I'd Like to Thank...

Girlfriends, memoirs, my little people, runners, olives & LeAnn Rimes: What would I do without you?

You know how “they’re” always telling you to create a gratitude journal? Jot down all the people and things in your life for which you are thankful is the idea. Great in theory, right? If you’re like me, though, you never quite get around to it. Heck, I’ve even written about the benefits of doing this for a national magazine and still haven’t done it.

But it’s an idea that lately I can’t seem to shake. It keeps popping into my head as I (annoyingly) tell myself, “chin up, girl, things could always be worse.” Aggravating self-talk part 2: “Put your big girl pants on already” and “This too shall pass.”

Seeing as how I’ve really lapsed in writing posts this spring, I figured now is as good of a time as any to get cranking on The List. Plus, I generally am a thankful, hopeful person – I just happen to keep much of it in my head. So, here it is, a compilation of some greatness I’ve got going on, in no particular order. Maybe this will inspire you to start your own list, or if you’ve started one in the past, to get back to it. And since I’m a sucker for great stories, let me know what’s keeping you sane and smiling these days.

· Intelligent, loving, strong women in my life. Something happened in the last few years, and I am so happy about it: I have been lucky to have found myself surrounded by girlfriends who really, really get me. And they still want to hang around with me! That’s the miracle part, ‘cause believe me, I’m no picnic sometimes. We talk books, kids, husbands, faith, fitness, politics, pop culture, you name it. We might not even be talking about anything significant at all; it could be we’re simply being with each other, sipping glasses of wine. Oh, and laughing. Lots and lots of laughing.

· A cool town to call home. I’ve lived in northern Michigan for much of my life, save for a few years I was at Michigan State University, and the early years of my career and marriage when I called Minnesota home. And I swear, this place just keeps getting better and better. I’m sure there are plenty of terrific places to live and raise a family, but Traverse City surely is at the top. Great local food and drink, progressive thinking, friendly people, beautiful location on Lake Michigan…I’m proud to call this spot on the map my hometown. I have “I heart my city” moments fairly regularly, and a recent one was this: sitting up close and personal at our downtown’s City Opera House to hear one of my favorite authors speak about her amazing memoirs. Meeting her afterward, well, that was just too cool. I was a bumbling idiot, I’m sure, as she signed my book. But she was gracious and lovely and best of all confirmed my suspicion that we’d get along like peanut butter and jelly when she said this about raising kids (she’d asked me if I had children and I told her yes, three): “Oh, bless you.” Pause. And, looking me straight on: “It’s f*cking hard, isn’t it?” in her honey-smooth southern drawl. Saying it like it is - that’s my kind of woman.

· A virtual running community. I’m not sure what I’d do without my running buddies who live near me, but darn if we're not all so flippin’ busy. Translation: aligning our kid-partner-work-life schedules so we can actually lace up and hit the trails together is tough and often means we’re instead running solo during the windows of time we have to fit in exercise. It’s nice to have found an online running community that keeps me motivated and gives me a place to share running stories (and not bore my non-running friends). What I really like about this particular community are the women behind it: Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea – runners who also are writers, mothers and all-around fantastic women. Nope, I don’t know them in real life, but having read their articles in Runner’s World for years and then recently devouring their new book Run Like A Mother, I feel like we’re kinda sorta friends. Most of all, it’s a good feeling to find a group of like-minded women who get why in the world you’d want to drag yourself out of bed at dawn to run four miles. (Hint: your sanity depends upon it.)

· The best kids a mom could ask for. Let me just say it: motherhood is tough, the baby years being especially brutal for me at times. But watching my three children, now ages 9, 7 and 4 grow and change and develop their individual selves is proving quite fulfilling. Parenting is still hard and complicated more times than I ever would have thought pre-kids, but it’s also satisfying and humbling and beautifully imperfect. Moments I’m digging: cuddling on the couch with Emma, watching cheesy movies like The Wedding Planner or Aquamarine; tossing an MSU football in the front yard with Andrew; searching for roly-poly bugs under rocks with Alex. Sometimes my husband and me, we’ll just stop in a moment with our kids, look at each other and have the same thought: we made these amazing little people. How cool is that? Here's a picture of me and my crew on our vacation to Gulf Shores, Ala.

