booties. The huskies, on the other hand, looked right at home.

The very texture of the ice was fascinating, with bumps and divots where spray from the waves had frozen. An occasional handy foothold or handhold made climbing some of the slippery slopes quite irresistible (although that is not recommended!).

Some of the caves were quite small, hardly large enough for a person to stand upright in.

Others, however, offered a myriad of nooks and crannies to explore—including some skylights!

After spending a wonderful couple of hours exploring the caves, however, the sun started to set and we decided to head back to shore while we could still see.

Saying farewell to the ice caves was almost bittersweet—especially now that the ice conditions are no longer safe to check them out. It was truly an honor and a privilege to see them while they were accessible, something far more than a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.

The caves are a stunning reminder of the power and beauty of Lake Michigan and Mother Nature in all seasons—even in the frozen depths of winter, there is still amazement and joy to be found by going outside.

I challenge you to head outside this winter, try out a few new winter activities to see which strike your fancy and most of all, have FUN.  Let’s make the most of our nearly 17 feet of snow this winter while we can!

Bingo Night at The Little Fleet

Who says that Monday nights in northern Michigan are boring? If you know where to go to scope out a good time, it's hard to be bored in Traverse City at any time of the year. There are lots of great businesses, organizations, and clubs out there insuring that life is never dull in our town.

Point and case: Monday night Bingo at The Little Fleet. My husband and I are taking turns surprising one another with a date night every month. Ever since I learned about The Little Fleet's Bingo nights, I knew I had to take Sam! I love Bingo. It's casual, fun, and completely based on luck: my lack of gambling skills have no weight in my likeliness to win, which is a major bonus for me. When you add in a fantastic hangout like The Little Fleet and some great booze, it's a recipe for a great night.

The Little Fleet is one of my absolute favorite places to visit in the summer, but after spending a relaxing Monday night there for Bingo won my heart for a fun winter locale, too. It's hip, laid-back, and well designed. The atmosphere helps me release the tension in my shoulders after a long workday, and being in the presence of all their happy customers never ceases to put a smile on my face. Life slows down at The Little Fleet, and all the good things in the world float to the top: that's the kind of place I like to be.

In the summer, The Little Fleet hosts food trucks in their parking lot. Since it's winter, the food trucks aren't running but guests are still welcomed to bring food in to accompany the Fleet's awesome drink menu. We decided to pair our drinks with some pizza from Paesano's across the street, and I dare say it was a match made in (carb-loaded) heaven. (Yes, pictures of food never really look that great, but trust me when I say the pizza was DEE-LISH.)

We played a few rounds of Bingo, and the place starting filling up as the night went on. Admittedly, I never really knew there was such a vibrant after-10 p.m. crowd roaming around in February up here, so it was a pleasant surprise to see people out and about during what many claim to be a "miserable" time of year. Joy follows optimism!

Of course, we may be a bit biased about how awesome Bingo night was...because Sam won the second round of Bingo! When we finally left, we had full bells, happy hearts, and a sweet new Rubik's Cube koozie. In my opinion, that's always a win.

So, next time you're feeling down-and-out about the cold weather, visit The Little Fleet for their weekly Bingo nights (every Monday at 8 p.m.). I promise it'll warm you up and make Spring seem so much closer!

Recap: Winter Comedy Arts Festival

This past weekend was the Traverse City Winter Comedy Arts Festival, and I've never seen our little downtown so populated in the winter! This was the festival's fourth year, and it was an incredible success. Streets were closed downtown to make way for all sorts of wonderful activities--a full ice bar, a ferris wheel, ice skating rink, massive sledding hill, zip line, nearly a hundred ice sculptures--and the entire weekend was a BLAST. There were kids, grandparents, dogs, babies pulled in sleds...and everyone was bundled up in layer upon layer of winter gear to keep warm. But, with all the fun going on downtown, I doubt too many people were paying attention to the cold.

The festival consists of two main parts: free events on Front Street, and an impressive line-up of comedians from all across the country. Comedians this year included some big names: Rosie O'Donnell, Fred Willard, Michael Ian Black, Tig Notaro (my new favorite comedian), Tim Meadows, Stephen Lynch, and many other hilarious up-and-comers. Now that we're halfway through February (and hopefully halfway through our winter), this town really needed some laughter to warm us up. The festival definitely delivered!

