Michigan

DIY Delight Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): J. Eric Eckard Travelers often return home from their vacations with jetlag, laundry and perhaps a bag full of souvenir keychains, magnets, pins and pens. But visitors to Ann Arbor, Michigan , can walk away from their trip with decorative ceramic tiles, scrumptious scones or a purse box — all of which they made themselves. A do-it-yourself vacation in Ann Arbor has nearly limitless possibilities for a group of girlfriends getting away for the weekend. At Motawi Tileworks, you can tour the gallery studio before sitting...

A Little Luck Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): Susan R. Pollack “It’s kind of like a wishing well,” says concierge Melissa Pomranky of the river that runs through the stunning indoor garden at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan . And it’s the perfect place to wish for some good luck. Once you’ve admired the splashing waterfall, wooden bridge and beautiful plants and trees — even prettier at night when the domed ceiling glows from a changing rainbow of colored lights — it’s time to hit the casino floor, where you’ll find nearly 1,500 slot machines, abou...

Wine & Dine Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): Kelly Fordon Perhaps the only thing that could beat spending a snowy winter’s day in front of a fire with a good bottle of wine is making that bottle of wine yourself. And at Giuseppe and Rachele Pracilio’s one-day winemaking class at California Wine Grapes in Detroit, Michigan , you can learn how to make a delicious batch of wine to share with your loved ones. Giuseppe and Rachele Pracilio are third-generation winemakers with, as he says, a “passione per il vino!” Giuseppe, a master winemaker originally from Abruzz...

Chickadee Chow Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): Kimberlee Murray Not all birds are lucky enough to migrate south for the winter. When the temperature drops and our feathered friends’ food sources become scarce, head to the Kensington Metropark Nature Center in Milford, Michigan , for the most unusual bird-feeding experience around. Hungry Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and White-breasted Nuthatches will be eating out of your hand, literally. These common hand-feeders aren’t afraid to nibble black oil sunflower seeds from your palm and keep flying back for more. And if yo...

U.P and At 'Em Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): Amy Bizzarri Bocchetta Wander into downtown Marquette, Michigan , in late February, and you’ll be surprised to see the streets unplowed and brimming with snow. This tiny Upper Peninsula town, on the icy shores of Lake Superior, is the host of one of the nation’s premier middle-distance dogsled races, the U.P. 200 . Sleds led by 12 barreling dogs will prepare to set out on the snowy 240-mile race and hundreds of spectators dressed in their cold-weather gear will be on hand to cheer them onward. This year’s race week runs Februa...

Cold Case Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): Jane Ammeson Shards of ice break free from the banks of the Sturgeon River and, twinkling like frozen diamonds in the sunlight, float away. Catching my look of apprehension as we bob in the wintry roiling waters, Scott Anderson, co-owner of Big Bear Adventures in Indian River, Michigan , tells me that no one taking their winter rafting trips has ever gone for an unexpected swim. It’s the perfect reassurance for someone like me, who thinks a winter sport is après-ski sans skiing. So what am I doing out in the cold, pe...

Island Arts Issue: Spring/Summer 2011 Author(s): Amy S. Eckert The Mackinac State Historic Parks have always been known for their celebrated forts and lighthouses, for colonial interpreters in military garb and for pristine beaches. And now the parks department has broadened its reach into fine art. In July 2010, Michigan’s Mackinac Island unveiled the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum . Located in the 1836 building known as the Indian Dormitory, the art museum beautifully displays a wide variety of art. Some works, like the intricate island map penned ...

Awesome Arts Issue: Spring/Summer 2011 Author(s): Susan R. Pollack There’s no better time to leave the men folk at home — and no better place to shop ’til you drop  — than Ann Arbor, Michigan , in July when the world-renowned Ann Arbor Street Art Fair sweeps into town. Actually four separate art fairs, this award-winning event takes over every inch of this leafy campus town for four sizzling days, July 20–23. Celebrating its 52nd year, the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is a showcase for high-caliber arts and crafts in every medium imaginable, from painting, sculpture a...