· Magazines! I like the internet as much as the next girl, but show me a rack of hot-off-the-presses magazines and I am in heaven. At one time I subscribed to a bazillion of them – slight exaggeration – and my college roommates could surely tell you stories about how I was so not okay with anyone leafing through any of my magazines arriving in the mail until I first had the chance to kick back and read them cover to cover. These days, partly to tell myself I’m saving money, I subscribe to just a few. Which is really kind of silly, actually, since I end up buying them at the store. Favorites: O, Runner’s World, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Women’s Health….ok, this list would get too long if I kept going. Let’s just say that our recent week-long vacation gave me ample time to catch up on pretty much every magazine published on this planet. It’s a sickness, and I fully own it.

· The coolest auto-immune disease around. OK, stay with me here! Yes, psoriasis on the surface (pun intended) is among the most heart-breaking things to have, in my humble opinion. Red, scaly skin is so not sexy, not to mention this skin disease is often misunderstood by the general public (it’s not in fact contagious, and no I can’t simply slather on lotion to make it go away). But I’m pretty sure having this disease is teaching me important things that I may not otherwise have learned. I’ve also met some pretty amazing people throughout my journey, which has included lots of hiding and feelings of shame early on but in more recent years my own brand of bravery by “coming out” about having psoriasis for a big-name women’s magazine. It’s also led me to want to educate others (and hopefully help people, too), which is happening through articles I’m writing for the National Psoriasis Foundation and just by feeling more comfortable in my own skin. A recent perk of this health condition: getting to interview LeAnn Rimes about her own struggle with this disease. (She was very kind, sweet, funny and easy to talk with.) Oh, and I also recently got paid to get a professional make-up session and write about it. Not bad.

· Coffee. I’d pretty much cease to exist without it, I think. While we’re at it: dark chocolate, cheese, Oberon and Blue Moon on draft, blue-cheese stuffed olives, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and spaghetti with meatballs. Not all at the same time, though I am starting to see why that flat tummy I covet is so elusive. Something else (which goes well with a cup of joe): music. Current faves: Coldplay, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and Ray LaMontagne (on whom I have a crush and am convinced is a kindred spirit). God love Pandora radio on my iPhone.

Once you get started on these, I’ll bet you won’t be able to stop. Which is pretty cool since it can be easy to get caught up in life’s negativity rather than all the pretty terrific stuff going on. Here’s to thankfulness – and remembering to stop and appreciate all the good in your life.

My Mt. Holiday: Now and Then

Life has come full circle, I think while sitting in a worn, comfortable-like-your-favorite-jeans booth with views of skiers and snowboarders zipping back and forth, up and down. Has it really been that many years since I begged my parents for cash so I could buy a lift ticket, hit the hills and, most importantly it seemed at the time, hang in the lodge, giggle with girlfriends and -- if I was lucky -- ski down the slopes with a boy as White Snake and Def Leppard tunes blared from the outdoor speakers? (photo courtesy Mt. Holiday)

Yep, it has been that many years. It has to be, given that this night I am at Mt. Holiday with my kids. My kids! Thankfully, though, they're not yet teenagers. I have a few more years before worrying that my offspring believe ducking into the dark woods with a member of the opposite sex is equally as appealing as actually going down the slopes.

Still. I'm old. Or, well, older. And this fact remains: these hills on which I learned to snow-plow and schuss and french kiss are now my kids' hills. This is where they've on the bunny hill done "the pizza slice" -- see? they don't even call it the "snow-plow" anymore -- bolstered their confidence on the blue and yellow chair lifts and tested their bravado on ski jumps. In just a short time, my 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son have proven they know exactly what they are doing after strapping on the gear. Piece of cake, they've seem to say to me as they tromp into the lodge after several trips up and down the hills. They come in for a brief break, to warm up with hot chocolate and a basket of hot, greasy fries. Then, seeyamomwe'regonnaheadbackout. And did you see that jump I made?

I don't always sit inside, watching and reminiscing about when we made our way up the hill riding t-bars, not chairlifts. I also have put on the boots and skis and taken to the slopes with my kids. That, I must tell you, is a t-r-i-p. First of all, it does really all come back to you, like riding a bicycle, after a multiple-year hiatus. I didn't make a total ass of myself. But, it also was strange - there's no other word to describe it - to be riding the chairlift with your grade-school boy, easing any initial fears he has of being so far up off the ground and pointing out the beautiful city lights and bay view to be had at the top while also, in the back of your mind, thinking about the time you ventured down that one off-the-beaten-path hill with a certain boy because you'd hoped he'd kiss you. And he did.

