The Reel World

Is learning to fly fish on your bucket list? Overlooking beautiful Lake Michigan, the Orvis Michigan Fly Fishing School at The Homestead combines elegant accommodations with classic Blue Ribbon splendor.

Class dates are set for this spring, summer and early fall. Learn how you can join a class or get some one-on-one attention with the master anglers at Northern Michigan’s most complete fly fishing school.

In 1966, when Leigh Perkins opened his Orvis first fly fishing school in Manchester, Vermont, he was hoping that, maybe, 20 people would sign up. Instead, 150 aspiring anglers came to learn and Perkin’s fly fishing school was an instant success.

Since that time, there have been other fly fishing schools that have imitated Perkins’ teaching methods. But Orvis is still the original and hands-down the best at providing expert, patient, and thorough instruction for fly fishers of all ages and experience levels.

A Perfect Match

The Homestead teamed with Orvis back in 2005 to launch what just might be the most complete fly fishing school in America. From learning proper casting technique on trout ponds unencumbered by gnarly bank brush, to perfecting your roll cast and subtle fly presentation in a tight spot under the cedar boughs lining The Homestead’s private stretch of the Crystal River, the resort offers students an unmatched and diverse learning environment.

Since the resort is situated right on the beach of Lake Michigan and just minutes away from the Blue Ribbon waters of the Boardman River, you can even learn to double and triple haul—really advanced stuff—against the buffeting head wind or practice your newly acquired skills on wild fish and wild water.

These are the kind of skills that will serve whether your interest in fly fishing takes you only as far as the bass pond out on The Back-Forty, as far away as the bonefishing salt flats of Belize, or, for that matter, anywhere in the reel world.

A Complete Fly Fishing School

The Orvis Michigan Fly Fishing School at The Homestead was designed to introduce the intricacies of fly fishing to an absolute novice, but even experienced fly anglers will find personal and advanced instruction easily tailored to their level of experience. From knots to entomology, casting to tackle, the instruction at Orvis Michigan takes a customized approach to teaching.

Sign up for the famous Orvis Michigan Fly Fishing School at The Homestead and you’ll learn to cast with the help of expert fly-casting instructors. If you need special attention to learn a new cast or to overcome a casting problem, you’ll have the benefit of having a certified casting instructor—all great fly fisherman but, more importantly, great teachers—looking over your shoulder and offering kindly advice.

In the end, it’s like having your personal mentor show you the ropes and help you learn all the tricks. You bring the list of things you want to accomplish and the instructors at the Orvis Michigan Fly Fishing School will help you reach your goals.

To sign up for an Orvis Michigan school, simply call 231.933.9300. Special lodging rates are available for Orvis participants.

Great Escape. Great Cause.

The Homestead and Fox Motors of Traverse City are teaming up to bring top quality cancer care to the people of northern Michigan. This summer 100 lucky couples will experience the ultimate package of fun, food and relaxation all for a good cause.

Find out how you can take advantage of this special fundraising offer and help make the Cowell Family Cancer Center a reality.

Each year, about 1,500 people are newly diagnosed with cancer at Munson Medical Center. But the stark reality is that, here in Northwest Lower Michigan, there is currently no conveniently located facility equipped to deal with the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of patients and their families dealing with the disease.

Breaking ground for the construction of the Cowell Family Cancer Center is scheduled for spring in 2014 thanks to area partners and private donors who are committed to raise the $45 million necessary for its completion. As of this spring, they were just $17 million shy of their goal.

To assist in the fundraising push, The Homestead and Fox Motors have come up with a not-so-typical fundraising offer called the “Great Summer Escape”—a first class, all-inclusive resort experience on the shores of Lake Michigan with proceeds from the event to benefit the Cowell Family Cancer Center at Munson Medical Center.

A portion of the cost is tax deductible. But that’s not the best part for the 100 couples who act now to take advantage of this great deal. Participating guest package also includes:

Room accommodations
Breakfast, lunch and dinner at resort restaurants (Cash bar)
Entertainment at Sunday evening dinner
Complimentary use of beach club and tennis courts
Select Spa & Salon Services
Par 3 Golf Tournament at Mountain Flowers
Entry into Monday’s 18-hole scramble at the award winning Manitou Passage Golf Course
Complimentary Shuttle Service

Package Price is $2,500 per couple for this ultimate summer weekend that kicks off July 28^th. Call 231.334.5000 for more information.

