SUP TCMI!

Happy summer, everyone! Here's hoping you're all out enjoying the hey-day of August here in northern Michigan. It's clear that YPs John and Emily Petrovich (both of NewEra Social Marketing) are making the most of these warm, sunny days by enjoying their time on stand-up paddleboards out on the water. Check out John's article for more on this great sport!

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is a peaceful way to get out and enjoy our local waters without noisy motors. It can be a relaxing session or a more intense work-out experience – it’s really whatever you want to make it!

A paddleboard allows you to float right on top of the water and can take you places that no boat can go. The views of underwater roots and trees through our crystal clear local waters make you feel like you’re on the Pirates of the Caribbean movie set. During SUP adventures, we’ve explored shipwrecks, paddled among flocks of rarely-seen birds hanging out in rivers and streams as a stop along their migration paths, and even performed a rescue for a small dog that was tangled in a river marsh area. For awesome photos and videos of paddling local shipwrecks, check out Lena Olmsted’s Instagram account and this Instagram video of one of our recent discoveries in Torch Lake.

TC and the surrounding areas are an “unsalted paddle paradise.” With sandy lake beds, crystal clear waters and breathtaking shore line views, our area is truly unique here in the great Mitten state. If only northern Michigan summers were never ending! But I guess this is what we brave the winters for – and it makes summertime that much sweeter.

Travel West from TC on the beautiful M-22 route into Empire, paddle out of Empire Beach on Lake Michigan, and head south for jaw dropping views of the dunes or north to check out the pristine beach at North Bar Lake. If conditions on the big lake aren’t ideal, simply walk across the parking lot to paddle the smaller, warmer waters of South Bar Lake, or head toward Glen Arbor and check out Little and Big Glen Lake.

Travel East from TC and you'll find yourself surrounded by the teal blue waters of Torch and Elk Lake. There are numerous launch points but the 'Kayak' launch just south of the bridge in Elk Rapids is always a favorite. Paddling through the shallow waters of Elk River, you'll be awestruck by the natural beauty that surrounds you. Plus, if you feel like enjoying a pure northern Michigan sunset, you can easily pluck your board out of the water, head down the street and drop right into East Bay for a sunset paddle that never disappoints!

There are a number of local places to get your SUP gear. Wet Mitten Surf Shop and 231 Outfitters are two great brick-and-mortar SUP stores in Traverse City and you can find a handful of other dealers in the area, too. Craigslist is a helpful source for finding an affordable SUP board, both new and used. We have had our SUP ATX paddleboards for years and we love them! The company recently featured SUP’ing in the northern Michigan area in their Urban Paddle Guide with SUP Magazine. Check it out: Traverse City, MI: Urban Paddle Guide

There are also many local paddleboarding groups on Facebook that you can get involved with, both right in Traverse City and in the surrounding areas, like Elk Rapids. Some are ladies-only, some are co-ed, and all are a guaranteed opportunity to connect with both nature and fellow nature-lovers on the water.

We still have lots of summer left. Get out there and enjoy every last minute!

Spotify Playlist: TCYP's Sunny Days and Starry Nights Summer Playlist

By Emily Petrovich of NewEra Social Marketing

The blossoms! The blue water! The sunny days! The starry skies!

Northern Michigan is a truly beautiful place to enjoy the springtime. This year’s weather seems to be kinder than in the past few years and we’ve been able to enjoy spring rain showers mixed with warm, sunny days… and it seems the plant life is enjoying, too! The blossoms are beautiful, grass is growing like crazy, Morel mushroom hunting is in full swing, and gardens are happily sprouting.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all work places offered recess so we could all go play outside? Just like when we were kids! The fresh spring air is both spicy and sweet – a mix of trees and blooms plus grills and campfires – and its good for the soul.

Alas, we know there are those who stare longingly out their work place windows as the warm season begins and it becomes harder to stay inside and work the day away without wanting to get outside and enjoy the beauty of our TC area. We hope our brand new (and extra long!) mixtape playlist, Sunny Days & Starry Nights, will put a happy spin on your work days and take you right through to happy hours on outdoor patios, al fresco dinners, drives with the windows down, and summer campfires!