It's all just a bit surreal.

But after a moment I shake myself of this 80s reverie, and think of how thankful I am for Mt. Holiday. And I know a lot of people like me who feel the same. It's not only that we're glad to see a local mainstay stick around and be appreciated (which Mt. Holiday definitely is, much to the credit of a hard-working staff and dedicated group of volunteers). It's also that we have the opportunity to share this with our kids. Aside from the teenage fun I had there, I smile thinking about my earliest days spent at the lodge with my step-father, who introduced me to this snowy sport so many years ago. It's a childhood memory I treasure.

Here's Emma and Andrew on a recent night at Mt. Holiday.

Mt. Holiday is better than ever these days, and I say that not only as a parent loving that I have a nearby place for my kids to make the most of northern Michigan winters. In recent years, the not-for-profit has ramped up its offerings, from family-friendly features like tubing, improved lodge dining options (Right Brain on tap, anyone?) and "krazy" cheap rates each week, to special events that take place throughout winter as well as year-round. A few years back we took advantage of summer movie nights there, and mountain biking is a big thing on the trails once the warmer weather strikes. It's great to see this community gathering spot continue to grow and thrive, particularly given that in 2001 Mt. Holiday closed with an uncertain future.

Living out of state at the time, I had no idea this had happened and was sad to learn the news upon returning to northern Michigan in mid-2001. It was around this time, though, that concerned residents began rallying to keep the ski area open. This group raised $1.2 million to acquire the property and begin its restoration.

Making sure Mt. Holiday is around for years to come, for families and particularly for underprivileged youth, is the focus of those involved in the organization. Two "skiership" funds have been established to allow every child a chance to learn to ski or snowboard regardless of ability to pay. These scholarships - the Tom Hall Memorial Skiership and Warren Brosch Memorial Skiership - offer lift tickets, rentals and lessons to any child who qualifies.

If you haven't spent time at Mt. Holiday lately, be sure to check it soon. It's sure to bring back too-fun memories if it's a place of your past – don't tell me I'm the only one who has the memories I do of these hills… It's also bound to become a new favorite, too, as it has for me and my family, whether being there is your long-time-in-coming return visit or your very first time. Either way, let me know how it goes.

Mt. Holiday recently revealed a new logo. Learn more about the many great things happening at this fantastic community spot here. Or call (231) 938-2500.

Keeping my cards close

My obsession with postcards -- certain clever, eclectic and funky postcards featuring local businesses -- started with a wine-related card, likely the one created for Silvertree Deli and Gourmet Market in Suttons Bay, Mi. I figure as much after meeting Will Harper, founder of PoCards, who tells me this was the business' very first one. He remembers snapping the photo, back in 2006, and while I have since accumulated dozens more of his postcard creations, I know I've had this particular one for a long, long time.

In fact, I tell Will, I took the Silvertree one, which is posted below, and grouped it with three other cards in a cool, black frame that hangs from my dining room wall. The others also follow a wine theme, representing another area specialty market and two local vineyards. One of them is of the two Labs, above, which is for Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery in Northport. Here's the one from Silvertree:
I'm not surprised to hear that I'm far from alone in collecting PoCards, which number well over 100 in the Traverse City area. In wooden box displays in or just outside 65 northern Michigan businesses, PoCards are eye-catching thanks to their unique designs and slogans. And, they're free - to both the passerby and the merchant willing to host the display of six postcards.


"PoCards are dual-functioning," Will explains over coffee at Cuppa Joe in Building 50 -- which happens to have its own PoCard. "They're postcards, and they're also billboards. The image piques your interest, you pick it up and turn it over."


Which is where you'll learn more about the small business or non-profit. Usually the front is simply a photo, drawing or painting with or without words that won't necessarily call out the business name. The image alone just draws you in. Here's the one for Cuppa Joe:

You might actually send the postcard to someone -- apparently about 20 percent of them get tossed into the mail -- or like me, you might hold onto them. Along with framing a few, I've got a few posted alongside my computer. I also have a drawer full of them, waiting for inspiration to strike. You never know when one will suddenly take on new meaning, a fact I realize after noticing one of my PoCard finds from long ago is for Shady Lane Cellars, a Leelanau County winery for which a now-good friend's husband is the winemaker.