My husband and I dedicated our Friday night and entire day on Saturday to manage the concessions stand at the City Opera House. We love volunteering at the Opera House for the Film Festival, and the Comedy Festival holds an equally-fond place in our hearts. People come to the Comedy Festival to have a good time, and volunteering helps us contribute to that good time and make it even better. Plus, if we're lucky, we get to catch the shows! I was thrilled to get the opportunity to catch Michael Ian Black...he has been a long-time favorite of mine, and his stand-up act was hilarious.

The other great perk to volunteering is working with a fantastic crew. All the volunteers that put the festival together work hard and help make it such an impressive event. We always end a festival with new friends of all ages, and with fond memories of our volunteering experience. If you volunteered for the festival this year, thank you!

Unfortunately for my hubby and I, volunteering full-time as managers means that we don't get the opportunity to check out all the awesome activities on Front Street until Sunday, but there was plenty going on downtown the whole weekend. The ferris wheel is always a favorite of mine during the festival. How crazy are we Michiganders for wanting to ride a ferris wheel in winter?! We did miss out on playing the frozen putt-putt course and riding the zip line, which was sad. However, the zip line ran right outside the City Opera House, so we were able to watch kids and adults ride on it all day long...pretty awesome.

That's what I love about this town: we have some weird and crazy things going on all throughout the year, and it keeps life exciting no matter what the season. There are a lot of things I know I wouldn't get the chance to experience if TC didn't allow so many different activities and events to take place in our town, and for that I am very thankful. I can't wait to see what incredible winter adventures we'll experience before summer comes!

Guest Blogger: Cindy Evans Snowshoes at the Commons

Happy Polar Vortex Part II, everyone! Our guest blogger this week is Cindy Evans, who works at Grand Traverse Industries and lives in the Traverse City area with her husband and two children. Cindy took on winter (and a lot of hills) during her recent snowshoeing adventure at the Grand Traverse Commons. Read on for some advice about snowshoeing the Commons and a lot of pretty winter eye-candy that will encourage you to get out and explore this season! - Mo

I love Traverse City; I have always loved the area and its charm. This city has so much to offer in terms of opportunities to be active and ways to enjoy its unmatchable beauty in all seasons.

A few years ago I had found myself really disliking the winter season and the fact that I wasn’t out enjoying it either. I decided that I was going to find a way to get out there again and change my perspective because, moving was not an option that either my husband, myself, nor my family was going to consider. I looked on the community events page and thought, well what can I do? My children were young, my husband has a reconstructed knee so his activities are limited, I had suffered from Asthma as a result of contracting the H1N1 flu, and honestly, I was not in great shape after having two children and a few too many pounds I hadn’t done anything about. So needless to say, choices were limited.

One day someone at work told me about guided snowshoeing at the Sleeping Bear Dunes and that equipment was provided if you didn’t have your own. So I called my husband and asked him to sign us up: I wanted to give this a try. This was a great opportunity to see if I could do it before investing money into equipment of my own. That one trip was all it took, and I found this was the perfect activity for my family to be able to participate in together, while also being something I could do while not being in the best shape. I will say that after that first trip I was hooked, and it was the spark I needed to get back to enjoying our majestic winters. I was able to lose some that weight and start feeling better, in part, due to our many winter adventures snowshoeing.

One of my favorite areas to hike with my family in the fall is the trails in and around the GrandTraverse Commons. Since I hadn’t been snowshoeing there yet, I thought I would give it a try. I headed out this past Saturday after the big storm that dumped more than six inches of snow and left us in very low temperatures. I didn’t take my kids since it was so cold, but I am a diehard, right? I can do this, why not!

I was surprised to see that there was more activity on the trails than I had thought there would be, and once I got moving the cold was not a factor. The Village is nestled among 480 acres of preserved parkland, and has a vast array of trails. Thetrails are well marked and have maps at the access points. It’s a great place to get out and meet others along the trail. You will come across frozen creeks, old historic buildings, and see lots of wildlife. If you love to take photos of nature or unique settings, this is the place for you. There are moments to enjoy some solitude and quiet, and just to pause and listen to the wind in the trees. Some trails lead to some old abandoned historic buildings that are now the canvas for local graffiti artists. (Warning: if you are with children there is inappropriate language and images that come with this graffiti work, so just beware.)