This feel-good mix has something for everyone, from brand new jams by Zac Brown Band and Mumford & Sons to fun cover songs like Passion Pit’s version of "Dreams" to awesome new sounds from Whilk & Misky and Jasia. We had to add Joshua Davis’ "The Workingman’s Hymn," who is back in TC after his awesome run on The Voice, and an all-time personal favorite, Sufjan Stevens’ "Say Yes! To M!ch!igan!" from his swell Michigan album.

Check out our Sunny Days & Starry Nights playlist on Spotify.
Any songs you would add? Let us know in the comments!


 

RAT Ride: The Ride Around Torch Lake

Summer is a busy, busy, busy time of year for us northern Michiganders. We have four (maaaaaaybe five, but more like three this year...) solid months of awesome summer weather, fantastic summer events, and time to spend in the sun before winter rolls back in. My husband and I use the summer months for all kinds of activities, but the top of our adventuring list usually comes in the form of long bike rides through some of our favorite countryside landscapes and beautiful small towns in our region.

This past weekend, we joined nearly 1,000 other cyclists for the Cherry Capital Cycling Club's annual Ride Around Torch (RAT). While we've cycled in the area before, this was our first time participating in the organized event. We've only done one other organized ride (and it was a few years ago), so we had some idea of what to expect...but the RAT surpassed all our expectations.

 If you're unfamiliar with the area, Torch Lake has a reputation for being one of the most gorgeous lakes in our region...but also the most notorious for hosting boozey parties of epic proportions on its expansive sandbar (which can be both awesome and terrible). For better or worse, Torch Lake is a gem and the epitome of summertime up north. Torch is the lake that Kid Rock sings (is that singing?) about in his "All Summer Long" song, and despite its artistic value, the song resonates with most residents here in terms of what we love about this area: summer, beaches, relaxing, livin' life to the fullest.

Any chance I get to be around a place as breath-taking as Torch Lake, I'm there. The towns are smaller just east of Traverse City, but they are wonderful, fun, and have a lot of personality...so their populations quadruple this time of year. Lucky for us, we could avoid all the traffic and hustle-bustle by joining a ton of other great cyclists and taking to the road, seeing the land in full panoramic views and taking in the sights not often seen by visitors who stick to the borders of the lakes.

We started our ride in Elk Rapids and headed north to Eastport. From there, we went down the east side of Torch Lake, through Alden and Crystal River, around the top of Elk Lake through Kewadin, and back up to Elk Rapids. We opted for the 63-mile loop, but the RAT also includes a 26-mile route and a challenging (read: HILLY) 100-mile loop. All the routes are clearly marked, and you can ride them during the year even without the helpful markers or roadside assistance that the CCCC provides for the ride. I was pretty beat after riding the 63 miles. Maybe I'll consider doing 100 miles next year...but no promises!

All along the route, we had wonderful volunteers dishing up delicious food (I think I demolished 3-4 cookies and 3 bagels without shame), plenty of pit-stops, and lots of great company. At every stop, we chatted with fellow cyclists and learned more about where folks came from, what kinds of rides they've done, and just about everything else. Everyone was friendly and supportive, which I really needed at our third food stop at mile 49!

The whole route was breath-taking. Sure, we didn't stay along Torch Lake the entire time, but I'm a big fan of rolling country hills and farm landscapes. There were some hills, but the views from the top of many of them were worth the climb. I wish I had more pictures to share the route with you, but I was too busy pedaling and taking it in with my own eyes! You'll have to try it out for yourself next year.

At the end of the ride, I gotta admit, I was really sore. The ride was about 20 miles farther than I've biked all year, so you could say my endurance is quite low for something like this. Luckily I could draft some fellow riders for the last leg and somehow made it back to Elk Rapids going the fastest speed we rode the whole trip! It wasn't just my legs, either: my neck and upper back were the most sore, so when we made it back to our car I gave myself permission to just lie on the ground for a few minutes. Not for too long, though....

