Is the once thriving Vehicle City becoming a booming town recognized for its top-notch colleges and universities? Students can often be seen bustling around Downtown Flint, eating at local restaurants, and talking with their friends at coffee shops and their favorite hangouts. With the ever-growing presence of the young and ambitious college crowd, what effect does the increasing number of students have on our economy? How involved are the educational institutions in our community? In a three-part series, My City Magazine will examine this trend and look at just how colleges are affecting the revitalization of the Greater Flint area.
Whether you’re into swimming, paddling, skiing, surfing, sailing, fishing, floating or cruising, the fun watersports that are Michigan traditions will undoubtedly pull you back to the sparkling blue this summer. From Lake Fenton to the Holloway Reservoir and the meandering Flint River, no one needs to travel very far to enjoy the water. Even the Flint River is heartily shaking off its stigma of being yucky and unsafe for recreational enthusiasts. Canoers and kayakers frequently paddle the river each summer and are pleasantly surprised by its natural beauty and the assortment of wildlife they see.
From historic lighthouses, picturesque golf courses, wonderful wineries and beautiful beaches to a host of friendly downtown shops and restaurants, Traverse City and its neighboring villages offer a myriad of ways to experience northwestern Michigan this summer. Cruise along M-22 for great coastline views of the bays and Lake Michigan or spend the day exploring the trails and beaches along Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Catch a concert at Interlochen or travel up Old Mission Peninsula for a taste of award-winning local wines. Discover amazing underwater sights while diving the shipwrecks near the Manitou Islands. For tourists, the choices seem endless. Pick a weekend to enjoy the Traverse City area with someone special, breathe the cool breeze off Lake Michigan and return home refreshed!
Throughout his two decades in law enforcement, Trooper Don Zinz has saved lives and has apprehended dangerous criminals. He’s been a part of police actions that made national headlines and has won several awards as a result.
This month, the Flint Farmers’ Market celebrates the first anniversary of its move to the Downtown location and it’s been a booming success since the day it opened. “The market has become the hub of Downtown,” says Sean Gartland, Market Co-Manager along with Karianne Martus. “We’ve pretty much doubled our outside vendors.” Sean and Karianne sat down with My City Magazine to reflect on the growth and challenges of the last year. “It’s been overwhelmingly good,” says Karianne, but there has also been a learning curve. “Bigger spot, bigger problems, but also bigger successes,” she laughs.
Brent Nickola of Lapeer and his father Dr. Paul Nickola of Linden have a few fishing stories to tell. The tales begin in Flushing, where Brent grew up and where Paul practiced optometry for 32 years. Their home had a pond nearby, which contained an assortment of fish, including one of a pair of catfish affectionately known as Big Mama swimming in its depths – and Big Mama was resilient. “We caught it for a decade or more,” says Brent. “It loved Koegel hotdogs!” Paul nods. “We always caught the same damn fish,” he laughs. “The bluegills were huge. We would throw them back because we just wanted to fish.”
More than a half-million people are expected to attend the 2015 National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. The eight-day celebration is scheduled for July 4-11 and offers something for everyone. Voted by USA Today as one of the 10 Best Specialty Food Festivals, festival goers will savor the flavor of cherries along with parades, family and kids’ events and entertainment. In all, there are more than 150 events along the shores of Grand Traverse Bay.
For more than 150 years, lighthouses have been a beacon of safety for ships traveling the Great Lakes. During the past 50 years, many of Michigan’s 130 lighthouses have been transformed into some of the state’s most popular tourist attractions. This is especially true of the Traverse City area, home to four lighthouses that are open to the public and others that are not, but well worth viewing. What sets the area apart, however, is the variety of lighthouses less than an hour’s drive from each other, including the state’s most photographed lighthouse, one sitting on a picturesque, rocky beach, two others on islands and another perched at the end of a pier.
