Eric Cox | Author

Are You Ready for Extreme Birdwatching?

April 11, 2026

Since the pandemic drove everyone outdoors, birdwatching (aka birding) has soared in popularity. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, birding has overtaken both hunting and fishing, as nearly a third of American adults—an estimated 96 million—scan the skies for our f… Read More >>

Four of the Biggest Housing Projects Coming Online in 2026

April 4, 2026

Northwestern Michigan is building on renewed vigor, community cooperation, and financial creativity as it tackles its large regional housing shortages.

According to Traverse City-based Housing North, a nonprofit focused on building, strengthening, and advocating for affordable, sust… Read More >>

Boyne City Taproom Is Ready for Its 10th Anniversary

March 7, 2026

Over the decades, a number of businesses have occupied the two-story structure at 220 S. Lake St. in Boyne City. Located in the heart of downtown and a stone’s throw from Lake Charlevoix’s sparkling blue water, the Boyne City Taproom is the latest in a long line of occupants at … Read More >>

Petoskey Curling Club’s Home Sweet Home

Jan. 10, 2026

When Olympic curling was televised over a decade ago, some Petoskey residents were quite intrigued. Seeing an opportunity to squeeze yet another winter activity into NoMi’s already toe-numbing roster, they scrounged around and found a way to get a taste of this old Scottish pastime.Read More >>

Connecting to the Past and Guiding the Future

Dec. 13, 2025

The first time Danielle Gibson heard the thump of live powwow drums she felt a calling, a tug that pulled her toward the rhythm and ignited a desire to dance.

“Something within my spirit made me feel like I needed to be out there, dancing,” she says. “Later, I had … Read More >>

Doing the “Wright” Thing

Nov. 22, 2025

It was 1956. David Russell was a quiet, wide-eyed seventh grader at Petoskey Junior High, and he’d just been asked to stay after class by his history teacher, Miss Arlene Van Ness.

What had he done, he wondered, to warrant this apprehension? He searched his mind, but could rec… Read More >>

Gaming That’s Out of This World

Nov. 8, 2025

Anyone with an appreciation for the late 1970s and 1980s might enjoy the sound of vintage video games and their incredible light displays. When you walk through the front door of Out of This World Arcade and Game in Petoskey, that’s exactly what you’ll get.

Entering feel… Read More >>

Some Things Change, but These Restaurants Stay the Same

Oct. 4, 2025

There are a lot of grand old restaurants in northern Michigan. (Looking at you, Sleder’s Family Tavern, aka the state’s oldest continuously operated restaurant, having opened way back in 1882.)

When we started thinking about eateries that have stood the test of time&mdas… Read More >>

What Does It Take to Make an Award-Winning Wine?

Sept. 20, 2025

Black Star Farms Head Winemaker Lee Lutes wasn’t sure what to think. His ringing phone had yanked him from a midnight sleep. Who could it be? Dead-of-night phone calls often portend some grim new development.

But not this time. This was a call from the future—literally&m… Read More >>

Lost & Hound

Sept. 13, 2025

Americans spend over $100 billion annually on their pets and pet-related products and services. With that kind of investment, along with profound emotional bonds, it’s no wonder pet owners lose their minds when Fluffy goes missing.

A door left open, a collar too loose, the une… Read More >>

Grandma’s Baking Inspires Harbor Springs Cafe

Dec. 3, 2022

Nichole Hall of Harbor Springs grins when she thinks about who influenced her love of baking—a love that led to the launch of her own bakery.

“My grandma has always inspired me,” Hall, a 2010 Harbor Springs High School graduate, says. “She has baked forever, … Read More >>

Making Migizi Fly

Sept. 4, 2021

America’s first tribal eagle aviary and rehabilitation center east of the Mississippi is perched on the edge of success.

And Traverse City’s Higher Art Gallery (see sidebar) is determined to help the fledgling operation, which announced its intention to establish a facil… Read More >>

One Thirty Eight Cocktail Lounge

Aug. 14, 2021

When Steve and Victoria McDiarmid were considering ideas for a new Harbor Springs restaurant, their love of excellent cocktails made with premium ingredients was foremost in their minds.

The couple envisioned a subtle but classy joint where they could showcase parts of their extensi… Read More >>

The New York

July 10, 2021

A leaden sky and steady drizzle don’t dampen spirits at The New York Restaurant, Harbor Springs’ elegant-yet-relaxed bar and eatery at Bay and State streets.

Inside on a dreary Wednesday evening, the place is lively with the staccato of laughter, well-coifed couples enjo… Read More >>

Mim's Mediterranean

April 10, 2021

Mim’s Mediterranean Grill, 1823 U.S. 31-N, Petoskey, is a bit of an oasis for some. Its Greek-inspired cuisine and diminutive and colorful house-turned-restaurant serve as a welcome respite from the region's delicious but ubiquitous pub fare.

At Mim’s, says owner Brett B… Read More >>

CBC’s Michigan Beach Blonde — Resurrected

March 20, 2021

Like a primary color, blonde or golden ales are basic and ubiquitous in the American beer scene. At Bridge Street Tap Room, that scene is enriched by an active tap containing Michigan Beach Blonde ($6/pint, 5% ABV), a sturdy, clear and gilded beer produced by Grand Armory Brewing in Grand H… Read More >>

Hoppies Landing

March 20, 2021

Few restaurants offer expansive views of airport runways, but Hoppie’s Landing at Pellston Regional Airport does. While there isn’t big-city stream of takeoffs and landings to watch from this elevated airport eatery, there are enough to entertain aviation fans, stunning sunset v… Read More >>

Charlevoix's Pigs Eatin' Ribs

Feb. 20, 2021

By 2008, Charlevoix Chef Adam Kline had seen and tasted enough. The Northern Michigan food scene had stagnated, he said, into a pre-fab nightmare of canned goods and ready-made bar food.

At age 24, Schoolcraft College culinary degree in hand, Kline and his wife, Jill, bailed out. Se… Read More >>

Forty Acres’ Spa Day Martini

Jan. 23, 2021

Myriad methods of cocktail creation are on display at bars around the world. There are flaming drinks, compotes laden with almost absurd amounts of fruits and vegetables, and sometimes even aerosolize booze infused with, well … weird stuff. At Boyne Mountain’s slope-side Forty … Read More >>

Moose Jaw Junction, Larks Lake

Jan. 9, 2021

America is speckled with little hole-in-the-way places that sometimes make our culinary hearts go pitter-pat. These little bars and restaurants can often be found in the most rural, out-of-the-way places, where there might be as many poor or mediocre joints as there are good ones.

T… Read More >>