Serenity Ranch: a lesson in the healing power of horses

,

Serenity Ranch, founded by Dawn and Phillip Chippewa in 2020, is on a mission firmly rooted in helping people in need of emotional healing through the mitigating power of horses.  Set on a beautiful 65-acre parcel just north of Suttons Bay in Leelanau County, the property is blessed with grazing pasture areas, woods, trails and fenced pastures, several barns and other outbuildings as well as an indoor riding arena. The ranch currently has 17 horses including four miniature ponies, a mule, a donkey, two very curious goats and the always eager to greet visitors, their affable dog Makwa, meaning “Bear” in Chippewa.

Read more
/by

Flowing on the river

It’s all flowing on the Leland River this season: beauty, fitness, community, and a deep appreciation for the natural environment that surrounds and supports Leelanau County. This August marked the one-year anniversary of Leland River Studio, a boutique yoga and pilates center nestled into charming downtown Leland. The tranquil space, formerly home to an art gallery, still embodies beauty and art with its striking design. Clean white walls and a simple, modern aesthetic cultivate a deep sense of calm, while abundant windows showcase the colorful and ever-changing scenic views surrounding the studio. M22 passes in the front, the Leland River flows in the back, and skylights bring in the blue skies floating above. Natural light floods the space and comfortable seating on front porch and back deck invite lingering connections before and after class.

Read more
/by

Brandon Chamberlain heralds a new generation at Blu

,

The Chamberlains knew change was in the air. After owning and operating the fine dining restaurant Blu on the shore of Lake Michigan in Glen Arbor for 16 years, Randy and Mari Chamberlain decided the time was right, and last spring they turned the business over to son Brandon. He was ready, though a bit surprised at the timing. “I thought they were going to be here longer,” Brandon says. A 20-year veteran of the restaurant industry, he had worked his way up from busing tables at age 16 to now taking over the flagship restaurant Randy and Mari had made into a local institution.

Read more
/by

Good Harbor Grill featured on “America’s Best Restaurants”

The Glen Arbor restaurant Good Harbor Grill hosted a visit from America’s Best Restaurants on Aug. 18. America’s Best Restaurants is a national media and marketing company focusing on bringing attention to local, independently owned restaurants. The network highlighted popular dishes and conducted on-camera interviews with co-owners Cos Burrows and Cady Hall about the restaurant’s special place in the community. The episode will run on Facebook and YouTube sometime in October.

Read more
/by

Honoring the workers who powered us through the summer

, ,

Many local Leelanau County businesses rely, in part, on J-1 international student workers to shoulder the load through the busy summer tourism season. Each Labor Day weekend, we honor and thank those workers. Meet a few of them here—from Anderson’s Market, Art’s Tavern, Grocers Daughter Chocolate, Blu, Crystal River Outfitters and La Becasse.

Read more
/by

Achieving flow in art and life: Cedar jeweler Dana Fear

,

There was great beauty in the design: the raised sterling circle and the bezel-set rose-cut pink sapphire and blue/black spinels drew my eye, writes Bronwyn Jones. But it was the sound accompanying the movement of rounded sterling wires as they slid from their slender tubes and tapped gently against the inside of the raised circle that called out to me, a group of tiny chimes giving gentle voice in response to the movement of my hand and body. Such is the magical multi-sensory aesthetic of Dana C. Fear’s unique and stunning hand-crafted kinetic jewelry. It must be seen and touched within the context of her compelling studio and retail space on Kasson Road in downtown Cedar to fully comprehend its brilliance. That ring became mine; its fluid movement speaks as I write.

Read more
/by

Jazz guitarist Joe Taylor strums at The Homestead

,

Guitarist Joe Taylor has received many accolades over the course of his career, from praise by his peers to consideration for a Grammy award. Perhaps none mean more to him than being called “a funky mix of Jeff Beck and Chet Atkins” by The Mississippi Press. “That’s very flattering,” says Taylor from his South Carolina home. “Both Chet Atkins and Jeff Beck, not being singers, played guitar as a vocalist. Like me, it became a way to express (music) in a vocal fashion.” Taylor will perform Aug. 21 at The Homestead as part of its Music on the Mountain Series. He will be bringing the core players from the new album with him: pianist Jeff Franzel, drummer Ray Marchica and bassist Paul Adamy. They came to the recording session with specific instructions from Taylor: they could bring riffs and ideas, but the songs would be written in the studio by the quartet.

Read more
/by

Manitou Island Transit family legacy in jeopardy: Grosvenor-Munozes sue National Park over dock closures

, ,

Manitou Island Transit, a 108-year-old family-owned company that ferries customers from Leland’s historic Fishtown to South and North Manitou Islands, is struggling to survive due to forces beyond its control. The Grosvenor-Munoz family, owners of Manitou Island Transit, filed a federal lawsuit against the National Park Service in early February accusing the agency of breach of contract and mismanagement during dock reconstruction projects on North and South Manitou Islands. The National Park Service has closed North Manitou Island to visitors in order to replace and relocate the docks due to sediment shoaling which has created access issues. North Manitou hasn’t had regular ferry service since 2022. South Manitou will be inaccessible in 2026 while a new dock is being built. Captain Jimmy Munoz, who helms the ferry, warns that the closure could be the end of an era. “If they shut us down—which they’re doing right now—there will never be a ferry boat back there again out of Leland.”

Read more
/by

Michigan By The Bottle expands local wine downstate

Taylor and Sam Simpson know wine. They were brought up in the business, and today Simpson Family Estates includes Aurora Cellars, Good Harbor Vineyards and Harbor Hill Fruit Farms. So, too, do Geoff Hamelin and his parents Paul and Marty Hamelin, who have owned and run Verterra Winery since 2007. Now the two families have teamed up to showcase not only their wines but those of more than a dozen other wineries from across the state. They have purchased Michigan By The Bottle. The tasting rooms in the metro Detroit area offer patrons the chance to try wines from all around Michigan. “The mission is to bring Michigan wines to more consumers,” says Taylor. “It’s not limited to the Leelanau Peninsula. It’s all AVAs.”

Read more
/by

Folded Leaf hosts benefit for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention

,

Due to the defunding of the Youth LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention Hotline, the Folded Leaf bookstore in Cedar will host a benefit concert and silent auction on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 2-6 pm to support suicide prevention efforts in northern Michigan and across the nation. Please join the Folded Leaf for an afternoon of music, conversation, and conscious community involvement to support LGBTQ+ youth.

Read more
/by