"They just don't get thrown away like other ads and coupons," Will says, telling me the story of seeing one of his cards at his dentist's office. "You see them in the weirdest places. You see them everywhere. People keep them around."

Businesses opting to advertise the PoCard way sometimes have their own ideas for their postcard. But just as often, Will is coming up with catchy one-liners, like "Flour Power" for Leland bakery Stonehouse Bread and "Super Posh" for Posh Pet Boutique. He's also behind "Knot Like Anywhere Else!" for the restaurant Knot in Omena. He's especially proud of the card he created for Old Town Optical in Traverse City. He came up with "Miles of Styles" for the business' thousands of frames as well as the front cover design featuring Lake Michigan shoreline and the words, "Northern Michigan is beautiful...make sure you're seeing it clearly!"

He's also pleased to have four PoCards featuring paintings by well-known local artist Charles Murphy.

Four years in, however, Will shares that he'd like to pass the baton to another creative and eager business person -- someone committed to sharing the clever cards throughout the region. It's an advertising approach that works, evident in the other markets in which PoCards has made a presence; a friend of Will's originally started the company in Bend, Ore., where Will was living at the time, and it's also going strong in Hood River, Ore., East Portland, Ore. and Aspen, Co.

No doubt Will's next adventure, whenever that may happen, will prove successful. Along with launching and operating PoCards here, I learn the former windsurf shop owner and writer helped start the popular M22 business and continues to serve as wholesale/sales manager for the company.

But I can't help hoping he'll stick around for awhile and keep coming up with clever ideas for his PoCards. Shopping downtown, hanging out at Building 50 or visiting the Warehouse District, I'm always on the look-out for a card to add to my collection.

Learn more about PoCards at the company's web site. I'll end with another of my favorites, which also happens to be for Leaping Lizard, one of my top stores to visit when downtown.

Taking to the Trails

Running never fails to clear my head, and lately I’ve been finding that in-the-moment serenity on the Vasa, a rugged and scenic trail not far from my home.

Depending upon how adventurous – and in shape – you are, the pathway offers a series of loops that take you through flat to hilly terrain that’s part of Pere Marquette State Forest here in northern Michigan. While it’s a great place to explore year-round, I especially love running there in fall, when the temps are cooler, the trees are ablaze in vibrant colors and the winding trails’ sheer expanse promises quiet moments. Sometimes I pass a fellow runner or someone walking his dog, or I’ll meet up with a couple of mountain bikers. But mostly it’s just me and the woods. And sometimes a deer or two.

This weekend, though, I’ll welcome the chance to enjoy the VASA Pathway with about 200 other runners. That’s how many people are expected to participate in this Saturday morning’s VASA Trail Run. I’ll be running the 5K loop, but there’s also a 10K and, for the especially courageous, a 25K.

“The middle distance seems to be the biggest event,” Daniel Siderman, event co-manager, tells me when I talk with him this week. “The 25K -- you’d better be in shape.” (I believe it. My one and only 25K so far was on flat, urban concrete. Can only imagine how tough that distance would be on hilly trails. Maybe someday…)

Still, this is a “very laid-back” race, Siderman says. "Trail events tend to be a lot more laid back than road races. It’s a slower pace. It’s a beautiful place to run.”



Running Fit in Traverse City, for which Siderman is a manager, is behind the VASA Trail Race. While it’d been around for a number of years, Running Fit infused new energy when it took over three years ago. The new hosts added the 5K as well as began offering T-shirts, awards and aid stations.

“We were looking to add more numbers,” he says. “It’s an event we love to do.”

Their efforts worked – more people are signing on each year, and the race so far isn’t a “capped” one. October is known as a big marathon month across the country, so the VASA race tends to attract those runners opting not to run 26.2 during this time, Siderman says.

Having deciding to take a break from training this summer and fall, I’m excited to try this 5K. I still have hopes of doing a marathon in the near future, but for now, shorter distances – and peaceful moments on the trail before winter hits – are where I’m at.

Race cost is $29, with proceeds going toward the upkeep of the VASA Pathway. Along with runners, hikers and mountain bikers, the trails are used by cross country skiers -- the VASA is home of the North American Vasa cross country ski race. The annual Iceman Cometh mountain bike race also uses a portion of the trail.

Check out maps of the 5K, 10K and 25K loops and register for the race. By the way, you can register day of, too.

Fabulous Finds

So I've got a wedding to go to this weekend. Which means I've been pondering the outfit. Which means a trip to my favorite second-hand boutique had to happen.

