Author: Dianna Stampfler

News Releases

Sweet Things are on the Horizon as the Annual Michigan Maple Syrup Weekends Return Statewide this Spring

While 2024’s harvest season was short, due to warmer temperatures, Michigan maintained its ranking as #5 in the nation for the overall production at 200,000 gallons collected from 650,000 taps according to the United States department of Agriculture (USDA). Over the past 14 years, Michigan has produced nearly 2 million gallons of syrup in what is regarded as the state’s oldest agricultural activity dating back to early Native Americans.

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News Releases

Legendary Female Lighthouse Keeper Elizabeth Whitney Williams Inducted into Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state (129) and over the course of the last two hundred years since the first was erected, nearly 50 women have served as keepers of these iconic beacons. Chief among those is Elizabeth (Whitney) VanRiper Williams who was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at ceremonies at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center in downtown Detroit.

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Featured Destination

Spooky Stays Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Late this summer, I had the opportunity to spend nearly two weeks in Michigan’s scenic and remote Upper Peninsula. My trips were work related, centered around speaking engagements, festivals, conferences and paranormal research. One three separate nights, I threw caution to the wind and checked into the “haunted rooms” of historically notable hotels and inns to see if I could meet the spirited residents who are said to still be eternal guests.

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THE BIG WILD: Jimmy Carter in Michigan’s Pigeon River Country

As an avid outdoorsman from childhood, one of Jimmy Carter’s favorite pastimes was to enjoy all that nature had to offer. After a canceled trip freed up the former president’s weekend, Carter journeyed up to the Pigeon River Country State Forest, seeking to finally capture a trophy that had long eluded him—the ruffed grouse. The hunt was successful, but more than that, Carter and his hunting crew left with a newfound appreciation for “The Big Wild” of Northern Michigan.

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Featured Articles

Wooden Wonders

Built out of necessity throughout the 19th century, covered bridges allowed farmers and country residents to cross rivers and streams which separated rural areas from urban centers. It was widely believed that when building or repairing these structures, it was easier to climb on the rooftops and replace shingles than it was to battle the currents while repairing floorboards and walls `from the water.

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