Twigs and Swigs No. 3 – Alligator Hill
- At December 13, 2012
- By Nate
- In Places
0
Due to grumbling stomachs and prolonged decision-making at the Totem Shop our group actually swigged, then twigged. The swigging went down at Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor. After dozens of visits to Art’s, this place will not disappoint. It is, as their website suggests, a Glen Arbor institution. I’d go so far as to call it a Northern Michigan institution and classic experience. I’m no connoisseur but have never been disappointed by the beer selection and in fact, was happily surprised to learn they are now serving New Belgium beers, a personal favorite. The food is also solid. I’d put it in the better-than-bar-food category for sure, with offerings for vegetarians. The menu doesn’t seem to change much, which is appreciated in the “you can always depend on Art’s” sort of way. Good food and drink go a long way in creating a classic tavern and then Art’s knocks it out of the park with ambiance. Plenty of booths, bar seating, outdoor patio, the game always on the TVs flickering away amidst the yellowing pennants, and other kitsch completely covering the walls and ceiling. The decoration is incredible. It looks somewhat haphazard but it’s incredibly interesting and I, at least, always find something new (like the giant two-headed swordfish I had somehow missed for 10 years?!). The memories of families stopping in after a day at the beach, couples on dates, snowmobilers warming up, and folks fueling up before a hike, like we did, are almost palpable in Art’s and it’s always a pleasure to add one more.
While I’ve been to Art’s many times, I’d never been to Sleeping Bear Dunes’ Alligator Hill Trails just under 1.5 miles west of Glen Arbor off Rt 109. I don’t know this for sure, but I believe Alligator Hill is named that way because from the water it looks like a giant alligator floating in Glen Lake (depending on how active your imagination is it can be a little scary… for the record, I have an active imagination). The trail system includes over nine miles of looped trail. Our group walked from marker 1-2 indicated on the National Park Map. The trailhead features charcoal kilns that were used to create charcoal from mill waste back in the day. The first thing the kids in the group did was run up and down these intriguing structures and inspect them inside and out. They are definitely a cool remnant of a previous era. The piece of trail we walked was on an old road bed, presumably an old logging road. The grade was consistently uphill but pretty easy (add difficulty by hiking with a 50-lb child on your shoulders) and definitely an enjoyable walk through mostly maple-beech hardwood forest. The high canopy and open understory create long views through the woods and out to the water in places. This would be an amazing place to ski and apparently people do when there is actually snow on the ground. At the top of the hill there is a stunning view of Sleeping Bear Bay, both Manitou Islands, and Big Blue beyond. There’s also a bench there to rest and take it all in (or do fun “jump for joy” pictures off of). It’s a fun little hike that families can do together. I’ll definitely be back to Alligator Hill, oh and Art’s too, if that needs to be said. Enjoy!
Tweddle Farm, Sleeping Bear Dunes
- At November 12, 2012
- By Nate
- In Places
- 2
Why are we drawn to historical farmsteads? Perhaps its nostalgia for a by-gone era. Maybe its
the physical beauty of those simple, purposeful buildings or the intrigue of their disparate shapes and apparently haphazard arrangements.
On the other hand, you think, maybe there is some order… there has to be… but what is it exactly? Why is one building so very different from the others… why are the materials and scale so varied? Maybe its the mystery of all these “unknowns” that draws you in. We will never know know exactly what occurred on those farms 100 years ago. You think, “What was on the farmers mind when he bolted that steel together? Where did the chickens run off to when a Sunday afternoon visitor rolled in the driveway back in the day? What did it sound like in that farm house when a november gale ripped over the dune 100 years ago?” We can only speculate and imagine. Personally I do enjoy learning history and facts, but I also enjoy not knowing right away…in a way prescribing ignorance for myself.
A little prescribed ignorance can help us see what is truly there instead of what we read about and fill in the gaps with an imaginary world truly unique to us. Entire worlds have been built on the solid foundation of imagination ( think Muppets ). As adults we find it helpful to share accepted facts and make decisions based on a studied reality but, consider keeping a bit of ignorance in your world. Its a way to access our imaginations and allow us to see things in new ways. Obviously knowledge is important but a pretty smart guy once said “Imagination is more important than knowledge” (Albert Einstein).
There are written histories for the farms in Sleeping Bear Dunes and they are neat to read and important from a historical standpoint but maybe just go out there and see what you find for yourself.
Tricks, Treats, Turnip Souls, & Penguins
- At October 31, 2012
- By Nate
- In Local Happenings
- 0
Halloween, no matter its origin, is a tradition involving visits from the departed. Some are wandering, others just visiting for a while, but many are taking advantage of one last chance to gain
vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world… yikes! That explains why everybody dresses up, they don’t want to be recognized by all the vengeance seeking souls flying around (I’m totally regretting my choice to put this post together instead of a costume at the moment…). The symbols of Halloween have never completely made sense to me, like what are lighted pumpkins with weird faces carved in them all about? Turns out they represent souls in purgatory. Disturbing. They used to be turnips but when the Halloween tradition moved to America they became pumpkins. Personally, I like the idea of a turnip soul in purgatory. Let’s bring it back! Who’s with me… never mind. And what does “trick or treat” mean? As a kid I thought it meant the homeowner had that choice to give you a trick or a treat and was anxious at each new house thinking for sure this would be the first one to opt for a trick. Turns out the trick part is a (mostly idle) threat! A more accurate interpretation might be “give me a treat or I’ll give you a trick”, enter burning bags of feces, toilet paper, yard sporking, etc.
With all this hullabaloo about ghosts and souls and those who have passed before us a hidden cemetery seemed like a good place to find some Halloween photographs. Fully expecting to have to hide fear and jumpiness from my adventure companions I found no need to bury fright, the cemetery was incredibly peaceful at night. In all honesty it might have been a little scary deep in the dark woods, but then out came a penguin, a duck, a rainbow, a hungry caterpillar, and many more incredibly welcoming friends. Somebody had painted stones with these fun, welcoming characters and left them on the grave markers. The tradition of leaving stones at a grave site seems to have many symbolic meanings, but the most common is a sign of respect for the dead to let others know the grave had been visited, suggesting the continuing presence of love and memory which are as strong and enduring as a rock. That’s nice. Now for that costume…
Escanaba in da Autumnlight
- At October 12, 2012
- By Nate
- In Places
- 3
Crossing “The Bridge” is something unique to our Northern lives. How many times have we planned time in the UP to recuperate or re-energize only to feel the trip truly commence once departing Mr Mack’s northern end? The UP has its own energy and every one of its cities has a soul. Escanaba’s seems to be big, made of steel, powered by coal, and rusty.
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- Photo credit: Nate Richardson
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- Photo credit: Nate Richardson
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- Photo credit: Nate Richardson
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- Photo credit: Nate Richardson
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- Photo credit: Nate Richardson
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- Photo credit: Nate Richardson