The good news: I'm super excited to attend these nupitals two hours from home. I haven't seen my about-to-be-wed cousin Matt in a long time, and come to think of it, I haven't been to a wedding in some time. I'm thrilled to be part of this celebration, and also can't wait to catch up with family I haven't seen in awhile. Good news, part 2: it's always fun to have a reason to dress up.

The not-so-good news: I'm missing the huge annual flea market sale at said favorite second-hand boutique.

Which made me realize now would be a most perfect time to share my love for Zany, a most fantastically awesome consignment boutique. Pretty much my favorite place to shop. Though I can't make the big sale, I hope some of you can. It starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Zany is housed in a quaint two-story Victorian house at 318 Vine St., behind Sleder's restaurant.

I've mentioned Zany before here, or at the very least have talked about the great finds I've stumbled upon at this boutique. I discovered it maybe four years ago now, when I was constantly on the hunt for small businesses to profile for a northern Michigan newspaper. Since then, I've been a regular -- as are most of Zany's customers. It's easy to get hooked to the fun, stylish and funky finds there. Owner Kate Kohler and her staff of friendly, fashion-forward women also keep you coming back for more.

The sluggish economy leads even more of us to second-hand shops, places like Goodwill and other stores that have gently-used clothing, accessories, home decor, even furniture. Seems I come across articles about the popularity of re-sale shopping more and more lately. Indeed, it is an increasingly booming business -- resale is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, according to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops. Goodwill Industries alone generated $1.9 billion in retail sales from their 2,246 Not For Profit thrift stores across America in 2007.

Zany stands out among other second-hand shops for a few reasons:

* Quality is important. You're not going to find items that are less than truly "gently-used." Name brands also are big. Kate and her staff are picky, which is a very good thing.

* Shopping is easy. With clothing organized by size and color, you can find what you're looking for (or didn't even know you were looking for) quickly. I also love how Kate and her staff take the time to create eye-grabbing displays -- pairing jewelry, scarves and handbags with clothing in daring and interesting ways.

* It's an experience. Friends and I have begun creating girls' nights around trips to Zany. We'll meet there around 4:30 p.m., shop until closing at 6 p.m. and head to a nearby restaurant for dinner and drinks. It's just too fun having someone there to show off your finds and get their opinion about that skirt or pair of jeans that caught your eye.

Among my most treasured finds: a pair of 7 for all Mankind jeans, an Italian-made pink wool coat that fits me to a T, a BCBG wrap dress, a chocolate-and-cream-colored halter dress I'll wear to this weekend's wedding.

Check out the sale this Saturday if you can -- and be sure to let me know what you find. I asked Kate what you can expect to find and here's what she had to say:

"The flea Market is a huge sale of all-season items, all kinds of items -- shoes, handbags, clothes, home decor, under a big tent outside. It's the biggest sale of the year that we do, super fun and fabulous deals. The sale ends at 6 o'clock or until the last person leaves!"

Still want to know more? Call Zany Boutique at (231) 933-4199.

Just Right at Left Foot

About a month ago, my friend Cari inspired me with how she celebrated her 40th birthday. Not interested in a formal gathering, but still wanting to commemorate her entry into a new decade (without the stress of hosting said party at her place), Cari invited friends to gather at Traverse City's urban winery Left Foot Charley. I hadn't yet been there, only had heard about its distinct vibe and delicious wines, and was eager to check out the brick building I'd been running by for years given its location near some of my favorite trails.

The first thing we noticed walking toward Left Foot Charley were the pairs of tango dancers in the street out front. And then there were the bocce ball players on the lawn nearby. Both instant reminders of why I am so enamored with The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, formerly the Northern Michigan Asylum and one of the most extensive historical restoration projects in America.

It's the 480-acre development's meshing of historic charm with cosmopolitan vitality that attracts entrepreneurs like Left Foot's Bryan and Jen Ulbrich. The couple opened their 1,200 wine-making facility in the old laundry building two years ago, providing the state's first taste of wine tapped right from 1,000-liter tanks. Along with a spacious tasting room with views of the cellar and tank rooms, an outdoor patio beckons with live music many nights. The outdoor area even has a small sandbox on one end should you be walking through the grounds with kids and decide to stop for a glass.

