S. Nicole Lane

Before the final countdown to 2026, savor pre-fixe menus, festive flavors and exclusive dinners at these dining destinations.
Curious about what’s going on around town? Our weekend event calendar has all the fun lined up for you.
It’s hunker-down season—when unbrushed hair, fuzzy slippers and bedtime by 9 p.m. feel like a well-earned ritual. Sipping bubbly in your plaid pajamas on the couch wins every time over stepping into the cold, snowy Up North night.
But this New Year’s Eve, we’re invit...

Luxe lodging and crave-worthy cuisine make our small towns must-visit destinations.
The small towns near Petoskey and the Straits of Mackinac are brimming with winter charm and endless things to do. You’ll find incredible eats, bountiful shopping and inspiring natural scenery everywhere you look.
This article first appeared in Traverse Northern Michigan. Find this story and more when you explore our magazine library. Want Traverse delivered to your door or inbox monthly? View our print subscr...

The mother-and-daughter duo behind the sourdough microbakery, MorrisMade, offers a levain recipe for anyone eager to fire up their pizza stone. The recipe brings cozy comfort, simple beauty and a warm flavor to cold nights.
Ingredients:
For making the levain the evening before:
50g (2 Tbsp + 1 tsp) sourdough starter
100g (1/3 cup + 4 tsp) warm water
100g (3/4 cup + 2 tsp) bread flour or all-purpose flour
For the next morning:
225g (scant 1 cup) warm water
14g (2 1/2 tsp) salt
250g (All of the...

Situated in a town of a little over a thousand people in Colon, Michigan, is an idyllic and pastoral outdoor dining experience just 250 feet from a main road. Guests are recommended to order a glass of wine, wander the property grounds, and soak in their surroundings before taking a seat at a banquet-style table. It’s become a hub for city folks traveling from Chicago, Detroit and Ann Arbor who are yearning to dine amongst tall timbers.
It’s the escapism of the space that appeals to urbanites...

Riding a chairlift isn’t just for snow days. In fact, you can fly high above the tree line—no lake-effect storms required—to peep the best of our blazing fall colors. Once up there, you’ll see what Northern Michigan autumn is all about. Just you, the open sky and the thrill of dangling legs.
If you’re eager to get out of the car and escape the crowded scenic highways, your best view of Northern Michigan’s seasonal color palette might be from up above. Wide-open vistas, rolling hills drenched ...

As Northern Michigan settles into its hunker-down season, these cool objects from local shops will transition your home into a warm retreat.
This article was first featured in the October 2025 edition of Traverse Northern Michigan magazine. You can order a copy here.
Leaf peeping season is peaking and the crisp autumn air is surrounding us in Northern Michigan. There’s no better time to transform your home into a cocooned haven. Shifting your abode from beach vacation to harvest season sets t...

Each October, as fall color bursts along the shores of Lake Superior, Fresh Coast Film Festival brings filmmakers, adventurers, storytellers and all-around Great Lakes lovers to Marquette.
Filmmaker Aaron Peterson, Down Wind Sports owner Bill Thompson and the unofficial mayor of the Upper Peninsula, Bugsy Sailor, launched the festival in 2016, inspired by mountain festivals out West. They centered on a Midwestern focus with a particular lens on water, land and the people who protect them.
Pet...

As the Northern Michigan landscape blazes with color, local chefs roast, purée and spice pumpkin by the bushel—pairing it with cinnamon, sage, nutmeg and maple. The earthy depth makes it a go-to ingredient for when the air turns crisp.
This year, we found the best pumpkin-forward dishes from restaurants across Northern Michigan. From savory breakfasts to spiced desserts, here are our top flavorful finds featuring the season’s star ingredient.
To Start Your Day
Ease into the morning at Mundos ...

Sierra Falconer always wanted to make a film about where she grew up. From the haunting calls of loons to the clear waters of Northern Michigan to the resilience of the people who find solace among the hemlocks and sugar maples, every part of this place shaped her more deeply than she ever realized.
After studying film at the University of California, Los Angeles’ graduate program, Falconer wrote and directed her thesis and first film, Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake), which debuted at...

Hiking during the day might be enough of an adventure for most people. But upping the ante for a nighttime hike can be a thrilling experience, especially in Northern Michigan, where we have an abundance of stargazing opportunities.
Bathing in the moonlight benefits hikers by connecting them to nature and heightening their senses, where sounds and smells become dominant and potent. Night hiking means fewer crowds, more stargazing and the willingness to try something new.
Before stepping out in...

Whether it’s along the lake or in the forest, these four serene retreat spots help you recharge and reconnect.
Cooler temperatures usher in a much-needed slowdown after a summer full of late-night boat rides, Cherry Festival traffic and dune climb hikes in Northern Michigan. Rest and repose are just around the corner, but we aren’t there yet.
Everyone deserves a vacation, even those of us who are lucky to live in a vacation town. Between the non-stop guests visiting, the endless amounts of su...

One of the luxuries in life is sipping vino at home and being able to crawl into bed with no worries about the trek home. But when visiting one of the many wineries in Northern Michigan, there’s an added luxury of slipping into billowing sheets (that you don’t have to wash), indulging in breakfast (that you don’t have to cook) and opening up the curtains to a gasp-inducing vineyard view.
Overnight accommodations aren’t offered at all wineries, but we’ve found five scenic stays—from Old Missio...

Menstrual flow can vary in consistency, color, scent, texture, volume, and when it happens. Minor changes are usually not a cause for concern, especially if you’re switching forms of hormonal birth control⁠ or experiencing life changes that might cause temporary disruptions. Nevertheless, an irregular period⁠ can stop you in your tracks.
Today we’re taking a closer look at watery periods. A watery period is when flow appears thin and diluted, rather than thicker, more opaque, or heavier. The ...

If you’ve invested in a sex toy, deep cleaning after shared use, sanitizing after anal play, or disinfecting toys after an illness can ensure the longevity of your toy as well as the health of your body.
Some cleaning situations require extra care beyond routine washing. This will help address common concerns about bacteria, viruses, and cross-contamination.
Cleaning sex toys doesn’t have to be intimidating. Despite the different materials, the electronic components, or textured surfaces, we’...

Cleaning might not be something we initially associate with sex or play time, but it is a task that should be priortized after using vibrators, dildos, and anal toys.
The reasons for cleaning your toys are because sex toys come into contact with our bodily fluids, and cleaning them is imperative for the safety of your body as well as the longevity of the toy.
Most toys can be surface-cleaned with liquid soap and warm water. However, others can be boiled in hot water for a more thorough disinf...