Bay Books in Suttons Bay

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures: 

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach  [A Heartland Indie Bestseller]

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk   [Winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award] 

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure  [Long-listed for the Chautauqua Prize]

 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

I love a good indie bookstore, and I'm always thrilled when a new one opens near me.

Bay Books opened this May in the lovely town of Suttons Bay. This community has been without a bookstore for several years, so this is an important addition to the stores there. 

BAY BOOKS, 419 N Saint Joseph Street, Suttons Bay, Michigan 

[I don't know about you, but I need to visit a bookstore when I'm exploring a town!]

Tina Greene-Bevington (L) owner of Bay Books and Me (R)

The store has a homey vibe since it is housed in a former house. Books are shelved in several rooms and you can wander from room to room. 

Nicely curated selection of books

Notice the small sign on top of shelf that reads: 'SWEAT IS FAT CRYING'

The front room is where the great selection of children's books are kept. 

Children's books in front room

I found a great book for a gift, and Tina said she'd order and stock a book I asked about 

(Florida a short story collection 

by Lauren Groff).

After reading about Groff's work as she ordered the books, Tina got as excited as I was about the new book. Indie bookstore owners and workers have such passion about their stores and for literature. 

Next time you're in Suttons Bay, stop in at Bay Books. Next door to Martha's Table restaurant.

Inland Seas Schoolship

The Inland Seas Education Association has been in Suttons Bay for 25 years.

The mission of this organization is:

Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people of all ages experience the science and spirit of the Great Lakes through hands-on, experiential learning activities aboard a traditionally-rigged tall ship schooner. The knowledge gained through these experiences will provide the education, understanding, and commitment needed for the long-term stewardship of the Great Lakes. 

The Schoolship at full sail (photo courtesy of ISEA Facebook Page)

This year, the Schoolship took its 100,000th student out on the water! 

WOW!

Kids help haul sails

Pulling up the trawl net

I had time this month to get out on the Schoolship and watch the students learn about the lake.




While on a Schoolship cruise, the students help cast and haul an otter trawl net that gathers fish and other creatures from the lake. They also help hoist the sails. They take the temperature of the lake at the surface and at the bottom. Then, they pull up lake sediment.

Students explore lake life

The students rotate through stations that allow them to fully explore the lake as the ship sails Suttons Bay.

Red worms live in the lake sediment

A crayfish stands on a round goby

Students study microscopic life in the lake: zooplankton and phytoplankton

ISEA's Schoolship is a wonderful way for students to connect with these vital, fresh waters.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 2

Unexpected Gifts of the BOOK TOUR

There are so many things to occupy everyone's time and energies these days, so seeing people file in to a bookstore or science museum, take a seat, and look up at ME waiting to hear about my adventure and my book...well, I consider that a gift.

And people have been exceedingly generous in their attendance and attentions at the beginning of my book tour these last few weeks. Most of my events have been packed and if anyone straggles in a little late, they've had to stand along the back wall. I am humbled and grateful for this response to my work.

Another thing that people have gifted to me has been THEIR stories of Lake Michigan. Sometimes they even bring a map and photos from their hikes and strolls along the shoreline (like in these two photos).

I met up with a couple in Suttons Bay who even brought along a photo collage of their walks to give to me. Jan and Bill Heston have walked many miles of my favorite stretch of shore from Frankfort north past their home in Glen Arbor.

The Hestons are a lively couple and they came to both of my events in Suttons Bay. A double gift of their presence and questions and smiles.




I had a meeting with Coryn Briggs who is the Director of Marketing for Black Star Farms. She brought her daughter to our breakfast meeting and the little girl quietly colored a picture of a birthday cake while her mother and I chatted.

When the meeting was over, the little girl solemnly gave me the picture of the cake! Since my kids are now 18 and 21, there is plenty of room on my fridge for this festive drawing!

At my first appearance for my book, Jessilyn (owner of Petoskey's wonderful McLean & Eakin Booksellers), was so intrigued with the section in my book entitled "Fascination with roadkill" that she gave me a copy of Roger M. Knutson's Flattened Fauna.

Needless to say, I was charmed by Mr. Knutson's cheeky treatment of roadkill. So charmed that I sent him a copy of MY book and he sent me a card which proves I am now a LIFELONG member of the society that counts and classifies roadkill.

Fantastic.

One of the people who attended my reading at McLean & Eakin brought me a pair of mittens that she had made. To keep your hands warm while you hike she said>>>

I was touched.

After discussing our mutual love of Bill Bryson's work, Lynn (owner of Great Lakes Book & Supply in Big Rapids) gave me a copy of In a Sunburned Country which I had not yet read.