Cari's party was a smashing success, so much so that I left wanting to know more (not to mention get back again soon for another taste of their yummy Murmur and pinot grigio). A few weeks later, sharing party details with my friend Juliette, I learned that if I wanted a well-rounded story, I needed to not only visit Left Foot, but also take a trip to Crane Hill Vineyard in Leelanau County. Of course I insisted Juliette join me in investigating the biodynamic vineyard supplying grapes for some of Left Foot's white wines.

We head toward Crane Hill late in the afternoon, both sun-drenched after a day at the beach with our kids. It is one of those perfect summer days, made even more perfect because it's a Friday. It's sunny and breezy, and I can't imagine what could be better at this moment than walking barefoot through a vineyard.

We meet up with Bryan, vineyard owner Robert Brengman and Chantal Lefebvre, who is owner of Moon Dog Vineyards in Antrim County and also is a wine-making apprentice at Left Foot Charley.

"This is probably what I am most excited about," Bryan tells me as we stop atop the hill overlooking rows of lucious-looking grape vines. He's referring to a block of vines growing the gewurztraminer grape, one of seven varieties grown on the 45-acre vineyard owned by Robert and his wife Joni.

"It's kind of a cult grape," Bryan says of the gewurztraminer, which is ripening now and eventually will be made into wine offered at Left Foot Charley. "It's not that it's unknown. We compare it to Frank Zappa -- people either love it or hate it."

Crane Hill Vineyards, formerly a cherry orchard, had its first harvest in 2007. Having discovered they shared "mutual philiosphies" about growing grapes, Robert and Bryan have been collaborating on creating wine for Left Foot Charley ever since. Both are committed to growing grapes the most natural way possible, or what is called the biodynamic way. It's about working with cycles of nature to grow grapes and make wine, and using plants and animals to take the place of chemicals and fertilizers.

"I'm trying to find people who have a smart sense of growing," says Bryan, who works with more than a dozen regional vineyards. As he puts it, he buys grapes "from guys who love wine, relish in a challenge, and own parcels of land well suited to raising vines."

I love what Bryan has to say about our interest in "place" when it comes to what we eat and drink.

"Something new is unfolding in the American consciousness," he says. "We are beginning to appreciate 'place.' Our tables, our songs, our whisky, our wine needs to be from somewhere or it all becomes just another white page. Left Foot Charley is joining this movement and throwing color around like a frenzied painter. We encourage you to grab a smock, a paint brush, and taste our local colors."

We cap off the vineyard tour with a glass of Robert's peach wine before setting off to end the evening at Left Foot. At the wine bar we try a 2008 Riesling from Seventh Hill Farm on Old Mission Peninsula and pair it with a cheese plate and an appetizer called The Hungry German -- three soft prezels with locally made mustards and bbq sauce for $4. Another great thing about Left Foot: you'll likely run into someone you know, and tonight is no exception. We pull up chairs for friends and listen to the live music.

Just arriving at Left Foot....Joni, Adam (the friendliest of bartenders), Juliette and me.

This December I'll turn 35, a definite milestone. I can't help thinking about Cari's party, and how I'd like to do something special to mark this point in my life. Since a patio party at Left Foot Charley won't work so well for my birthday, given, you know, Michigan's cold and snow, I'm considering my options...like maybe celebrating a tad earlier -- it's my birthday, I can do this, right? I'm picturing an early fall, indian summer kind of gathering....

Lots of exciting things happening at Grand Traverse Commons, including a wine and food festival and a beer and music festival, both to be held yet this month. Details here. A dairy festival (locally-made cheese!) also is in the works for next summer.

Left Foot Charley Winery & Tasting Room is at 806 Red Drive in Traverse City, MI. Call (231)995-0500 for more information. Learn more about the wine bar's latest news (and where the name Left Foot Charley came from) by going to their web site.

An Inn to Remember

Chef Paul, helping preserve the Inn.

Memory of Bowers Harbor Inn: Decked out in a decidedly too-fancy, but oh-so-90s black-and-white frilly prom dress, my hair in a french twist and adorned with white rose buds, I eagerly anticipated a fancy dinner with my then-boyfriend and several other couples. It was spring 1992, and yes, I ordered the ever-popular Inn entree Fish in a Bag. Photos of me and the boyfriend, my once coiffed 'do disinigrating in the wind, followed dinner across the road along West Grand Traverse Bay. (If I could find a photo, I'd post it here, embarrassing attire and all. I swear.)

