Whether it’s a downtown condo a stone’s throw from your favorite restaurant, a flower farm to ground you or a fixer-upper with sturdy bones, we all have an Up North dream. Here we’re sharing a series of stories about people who brought their dream to life. First, let’s meet Mindi Jarman at the Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre.
This article first appeared in Traverse Northern Michigan. Find this story and more when you explore our magazine library. Want Traverse delivered to your door or inbox monthly? View our print subscription and digital subscription options.
The Dream: Finding passion and purpose with a business Up North
Mindi Jarman was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, but growing up, she always felt a strong pull to the water and the easygoing summers her family spent at their cottage on Harsens Island in Lake Saint Clair. When Jarman met her husband, John, she joined his family’s traditions of fishing and camping in Frankfort on the banks of the Betsie and Lake Michigan, and even got married in a small ceremony on Frankfort Beach.
“We talked constantly about moving Up North, but I was a teacher at the time and loved my school—we just couldn’t make it work,” Mindi says. “Once I left teaching in 2023, we started looking in earnest but knew we needed a business to justify the move. We looked at everything from restaurants to storage units to Airbnbs. Nothing felt right.” Until the iconic Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre went up for sale in 2024. “I knew when we saw it that I had found the reason for us to move,” Mindi says. “It’s an amazing piece of history that has served the community for 71 years and counting.”
The Hunt: Mindi and John started their home search the moment they finalized the purchase of the theater and are patiently waiting for the right spot to hit the market. “We are currently working on selling our home in the Lansing area and plan to rent a place until we find the right location for us,” Mindi says. “We’ve waited this long; we don’t want to get carried away and choose the wrong thing.”
The Criteria: A house or a lot with a minimum of 10 acres within Benzie County. “We want a place that will allow us to entertain and have family join us for the summer. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s been tough to find.”
Best Relo Advice: Take your time. “We have spent the past eight years learning about the area, exploring and deciding where we want to be. We’ve spent time in so many places in Northern Michigan; we have tried to experience each season and talk to as many locals as we can. My dad always says, ‘Another bus will come by,’ meaning, if it’s not the right house or the right time, another one will show up. That’s been our motto as we continue to search. You don’t want to get on the wrong bus and end up at the wrong stop.”
