Northern Michigan Essays
Experience the Hex Hatch in Northern Michigan—It’s Epic
No showers. No cooking. When the mayflies hatch...
First Traverse Editor’s Note from Cara McDonald: A Click of the Heels
Meet Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine's...
A Fourth-Generation Boyne Country Cottage Evokes Family Memories
Clarity, memories and peace come to Mary Meany...
An Urban Food Writer Comes Home to Celebrate Northern Michigan
After 22 years of urban living, a food writer...
Northern Michigan Entrepreneur: Becky Tranchell of Rose & Fern
Venture North, a nonprofit based in Traverse...
Coming Home: How Crystal Lake Inspired a Father’s Fight with Cancer
“Whatever happens, I just want to be back home...
Remembering Kurt Luedtke
I lost a dear friend last month. It wasn’t...
Jimmy Goes Fishing: Nostalgic Tales From the Au Sable River
A collection of Northern Michigan fishing essays...
Summers are Magic at Arcadia’s Watervale Inn
There was a time and place during my childhood...
A Northern Michigan Cottage is a Timeless Gift
I have yet to meet anyone, young or old, who...
Won’t You Be My (Northern Michigan) Neighbor?
The found wisdom of a Northern Michigan...
Meet the Cat Ladies: Community Cats of Benzie County
I think you're either a "cat person" or not. Is...
Lessons of a Traverse City Cheesemaker
Joy Martin Omar and her husband, Dave, dreamed...
Have You Kissed the Moose at Sleder’s Family Tavern?
It’s a quirky rite of passage at a historic...
Northern Michigan Smelt: The Allure of Fishing by Moonlight
Shantytowns come alive in the night, as anglers...
The Petaja Family’s Hockey Obsession
A spirited tale from Traverse City native and...
Walk in Beauty: The Benefits of Forest Bathing in Northern Michigan
Honor’s Cindra Moore is leading a new generation...
The Strawberry House
Neighbors gawking at my brimming...
Hook, Line & Sinker: Charter Fishing on Lake Michigan
A good story needs a good hook. In this case,...
The Moral of the Morel
Get ready as 'shroomers streak, sneak and tiptoe...
A Michigan Family’s Epic Upper Peninsula Road Trip
Four generations. Two Peninsulas. This Michigan...
How to Stamp the First Spring Robin
Yep, it’s really a thing. Especially for this...
A Fresh Start, an Essay by Ellen Airgood
I really do it as much for the company of the...
The Straits of Mackinac are Perfect for a Romantic Winter Weekend Getaway
In the heart of winter, Mackinac Island reveals...
Rural Route, a Column by Founder Deb Fellows
A walk down a bumpy dirt road to the mailbox...
I Was a Ghost-Tour Guide on Mackinac Island
Why did I take the job? I didn't believe in...
The Forest Floor, an Essay by Kandace Chapple
I strapped on my snowshoes. The snow base was...
Married Up North
A young wife shares what it felt like to be...
Ice Fishing With Kids in Northern Michigan
A passionate fan of ice fishing shares his...
The Blue Sweater, an Essay by Author Anne-Marie Oomen
In the end, the creatures found it. They were...
His Favorite Lake: Superior. Mine: Michigan.
When John and I were near-strangers, in the same...
A Family Trip to the Shore of Kitch-iti-kipi
A trip to the Upper Peninsula's...
Home Sweet Water, an Essay on Finding Peace in Lake Michigan
Catching waves is exciting but so is breathing...
A Side Order of Romance, Please
I liked this man. I could tell he liked me. And...
The Back Porch—Revised, an Essay
At this point, our porch represented a deserted...
Star Matter, an Essay by Author Jerry Dennis
On a March morning not long ago I was walking...
Believing Still in the Magic of Christmas, an Essay
The daydreams always circle back to one thought;...
King of the Card Table, a Holiday Essay
I am in my mid-20s and I still have never sat at...
Rabbi Chava Bahle Encourages Gratitude Every Day, Not Just Thanksgiving
The idea of gratitude is central to the idea of...
Coyote Run, an Essay About Overcoming Loss
Kandace Chapple, a regular contributor to...
Exploring Isle Royale National Park
Our National Parks celebrate their centennial...
The Genome of a Northern Michigan Golf Stroke
Northern Michigan is known by...
Soldier Matthew Schwartz, a Memorial Day Essay
Author Brian Castner was a close friend of...
The Fleece Blanket, an Essay
Kandace Chapple's really ugly fleece blanket was...
On Leaving Leelanau County, an Essay by Author Jim Harrison
This essay by renowned Michigan author Jim...
A Dog Finds a Home
"Did she even care that I scooped her up off the...
Lake Michigan Sunsets, an Essay
English instructor James McCullough, at North...
The Age We Season, an Essay about Fishing in Northern Michigan
This essay about Northern Michigan Fishing was...
July Sky Fishing, an Essay on Fly Fishing
Northern Michigan fly fishing can straddle the...
In Praise of White Pines, an Essay on Michigan’s State Tree
As the official state tree of Michigan, the...
Camping, in Theory: A Glitch-Ridden Family Vacation
Making lemonade from life-gifted-lemons is easy...
The Credentials of a Fish Car, an Essay on Fishing
What kinds of Northern Michigan fishing...
Bees, an Earth Day Essay
The honey bees arrive one spring during...
Gliding Toward the Sun, an Essay on Cross-Country Skiing
Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine...
Finding Dark Amid the Light, an Essay
Boating would be treacherous, swimming impossible. Maybe it would rain all summer.
Trespassing, Upper Peninsula Style
In Northern Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it’s okay to drop into an unoccupied cabin—but please leave it better than you found it.
At Home on the Hill, an Essay
Recalling a childhood in the hill country of Charlevoix County.