I started out on the Tangle Wood trail, which is a fairly easy trail with some rolling hills and a moderately packed pathway from use. The trail meanders through the woods and past a creek. This would be a good place to start if you’re only looking for a short hike. I then headed over to the Cistern Spur trail because I wanted to get some pictures on the higher elevation and of the big round abandoned cistern that is hidden in the woods there. There is an easier path to get to the same area but I opted for the short cut, which includes going up the very steep hill to get there more directly. I don’t believe that was a great idea for snowshoeing but, I will claim frozen brain for that decision. I did slip a few times and needed to use the rail so I didn’t fall or slide down, but after much determination, I did make it to the top, a little….ok, a LOT…out of breath. But I made it, and the view was worth it.

In areas I could see down across the Village and the sights were just amazing. I could have opted to take the easy path down, but I decided I just wanted to see if I could ski down and not fall, knowing full-well this was not how snowshoes were meant to be used. Again, frozen brain mixed with a little stupidity. I do not recommend this because it could lead to injury. Matter of fact, it most likely will lead to injury. I did however have a blast skiing down the trail and, will boast I did not fall but I am sure if my chiropractor ever saw this blog it would make him cringe. I assure you my form was not good, and it was very dicey at moments.

Whether you like to snowshoe with a group or by yourself, the Commons is the ideal place to go. You can head directly out of the trail and over to Higher Grounds for a warm up with coffee or grab a bite to eat at the various eateries. You can adventure into the Mercato to warm up and enjoy some great shopping, or take a stroll and view the artwork along the walls. There is something for everybody here. Click here for a map of the trails.

Also worth mentioning is the Experience 231 app. This app has all the hiking, biking, bird watching, x-country skiing, paddling, and snowshoeing trails in the area. It allows you to enter search criteria such as distance, or experience level; it will pull up all the trails that meet that criteria. It also gives some information on the trail and its surroundings, along with distance from your location. I found some new places I didn’t know about and it’s worth checking out since it’s free. I hope to see some of you out on the trails, and happy snowshoeing!

Cross-Country Skiing at the VASA Trail

To follow up last week’s adventure downhill skiing, I thought I’d share one of the best place to cross-country ski for this week’s post: the VASA Trail. The VASA is no secret in this town, or the country. If you’re an avid XC-skier, you’re probably familiar with the North American VASA race that takes place in Traverse City every February. It’s quite a sight to see so many skiers in one place, and they come from all over the world to compete on this course. Pretty sweet!

When it isn’t being used as a racecourse for nearly 800 people (which is essentially every day except the day of the Great American VASA race), it is one of the best places to cross-country ski. They have groomed courses for both skate and classic style, and dedicated volunteers maintain both tracks.

My favorite thing about the VASA is its versatility. There are hills if you like hills and flat meadows if that’s more your style. You can also choose from either a shorter 3K or 5K route, or really work it out on the 10K or 25K loops. The farthest we’ve skied with our classic-style skis is the 10K loop, but maybe some day we’ll really bust it and brave all 25Ks. There’s still a lot of winter left to try it out!

We love XC-skiing because it’s a great workout in winter, but it’s also a fantastic way to see all the beauty this time of year offers. The woods and meadows at the VASA are quiet, serene, and truly breathtaking if you make it out after a heavy snow. It is rarely crowded on the longer loops, so it’s a great way to see how peaceful and soothing the woods are when buried in snow.  I’m always blown away by how mentally relaxed and stress-free I am after a ski.

I encourage you to check out the VASA trail yourself this winter if you’re in TC! It’s on the east side of town and easy to access. There’s a big parking lot, and even when it fills up on the weekends you’re still not likely to run into too many other skiers so it’s a great way to escape the world. Pick a day after some snow to get up and start your morning in the woods as the sun rises on a clear day…it’s incredible, and I believe everyone should experience it at least once every winter. Get out there and see it!