I think it is a rare and special thing to return from a book tour so enriched by all these gifts.

Thank you all, and I look forward to meeting many more fans of Lake Michigan and good books (like Mr. Bryson's and Mr. Knutson's) along the way.



My sister Leslie joined me on the first leg of my book tour. This is a photo of us on the shores of Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey>>>

Keep checking my author appearances in the sidebar here or on my website: LakeTrek.com

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 1

Beginning of Book Tour

Revisiting the Lake Trek: Segment 6

This segment spanned the 147 miles between Suttons Bay and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It included both the Grand Traverse and Little Traverse Bays, and Fisherman's Island State Park and Wilderness State Park.

I reached the half way point of the trek on this segment, reaching 500 miles within sight of the Mighty Mac Bridge.

Some of the most interesting geology was on this segment in Antrim County where there is an enormous deposit of shale. I was joined along part of this county by Gerry and her two fun dogs, Miss Sadie and the Cowboy.

Then, my college friend, Rick, joined me for a few hours along Little Traverse Bay.

Near Cross Village, I saw the biggest collection of zebra mussel shells tossed up on the beach and bleached almost completely white by the sun.

Note: You may want to press the 'play' button, then pause it and let it completely load before resuming play. This will allow it to play smoothly.

You can find all videos from the Lake Trek on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/lniewenhuis

Walk with me:

Revisiting the Lake Trek: Segment 5

This segment spanned the 105 miles between Ludington and Suttons Bay, Michigan. It included the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one of my favorite stretches of lakeshore. You can truly see the hand of the glacier here.

I hiked this segment alone and did some camping along the way. Note the serious backpack.

Note: You may want to press the 'play' button, then pause it and let it completely load before resuming play. This will allow it to play smoothly.

You can find all videos from the Lake Trek on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/lniewenhuis

Walk with me:

Independent Bookstores Near the Lighthouse

I had the opportunity to visit two independent bookstores during the week I was volunteering at the lighthouse. Brilliant Books, in Suttons Bay, was a store that I had stopped in while on the Lake Trek. This time, I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Peter Makin. We had a nice chat about his store and independent bookstores in general.

Brilliant Books was running a book fair while I was there. A percentage of the proceeds were going to local schools. At a time when Michigan's economy is struggling and school budgets are being slashed to the bone (and beyond), it was encouraging to know that Brilliant Books was pitching in to help local schools.

Peter also invited me back to do a reading and book signing during their Friday Night Series at Brilliant Books. I'm honored to be asked, and will look forward to being part of this series next year after my book has been published.

And then I stopped in at Dog Ears Books in Northport. There I met Pamela and her dog (whom I assume is the 'Dog' in the 'Dog Ears' title). This store has a large collection of used and new books and I found a signed copy of Jerry Dennis' It's Raining Frogs and Fishes.

I'm a big fan of Jerry Dennis' work, so it was great to hold this out-of-print title, then take it home with me.

Segment 6, Day 1 Suttons Bay->Traverse City 12 miles

High of 57, rainy.

This was the first day where I walked through some heavy rain, but it only lasted for the first hour of this day's walk. The shoreline south from Suttons Bay to Traverse City is marshy and rocky, so I had to walk on the road that skirts the West Traverse Bay. There were many times where I had a good view of Old Mission Peninsula which bisects the bay.

The rain had cleared off by the time I reached Traverse City. It was great to return to the Lake Trek, and it is in this segment that I will reach the halfway point (500 miles) in my journey.

Inland Seas Education Center

Segment 6 began up in Suttons Bay. Before I began walking, I stopped in at the Inland Seas Education Center to meet the director, Tom Kelly, and the center's dedicated staff. This group has the following mission:

"Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people of all ages experience the science and spirit of the Great Lakes through shipboard and on-shore programs. The knowledge gained through these experiences will provide the leadership, understanding and commitment needed for the long-term stewardship of the Great Lakes."

The organization has a 77 foot schooner designed for their mission. They can take groups of 30 school kids out onto the lake to study things like the pH of water, zooplankton, invasive species, and stewardship of the lakes. The center also has an onland facility with interactive displays.

I was so impressed with this organization and their work. Find out more at: www.schoolship.org

Black Star Farms: An Agricultural Destination

Usually, my brother drops me at the lake, then picks me up at the end of the segment and drives me home. At the end of Segment 5, though, the distance from home had elongated to the point that it made sense for us to stay the night, then head home the next day. I wanted to treat Phil (and myself) to a nice place after this

longest segment so far, so I made a reservation at Black Star Farms.