Five Fun Mother’s Day Facts

You probably already know that May 12^th is Mother’s Day. But what you may not know is how the holiday got started. Who’s the youngest mother in history? What’s the record for giving birth?

Check out the answers to these questions, plus some special Mother’s Day gift ideas from your friends at The Homestead.

Considering the fact that mothers give us life, we should probably be thanking them everyday. Instead, we have a specific day for making mom feel special. Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation that officially established a national holiday to celebrate America’s mothers in 1914. But according to mothersdaycelebration.com, the website of all things Mothers Day, the holiday’s biggest champion in America was, surprisingly, a woman who never married and never had kids.

Inspired by the charity work of her mother, Anna Jarvis (born in West Virginia in 1864) was inspired from childhood to one day establish a national holiday honoring all mothers. After a memorial she held for her mother in 1908, Jarvis worked tirelessly toward her goal until, by 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Wilson made it official three years later when he signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Jarvis eventually became soured by the commercialization of the holiday. By her own words, she despised candy and printed greeting cards—“A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world.”—and believed the day was one for reflection and quiet prayer by families, thanking God for all that mothers had done.

Here’s four more bits of “mothering” trivia that may surprise you:

Youngest Mother

The youngest mother in history is Lina Medina, who at five years and seven months delivered a 6½-pound boy by cesarean section in Lima,Peru, in 1939. The child was raised as her brother and only discovered that Lina was his mother when he was 10.

Oldest Mother

Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara is the oldest verified mother; she was aged 66 years 358 days when she gave birth to twins in 2006. The children were conceived through IVF with donor eggs. The oldest verified mother to conceive naturally is Dawn Brooke, who conceived a son at the age of 58 years in 1996.

Biggest Surprise

Jayne Bleackley holds the record for the shortest interval between two children born in separate confinements. She gave birth to Joseph Robert on September 3, 1999, and Annie Jessica Joyce on March 30, 2000. The babies were born 208 days apart.

Record Number of Children

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest officially recorded number of children born to one mother is 69, to the first wife of Feodor Vassilyev (1707-1782) of Shuya,Russia. Between 1725 and 1765, she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets. All but 2 of these children survived infancy.

Bird Watch: Introducing the New Sleeping Bear Birding Trail

Just in time for spring, Michigan’s first “birding trail” has been formed. The website of the Sleeping Bear Birding Trail offers a guide to 34 recommended birding sites scattered throughout the lakeshore, along 123 miles of Michigan’s Highway M-22. And there’s more.

The new website comes equipped with many resources —including a smartphone app. You’ll have the tools to become a bird-watching extraordinaire.

If you’re not a bird watcher, it might be difficult to comprehend the incredible amount of revenue this activity generates for local economies. The last time the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provided a national measure for bird-watching expenditures, America’s 42 million birdwatchers annually spent around $32 billion in travel and hobby-related purchases.

Even before the region was named the “Most Beautiful Place in America,” the dunelands of Northwest Lower Michigan was one of the most popular destinations for birders in the state. The fields, forests, and beaches of Leelanau County and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, in particular, are home to some 321 species.

Birding trails are popular from i nAlaska to California to th eFlorida Gulf Coast. Now, according to chairman and co-founder of Michigan’s first birding trail, Dave Barrons, the Sleeping Bear Birding Trail has been formed to connect and promote tourism through the area’s exceptional birding opportunity.

The M-22 Connection

“I always knew we had the resources to add birding to the area’s tourism brand,” Barrons told MyNorth earlier this month. “But the surprise was just how much access to diverse, public land there is along M-22…This is not just a single trail where you get out and hike around looking for birds. It’s a travel route, a way of connecting a number of birding sites in a way that allows you to include them in your itinerary and enjoy some incredible scenery.”

The trail’s new website, sleepingbearbirdingtrail.org, is designed to help guide birders to 34 birding hotspots scattered along 123 miles of Michigan Highway M-22. In addition to bird identification photos and information about peak migration patterns in the area, the website is smartphone compatible and includes a web-based map that will lead travelers from Manistee, northward through Benzie County, around the Leelanau Peninsula and eventually to Traverse City.

