Otter Creek & Otter Lake

If you’ve been to Esch Beach you know Otter Creek empties out into the big lake there. The mouth of the creek is always beautiful and never the same. It’s a crucible of many natural forces conspicuously at work and it’s nearly impossible to discern the series of events that aligned to create the exact shape of sand, water, and stone at the mouth. Did wave action trump water currents and wind? At what point did flowing water and erosion take over and carve this specific channel through the beach?

I’ve always loved Esch Beach, it’s easy to love, but I’d also been curious about what lies upstream of Otter Creek’s mouth for a long time. If you are curious as well and want to know a bit more about where the water that trickles into Lake Michigan comes from, there is a 4.6 mile loop, part of the Platte Plains Trail System, that will take you back to Otter Lake and beyond toward the creek’s headwaters. The trail skirts a cedar swamp, which is a hub for innumerable deer highways, and meanders through pine plantations, hardwood forests, open fields, and eventually circles around Otter Lake. The lake is surprisingly large and only a couple folks were out ice-fishing on it, probably because it’s pretty hard to get to with a vehicle.

I snowshoed the loop and it was a nice way to travel because I could easily go off the track and look at “shiny objects” as I wished, but I followed a group on skis and they seemed to be having a great time as well. I’ve never done this trail in the summer, but I imagine it would be an amazing trail run and hope to try it out. Let me know what you think about this place and enjoy!

Esch Beach a la Winter

We here at Northern Swag from time to time photograph a local place in hopes of encouraging our readers to go out and experience it themselves. In this photo series from Esch Beach, south of Empire, we hope to have captured the experience of exploring a gorgeous winter beach in near solitude, seeing how the landscape has changed since the summer, soaking in the blazing sunshine, and relaxing to the sound of the waves providing a symphony. Who says you need to escape to the Caribbean for some R&R this time

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of year? Seems far to go when you have this beauty right in your backyard, no?

Scroll on down to view something new we tried, a GIF of the waves coming ashore. Kinda makes me want to go back.

A little taste…

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.

Lake Michigan Shoreline in Winter

We can’t get enough of these photos from a morning walk along Van’s Beach in Leland. You’ll be amazed at the formations left from the collaborative work of the waves and cold. Fellow contributor Nate also found an opportunity in the excursion to further increase his nature vocabulary with the ice terminology. Frazil ice and ice shark are two personal favorites. If you head out, learn from our experience. It’s slippery walking on giant ice formations! Wear yaktrax or crampons to avoid a fall. Alternatively, you can crawl on all fours after nearly cracking your head open numerous times (yaktrax probably

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the preferable route).

: Van’s Volcano

: Fracture

: The Berg

: Ball Ice Formations

: Ice Chains

: Ice clusters

: Capturing the underside

: Stack Ice

: Shelf Ice

: The underbelly

: Crystal Clear

: Icicles

: Exploring

: Wave in Action

: Sand and Ice Clusters

The Homestead – Glen Arbor

We at Northern Swag recently had the opportunity to cover a weekend stay at a local ski resort, The Homestead, for The Awesome Mitten. In case you missed the article, you can read it here and when you’re done take a peak at some of our photo outtakes below.

We should warn you that after reading the article, you most likely will want to follow in our footsteps and spend a relaxing weekend staycating a stone-throw’s away! Not to fret (do we ever leave you unprepared for your next adventure?); tips are provided below on fitting in with the ~~fudgies~~ tourists.

1. While making small talk with the table next to you at Nonna’s (enjoying Chef John’s creations), drop in the conversation that you’re considering a return trip next summer and possibly adding in a jaunt up to Mackinac (emphasis on the “c”) Island.

2. While winding up a leisurely 20-mile per hour tour along M-22 exclaim at passers by, “You know, someone should really brand that road. It’s not just a road. It’s a way of life! You know what I’m saying?”

3. After taking in a meal at Art’s Tavern, insist that they must take credit cards?!

4. Fill used bags from Cherry Republic and Murdick’s Fudge with popping peanuts and carry several on each arm commenting about all the relatives back home you have to bring souvenirs home for.

5. After unloading at the top of of the ski lift, stand in awe of the view (acting skills required – minimal). If you ‘re really feeling in the groove, ask the lift operator, “Are you sure that’s not an ocean?”.

Good luck out there and bring me back some fudge!