...because after the ride, the CC Cycling Club hosted a fantastic BBQ! I loaded up on potato salad, pasta salad, more cookies, and a dee-lish veggie burger. Oh, and the best perk of all? A dip in Lake Michigan right at the BBQ site to cool off and get some of the sweat and grime off my body after a long ride. I wish we could've stayed all day, but alas, we had more summer activities to attend!

All in all, I highly recommend the RAT for beginner, novice, and expert cyclists. There is a course and distance for everyone, and it's a fun, well-organized event that really embodies the great community of cyclists in our region. Plus, you really can't beat the location in terms of views and varying scenery: it is not to be missed!

The Botanic Garden and Historic Barns Park

Every once in a while, I stumble across a part of Traverse City that I know a little about but haven’t actually visited. A few weeks ago, that place was the Botanic Garden at the Historic Barns Park. I knew the gardens existed, but I didn’t really know much about them or what they were all about.

Turns out, there is a lot going on up there.

We hadn’t biked up near the Commons area since TART Trails put in the new Buffalo Ridge trail, which is what drew us up near the garden in the first place. Once we saw their beautiful Visitor’s Welcome Center, we knew we had to go inside and check it all out. I’m not one to pass up going into a gorgeous, well-designed building.

Inside, we were greeted by friendly volunteers. One of them, named Mike, asked us if we had time for a tour. Next thing we knew, we walked into a tunnel through a beautiful gate (handmade using only hammer and heat—no soldering—which was absolutely stunning) and onto one of the most informative tours I’ve ever been on.

Not only did we learn all about the farming history and heritage of the Historical Barns property, but we learned all kinds of things that we never would’ve known unless we were graciously hosted by Mike. He knew the ins and outs of the Botanical Gardens and their grand master plan, in addition to all the stories soaked in the history of the property.

For instance, when he took us upstairs to the conference room, we learned that the wood on the walls and in the windowsills came from the floor of the recently-restored Vogue Theatre in Manistee (another Michigan gem on my to-visit list). We learned about the pavilion in the back of the visitor’s center, and how there will be a wedding there this summer and the bride’s mother was so impressed by everything happening at the Botanical Gardens that she’s offered to donate the funds to have the pavilion finished by the time of the wedding. Having an expert on hand—and a very passionate, friendly expert at that—made this one of the best tours I’d ever been on.

Next thing I knew, we were sitting in an off-road golf cart and Mike was driving us all around the grounds. We learned about the old horse barn they’re converting into a walled garden; the impressive rows of trees getting ready to go in at the entrance of the visitor’s center; a sweet labyrinth they are putting in next to the picnic area (it’s already there if you want to check it out, but there will be improvements coming down the road); the plans to renovate the gorgeous cathedral barn, adding in an amphitheater and reception area; and which trees in the field are old apple trees leftover from the farming days. Perhaps most importantly, we learned where Traverse City’s world-famous dairy cow, Colantha, is laid to rest (not sure who Colantha is? Check out the Traverse Colantha Walker Dairy Fest). I learned more on that tour about the farming history of the State Hospital grounds than I have in my past 25 years, and I was totally geeked about it all.

The Botanical Gardens are positioned to be one of the most breathtaking places in all of Traverse City, and they’re already gorgeous. There are some truly wonderful things happening there, and the volunteers are so dedicated and devoted to the project that their enthusiasm is overwhelmingly contagious. I know I’ll be paying another visit to this beautiful property.

If you want to learn more, feel free to visit their website. Their annual memberships are so reasonable and go towards putting their grand plan into work and helps them move forward on their overall vision. I certainly recommend paying them a visit, especially on a sunny day where you can truly enjoy the magnificent scenery and views.

