I ran into a guy at the gas station that a good old boy and saw that I didn't know anything about the place and was freezing. He loaned me his coat and explained to me that the diesel fuel up there was treated for cold weather and not to worry about it, and then he showed me where to go for my initial nights reservation in town and where the hosp. was located. I showed up for work the next morning bright and early. I met a large number of people that first morning that were more than nice to me and took me out to eat at a place that would become one of my regulars called Spikes Keg of Nails on the Au Sable River.

After eating, they took me to a sporting goods store out past the old Bear Plant and showed me what to buy to stay warm and what I needed to keep in my truck for an emergency. Then they showed me where my apartment was located in the North Country Lodge owned by Jim and Judy Craft, who were expecting me through my company.

Long story short, my first weekend I was off with nothing to do and the old boy from the gas station showed up along with some others that I worked with at the hosp. and brought me a black and tan hunting dog, which I still have. We all went to the Grayling Cafe' for breakfast and then went ice fishing on Houghton Lake. So we all hit it off great and started hunting and fishing together and I sent home for some of my guns, rods and tackle to be shipped to me. In the end, I stayed for four years in the area and spent another one year pulling assignments in the UP. I worked, fished and hunted all over that state.

People from down home warned me that northern people would not like me, but the only hatred that I ever encountered was out in New Mexico in the west. All of the people in MI took me in like I was family and I love that place. Yeah, they made a little fun of me because I'm from the country in the deep south, but they are just like me with a different accent and way of talking.

I love MI so much that I brought my children and parents up there several times to visit fish, hunt, etc. Not to mention just to eat at Big Buck Brewery in Gaylord, it's awesome!!!!!

I am getting married in May and my wife and I are planning our honeymoon for guess where? We're coming up to fish for two weeks and visit with all of my old friends. They are the best friends in the world and we have have always stayed in contact. Going from the low landers to the upers, the people of MI are the best that I've ever seen in my life and the state how so much to offer that one could not take it all in within twenty years.

My current goal is to one day have a home in MI, even if it's just a vacation spot around Higgins Lake. My next dream will come true in short time if it's warm enough in July. My wife and I are going to take the plunge off of the bridge behind Spikes in Grayling into the waters of the Au Sable River at the deep hole. Hold onto to the moment, cherish and preserve it and the great state of MI for future generations, it's wonderful.

In this case, heaven is in the details.

Stop into the spare but ever-fragrant Comet Coffee and you'll get a lesson in quality. See, according to owner and coffee expert Jim Saborio, excellence takes time and attention. And after one sip of his java juice you're bound to jump on his bandwagon, become a member of the cult and throw your Starbucks Coffee Card in the trash. See, if the folks at Comet Coffee were pretentious, they'd be, well, justified. Luckily, Saborio is about as nice a java genius as you'll ever meet.

Everything at Comet Coffee is made to order and hand brewed. Choose your preferred method (French press, vacuum, drip) then watch as fresh beans are ground, tamped, and the juice of inspiration brewed just for you.

Comet Coffee is located at 16 Nickels Arcade.

DEPOT TOWN TATTOO

Maybe calling Depot Town Tattoo part of the Ypsi hipster mafia is going a bit far, but it's becoming pretty clear that the city is actively courting the kinds of businesses Ann Arbor no longer seems to be able to (or want to) attract. Namely: young and exciting.

"We've kind of hooked up and become friends with Bee at Beezy's, Andy Garris at the Elbow Room and Zak at the Ugly Mug," says co-owner Mike Emmett. "The city has been really trying to bring some fresh faces to the downtown area."

Emmett describes business as "pretty good" and likes being in a growing business community with alt sensibilities. It's clear he and his partner, Dawn Cooke, have plugged in quick, hosting an art opening last week (they plan to do this every three months) and sponsoring local tattoo design contests.

Depot Town Tattoo is at 33 E. Cross Street in, well yeah, Depot Town.

BLUE TRACTOR

It's not copying if you made the original!

Importing their culinary successes in Traverse City to their burgeoing Ann Arbor empire, Jon Carlson and Greg Lobdell opened their too-cool-for-school edifice to locally brewed beer and Americana-style comfort food. It's been an instant success. Coolest feature? The built-in cooling strip on the bar, keeping your beer frosty no matter how long you nurse it. Big portioned menu items, lots of BBQ sauce and a dense young crowd make this new addition to Ann Arbor's restaurant scene an inevitable mainstay.

