Lake Leelanau

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Windy’s Landing horse rescue, a sanctuary for the “least chosen”

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“When I walk up the grassy drive toward the barn at Windy’s Landing, it’s the miniature horses Doc, Roxy, and Toby that catch my attention first,” writes Bronwyn Jones. “They graze contentedly in their small pasture but also startle a bit if you approach them on their blind side. They are three of five 1-eyed miniatures all sent to auction by their previous owners due to deformities and blinding infections or cancer in one of their eyes. They’ve been recently rescued from a Michigan kill pen by Nancy Parshall, founder of Windy’s Landing, a newly incorporated horse rescue and animal sanctuary in Lake Leelanau.”

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Business is good in Lake Leelanau

Summer is here, and for three Lake Leelanau beverage-centric businesses, it’s been worth the wait. The owners of Northern Latitudes, Locals Lake Leelanau and Peninsula Provisions all say things are looking good. Northern Latitudes opened the doors of its new facility last October. Mark Moseler, who owns the business with his wife Mandy, says the project took longer than anticipated, but that’s invariably the case.

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What’s in a name? Truths and mistruths behind Leelanau’s names

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So said Juliet in the Bard’s most famous work. But would Leelanau really be such a land of delight if that’s not what its name really meant? Spoiler alert: The name Leelanau doesn’t come from any Native American source. That’s despite the stories that have sprung up around it, some of which were spread by the person who came up with the name. Many of the county’s locations have stories surrounding their names. Start with Sleeping Bear Dunes, the story of which is well-known. Mama bear and her cubs swam across Lake Michigan to escape a forest fire. When Mama reached shore, she looked back, waiting for her cubs. She eventually became the sand dunes, while the cubs became the Manitou Islands.

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Parenting Communities hosts fifth annual Street Fair for Leelanau Families

Parenting Communities is excited to welcome families to their fifth annual Family Street Fair on Saturday, June 20 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Leelanau Montessori Public School Academy campus in Lake Leelanau. This free community event is open to all Leelanau County families and is designed to celebrate early childhood, family connection, and community fun.

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Bearberry General store opens in Lake Leelanau

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Part gently used, part brand new. Part camping necessities, part office supplies. Part collectibles, part home goods, and all of it at Bearberry General Store. It’s all part of the scene at the store in Lake Leelanau. A store owner Sarah Schultz says she had no interest in starting until opportunity came knocking. “It was Bearberry Vintage,” Schultz explains. She was taking items there for resale from her parents’ home after they had passed away when one day the owner told Schultz she was moving to Florida. “Do you want to buy the store?” she asked Schultz.

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Northern Latitudes Distillery holds grand opening, Oct. 24

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The wait is over in Lake Leelanau. Northern Latitudes Distillery will hold its long-awaited grand opening at its new location on M-204, just east of the village of Lake Leelanau, on Friday, Oct. 24, from 12-7 pm. Northern Latitudes staff invite the public to “come raise a glass in our beautiful new space—built for friends, community, and great spirits.” “We’re elated. It’s so much fun to be able to finally share this place with everybody,” said co-owner Mandy Moseler. “We’ve been working so hard for so long.”

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Raw sewage discharge into Lake Leelanau prompts public health advisory

The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department issued a public health advisory on Wednesday, Aug. 13, following an equipment failure during routine maintenance that resulted in the release of raw sewage into Lake Leelanau at the Lake Leelanau DNR Boat Ramp East on East Bingham Road.

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Fountain Point Resort’s history

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“To come once is to linger, and the next year to come again,” said Albert Meafoy, Fountain Point’s second owner. As someone who used to beg my parents to go to the Alpine Slide on a daily basis to feed my inner-speed demon, writes Rebecca Carlson, part-owner and co-general manager of Fountain Point Resort, Theo Early, mentioned having a water slide at the resort on the same idea as the toboggan run at The Alpine Slide. The Fountain Point Resort water slide operated from the 1930s until the 1990s. Built on the shores of Lake Leelanau, it was a combination toboggan run that slides into the water—genius! I would have asked my parents to move in permanently to Fountain Point Resort. As Theo and I walked the property, he pointed to where the water slide was located. Sadly, insurance liability issues ended those days of reckless fun. Insurance companies are party poopers. I vote to re-instate the “Water-Chute” of Fountain Point.

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Locals Lake Leelanau. Where everybody knows your name

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Customer service is important to Tony West. So too is history, making sure that the area’s residents and accomplishments are recognized. And food: don’t forget good food. Put that all together with a career spent in hospitality and you get West’s new restaurant, Locals Lake Leelanau, which is already generating buzz.

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“Lake Leelanau Spirit of the Lake” screens in Traverse City

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The Leelanau Historical Society proudly presents “Lake Leelanau, Spirit of the Lake,” a captivating documentary that dives into the history and nostalgia of Lake Leelanau—a cherished body of water in Leelanau County. The film will screen on Jan. 28 at 7 pm at The Alluvion, located on the second floor of the Commongrounds Building in Traverse City. Pre-sale tickets cost $12, or $15 at the door. Produced by the Leelanau Historical Society and directed by Keith Patterson of Manitou Films, this film is a heartfelt tribute to the lake’s enduring legacy. The film is a recipient of a 2024 State History Award from the Historical Society of Michigan.

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