The Trail is anchored by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which has over 71,000 acres of public land and 35 miles of beaches, including vital habitat for the Piping Plover.

Partnering…For the Birds

The Homestead is one of roughly a dozen, conservation-minded organizations that saw the value of helping sponsor and promote Barrons’ grassroots initiative. The Homestead is not some Johnny-come-lately to the birding community; the grounds of The Homestead have always been managed with wildlife foremost in mind. The Manitou Passage Golf Club has been erecting birdhouses and naturally improving the property with the goal of being accepted by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

The Homestead is located in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes on M-22—right in the middle of this birding paradise. To kickoff the bird-watching season, The Homestead is in the process of putting together some great accommodation and tour packages for birders this summer. Keep an eye out for future eNewsletter offers.

Manitou to Feature Interview with Nonna’s Chef John Piombo

With a mix of creativity and stellar talent, John Piombo has helped transform Nonna’s at The Homestead into an Italian dining experience unlike any other in the North. Next month, Manitou magazine profiles this amazing chef and the unlikely path he followed to Leelanau County.

Here’s the scoop on where you can get a free copy of Manitou along with information on how you can attend a cooking class with Chef John this spring.

Born in the Bronx, Nonna’s Chef John Piombo traveled and worked in the kitchens of Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and even Brazil before finally settling in Northern Michigan. So what brought him to Leelanau County? What’s the inspiration and culinary philosophy behind his simple and authentic Italian cuisine?

Writer Pat Stinson gets these answers from the man himself in the next issue of Manitou – The Magazine of Leelanau. Published by the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau, Manitou covers everything from the best in local recreation and entertainment to more in-depth articles about the colorful history and amazing personalities who call this part of the world home.

The 2013 edition of Manitou also features an update on the progress of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Heritage Trail, a photo essay by Ken Scott entitled “Season of the Dunes” and an in-depth look at why Northern Michigan is one of the most popular places to retire.

All guests of The Homestead receive a complimentary copy of Manitou to help in planning their stay. Free copies of the magazine are available in rooms and at the Reception Center. To get your copy, call 231.334.5100 or call the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau at 888.334.8499 and reserve your copy today.

Manitou Golf Tournament to Benefit Construction of Cancer Hospital

About 1,500 people are diagnosed with cancer at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City every year, but the region has so far been lacking in state-of-the-art, coordinated cancer services…until now.

Construction of the New Cowell Family Cancer Center-a $45 million center focused on fighting cancer in one convenient location-is set to begin in 2014. Learn how you can donate to the cause (and have some fun doing it) at a unique golf outing brought to you by The Homestead and Traverse City Fox Motors.

Four people every day are diagnosed with some form of cancer in the five-county region surrounding Traverse City. And if getting the diagnosis wasn’t tough enough on patients and their families, the sad reality is that many are also forced to seek treatment for the disease elsewhere.

When complete, the Cowell Family Cancer Center will change that. The CFCC will be northern Michigan’s most comprehensive resource for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. But in order to turn the plan into a reality, Munson is looking to raise $17 million so construction of the cancer center can begin on schedule next spring.

Community Solution

To help in the fund-raising effort, The Homestead and Fox Motors of Traverse City have teamed up to help “club out cancer” with a fund-raising golf tournament set for July 29, 2013.

Donating participants will enjoy a Sunday evening reception at the newly remodeled Mountain Flowers Lodge, followed by breakfast the following morning, before heading off to the Manitou Passage Golf Club for an exciting day of tournament play. Expect great prizes and golfing competition. The Homestead is also offering special spa and salon packages for spouses and non-playing guests.

For more information and to reserve your spot, call 231.228.600 for details or visit www.thehomesteadresort.com.

A Golfer’s Ultimate Backyard

Short-game guru Dave Pelz takes backyard training to the extreme. Pelz recently showed off his Dipping Springs, Texas, home office on HGTV’s “Million Dollar Rooms” (hosted by northern Michigan’s, Carter Oosterhouse). The highlight of the tour is 2.5 acres replicating the most famous greens in golf: the 12th at Augusta National; the island 17th at TPC Sawgrass; and the 14th at Pebble Beach.