Blue Tractor is at 207 E. Washington in downtown Ann Arbor.

BEAGLE BRAIN

Okay, let's get this out there first: Beagle Brain does free estimates... which means no upfront fees. And then a flat rate repair fee. Yup. Bring your 'puter in, let the techs at Beagle Brain give it a look-see and they'll come back with the price to fix. Sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to get computer assistance for anything other than $60 down, before anyone pops the case cover. Then figure on hourly rates and vague guesstimates as to how long it'll take 'em to fix a corrupted OS, a burned out drive, or nuke all those porn cookies. Beagle Brain not only doesn't believe in the approach, their offended other shops do.

"More now than ever, small businesses need to be innovative in the ways big companies are," says owner Ben Falk. "There is no business as usual any more. We knew we would have to compete with online pricing, meaning Amazon or Newegg, while offering superior service."

So, how good are these guys? They needed to hire another tech one week after opening in January.

"Things are really going great. We're at this awesome corner with incredible windows and visibility," Falk adds. "Eventually we hope to branch out with business-to-business more."

And where does the name come from?

"I guess it comes down to the fact that I like dogs. And the domain name was available."

Beagle Brain is a corner shop in Nickle's Arcade, facing Maynard Street. Oh, and they sell all sorts of up-to-the-minute computer accoutrements.

SPARK East

Cool cafes, hip bars and trendy retail is nice, but high tech is where the jobs are going. If Ypsilanti is to support its bridge to the future, its building blocks are probably going to come from whatever inspired start-up biz comes out of SPARK East, Ann Arbor's stalwart tech incubator.

"Things are really starting to get busy with activity here," says Shamar Herron, Manager of SPARK East and the Michigan Innovation Equipment Depot.

Open only since February,  the brick-walled  yet oh-so nurturing high tech womb in Ypsi's downtown has already attracted six fledgling companies. They include: 

• LaVision - producers of high tech camera and laser imaging systems
• Smart Dining - a one stop online restaurant publication group
• Senseichange - management consultants
• Diversified Energy Control Group
• Brainstorm Creative - a lottery technology firm
• Chris Hiltz - an entrepreneur / consultant

Want to check out the space yourself? SPARK East is having on Open House on May 8th at 2:30PM. Be there or be square.

BEEZY'S CAFE

We like Beezy's. We like Beezy's owner, Bee Mayhew. We like what her cafe says about where Ypsilanti's downtown is headed. Hit the links to read the virtual ink. Or just check out Dave Lewinski's new additions to what is quickly becoming our photo shrine to Bee's did-it-herself cafe.

“We previously were in the Downtown area and we were just looking to get back into that area of the city again,” says Tammy Harris. “I believe we will get much more exposure over there. There’s a lot of traffic that comes through Downtown that doesn’t necessarily come out into the other parts of the Lansing area.”

Aside from sandwiches, subs, salads and soups, Turkeyman also offers turkey drumsticks and some homemade dessert options on the menu. Their current open location is at 5021 W. Saginaw Highway in Lansing and it won’t be long before the second store is up and running.

There may also be more stores in the future, says Tammy. “This is a step in that process. We would like to eventually have many stores, but we’re starting with the space on Washington first.”

Source: Tammy Harris, Turkeyman

Suban Nur Cooley, interim development news editor, can be reached here. 

By Jeff Smith with permission of MyNorth.com.

When 16 men gathered in the Au Sable River cottage of George Griffith in 1959 to form Trout Unlimited, now an internationally respected river conservation group, they chose a location worthy of the event. The Au Sable River  is an American treasure, with unmatched stable water-flow and steady, cool temperatures that make it some of the premier trout water in the nation.

Get a dose of that legendary H2O by stepping into the current, fly rod in hand, in the same stretch where Trout Unlimited began, a run called the Holy Waters. Start your fishing day with a from-scratch breakfast at Gates Au Sable Lodge  (at Stephan Bridge, 989-348-8462). After breakfast, take some time to read the old fisherman's logbook then duck into the on-site fly shop.

The Holy Waters runs about eight miles from Burton's Landing, just east of Grayling,  to Wakeley Bridge.  Longtime fishing guide Bob Andrus suggests the three access points that follow:

Keystone: Broad water here makes it easy to keep flies out of the brush and not spook fish. Wade easily downstream on the solid bottom a half-mile or more then walk back on the public land along the south shore. Take M-72 to Keystone, north to the river.

