Features

Restoring Sleeping Bear Inn

After sitting dormant for 50 years, the historic inn is poised to welcome visitors this summer

By Al Parker | May 4, 2024

It won’t be long before Glen Haven visitors will be able to experience waking up in the oldest hotel in the National Park Service. For the past couple of months, room reservations have been taken almost daily for the fully refurbished Sleeping Bear Inn, which last hosted guests some 50 years ago. “It’s been a labor of love,” says Maggie Kato, executive director of the nonprofit Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation (BEAR), which ... Read More >>

Meaningful, Practical, Magical

The guiding principles behind Poetess and Stranger

By Krista Cain | May 4, 2024

Sarah Snider, owner of Poetess and Stranger, has poured nearly three decades of experience into the creation of her Petoskey shop. The retail endeavor, which opened its doors in 2021, offers a variety of quality, magical goods at great value. The magic that imbues itself into Poetess and Stranger is that entry point within ourselves where we find deeper connection and meaning. According to Snider, this is “not terribly different than prayer ... Read More >>

Film Review: Challengers

Five Stars

By Joseph Beyer | May 4, 2024

Sexual tension smashes back onto the big screen in Challengers, the much-hyped love triangle drama set within the world of professional tennis. What makes the film somewhat remarkable (among other things), is how Italian director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) and his cast achieve this sensual landscape without the usual titillating R-rated visuals. Instead, by focusing on the intensity of desire itself as a psychological act, Challengers becomes a multi-hyphenated ... Read More >>

Three Ways to Celebrate Mom

May 4, 2024

Sunday is Mother’s Day—need some inspiration to celebrate the mom(s) in your life? Thursday, May 9, head to Lavender Hill Farm in Boyne City for their Cookies & Cocktails event, where you’ll decorate sugar cookies for a cookie bouquet. (6-8pm; $48; lavenderhillfarm.com) And what goes better with cookies than champagne? Friday, May 10, join Black Star Farms and Millie & Pepper creperie for a night of sparkling wine and French-inspired small plates. ... Read More >>

Monitoring the Great Lakes

Stuff We Love

May 4, 2024

Lake lovers, do you want to take your passion one step further? This summer, while you’re out on your beach, boat, board, kayak, or canoe, you can also help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) gather information about water and habitat conditions in our state’s nearly 11,000 inland lakes. MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program is a community science effort that involves sampling lakes for water quality—we’re talking clarity, nutrients, dissolved oxygen ... Read More >>

Summer Race Season Approaches!

May 4, 2024

Race organizers, do you want to see your upcoming race included in Northern Express’ summer race calendar? If you’re putting on an event between June 8 and Sept. 22 for runners, swimmers, bikers, or paddlers, we want to share the news! Here’s how to get your race in the paper: Open an email to events [at] traverseticker [dot] com. Include the race name, race date, race location, website address for race information, ... Read More >>

Dream Team in the Dugout

May 4, 2024

Northern Michigan’s Dream Team, a co-ed baseball league for youths, teens, and young adults with disabilities, is gearing up for their spring opener. The first games of the season will be held Saturday, May 11, at the Grand Traverse Civic Center at 10am. That day, the players will also celebrate the ribbon cutting for the universally-accessible dugouts that have been added to the Civic Center fields. The dugouts are now larger, able ... Read More >>

GTB Celebrating 44 Years

By Jamie Kauffold | May 4, 2024

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians will host their 44th Annual Federal Recognition Day – Mini Traditional PowWow & Tribal Market Day at Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel in Williamsburg on Saturday, May 11, from 11am-3pm. At this free public event, you can explore various Anishinaabek crafts, artwork, and foods, as well as talk with tribal members to learn about GTB history and traditions. gtbindians.org Read More >>

Seven Takeaways from Local Real Estate Agents for the Spring/Summer Market

What to expect for the biggest 2024 home buying season

By Art Bukowski | April 27, 2024

The last few years in local real estate have been akin to what one local agent described as the “wild west,” with norms and conventions thrown out the window as buyers scrambled for homes in the strongest sellers’ market in decades. Today, local agents agree that aside from some holdouts—waterfront property is still red hot—the overall market has settled back into a more reasonable place in 2024. Northern Express connected with several ... Read More >>

A Tale of Two Lofts

Michigan Community Capital seeks to address the “missing middle” in Grayling and Boyne City with new apartments

By Victor Skinner | April 27, 2024

Two northern Michigan projects aimed at addressing a dearth of middle income housing are inching forward after years of delays in Grayling and Boyne City. Sawmill Lofts – Grayling On April 8, the Grayling City Council approved a Brownfield tax increment financing plan for Sawmill Lofts (pictured) to help fund 42 new apartments and over 3,000 square feet of commercial space in a nearly 40,000-square-foot, five-story building along Michigan Avenue. The plans ... Read More >>