Restaurants in TC: Spanglish at the GT Commons

Alright, folks. It goes without saying there is some truly great delicious unbelievable food in the Traverse City region. As a local who happens to be incredible frugal and cooks a lot of my own meals, I admit that I don’t get out to eat as often as I’d like. The nice thing about that, I guess, is that every time I do make it out to eat it ends up being a really enjoyable experience and I often choose to go someplace new (to me).

Enter Spanglish, one of the best Mexican meals I’ve had in far too long.

The cuisine is traditional Mexican flair, and even though I’ve never been to Mexico I can only hope the food down south is as good as they serve it up here. Everything is fresh, made-to-order, and smells like a spice-filled heaven. I was famished after walking around the GT Commons area (where Spanglish is located), so I ordered up a vegetarian burrito and took in the vibe.

Outdoor seating is prime territory in Traverse City during the summer, and Spanglish has the most enjoyable little patio with spots for sun or shade. Inside, the restaurant is lively, colorful, and fun—three of my favorite words.

As I know I’ve mentioned before, I tend to gravitate towards restaurants that offer plenty of vegetarian options, and Spanglish absolutely delivers on that front. I rarely end up in a situation where there are TOO many good vegetarian options, but that’s precisely what happened! They have great combinations, different than your normal run-of-the-mill Mexican fare, and everything I saw on the menu (or on other customers’ tables) looked awesome. Just seeing and smelling all their great cookin’ made it clear that I’ll certainly come back…hopefully soon!

In addition to their menu, they have take-them-home-to-heat-up-and-eat tamales, a few Mexican grocery items, and freshly-made drinks that I’ve never tried before but looked especially tantalizing after being out in the warm sunshine. Thank goodness they had complementary water to help quench my thirst; I love when restaurants do that.

When my burrito was served up and it felt like it weighed ten pounds, I knew I’d made a great choice. It was soooo good and really filling, and I entered burrito nirvana on my first bite. Lucky for Sam, I share some with him.

If you find yourself at the Commons area and can’t make up your mind about where to eat out of all the great eateries in the area, I’m putting in my vote for Spanglish. It’s one of the best Mexican fixes in town, and I truly believe you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. Plus, you can walk right over to Left Foot Charley’s and grab some wine or hard cider when you’re all stuffed up on delicious food! I’m pretty sure that’s what summertime in northern Michigan is all about (even if Kid Rock says otherwise).

Traverse City Summer.

Summer has always been my favorite season...even in 100 degree Florida heat. Something about soaking up the sun and embracing the warmth just ensures that I will be in a completely wonderful mood for the rest of the day. That being said, one of the main things I was certain that I would miss was Florida summers- beach days, Happy Hour on an outdoor patio, grilled fish tacos and fantastic sunset views...you get the picture.

However, Traverse City has proved to me that Florida summers are not the best summers...bold statement, I know.

I am now convinced that Traverse City summers are beyond anything I could have asked for. Even when I'm at the office working during summer days, being able to look outside at the gorgeous summer skies and busy Front Street foot traffic just puts a smile on my face and makes my productivity skyrocket. Sunny days (especially ones with no humidity and highs that are 10 degrees lower than the Florida average) simply just offer me the same energy as an extra shot of espresso would. It's the perfect  pick-me-up and Traverse City offers the perfect package of summer.

What exactly do I absolutely adore about Traverse City that Florida cannot offer? You're so lucky- I'm going to tell you right now! 

Traverse City offers me a phenomenally sunny and scenic view on my walk to work. Traverse City allows me to walk to a beach with stunning views of the peninsula and an even better view of the sunset. In regards to the sunset, Traverse city sunsets occur around 9pm instead of Florida's 7pm time, leaving me at least four hours everyday after work to enjoy the daylight and realize that the area I now call home is simply wonderful.

Traverse City also offers me a 6:00am sunrise to wake up to and start my day, which honestly sets the tone of positivity each and every morning. 

What I'm getting at is...Traverse City summer has won my heart and I personally think that is a huge step in the direction of accepting that while Florida will always be where I grew up, there are not many places that can rival working in a place as beautiful and uplifting as Traverse City.