Take a tour of Pelz’s creation, plus a new calendar of summer dates for Dave Pelz’s Scoring Game clinic,only at The Homestead.

For the past 20 years, Dave Pelz has been so busy running his golf schools, writing books and working with clients like Phil Mickelson that he seldom practiced. So he did what any multi-million dollar making golf nut would do: he turned his backyard into the coolest dang training facility you’ve ever seen.

Pelz’s backyard golf complex features seven target greens (which are replicas of Pelz’s favorite green complexes), an 80-ft lag station, targets to drill 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-yard wedge shots and a large tee box that allows him to take aim into a large valley of “driving range” some 80 feet below his hilltop yard.

While not technically a room, Pelz’s at-home training facility was recently featured on HGTV’s “Million Dollar Rooms.” You can check out the video segment below:

Million Dollar Homes

Useful home practice setups don’t have to be as expensive or elaborate as this, Pelz told the Wall Street Journal reported John Paul Newport, who took a tour of the amazing facility last year.

“Portable putting greens with a hole or two are the place to start,” he said. “The [first] step, even in a small backyard, would be artificial-turf pad, perhaps 4 square feet, for work on distance control.”

Pelz has been working with a company called SYNLawn to perfect a golf-specific line of energy shock absorbing, synthetic grass that provides a realistic surface for golfers looking to practice their pitching, chipping and putting at home.

Want To Master Your Short Game? The Homestead Can Help

Wedge shots, sand shots, chips, pitches, and putts account for 80 percent of the shots golfers lose to par. If you want to lower your golf scores then you got to improve your short game. A good place to start is by signing up for a one-, two- or three-day Dave Pelz signature “short game” clinic at The Homestead.

One-Day Clinic

If your vacation time at The Homestead is limited, enroll in a one-day clinic, where you’ll learn the basics of the wedge swing, sand play, and chipping-plus putting and practice techniques that will start you on the road to better scores and more confident shots. These six-hour sessions are a great introduction to the Pelz methodology.

One-Day Clinic Schedule: Select Weekdays*, June 5 – Aug. 28; Price: $425

Two-Day School

Pelz’s signature two-day school is designed for students who want to work exclusively on their putting, chipping, sand and wedge shots; basically, any shot a golfer may encounter within 100 yards of the green.

“We’re looking for students who know specifically what phase of their game they want to improve,” says Pelz. “This gives our staff the ability to offer instruction of the highest caliber, by dialing into the needs of either a group of putting students or a group of short-game students.”

Two-Day Putting School: June 5 – 6; Price: $2,050

Three-Day Schools

The premier Pelz instructional offering – a three-day school known as the “Master Class” – focuses on the art of the short game and putting. Incorporating video, feedback devices, and the latest Pelz research, this program is designed to permanently lower your handicap and give you the confidence necessary to play close to the green.

Whether you’re a your player, amateur, or beginner seeking the proper path to improve scoring, you’ll leave this three-day school with the knowledge and skills needed to begin a lifetime of improved scoring. If you want to revolutionize the way you play from 100 yards and in-and start habits that will help you approach scoring situations with confidence and consistency-this is the experience for you.

Three-Day School Schedule: Select Dates, May 30 – Aug. 29; Price: $2,875

Book Your Date

After you check out the full list of Dave Pelz Scoring Game School clinics and school dates (click here), call 888-833-7370 to book the session that best fits your schedule.

Five Fun Easter Facts

Wondering why Easter is coming to early this year? Care to take a guess at the most popular non-chocolate holiday candy or the reason why basket-toting bunnies and brightly colored eggs symbolize this holiest of days?

Get the conversations started over Easter brunch at The Homestead this year with this list of strange-but-true holiday facts.

Name Game
No one really knows why the word “Easter” is used for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s generally accepted, however, that the English word “Easter” derives from the name of the mythical Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, a goddess of spring and fertility. Eostre’s symbol in ancient times was the rabbit.

The Power of Eggs
Aside from Eostre’s rabbit, nothing hints at the idea of fertility better than the egg. In Christian circle, the egg became an enduring symbol of Jesus’ resurrection way back when Roman Catholicism became the dominant religion in Germany in the 15th century.

