Grand Traverse Commons Barns

One of my favorite places in TC is well on its way to becoming even more awesome. The Barns at the Grand Traverse Commons are wrapping up a 1.5 million dollar capital campaign and those funds are going to be used to make this 54-acre park a premier destination in our area.

The park is owned by the Traverse City/Garfield Township Joint Recreational Authority, but almost half the acreage is managed by the Botanic Garden of Northwest Michigan (disclosure: I’m a board member of that organization so if I seem overzealous about this project that’s because I am!). Together, these two entities will be turning the Barns into a venue for weddings, concerts, & conferences. The original floors and interior architecture of the Cathedral Barn will be preserved as a part of the renovation. Updates will include heating, air conditioning, and the addition of restrooms.

The area between the two Barns will be used as an amphitheater and will host outdoor concerts. There’s a gently-sloping grassy area facing the future stage that forms a natural area for throwing down a blanket, opening a picnic basket, and listening to some live music. Sounds likes a perfect summer afternoon to me.

Additionally, the Botanic Garden will be  converting an old granary on the site into a visitors center with classrooms, creating a walled garden out of an old horse barn, and adding three additional gardens. These spaces will be used for public events, education, therapy, and wildlife viewing.

The Barns and the surrounding area do not escape the lore that surrounds the nearby State Hospital. When the Hospital was up & running, the Barns area was farmed as a form of therapy for patients. And those rumors you always heard about secret tunnels connecting the buildings – they’re true, I’ve been in one in what will soon be the visitor center.

That  history can almost be felt when you walk into the cavernous Cathedral Barn (which we were lucky to get to do – see photos below). It’s like stepping into another era – all the original interior is lit by the natural light pouring in through the windows. I love visiting historical sites and to have another one becoming available in our community is super exciting.

All of this is a great addition to the Commons area which already boasts some of the city’s finest dining, living, and hiking (& snowshoeing & sledding in the winter!).

If you’re interested in helping out, you can do so here. Fundraising for the capital campaign will continue through 2013 with construction starting in the spring of 2014.  By that fall the Barns will hopefully be hosting events! So if you get invited to one and need a date, please feel free to contact us at info@northernswag.com and one of us will make ourselves available.

Special thanks to Jeffrey Schwaiger Design & Environment Architects for providing the renderings (yes, as in the brother of this Kim Schwaiger)

Northern Swag in Detroit

I’ve had the fortune during a few of my recent trips to the Detroit area to spend some time downtown. And this time I remembered to bring along my camera. So after another amazing meal at Slows BBQ I headed out into an unexpected snowstorm to try and grab some shots.

It’s pretty weird walking around a city that you would expect to have people crawling all over it, shoulder to shoulder along the sidewalks. The infrastructure is there to make you feel like you’re in any other metropolis. But there aren’t any people. And many of the buildings, some of them huge skyscrapers, are vacant. This feeling of loneliness and desolation followed me as I wandered around one of these neighborhoods looking for subjects. But what was also present was a feeling of adventure and I think that’s what draws me to Detroit. Well, that’s one of the things. Because despite its appearance & reputation, Detroit is a great place to visit. There’s plenty to do, see, eat, & drink.

There seem to be plenty of people from up here, in the Great White North, who travel to the “D” for various reasons. Next time do yourself a favor and head downtown. Take in a game at Comerica, the Joe, or a concert at the Fillmore or Fox Theaters. Then hit up Atwater Brewery or my personal favorite, Slows BBQ, where you’ll find an emphasis on incredible food and amazing beers. Or don’t make plans and see what you can find. One of my favorite trips to Detroit centered around a late-night stumble into Cafe D’Mongo’s, where we found some local punk rockers throwing down. Totally random, but a lot of fun. I think you’ll be surprised at what this city has to offer.

Twigs & Swigs No. 4 – Boardman Lake Trail

When wanting some fresh air my instinct is to head as far from town as I can. But I don’t always have time for such an excursion. Fortunately I’ve found a few spots right in town where it feels like I’m miles away from everybody. One of these spots is the Boardman Lake Trail, part of the TART trails network. We actually live a short walk away from the trail, so not needing to pile the kids and dogs into the car is an added bonus. But if you must commute, I recommend parking behind the public library, at Hull Park. Also a suggestion; when it’s below zero out, you can park at The Filling Station and walk 300 yards down the trail to take some pictures then go inside and drink beer. I’ll shamefully admit that’s what we did. Even the kids, who will play outside in a monsoon, participated in this “hike” under protest.

The first few hundred yards heading south from the library do run along Woodmere Avenue, but eventually the trail veers west away from the noisy traffic. From there you’ll be hugging Boardman Lake all the way to Logan’s Landing, where it currently ends (there are future plans to extend it all the way around the lake). The trail is a mix of pavement and crushed gravel and there are a few nice lookout spots, especially to catch the winter sun setting.

And what makes this a great addition to the Twigs & Swigs series is that since you’re in town you have plenty of options for grabbing a beverage. But if heading a few blocks to downtown is too far, right at the north end of the trail is the Filling Station, which we reviewed this summer. So while you can get some good info there, let me just say that their brick-oven pizzas and hand-crafted beer were a perfect end to a cold & blustery day out on the trail.