Ross Boissoneau | Author

Celebrating Mother Earth

April 15, 2023

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans rallied and railed against the pollution and environmental impacts of indiscriminate industrial development. That first Earth Day spawned an environmental movement that continues to this day.

The one-day event has grown in stature and in len... Read More >>

Old Guys on Dirt Bikes (Their Words!)

April 8, 2023

When you’re young, it’s fun to hit the trails on a motorbike, flying around corners, soaring over tree roots, zipping between trees, and just having a blast. That fun can continue as riders zoom into middle age and beyond—like those still doing it in their 60s, 70s, even... Read More >>

Experience the Mystery

March 18, 2023

’Tis the season for mysterious and spooky fun. No, it’s not Halloween, and there are no headless horsemen or Great Pumpkins rising from the pumpkin patch. But thanks to the fascinating histories and spooky legends of northern Michigan, it’s always the season for explorin... Read More >>

Downtown Sound

Feb. 18, 2023

The sounds of Americana, blues, sweet vocal harmonies, Afro-Cuban jazz—they’re all part of the Downtown Sound Performing Arts Series at Crooked Tree Arts Center (CTAC) in Petoskey. From touring artists to Mitten Smitten performers—musicians who call the Mitten State home... Read More >>

39 Years of Gopherwood Concerts

Feb. 4, 2023

Gopherwood Concerts, a long-running music series in Cadillac, began as a film guild in the 1980s before being “killed” by “the advent of the VCR.” It then morphed into the Gopherwood Folk Society, which had the goal of bringing great music to town. The name, per th... Read More >>

48 Hours in Mackinaw City

Jan. 14, 2023

Where do people from northern Michigan go for a vacation? In the summer, we often head north, to the Straits of Mackinac, the U.P., and beyond, while in the winter we typically go south or west for warmer climes.

But why? Why not celebrate the snowy season with a trip, even just a... Read More >>

Is the Next Spielberg at Interlochen?

Jan. 7, 2023

The upcoming Filmmakers’ Premiere at Interlochen Center for the Arts will feature a number of original films, from shorts to documentaries to animation—and, as they say, plenty of popcorn.

Michael Mittelstaedt, director of film and new media at Interlochen, says the sh... Read More >>

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

Dec. 24, 2022

A new year brings new opportunities for all kinds of celebrations. From north to south, posh venues to the streets at midnight, there’s something for practically everyone to celebrate the arrival of 2023. Here are just a few of the options.A new year brings new opportunities for all... Read More >>

The Sounds of the Season

Dec. 17, 2022

For John Lloyd Young, Christmas and coziness go hand in hand. “It’s [being] warm, comfortable, safe at home with the fire roaring. Cocooning. Only those that experience winter understand.”

Another large part of setting the Christmas mood is classic holiday music.... Read More >>

The Christmas Blues (and Jazz and Backstreet Boys)

Dec. 3, 2022

Each year brings a new mix of holiday music fare, all dressed up with somewhere to go. Here are our picks for the best and brightest of the season, with a few lumps of coal here and there.

Jane Monheit, The Merriest
One of jazz’s leading lights... Read More >>

Fun with Fiber

Nov. 26, 2022

Visual artists work in a variety of media: oils, watercolors, pastels, charcoal. Bronze, clay, stone. But let’s not forget textiles, because Abigail Deloria and Mica Harrison certainly won’t. The two share a fondness for turning materials into art, though their methods and res... Read More >>

BATA Evolves

Nov. 12, 2022

New property, new buses, and a continuing commitment to serve Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. That’s what is happening at BATA, the Bay Area Transportation Authority. According to Executive Director Kelly Dunham, that means continuously exploring ways to add or modify routes, ... Read More >>

Coming of Age

Nov. 5, 2022

There are all kinds of cliches meant to suggest that as you get older, your habits, behaviors, and attitudes get more ingrained. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, right?

Wrong. For many, getting older means new thoughts, new experiences, new adventures. Travel, activism... Read More >>

The Big Three

Oct. 29, 2022

When Michigan voters head to the polls Nov. 8, there will be three statewide proposals on the ballot. Proposal 1 would change term limits for state legislators and mandate financial disclosure requirements for state executive and legislative officials. Proposal 2 would make changes to vot... Read More >>

The Piano Men

Oct. 8, 2022

Two singers. Two keyboards. And a guitar in between.

That will be the setup when BJ Leiderman and Kenny White come to town. The two singer/songwriters are teaming up for a series of concerts together, including an Oct. 22 date at the City Opera House in downtown Traverse City. The... Read More >>

2022 Fall Color Forecast

Oct. 1, 2022

With summer in the rearview mirror, it’s time to trade the shimmering blue of the lakes for the reds and golds of autumn leaves. But when will the colors peak? And what lies beyond, when the soft white flakes fill the sky and coat the ground?

We’re not the only ones wo... Read More >>

Selling the Dream House

Sept. 24, 2022

Real estate is part finance, part therapy, and part vision. The ability to combine those aspects has served Pat Leavy during his more than two decades as a realtor—the last several as one of the top-selling agents in the entire state—as he and longtime friend and business part... Read More >>

The Greatest (Halftime) Show

Sept. 3, 2022

The crowd goes silent, all eyes glued to the 50-yard line. There, teams aren’t lining up to blitz, pass, or tackle. This moment is about musicians taking a breath before filling the stadium with the sounds of everything from Sousa to Lady Gaga, "The Star Spangled Banner" to the scho... Read More >>

Samels Farm: A Never-Ending Source of History

Aug. 20, 2022

It’s unlikely the first—or second, or maybe even third—generation of the Samels family ever considered themselves historians or thought of their farm as a future historic site.

Yet that’s been the case for more than a half century. The family farm in Willia... Read More >>

Rolling with the RFD Boys

Aug. 13, 2022

Guitarist Charlie Roehrig knows a good thing when he hears one. That’s why he’s been a member of the bluegrass band RFD Boys since its inception in 1969.

During their 50th anniversary year, the band was honored by the Detroit Music Awards and released RFD Boys at 5... Read More >>