This unique property has an inn, an equestrian

center, a tasting room, a creamery, gardens, orchards, vineyards, and some farm animals. It bills itself as ‘An

Agricultural Destination’ where guests can watch cheese being made, taste the products of the vine, and eat an amazing breakfast direct from farm to table. This may make it seem like a busy place, it was actually the most relaxing place I’ve ever stayed.

I had a long, inland hike in over 80 degree weather to reach Suttons Bay, and when I finally got off route 22 and turned into the driveway of Black Star Farms -- bordered by a terraced vineyard and shaded by large trees -- I felt my pack lighten on my sore shoulders. I walked the curving drive up to the stables and the red inn. Several horses noted my arrival by raising their heads before resuming grazing. Maybe they hadn’t seen people arrive on foot.

Inside the inn, the marbled foyer was much cooler than outside, and Kellie, the manager, greeted me and showed me to my room so I could drop off my backpack. Then she showed me the rest of the small inn (including the stash of cookies in the breakfast room and the Jacuzzi/sauna room upstairs). I grabbed a cookie and returned to my room to sink into my own Jacuzzi tub. When I emerged and slipped on the sumptuous robe in my room, I felt reborn and ready to explore the rest of the property.

Phil arrived and we visited some of the horses before strolling to the tasting room. Guests of the inn are able to sample wines for free and also get a sample of the mild raclette cheese produced in the creamery housed behind glass in the tasting building. Phil and I worked our way through the whites and reds and then sipped at the dessert wines and even tried some of the spirits distilled there. The wines, overall, were quite good. Phil loved the Riesling. The Sirius Maple Dessert Wine was a unique flavor we had not experienced before. When our server mentioned that she used it to finish her grilled salmon and even poured it over vanilla ice cream, we thought it brilliant and purchased several bottles.

We had dinner in nearby Traverse City (the inn will soon begin serving dinner on the weekends, but didn’t when we were there), then returned to our room and a wonderfully restful night. In the morning, we had a delicious gourmet breakfast featuring a fresh vegetable torta with herbed crème fresh circling the wedge of egg and veggie delight (all of the ingredients came from the property). It was topped with two slices of cherry wood smoked bacon that were so perfect they continue to haunt me.

Don Coe, managing partner of Black Star, joined us at our breakfast table and spoke about what he and his partners were trying to accomplish with this idyllic place, the marriage of agriculture and tourism, the offering of ‘An Agricultural Destination.’ And the concept of ‘adding value’ to products from the farm. For example, instead of trying to compete with other maple syrup producers in the region, they add their syrup to the unique dessert wine we had tasted the night before.

After a few minutes with Don, you realize that he is a bit of a visionary. He’s retired from the corporate world and could have just relaxed, but, instead, has helped build Black Star Farms into a place that now employs 30 people, preserves the land for agriculture (it almost got sold off for a subdivision before becoming Black Star), and supports ancillary businesses (the creamery and farm market).

It is a place where you can relax and feel connected to the land once again, relax and stroll the many acres of hiking trails on the property, relax and watch the fruits of the land and farm be gleaned and transformed for your consumption, or merely relax and relax.

Segment 5 Complete!

Segment 5 took me from Ludington to Suttons Bay, May 14-20. It mapped out at 107 miles and took 7 days. A gear mishap on day one of this segment necessitated me omitting some miles from Ludington to Manistee. I will head back north this coming week to cover those missed miles.

I passed the 350 mile mark in the trek, and the total now stands at 355.

The lake has a wild side and I got my first real taste of it in this segment. There were bobcat tracks and deer who had been taken down by a larger predator. While camping in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore I heard owls and coyotes and deer and one extremely loud raccoon.

I visited one new bookstore in this segment. Check out the link for Brilliant Books in beautiful Suttons Bay. And I stopped in at The Bookstore in Frankfort again.

UPDATE: On June 3, I went up to Manistee and covered the missing 18 miles between Manistee and Ludington.

Segment 5, Day 7 Leland->Suttons Bay 13 miles

High of 86 degrees!

This was by far the warmest day of the Lake Trek so far. And, since I was running out of time on this segment, I had to cut across the Leelanau Peninsula instead of hugging the shore to the tip and then back down. I was sorry to miss the town of Northport, and hope to get back to this lovely area in the fall to cover these miles if time allows.

The first photo here is of Lake Leelanau (the north portion), the second photo is where I crossed between the north and south parts of the lake at the narrows.

I stopped in at Brilliant Books in Suttons Bay. This bookstore had a great selection of Great Lakes books. And, even though I had to carry it for several more miles, I bought a book that I had not seen anywhere else.

This segment ended just south of the town of Suttons Bay at the Inn at Black Star farms. I'll post about this idyllic place soon.