In the 1500s, the first Easter Bunny legend was written. According to the Center for Children’s Literature and Culture, this story about a rabbit laying eggs and hiding them in a garden was brought to the United States in the 1700s, when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Peep Show
According to the National Confectioner’s Association, Americans consume around seven billion pounds of candy over the Easter holiday. Besides millions of chocolate rabbits, an astounding 16 billion jelly beans are sold over the holiday along with 700 million marshmallow Peeps®. This makes Peeps® the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

Egg Roll

According to White House historians, children had been rolling colored Easter eggs on the White House lawn since Andrew Johnson. But it was mostly a closed door, family affair. Egg rolling for the masses was mostly relegated to the Capitol grounds but was apparently so popular that Congress, after noting the damage children and their picnicking families were doing to the lawns, banned the practice until President Rutherford B. Hayes brought it back in 1878.

A Movable Feast

Unlike Christmas, the day we celebrate Easter can fall anywhere between March 22nd and April 25th. So what gives? The story goes back to 325 A.D. when The Council of Nicaea set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the Paschal full moon (the full moon that falls on or after the spring equinox). The lunar calendar changes every year, ergo we have an Easter feast day that is fluid from year to year.

And speaking of holiday feasts, what would you say to an Easter table with fresh lobster and shrimp, New York strip rib eye, eggs Benedict, mimosas, and Bloody Mary’s? These are just some of the items The Homestead’s Chef John Piombo has put on the Easter Sunday brunch menu this year, March 31st from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Easter Sunday Brunch has become a tradition for guests and residents at The Homestead. If you’d like to become a part of the fun, check out this sneak peek of what’s on the menu this year and make your reservations early by calling 231.334.5150.

Four Tips to Prepare for Golf Season

Golf “show season” kicked off in Grand Rapids and Detroit this month, and that means spring is just around the corner. How are you getting ready?

Make this your best season ever with these pre-season tips along with details on new league offerings from the Manitou Passage Golf Club.

Take Inventory

If you haven’t looked inside your golf bag since last year now is the time to take stock. Check club grips for wear and clean club faces with a little soap and water. Replenish your supply of balls, tees, batteries for your range finder, a new tube of sunscreen, and any other “consumables” you never take to the course without.

Fit and Flexible

Still trying to lose those extra pounds you vowed to shed after the New Year? More than any new gear you buy, your overall fitness and flexibility is one of the biggest determining factors when it comes to bettering your game. Fitness experts at Golfsmith have published some basic exercises to help get you ready for that first swing.

Pay Your Dues

If you wait until the snow melts to renew your range pass or club membership, you could be missing out on some great deals. Also, if you’re looking to up the quality of your game this year, a fun way to do it is to involve yourself in a little friendly competition. Check out the Manitou Passage Golf Club and their new league offerings for singles and teams in 2013.

Take a Lesson

Don’t waste valuable time this year shaking off the cobwebs and working out the kinks from last season. A couple hours of pre-season instruction can help you tee-off with confidence from the very first hole. Pros like Manitou Passage Golf Club’s Lee Houtteman are booking spring, one-on-one training slots now. The Homestead is also the only place in the Midwest where you can improve your short game with a one-, two-, or three-day school from the Dave Pelz Scoring Game School. Sessions kick off the end of May.

Destination Wedding: Industry Leader Ranks The Homestead “Best”

It took more than spectacular, hilltop views of Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands to secure top honor – it took you. Finding the perfect place to tie the knot is at the top of every new bride’s to-do list. And in northern Michigan there’s no better place than The Homestead, according to the nation’s foremost wedding resource, The Knot.

A quarterly bridal magazine, producers of a bridal TV channel, publisher of 11 books, and the most trafficked wedding website in the country, with more than 100 million page views each month, The Knot has named The Homestead for the third year in a row in the “Best of Weddings” category.

“But the recognition this year is particularly special since the vote came solely through the outpouring of support and glowing recommendations of happy newlyweds who chose The Homestead as the setting for their special day,” says Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Jamie Jewell.

