Al Parker | Author

The Valleys and Hills of Doon Brae

April 20, 2024

Whether you’re a single-digit handicap or a duffer who doesn’t know a mashie from a niblick, there’s a new northern Michigan golf course where the focus is on fun.

Doon Brae is a new par-3 short course being built in Harbor Springs by Boyne Golf, which operates 1... Read More >>

The Making of an Opera

April 20, 2024

The campus buzz is palpable as Interlochen Arts Academy gets ready to host the largest, most complicated performance in the school’s history.

It’s not a Shakespearean drama, nor a ballet or a Broadway classic.

It’s an opera.

And it’s the wor... Read More >>

A Year of Change at Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center

Feb. 24, 2024

Like a lot of businesses and organizations, the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center (TBCAC) has been hiring.

“Our board is prioritizing a search for a new CEO,” says Wilson (Bill) Brott when we spoke earlier this month. Brott is chair of the TBCAC board and a... Read More >>

The Wedding of Ernest and Hadley

Feb. 10, 2024

It was the summer of 1920 when young Ernest Hemingway met up with some of his buddies in Boyne City. They set off on a gambling adventure that would determine the fate of the ambitious young writer.

“They were going to a Petoskey casino,” explains Charlevoix Historical... Read More >>

Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: How Could AI Affect NoMi Businesses?

Jan. 27, 2024

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing dramatically, with new uses popping up almost overnight, like morels after a spring rain. For some, AI takes the stress out of daily work tasks. For others, AI has actually taken their jobs.

Generative AI—that is artificial... Read More >>

Opening the Slopes for All

Jan. 13, 2024

Northern Michigan is smack in the middle of ski season, and for most skiers and snowboarders, the rush of gliding effortlessly over the snow is truly magical. But for those facing physical challenges, the downhill thrills may seem very elusive or even out of reach.

Northern Michig... Read More >>

From Boilermakers to Hanky Panky to the Best Martini in Michigan

Dec. 23, 2023

Whether your cocktail expertise is limited to an annual margarita on May 5 or your home bar is better stocked than most liquor stores, a newly updated book is here to help.

The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails: Elevated and Expanded is 600-plus pages of cocktail... Read More >>

A Night on the Town

Dec. 9, 2023

Along with festive parties with friends and goofy Christmas sweaters, the annual shopping sprees often known as Ladies’ Night or Men’s Night have become traditions during the holiday season. Northern Express checked with several northern Michigan communities to see how these e... Read More >>

Bespoke Blades

Nov. 25, 2023

What do you do with a battered ice skate, an old rubber puck, a cracked hockey stick, and a gob of tape? Pitch ’em, right? 

Not if you’re Todd Olson, Charlevoix knife maker extraordinaire.  

He collected those shabby items from a hockey-loving cl... Read More >>

Meet the "Grim Keeper"

Nov. 11, 2023

Scott Buckmaster slides out of the driver’s side of his hefty GMC pickup, shrugs off a light rain as he walks briskly past half dozen grave sites, and shoves a fiberglass marker with a bright orange top into the ground

Buckmaster—“Buck” to almost everyone h... Read More >>

The Hunt for the Perfect Caramel Apple

Oct. 21, 2023

Along with color tours and pumpkin spice everything, a crunchy, sweet caramel apple is one of the most beloved traditions of autumn.

Some say caramel apples date back to 1936, when Hunter’s Candy, a mom-and-pop sweet shop in Moscow, Idaho, began selling them. Hard-coated can... Read More >>

The Oldest House in Town

Oct. 7, 2023

Historic homes across northern Michigan have stories—and secrets—to reveal, and there are battalions of local historians and amateur sleuths working to unearth their tales, chapter by chapter.

Fueled by curiosity and a quest for knowledge, these folks pour over aging d... Read More >>

You Sold How Many Bushels of Apples?!

Sept. 30, 2023

For almost four decades, the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market has been a key sales venue for area farmers, a place where residents and visitors can buy quality farm-grown goods, and a welcoming gathering place in the heart of downtown Traverse City.

Named after one of the area&r... Read More >>

Building Peninsula Shores

Sept. 23, 2023

After almost a decade of planning and preparation, an exclusive enclave of luxury homes is becoming reality on Old Mission Peninsula…and the houses are selling fast.

Peninsula Shores is set on a pristine stretch of East Grand Traverse Bay, and the 41 home sites offer panora... Read More >>

What’s in Season in September?

Sept. 16, 2023

Eating what’s in season is as old as farming itself.

Before refrigeration and other types of food preservation were common, folks ate whatever was fresh out of their garden or growing on the farm when it was ready to harvest. So seasonal eating is not only chic among foodies... Read More >>

Second Chance Schools

Aug. 26, 2023

It’s estimated that at one time there were some 7,200 one-room schoolhouses in Michigan, with dozens across the northwestern region we all call home. Many of those buildings have been lost to time, but several have been refurbished and are living on with renewed purposes as charming... Read More >>

Rowing Against the Waves

Aug. 19, 2023

Sitting in the kitchen of his Bellaire area home, first-time author Reg Sprik shares a secret when he talks about his new book, Rowing Against the Waves.

“I didn’t like the title at all,” says the 95-year-old with a smile. “There’s nothing ab... Read More >>

“Farming Is Just Solving Problems”: 150 Years of History at Petoskey’s Coveyou Scenic Farm Market

Aug. 12, 2023

There aren’t many Michigan businesses that keep rolling along for 150 years, let alone under the same family ownership. 

But that’s an achievement that Coveyou Scenic Farm Market will reach next year. “It’s been in our family since 1874,” explain... Read More >>

A Little Music History Lesson

Aug. 5, 2023

The sun is shining and a pair of aerobatic birds dance through the azure sky as I drive into the circular drive of the Music House Museum.

There’s a tour bus out front, and it’s loading visitors who have finished their morning stop at the museum. There’s a buzz a... Read More >>

The J-1 Experience

July 22, 2023

Every summer, hundreds of college students from around the world trek to northern Michigan…and the local economy would be seriously diminished if they didn’t make the trip.

These international students aren’t just visiting—they’re coming to northern ... Read More >>