Flash forward 17 years (17?): The Fish in a Bag remains on the Inn's menu, but much has changed -- most notably my taste in clothing, thank God. But that's for another post. On this day, I'm sitting on the front patio of the Inn, sipping a glass of "unwooded" chardonnay on a most beautiful late summer afternoon on Old Mission Peninsula. Earlier the gray skies promised dampness, a warm dreariness, but the sun somehow won them over, pushing through and offering a glint of warmth for a true golden hour. It's heavenly, I think as I sit gazing out across the sparkling waters to a distant Power Island.

This is not the Bowers Harbor Inn of years ago. And yet, it is. Sort of.

You may know the history, or at least some of the history, of this restaurant. It's one of those places that's hard to forget once you visit. Built in 1882 as a summer retreat for Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevive, the Inn sits along Traverse City's West Grand Traverse Bay, several miles out Old Mission Peninsula. Maybe you've heard the ghost story of Genevive, how she's haunted the place because her husband took a mistress and left his fortune to her. Since 1974 it's served as a restaurant, a scenic spot known for its fine dining. It's why high school students -- like my early 1990s self -- make prom night reservations at the Inn each spring.

In more recent years, I've made only a couple of trips to the Inn, to celebrate our December birthdays one year and on another occasion to partake in a wine dinner we hoped would rid us of the middle-of-winter blues. (Mostly, quite honestly, it just broke our budget. But the food and wine? Fantastically amazing.)

Chef Paul Olson, who took the reigns of the Inn's kitchen a little over a year ago, acknowledges the reputation the Inn long has held. In other words, this married dad to two school-age kids gets that the restaurant has a hoity-toity past -- and he's doing what he can to change it for the better.

Far from compromising the historic integrity of the restaurant - the goal of current owners Jon Carlson and Greg Lobdell, after all, is to preserve the Inn -- Olson simply wants people to feel good about coming on a regular basis and not just saving a visit for special occasions.

Consider the deck on which I sat. "It's the most under-utilized place in the world," Olson says, motioning with his arm the gorgeous lake view from where he stands on the 50-seat deck. "It's phenomenal."

Shouldn't more people take advatage of this beautiful spot, Olson asks me. I nod in agreement, soaking up the the view all the while.

Inside, the Inn looks much the same but has undergone several upgrades, including freshly-renovated restrooms both upstairs and down and re-done banquet/reception rooms above the main dining area. A refurbished side patio is the perfect spot for cocktail hour. Then there's the simple touch of adding parchment paper to tabletops to create a more casual dining experience, Olson says. (It's something great NYC restaurants do, says Olson, who graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and refined his talents in Manhattan and Connecticut).

"Also, my price point is lower. Entrees are between $20 and $26 -- there's only one thing over $30, the grilled filet mignon," he says. "We're trying to give a good value."

Just as exciting is the Inn's commitment to buying local whenever possible. Just one example: vegetables come from farmer and winemaker John Kroupa, who happens to live just down the road. Cherry Capital Foods also supplies much of what Olson uses in his cooking.

Olson's Summer 2009 menu includes scrumptious items like cured wild salmon, Werp Farms rocket arugula salad, pan roasted walleye and grilled lamb chops. Olson kindly prepared samplings of these, and they were absolutely delicious.

Then there's the wine.

I'm a red wine girl at heart, but whites are starting to make an impression on me, thanks in part to Olson's great suggestions. The "unwooded" chardonnay (it's aged in stainless steel rather than an oak barrel, he tells me) is from Bowers Harbor Vineyards and is pleasantly crisp and refreshing. I also have a taste of BHV's pinot grigio that's very good because it's not too sweet. A final sampling -- a red, cabernet franc from Peninsula Cellars -- is a perfect pairing with the grilled lamb chops.

If you're looking for great beer, Olson promises you'll find it at Jolly Pumpkin, the newly-renovated, much more casual restaurant next door that longtime fans of the property will remember as The Bowery. Starting this month the brewery will offer beer made on site, in the 8,000+ square-foot building that also houses a great space for wedding receptions and other events. Not to be missed is the outdoor fireplace and benches on the flagstone patio between Jolly Pumpkin and what's called The Peninsula Room.

As you may imagine, leaving this picturesque spot wasn't easy. But I plan to head back that way soon. No prom dress involved. Hope you get a chance to check it out soon, too.

The Inn is at 13512 Peninsula Drive. Call (231) 223-4222 for more information or go here.