Ross Boissoneau | Author
Do You … Shinrin-Yoku?
March 21, 2020
Sure, hiking trails is great. But get this: You don’t have to work up a sweat, or even stick to the trails, to gain natural benefits. Simply relaxing in a quiet, restful walk in the woods is beneficial.
Sure, that sounds like a good idea, but it’s more than that…
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GET OUT: Awesome Outdoor Alternatives for (Extended) Spring Break
March 21, 2020
While we’re facing a situation that’s unprecedented and unanticipated, there are many things we can do to mitigate it. Maybe it’s as uncomplicated as this: Keep calm and start walking.
Sound simplistic? With vacations canceled, gatherings frowned upon (if …
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Pivot
March 21, 2020
With new measures coming daily to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it’s hardly business as usual across the nation or in Michigan. But many Up North innovators are using the obstacles as a catalyst to get creative.
Grow Benzie is one. As a food and farming outreach com…
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One Tough Grandpa
March 21, 2020
Tom Renkes likes a challenge. He also likes to mark milestones in his life. So like any other 60-year-old grandfather, he decided to kayak partway around Lake Superior by himself.
That may sound a bit out there, but Renkes was prepared. After all, he had a GPS, a smartphone…
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The Power Lunch
March 14, 2020
Feed your power with The Power Lunch at Petoskey’s Grain Train Market Cafe. An enticing mix of flavorful vegetables, this $10.99 dish starts with cauliflower, the superstar cruciferous vegetable. Inflammation-fighting flavor comes courtesy of curry, which complements the roasted sweet…
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Time for Some Zen
March 14, 2020
It’s a hurry-up, super-stressful world out there. Pick your poison: politics, coronavirus, the opioid epidemic. Rapidly shifting technology, a sputtering economy, security, pollution, even the sorry state of Michigan’s professional sports teams. What to do?
Rela…
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Chakra Tea Sampler
March 14, 2020
Angela Macke, owner of the biodynamic tea farm Light of Day west of Traverse City, created this collection of seven different teas and tisanes, one for each of the seven chakras (energy centers) of the body. It includes Red Raspberry Green, Happy Spleen Green, Lemony Ginger Sunshine, All He…
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Long Road Grand Absinthe
March 7, 2020
Said to cause hallucinations and possibly violent behavior, absinthe was banned in the U.S. and abroad for nearly 100 years. Kyle VanStrien, co-founder of Long Road Distillers, never gave credence to the tales, and when the anise-flavored liquor was legalized in 2007, one of his distillers …
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Get Your Green On
March 7, 2020
Saint Patrick was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop. Legend credits him with teaching the Irish about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity by using a shamrock. He’s also credited with banishing snakes from the island. Saint Patrick is now the primary patron sa…
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One of World’s Leading Irish Bands to Play TC
Feb. 29, 2020
Time flies when you’re having fun. For Benny McCarthy, that’s been the case for the quarter century he’s been performing with Danú, an ensemble of Irish musicians who’ve managed to earn massive critical acclaim in the 21st century by playing traditional Irish …
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Staying Power
Feb. 15, 2020
Doesn’t matter how good the food is. A restaurant isn’t worth its salt without a smart, efficient, and highly skilled staff who knows how to hustle, smile, and make even a casual night out special. Here, we highlight just a few of the folks who are the lifeblood of one of th…
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Feb. 15, 2020 Crispin Campbell plays well with others. Feb. 8, 2020 Love and marriage are hard work, but some couples take this challenge to a new level. Feb. 8, 2020 That day is coming again. Expressions of love – from candy hearts to flowers to chocolates – are all the rage on Valentine’s Day. But why be stuck with the mundane? Whether for a loved one or even yourself, there are plenty of unique and intriguing gifts and ways to spend …
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Feb. 1, 2020 The secret to Sleeping Bear Farms’ raw honey: It’s spun out of its natural beeswax honeycombs without the addition of heat, which can change the taste and fragrance. All the enzymes, natural bee pollen, and floral essences from the star thistle flowers remain — and so…
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Feb. 1, 2020 It seems regardless of winter’s weather — whether we’re talking frozen lakes or muddy trails, mounds of powdery snow or sleet-filled roadways — a malady hits around this time each year. The frigid temperatures, short days, and lack of sunshine can leave even the hard…
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Jan. 18, 2020 You sit on a wooden bench, wearing a bathing suit (or less). The temperature rises to 100, then 120 degrees. You start to sweat, and then ladle water onto scalding-hot rocks. The temperature continues to climb, to more than 150 degrees, yet you continue to sit. And sweat. And sweat some mor…
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Jan. 18, 2020 Northern Michigan’s reputation as a haven for outdoor recreation is well-earned. But who maintains those miles and miles of trails for bikers, hikers, skiers, and snowmobilers? While the DNR has some responsibilities, in large part, winter maintenance is left up to volunteers. Jan. 11, 2020 He’s received accolade upon accolade. “A dazzling acoustic guitarist with a moody baritone,” according to The Washington Post. “A genre-defying maverick,” says Frets magazine. “A relaxed and fearless performer who’ll ente…
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Jan. 11, 2020 How many people enter an art gallery each day? Is that number greater or smaller than the number of patrons who visit a coffee shop?
Retired Interlochen Instructor Launches Debut Album
His cello repertoire is outside the normal realm of orchestra and chamber music groups, including rock, jazz, Gypsy and classical.
In fact, his debut album, About Time, features three exemplary jazz musician…
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Insights and advice from couples who make it work 9-5 and then some
Northern Express spoke with the rare breed that both live and work together. The couples shared their not only their concerns and challenges, but also what brought them closer tog…
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Valentine's Gifts: For Him, For Her, For Yourself
Sleeping Bear Farms’ Raw Honey
Beat the Winter Blahs
“Sow-Nah”
Ode to the Unsung Wards of Winter Fun
&n…
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Willy Porter Coming to Cadillac
Art & Joe
Carol Spaulding knows the answer. That’s why she her friend and fellow artist Angela Saxon create a monthly art show at BLK\MRKT in Tra…
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