Guide's Rest: Owned by Trout Unlimited, this stretch of publicly accessible shore runs a mile on both sides of the river. Start at the north parking area and work the river down to the south parking area. Walk back on the road that connects the two. Andrus suggests a compass because the trail in gets a little confusing as it commingles with deer trails. North Down River Road to a half-mile west of Stephan Bridge.

Knight Tract: Make a few attempts at the giant but wily trout said to populate Gould's Hole here, but then move on to wade the four-hour trip down to Wakeley Bridge; walk back on the road. M-72 to Wakeley Bridge Road, north over the river. Look for the subtle sign to the west.

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.

Photo Credit:

MyNorth Media/Todd Zawistowski

Start your island day on the mainland, at Cheboygan's State Street Coffee Company (211 W. State St., 231-597-9575) for a cappuccino and croissant. Buy a bag of roasted cashews for the ferry trip to Bois Blanc Island, a quiet Lake Huron hideaway only eight miles away. The Plaunt family has run their Plaunt Transportation passenger ferries out of Cheboygan for more than 75 years (412 Water St., 888-PLAUNTS). Take your car across if you wish—reservations required—or book passage for your bike. There are no rentals in Cheboygan or on the island.

On the 40-minute trip over, set your sights on the freighters plying the Straits, and a glorious view of the Mackinac Bridge.

Debark and set out: The winding dirt shore road that circles the secluded 12-by-6-mile island is a flat and easy bet for biking. The speed limit on the island is 25 miles per hour everywhere—a blessing for bikers—but still watch for cars wending around the bends.

Three miles east of the ferry docks, find Bob-Lo Tavern (231-634-7100) for chef-owner Barb Schlund's spicy dill pickle spears and a Bob-Lo Burger, topped with shredded slow-cooked ham. Before an island treat of fried ice cream anointed in Kahlua, sneak in a round of shuffleboard on the vintage board in the bar.

Another mile east, take a dip at the beach between Rosie Point and Snake Island. Locals named it Snow Beach, as it's one of the only sandy;not rocky shores on the island. Dry out in the sun before circling back the way you came past the island woods filled with chicory, ferns, Queen Anne's lace and black-eyed Susans. End up at Hawk's Landing (231-634-7375), a restaurant, gas station and general store within sight of the ferry docks. Pick up some Bois Blanc paraphernalia and a treat (owner Missy fixes fine apple pies, strawberry shortcake and banana splits to meet the whims of the islanders), then head to your ferry home. Most days the last ferry from the island leaves at 5 p.m. and the Plaunt family runs a tight ship.

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.

By Elizabeth Edwards with permission from MyNorth.com.

Whether you come by air or sea, Beaver Island's 60 square miles of beautiful terra firma beg exploring. The quiet back roads that wend out of Beaver's only hub, the village of St. James, lend themselves to mountain biking (fat tires are a must for the island's miles of clay-gravel roads). Bring your own bike, or stop by Lakesports' Paradise Bay Gifts and rent one (231-448-2166). Once your wheels are turning, set your sights on the picturesque 46-foot Beaver Head Light on the island's south end. There, you'll climb the circular wrought-iron staircase for a big blue lake vista. You might turn around before you make it the full 18 miles (remember, you'll need to ride back to St. James to catch your ride to the mainland). That's okay, the spectacular tapestry of forest, rocky shoreline and dune beaches you pass along the way are a destination unto themselves.

Stoke up for your ride at Dalwhinnie Bakery and Deli (231-448-2736), where everything from the bread to the bear claws are homemade. Pack along a ham and cheddar on cheese bread for a beach picnic. As you head south on King's Highway, take a moment to stop into the Old Mormon Print Shop Museum  (231-448-2254) to learn about this island's rich history—and why the road is called King's Highway. (Hint: Beaver Island once had a king.) Pick up Elizabeth Whitney Williams's book Child of the Sea. The author grew up at the Beaver Head Lighthouse in the 19th century. Now get pedaling. You'll want time to lounge on the beach by the lighthouse and let Williams's book make this beautiful spot come alive.

Getting to Beaver Island: The 32-mile flight over Lake Michigan from Charlevoix is less than a half hour (Island Airways, 800-524-6895; Fresh Air Aviation, 888-359-7448). The ferry the Emerald Isle takes two hours (888-446-4095), but the payoff for the extra time is freshwater spray on your face. For island lodging info contact the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce  (231-448-2505).

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.

