Ross Boissoneau | Author
The Saxiest Man in America to Play Leelanau Sands
Oct. 12, 2019
Having sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, you think it’d be time for Kenny G to coast. After all, the smooth jazz sax star has sold.
But after more than 40 years as a professional musician, the smooth jazz sax star continually hones his skills to make sure ...
Read More >>
Better Beauty, Made in Northern Michigan
Oct. 12, 2019
When it comes to locally produced foodstuffs, there are probably more Northern options than you could eat in a week. Same for beverages, from sodas to beer, wine, spirits, even coffee and sparkling water in a can.
That’s not the end of it. Companies from across the ...
Read More >>
Little Bay Boards: Who Wants In?
Oct. 12, 2019
What dad hasn’t wanted to do something special for his child? Jason Thelen loved being on his standup paddleboard, so when his nine-year-old daughter asked for one too, he was happy to oblige.
One caveat: Instead of buying her a foam board made in China, Thelen took...
Read More >>
American Dreams, American Nightmare
Sept. 28, 2019
National Public Radio correspondent Aarti (pronounced ar-thi) Shahani is used to talking and meeting with engineers, CEOs, and hedge fund billionaires as part of her job covering Silicon Valley. And she believes that work helped prepared her for a different assignment — exploring he...
Read More >>
What $150K (or Less) Buys Now
Sept. 28, 2019
Hunting for a home between $100,000 and $150,000? Something in or near town —whatever town that might be?
If so, you probably already know you’re not alone. Across the region, homes at that price point are hard to find. And if you find one, you’re probab...
Read More >>
Pop Goes the Traverse City Park
Sept. 28, 2019
Q:What is a pop-up park? Sept. 28, 2019 Stormcloud is best known for its beers, and justifiably so. The Frankfort brewery now distributes its popular Birdwalker Blonde Ale, Whiled Away IPA, and Rainmaker Aleat hundreds of stores across the state. But its culinary side is just as appetizing. Tops among the Stormcloud fan club: i...
Read More >>
Sept. 21, 2019 Some might have said Ralph Stabile didn’t understand some basic scientific/agronomic facts — like the “fact” that wine grapes wouldn’t grow as far north as Petoskey, much less the Upper Peninsula. But that didn’t stop him. Because sometimes facts are fa...
Read More >>
Sept. 14, 2019 What makes a great cocktail? Well, many things, but among them are premium ingredients, complementary flavor profiles, and a pleasing appearance. Sept. 14, 2019 Once relegated largely to pizza, soups, omelets, and salads, the modest mushroom — commonly sourced from cans — hasn’t always been a popular part of American restaurant menus. (Morels being the exception Up North, of course.) But as the public has become more acq...
Read More >>
Sept. 14, 2019 It’s not like she has a secret identity, but mild-mannered high school teacher Sarah Bernstein does have another side: Taproom Tarot Gal. Bernstein moonlights as a tarot card reader for friends, private events, and publicly at area brewpubs. Sept. 7, 2019 Petoskey might seem an unlikely location to fete an author who probably had never heard of the city — one who, in fact, had never even set foot in the United States. But that’s not stopped enthusiasts from nearly two decades of explications and celebrations of the life and wor...
Read More >>
Sept. 7, 2019 When Ambrosia hits the stage at Little River Casino Resort Sept. 14, no doubt fans will want (and get) to hear “How Much I Feel,” “You’re the Biggest Part of Me” and “You’re the Only Woman.” But those pop hits will be balanced by “Nice...
Read More >>
Sept. 7, 2019 For most kids, saying “I’m going to run away and join the circus” is an empty threat. Aug. 31, 2019 What would you call an afternoon of music hosted throughout a neighborhood, including musicians both from that area and from outside it? Music that runs the gamut from Americana to classical, punky bluegrass to party pop to — wait a minute, is that a circus act? Aug. 24, 2019 As part of the effort to highlight the dangers of Line 5, a group of people will be taking to the waters of the Mackinac Straits Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. The 5th Annual Pipe Out Paddle Out Flotilla and the Water Is Life Festival, which immediately follows on land, will welcome any a...
Read More >>
Aug. 24, 2019 Oliver Art Center in Frankfort is expanding, but not with more space. Instead, it has begun utilizing its library in a new way, establishing a permanent community creative space for young artists and their families to explore. “We’ve always had a library, but...
Read More >>
Aug. 17, 2019 Maggie Mielczarek had an idea. Take what she loved about northern Michigan, combine that with her love of painting and art, and create a brand that reflected it all: clothing, accessories, even the fabric she cuts from. Aug. 10, 2019 What kind of alcoholic beverage is most popular in northern Michigan? Does it differ from Manistee to Harbor Springs, Leelanau County to Otsego? Aug. 3, 2019 When old friends gather together, the years slip away. On Aug. 8, it won’t be years, it’ll be decades, as pals Jim Crockett and Fred Ball will be joined onstage at the Old Art Building in Leland by a musical compadre from their past. “I’m looking forward wi...
Read More >>
A: A temporary park, complete with many of the attributes one would normally expect: benches, greenery, a site for relaxation or recreation.
Q: Why do we need one?
A: It’s better than a hole in the ground.
Stormcloud’s Pulled Pork
The Incredible Expanding Mackinaw Trail Winery (and Brewery and Cidery)
Killer Kocktails
Then what makes a Killer Kocktail? That’s easy. Partnering with local entrepreneur Spencer Joseph and his burgeoning bus...
Read More >>
Extra Mushrooms, Please
Queen of Cups
Why brewpubs?“Beca...
Read More >>
How a Monthlong Festival Honoring C.S. Lewis Took Over Petoskey
Not Only Yacht Rock Cruisin’ into Little River Casino
A Rags to Circus Story
Alyk Fuller isn’t most kids. In fact, at 23, he’s not a kid at all. But he is running away to join the circus.
By the time you read this, t...
Read More >>
Block(s) Party!
In ...
Read More >>
Weekend Warriors Unite
Frankfort's OAC Opens Up the Possibilities
Leland Gal: Better by Design
That’s how Leland Gal became a thing. And it w...
Read More >>
What We’re Drinking This Summer
Two quick answers: White Claw, and not much.
In an admittedly non-scientific study, we called two dozen party ...
Read More >>
’70s Era Bandmates Reunite on stage at age 70