Two of The Homestead’s unique ceremony sites overlook the beautiful blue waters of Lake Michigan, the Manitou Islands, and the spectacular Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, voted the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by the viewers of ABC’s Good Morning America in 2011. One is on top of Bay Mountain and accompanies receptions at Mountain Flowers Lodge; the other is just steps from the beachfront at the Cafe Manitou.

The captivating backdrop alone is a big draw for couples. But another thing that sets The Homestead apart from other wedding destinations, according to Jewell, is the engaged couples have a choice of three, stylish ceremony and reception sites depending on the size of your party. ”Each venue is beautifully situated and as elegantly functional. They range in size to accommodate between 50 and 180 guests. We also offer full service spa and salon services, plus a dedicated staff of in-house wedding planners and catering associates who will go the extra mile for brides and their guests to be sure everything is perfect and runs according to plan.”

One of the most beautiful places in America to get married, The Homestead is also one of the most popular places in the North to experience everything northern Michigan has to offer. Wedding guests enjoy all the amenities of a top-rates resort, including golf, fine dining, and exquisite accommodations. The Homestead’s close proximity to popular coastal towns such as Glen Arbor and Leland means guests can enjoy shopping, wine tasting at any of the 20 award-winning wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula, access to beautiful beaches, and, of course, the scenic paradise of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

For more information, visit or call 231.334.5300.

Own a Piece of Paradise, For Less

How would you like to own a northern Michigan vacation home? How about a woodsy Adirondack-style cabin close to the beaches, the ski slopes and all amazing recreation opportunities the region has to offer?

If you have the time to spend Up North then The Homestead may have the perfect deal for you. Learn about this new sales incentive from Resort Realty at The Homestead and start scheduling your 2013 vacation calendar today!

To vacation in northern Michigan is to dream of someday owning a place here. What stands in the way of most, of course, is the money. Vacations homes typically don’t come cheap. And don’t forget about the burden of upkeep. Who wants to spend their precious vacation days shoveling snow, waiting for the repairman to fix a broken dishwasher or vacuuming up dust bunnies from under the couch?

“People are busy these days, which is why fractional property ownership has become very popular in recent years,” says Resort Realty’s Diane Kemp. ”At The Homestead, it means the buy-in price is less expensive, you never have to clean and, other than enjoying yourself, you have no other responsibilities while you’re here.

An Uncrowded Place

Right now, Resort Realty at The Homestead is offering a one-of-a-kind deal for anyone interested in owning a place in the heart of the “Most Beautiful Place in America.”

The two properties, Camp Firefly 1 and 2, are located on woodsy settings overlooking the golf teaching facility specially designed for the Dave Pelz Scoring Game School. These three bedroom, Adirondack-style cabins can comfortably sleep up to six. Each is fully furnished, features deluxe kitchen appliances, a two-person spa tub, leather furnishings, gas fireplaces, recessed lighting, flat-screen televisions and more. Click here to see photos and a full description of the properties.

Each cabin has room for 12 owners who each get one week sole usage of the cabin per season, or four weeks per year. Shares cost just $92,900, with a $3,000 purchase incentive. This cash-back option can be used for homeowner association fees ($100 per month), which pays for utilities and maintenance. Or buyers have the option to also use this money to pay for dinners, massages, ski passes or any other service The Homestead has to offer.

For more information, or to schedule a personal viewing of the property, contact Diane Kemp at 231.334.5503.

Facelift: CQ’s Cabin and The Homestead’s Snow Sports School

New look, new menu, just in time for the ski season. The New Year has brought two great improvements to what is already one of the best, coastal ski destinations in northern Michigan.

Find out why dining on-the-fly is now better than ever at CQ’s Cabin along with a quick look inside The Homestead’s newly renovated Snow Sports School.

Snow Sports Redesign

While thousands of visitors and guest have mastered the “snowplow” and cut their first stem-christie turn gliding down one of Bay Mountain’s 15 beautiful runs, many thousands more have spent idle hours waiting in the wings for The Homestead’s master staff of instructors to work their magic.

That waiting promises to be a little easier at The Homestead this season, thanks to the newly remodeled Snow Sports School, located in The Village, at the base of Bay Mountain.

Comfortable, functional and aesthetically pleasing-these are just a few words to describe the design features you’ll find inside.

