Al Parker | Author

Lighthouses of the North: Six Historic Buildings to Explore

July 13, 2024

Michigan's historic lighthouses played an important role in the Great Lakes shipping and lumber industries—in fact, we have 129 lighthouses around the Mitten, more than any other state.

Many of these architectural gems date back almost two centuries and are still standin… Read More >>

We Need Peaceful People

June 29, 2024

With body counts rising in war-torn Gaza and Ukraine, the prospect of any type of global peace is pretty dim.

But that doesn’t deter members of the Traverse City-based Chapter 50 of Veterans for Peace from working to increase public awareness of the causes—and the costs&… Read More >>

Whether it’s for a night, a fun weekend, or a week-long nature adventure, a growing group of people are getting into glamping—aka glamorous camping—in vintage travel trailers. You have (almost) all the amenities that you need, a touch of nostalgia, and a beautiful backdrop… Read More >>

Reviving TaffelTown

June 15, 2024

The president was Harry Truman, gas cost 24 cents a gallon and the Cleveland Indians battled the Boston Braves in the World Series.

The year was 1948 and an ambitious young guy named Al Tafel built a sturdy log structure out in a remote spot along a sleepy M-66 in rural Kalkaska Cou… Read More >>

A Rainy Day at the Movies

June 8, 2024

What to do when life gives you a rainstorm on a summer day? Brave the deluge with an umbrella, or stay dry and head to one of the region’s historic movie theaters. Many of these cinematic gems date back a century or more, and they play everything from the latest box office releases to… Read More >>

Walkin' the Riverwalk

May 25, 2024

Whether you’re a Manistee resident or a once-in-while visitor to this venerable Victorian city, a leisurely stroll along the scenic Riverwalk is a well-spent way to savor a summer day.

To walk the full 1.75-mile length of the Riverwalk, start at Jones Street on the east and he… Read More >>

Dash4Ever Wants Gravestone QR Codes to Be the Norm

May 18, 2024

Steve Morgan’s voice quivers just a bit and his eyes get a little misty when he talks about his grandpa, James Willis Morgan.

“I lost my grandfather in 2021,” he says. “He was the father I never had. I hoped through this project that I would be able to … Read More >>

Eight New NoMi Trails to Explore This Spring

May 11, 2024

With more than 4,020 miles of hiking trails and another 2,085 biking trails across the state—and many of those miles in northern Michigan—a great walk in the woods is never more than a stone’s throw away.

And thanks to the work of our local land conservancies, the … Read More >>

Restoring Sleeping Bear Inn

May 4, 2024

It won’t be long before Glen Haven visitors will be able to experience waking up in the oldest hotel in the National Park Service.

For the past couple of months, room reservations have been taken almost daily for the fully refurbished Sleeping Bear Inn, which last hosted guest… Read More >>

The Valleys and Hills of Doon Brae

April 20, 2024

Whether you’re a single-digit handicap or a duffer who doesn’t know a mashie from a niblick, there’s a new northern Michigan golf course where the focus is on fun.

Doon Brae is a new par-3 short course being built in Harbor Springs by Boyne Golf, which operates 10 … Read More >>

The Making of an Opera

April 20, 2024

The campus buzz is palpable as Interlochen Arts Academy gets ready to host the largest, most complicated performance in the school’s history.

It’s not a Shakespearean drama, nor a ballet or a Broadway classic.

It’s an opera.

And it’s the world… Read More >>

A Year of Change at Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center

Feb. 24, 2024

Like a lot of businesses and organizations, the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center (TBCAC) has been hiring.

“Our board is prioritizing a search for a new CEO,” says Wilson (Bill) Brott when we spoke earlier this month. Brott is chair of the TBCAC board and a l… Read More >>

The Wedding of Ernest and Hadley

Feb. 10, 2024

It was the summer of 1920 when young Ernest Hemingway met up with some of his buddies in Boyne City. They set off on a gambling adventure that would determine the fate of the ambitious young writer.

“They were going to a Petoskey casino,” explains Charlevoix Historical S… Read More >>

Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: How Could AI Affect NoMi Businesses?

Jan. 27, 2024

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing dramatically, with new uses popping up almost overnight, like morels after a spring rain. For some, AI takes the stress out of daily work tasks. For others, AI has actually taken their jobs.

Generative AI—that is artificial i… Read More >>

Opening the Slopes for All

Jan. 13, 2024

Northern Michigan is smack in the middle of ski season, and for most skiers and snowboarders, the rush of gliding effortlessly over the snow is truly magical. But for those facing physical challenges, the downhill thrills may seem very elusive or even out of reach.

Northern Michigan… Read More >>

From Boilermakers to Hanky Panky to the Best Martini in Michigan

Dec. 23, 2023

Whether your cocktail expertise is limited to an annual margarita on May 5 or your home bar is better stocked than most liquor stores, a newly updated book is here to help.

The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails: Elevated and Expanded is 600-plus pages of cocktail l… Read More >>

A Night on the Town

Dec. 9, 2023

Along with festive parties with friends and goofy Christmas sweaters, the annual shopping sprees often known as Ladies’ Night or Men’s Night have become traditions during the holiday season. Northern Express checked with several northern Michigan communities to see how these eve… Read More >>

Bespoke Blades

Nov. 25, 2023

What do you do with a battered ice skate, an old rubber puck, a cracked hockey stick, and a gob of tape? Pitch ’em, right?

Not if you’re Todd Olson, Charlevoix knife maker extraordinaire.

He collected those shabby items from a hockey-loving clie… Read More >>

Meet the "Grim Keeper"

Nov. 11, 2023

Scott Buckmaster slides out of the driver’s side of his hefty GMC pickup, shrugs off a light rain as he walks briskly past half dozen grave sites, and shoves a fiberglass marker with a bright orange top into the ground

Buckmaster—“Buck” to almost everyone he … Read More >>

The Hunt for the Perfect Caramel Apple

Oct. 21, 2023

Along with color tours and pumpkin spice everything, a crunchy, sweet caramel apple is one of the most beloved traditions of autumn.

Some say caramel apples date back to 1936, when Hunter’s Candy, a mom-and-pop sweet shop in Moscow, Idaho, began selling them. Hard-coated candy… Read More >>