Archive for November, 2012

        On November 30, 1885, the Traverse City State Hospital opened under the direction of Dr. James Decker Munson. During its lifetime, it was known by many different names, including the Northern Michigan Asylum, the Traverse City Regional Psychiatric Hospital, and the Northern Michigan State Hospital, before finally [...]

A commonly held belief is that the Great Lakes ecosystem stops at the shoreline, when in actuality the shoreline itself, and the surrounding streams and wetlands are also an integral component of the system. Simply put, wetlands are a unique habitat that is not quite terrestrial and not quite aquatic. [...]

I’m still in a Thanksgiving food coma. Of course I am, Thanksgiving was just last weekend. My timber-framer Uncle procured a turkey from Amish country – about an hour north of his Rockford home. His frequent visits to commission canned goods and purchase of timbers have created friendships with some [...]

There’s no denying that cupcakes are the rising star of the baking world. They’re cute, they’re infinitely variable (without forcing you to commit to an entire cake’s worth of one flavor), and they’ve got built-in portion control — if you can eat just one. I set out on a chilly November [...]

What event in MI history is eighty-eight years old, has 22,000 racers, 4,500 volunteers, clowns, music and Santa? Even though you might guess the New York City Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Michigan’s past and present is proud to boast an equally magnificent display: I have just described America’s Thanksgiving Day [...]