“Signing up for ski and snowboard lessons on the spot can be hectic and uncomfortable if the space isn’t laid out just right,” says Jamie Jewell, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Our goal was to create an inviting, convenient, and classy place for people to learn about and purchase our lesson programs. With windows facing the slopes, comfortable seating, and complimentary coffee and treats, it’s also a great place for parents to take a break and hang while their children tackle the slopes.”

Not Your Typical Cafeteria

Since the doors opened, CQ’s Cabin has become one of the most popular places in The Village. The reason is pretty simple: If you’re looking for a warm and comfortable place to grab a quick bite, CQ’s is only a stone’s throw away from the slopes.

“Our dedication to providing the best facilities and guest services means that we’re always trying to find ways to do things a little better,” says Jewell. “This season, the goal was to revamp CQ’s menu so that breakfast, and lunch provides choices to please any palate.”

From fresh fruit and salads to more traditional, comfort foods, CQ’s offers diners both buffet and a la carte menus and all-day service. A fire is always burning and the food is always delicious for guests wanting to grab a seat and have a quick bite between the day’s activities. For on-the-go guests, CQ’s provides pick-up service for any menu item.

Support Clean Water and Win!

Wastewater management may not be a glamorous subject, but The Homestead believes it’s one of the most important factors in protecting the pristine woods and waters in and around the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

WasteWater Education, a leading Traverse City nonprofit specializing in raising awareness of water quality relating to wastewater systems and their management, shares that vision. Now, the two organizations have teamed up with a spectacular fund-raising initiative designed to highlight the importance of our precious water resources. Find out how you can support this important cause and put your name in the hat to win a free, week-long lodging and golf package in America’s most beautiful place.

When was the last time you heard someone get excited about wastewater? Guests of The Homestead don’t pay much attention to the inner workings of the resort. But we do because, like our neighbors, this region is home. Over the years, The Homestead has always tried to lead by example when it comes to protecting the ground and water resources of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

The Homestead’s wastewater reclamation and reuse system discharges no pollutants into Michigan’s waters. This facility exemplifies The Homestead’s environmental ethic, and you can check out a video of how it works right here.

Partnering For Cleaner Water

Years ago, this incredibly eco-friendly and efficient system caught the attention of the region’s leading nonprofit specializing in raising awareness of water quality-WasteWater Education, based in Traverse City-and leaders from both organizations have enjoyed a great working relationship ever since.

Flash forward to now. When WasteWater Education was seeking a grand prize for its “2012-13 Annual Operating Support Fund Raising Raffle” The Homestead wanted to help.

There’s only one prize and 200,000 tickets available in a raffle to win a whole week’s lodging for up to four people at Stony Brook Lodge, plus a generous meals package and guests choice of golf or winter sports tickets. Cost to enter is just $25 per ticket, money that goes toward operating income for WasteWater Education and their efforts to provide education and increase public awareness when it comes to about the link between clean drinking water, safe recreational waters and the best management practices related to appropriate wastewater systems.

Deadline for entering is . For raffle tickets and more information, check out www.wastewatereducation.org/supportus.html.

Extreme Gardening: World-Wide Initiative Has Leelanau County Roots

The inspiration borrows from popular quote: Give a person food and they’ll eat for a day. Teach a person to garden and they’ll eat for a lifetime.

From the jungles of Central America to the inner cities of Metro Detroit, Buckets of Rain is an international organization that teaches people simple ways to grow healthy food absolutely anywhere. Check out how one local musician is helping tackle the problem of hunger, one garden at a time.

Empire’s Chris Skellenger is a man of many talents: singer, songwriter, international vegetable grower…Say what?

Fans of the northern Michigan music scene know Skellenger, now 56, as a solo performer and one of the original members of the Third Coast band. What’s lesser known is that Skellenger is even more accomplished with a shovel than he is with a guitar.

Have Bucket, Will Travel

Up until four years ago, Skellenger and his wife, Sisan, owned a successful Leelanau County nursery and landscaping business (North Coast Nursery). Always experimenting with more cost-effective ways to grow plants and vegetables, the Skellengers perfected a drip bucket irrigation system that utilized “gray water” (water that has already been used for washing or cooking) after reading an article on the topic in Guideposts magazine.

