Few destinations embrace their full history – including lingering spirits – the way Mission Table at Bowers Harbor Inn on Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City does.

Built in the 1880s as a summer retreat for Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife, Genevive, this grand estate is settled along West Grand Traverse Bay under a canopy of oak and towering pine trees. The 11-acre parcel is enhanced with stone walls, gardens and a small vineyard, reflective of a bygone era.

Early Chippewa Indians recognized the treasure they had found in one of the largest natural harbors on Lake Huron, which came to bore the name of their Chief O-Ta-Was. Today, the twin cities of Tawas City and East Tawas are tucked in along the shoreline of Tawas Bay as it winds inward from Saginaw Bay, welcoming visitors who seek a quiet yet quaint vacation escape.

One of the Midwest’s largest craft cider producers – Vander Mill Cider & Winery – is introducing a new line of canned ciders. Earlier this year, Vander Mill completed a 3500-square-foot, $600,000 expansion at its facility in Spring Lake. This includes the addition of fermentation equipment and a canning system, which will produce 1800 16-ounce cans per hour. In all, owner Paul Vander Heide estimates his 2013 production to top 100,000 gallons.

It’s known as the “Island City” – this eastern Allegan County town where I have lived all but two years of my life – named such because you must cross one of five Kalamazoo River bridges to get into the downtown, thus creating an “island” for the central business district.

Walking down the tree-lined drive at Camp Tosebo, you can almost hear the chatter of boys being boys…escaping the heat of the city for a summer away in Northern Michigan. Nearly one hundred years ago, the sounds of energetic young campers could be heard scurrying about. Skipping stones; rowing boats; catching fish, frogs and turtles; roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Such experiences are waiting to become reality, once again, at Camp Tosebo in Manistee.