There's much to be said for the traditional shoreline ride around Mackinac Island  (877-847-0086). Lake Shore Boulevard, the eight-mile main loop, is, after all, Michigan’s only state highway that’s absolutely automobile free. But bikers can also steal away into the forest for quiet trails. Just be prepared for some heart-pumping hills.

For a woodsy escape, ride up the center of the island, past Fort Mackinac, to Garrison Road. Be ready to pop the kickstand and ramble around historic sites; along the way, you'll come across old stone-walled Protestant and Catholic cemeteries, Skull Cave and the battlefield-turned-golf course, Wawashkamo. Garrison Road dead-ends at Lake Shore Boulevard, where you’re treated to a panorama of the spectacular five-mile Mackinac Bridge  that links Michigan' Lower and Upper Peninsulas.

Pedal along toward the island' southwest lobe to spot some of Mackinac Island's most famous features. Arch Rock, a stand of fragile brecciated limestone, is instantly recognizable and a popular photo-op. Several winding bike trails and carriage roads, most of them paved, lead back to another famous limestone tower: the pockmarked and craggy Sugar Loaf, a ritual burial site of the island's early Native American inhabitants, juts up 75 feet into the air at a horseshoe in the pathway.

QUICK BITE: Try Mary' Bistro  for relaxed dining at the west end of Mackinac Island's historic downtown. Think chicken potpies, and sirloin with horseradish sauce and grilled bananas. Grab a seat on the back patio to watch the rooster-tailed ferries zip in and out of the harbor. 906-847-9911.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: Established as a national park in 1875 (second only to Yellowstone), Mackinac Island State Park  became Michigan's first state park in 1895. Eighty percent of the island is still parkland.

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.

Leave the lounge chairs at home and reinvent your beach day with three sun-soaked adventures. Survey the city from five stories high, fly across the water on wind power, master the waves from the deck of a massive ship. Whatever your pleasure, we guarantee you'll never look at Grand Traverse Bay the same way again.

A good way to start? Spend a wild weekend on the water with Broneah Kiteboarding's "Northern Exposure" kiteboarding camp. Brothers and co-owners Matt and Keegan Myers keep class sizes to a minimum, no more than six students per weekend - allowing for one-on-one training time. Kiteboarding is a fast-growing sport, popular in places like Hawaii and Western Europe; it involves a rider strapping his or her feet to a board and holding onto a bar connected to a large kite. By maneuvering the bar, the rider is dragged across the water on the board and can lift into the air to pull stunts - a seasoned kiter can jump as high as 30 feet in the air. Not sure if you're cut out for kiting? The Myers claim anyone at any age can learn; it's just a matter of determination and a willingness to respect nature's elements. By the end of the weekend you'll walk away with a new hobby, new friends and a deeper appreciation for two of Michigan's best natural resources--wind and water. (231-392-2212)

Looking for even bigger air? Get high with a sky-scraping ride courtesy of Traverse Bay Parasail. For 15 minutes, a very long 15 minutes  that brave souls can dangle from a parasail up to 500 feet in the air. Several hundred feet of line is fed out from a boat, allowing those in the parasail to experience a rare bird's-eye view that stretches from both bays all the way to the city's limits. If the thought of going it alone gives you the willies, consider sharing the experience with a friend for a tandem flight. Holding hands is optional. Reservations are recommended; no penalties if the weather does not cooperate. Expect to spend about a half hour on the total excursion, from dock to water to dock again. (231-929-7272)

Balance out all that airtime by planting your feet on the deck of the Tall Ship Manitou,a sturdy and stately replica of a 19th-century cargo schooner. Call ahead to reserve a two-hour midday, afternoon or evening cruise; prices include boxed meals on some excursions. The midday and afternoon cruises are perfect for families. Kids can look up at the giant billowing sails and pretend to be a pirate cruising the high seas. If your family is strictly a party of two, sign up for the more subdued evening cruise. Stand with your sweetie at the helm and let the breeze tangle your hair, give the crew a hand, or simply lean into the wind and consider the feeling of freedom that comes with cruising open water. (231-941-2000)

Finally, rest those sea legs at Boathouse Restaurant (14039 Peninsula Dr., 231-223-4030 ) for fantastic food and a decidedly delicious view of the bay. Grab a table on the patio out back in the evening and you're guaranteed a sweet sunset over West Bay. Your time on the water might be done for now, but with dishes like fried tempura asparagus and crab-topped whitefish on the menu, you'll be glad you returned to the dry land.

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.