“A bucket kit costs around seven dollars and the system uses virtually no rain water,” explains Skellenger. “Hoses connected to the bottom of the bucket run through rows of plants, and each plane receives water from tiny openings in the hose that drip a drop at a time.”

Inspired by the notion that there were hunger people in the world who could really use this simple invention, Skellenger says he and his wife perfected the system and founded a non-profit. In the seven years since, the Skellengers have traveled four times to Africa (as well as Guatemala, Belize and Honduras) to teach hungry people how to install gray water bucket irrigation systems in their parched gardens so they can eat vegetables, not just grain.

“When people are healthy they don’t develop a culture of hopelessness,” says Skellenger, who believes teaching people how to provide a plentiful source of food that is safe and nutritious works to empower individuals and entire communities.

Bringing It Home

Now his organization, Buckets of Rain, has turned its attention to poverty and hunger problems closer to home, namely the inner cities of Flint and Detroit where Skellenger says there’s an obvious need for food security and social rebuilding.

“Partnering with the Cass Community Social Services (and Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries), we are tackling the challenge of growing as many vegetables as we can for their food kitchens,” Skellenger told the Glen Arbor Sun earlier this year. “These programs serve one million meals per year. This will save the Project big money as city water is expensive.”

Since last May, Buckets of Rain organizers and volunteers have planted over 30,000 square feet of self serve, community gardens open to food kitchens and any neighborhood resident interested in stopping to pick squash, tomatoes, greens or whatever is ripe. Utilizing old parking lots and factory buildings abandoned by GM during their late-’80s exodus from Metro Detroit, Skellenger is planning to develop another 20,000 square feet of inner-city gardens starting in the spring of 2013.

Skellenger predicts that 80-percent of his time will be spent directing gardening efforts in southern Michigan next year. He also says he’s always on the lookout for help. If you’re interested in finding out more about how Buckets of Rain is feeding poor in Detroit, in Latin America and African check out the organization on Facebook or their website Buckets of Rain.

The Pressure-Free Valentine’s Date

If you’re a woman, date night on Valentine’s Day is the measure by which all other romantic evenings are judged. If you’re a man, you probably think Valentine’s Day is an overblown and expensive Hallmark holiday on which you never cease to disappoint.

The Homestead has the solution: Go early, go long and celebrate with the best food and wine northern Michigan has to offer. Check out this special, pre-Valentine’s Day event coming to The Homestead on February 1st.

Last month The Dating Report, an online source for dating ideas and advice, offered four tips to place a Valentine’s Day evening that makes everyone feel happy, loved and “in the mood.”

Planning a double date with friends and discussing with your partner a realistic ceiling on the cost and romantic scope of gifts are all good advice. Interestingly, however, nowhere do they mention “beating the Valentine’s Day crowd.” In other words, if you didn’t already make February 14th reservations for your favorite restaurant you’re Love Boat might already be sunk. And that’s where The Homestead comes in.

Celebrate Early? Why Not?

On February 1st, The Homestead will team up with the Glen Arbor Art Association and the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners’ Association to kickoff the LPVA’s “Taste The Passion Weekend“.

This invitational exhibit will feature eight area artists, wine from the LPVA, and delectable small plates. Come for the evening or get tickets and stay for the entire weekend celebration of wine, food and optional winter and Valentine-theme activities at the wineries along the Leelanau County Wine Trail.

A pre-reservation for the Friday night, GAAA Art in Wine Country exhibit costs just $20 a person. This includes access to the gallery, one glass of wine, small plates menu and coffee. Additional wine is available for $4/glass or three glasses for $10. Pre-purchase deadline is January 30. Will call tickets are available at the door. Or purchase tickets on the night of the event for $25 per person with afterglow entertainment at Beppi’s in The Village.

The Homestead’s “Taste the Passion” couples weekend package includes two nights lodging, tickets to Friday nights Art in Wine Country event at The Homestead, and two tickets to the Taste the Passion wine trail event Saturday and Sunday. Rates are from $74 per person per night without skiing, and from $104 per person per night with skiing. Call 231.334.5100 for more information, to get tickets or to make your reservation.