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April 2008
25 Reasons to Love Life Up North

25 Reasons to Love Life Up North

Cherries, pasties, lighthouses, fudge. Sure, we’re proud of the North’s marquees. But for most of us, it’s the understated pieces of the North that capture our hearts and call us back: a two-track heading into a shadowed forest, a fish market right on the pier. Here, then, is a tribute to the things we love about life Up North—25 wonders that capture the spirit of this place in subtle, soulful ways. Let our list inspire you to spend time exploring this spring, falling in love with your own personal icons.

Feb 23, 2009 Emily Bingham

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Roadside Stands

Pull over, honey, because it doesn't get any fresher than this. Fruit pies, pasties, homemade preserves, tumbling stacks of apples and sweet corn, cardboard pints of dark cherries so sinfully ripe they're practically splitting their skins. The farm stands along our lazy two-lanes remind us that super-fresh food and trusting neighbors (we still thrill at the cashbox honor system) are two of life's sweetest pleasures. A delicious drive: U.S. 31 from Traverse City to Charlevoix is flanked with stand after roadside stand offering, in season, the freshest flavors of the North. (For a complete listing of farms, visit localdifference.org .)

Animal Sightings

Bobcats, bald eagles and bears—oh my, indeed. The most recent "sighting" to make headlines: a line of snow-embedded cougar tracks confirmed in March in the U.P.'s Delta County.

Orchards in Bloom

Here's one way to see how spring paints its way across the North—a country-road cruise through Leelanau's pastoral interior, quilted with color as vineyards, orchards and fields come into bloom. Follow Setterbo Road (on M-22 just north of Suttons Bay) westward across the peninsula, ending at the century-old Bohemian-built church, St. Wenceslaus.

Scenic Overlooks

Thank you, glaciers, for leaving us a land of breath-stopping precipices. One of our faves? Deadman's Hill—a rapturous overlook above the 18,000-acre Jordan River Valley, west off U.S. 131 north of Mancelona. Been there? Check out another splendid Jordan River view at the lesser-known Landslide Scenic Overlook (pictured), north off Harvey Road via Alba Road. Near Fife Lake, find Eagle Ridge, a gem tucked into Springfield Park and Recreation Area overlooking the Manistee River. Take M-66 south, Lund Road west, then swing a left onto Creighton Road to access the park.

Yacht Club Races

The flutter of starch-white sails, the sharp slap of rigs against the mast, the brilliantly colored spinnakers stretched across the water like floating flowers. Even if you know not the slightest bit about sailing, yacht club races are a beautiful spectacle to behold. Paddle or motor out west of Harbor Point to catch Little Traverse Yacht Club's Tuesday night racing series, which starts June 10. Beginning in early May, Grand Traverse Yacht Club races on West Bay every Wednesday evening around 6 p.m. (pictured); former GTYC commodore Bud Cline suggests bringing a picnic to Traverse City's waterfront Open Space or sipping a drink at Park Place Hotel's tenth-floor Beacon Lounge for a great view of the weekly event (231-946-5000).