“Singing In Michigan’s North Country”…Part I

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What fun!! We’re well into the first part of what has become for us our annual “Northern Tour.”  We’ve had an incredible time so far! The end of last week was very busy for us with four gigs in three days…and we enjoyed every minute of it.  We have so much we want to share with you, so here we go!

Cadillac Area Sunset, 25 June 2013

Cadillac Area Sunset, 25 June 2013
(Click on any of the pictures for a larger view)

Howard Street: Taking the back way across Petoskey.

Howard Street: Taking the back way across Petoskey.

Dusk at Petoskey State Park

Petoskey State Park at dusk

We started heading up north on Tuesday evening.  We figured we’d make it a leisurely drive, enjoy the scenery, and reach Petoskey by around 11:00 pm.  By the time we reached Cadillac the sun was setting and we were treated to a breathtaking sunset.  Shari grabbed the camera and caught some great pictures of it through the windows of our rig.

We arrived in Petoskey right on schedule, got the rig set up, and relaxed a bit before turning in for the night.

When we got up the next morning we decided we’d spend the day working at the beach, so we headed to Petoskey State Park to prepare for our next three days.

Once there, we got our guitars out, went over some songs and worked out our set lists for the upcoming concerts. We also made up a couple of main dishes, with plenty of extra, so we wouldn’t have to do much cooking over the next few days.

Even though the day included a fair amount of activity, it was still a day of rest and renewal, which we’ve found, for us, to be one of the most important  aspects  of  preparation!

On Thursday afternoon we put the guitars  in  the  car  and  drove  into

Bay Bluffs, Harbor Springs, Michigan

Bay Bluffs, Harbor Springs, Michigan

Singing in Front of Mary Ann Archer, Harbor Springs, Michigan

Singing in Front of Mary Ann Archer, Harbor Springs, Michigan

Harbor Springs for the first of two gigs we had that day.  We were scheduled for a performance at Bay  Bluffs  Medical  Care  Facility. While we thoroughly enjoy singing at summer concerts, festivals and other public venues, our day work with the seniors means so much to us and is especially rewarding.  The staff and folks at Bay Bluffs were great and really made us feel welcome.

After our program we packed everything up and went back to the motor home for a brief break before heading into downtown Harbor Springs, where we were scheduled to sing for their “Street Musique” series.  The forecast called for a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms and the clouds did indeed look threatening.  When we got to our spot in front of Mary Ann Archer Jewelry, a young lady came up to us saying that the radar showed “a big patch of red” coming our way.  But looking at the sky, we felt it might all go north of us.  We decided to go ahead on faith and set up.

This is our third year as performers for Street Musique in Harbor Springs and it’s always a pleasure to sing there. The people have always been good to us, and Thursday’s attendees were no exception.  It was fun to also see some of the staff and people who had been at Bay Bluffs earlier in the day stopping by to see us again.  We sang for two hours with hardly a break, but the time flew by.  There were lots of smiles, and throughout the evening young and old alike listened, sang along, and danced to the music.

We met a delightful couple who gracefully danced to a few of our tunes.

We met a delightful couple who gracefully danced to a few of our tunes.

As our time came to an end, we gave a prayer of thanks that the rainy weather had indeed gone north of us, with not even a drop of rain falling on those of us downtown. We packed up our instruments and equipment for the second time that day. We were tired, but excited and charged up by the day’s events. A late night dinner invitation from a favorite relative topped off the evening, and was the perfect ending for a perfect day!  We went home eagerly anticipating the next two nights’ performances.  And that’s where we’ll pick up the story in our next post. Stay tuned!       -Wyatt & Shari

Stops Along the Way…North Star Brick Oven Bakery

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Click on the pictures to see bigger ones.

Click to see bigger pictures.

One of the perks of our “wandering minstrel” lifestyle is the opportunities we get to visit with interesting people we meet along the way.  We both love exploring, so we really try to make sure to take the time to stop if something catches our eye.  We seized one such opportunity while working in Michigan’s upper Peninsula near the town of Paradise last summer.  We were on our way to Munising, and were just south of the Tahquamenon Falls on M-123, when a sign caught our eye: North Star Brick Oven Bakery.  We have quite an appreciation for artisan breads, and the place looked so inviting back there off the road nestled against the treeline.

We parked the car, stepped inside and were greeted by Joanne Behm.  She and her husband, Paul, run the bakery. They are a friendly couple and conversation was easy.   Soon we were touring the little bakery and gift shop and learning about life as artisan bread bakers.

The Behms pride themselves on the quality of the breads they make and the ingredients they use.  Their breads are leavened using natural starters, and some of their breads are made with a yeast that is indigenous to the upper peninsula. In addition, they use clean, clear well water and don’t add any preservatives or chemicals.

North Star's Brick Oven

North Star’s Brick Oven

We were surprised to learn there’s no electricity to the area in which they run their business, so Joanne and Paul have become very creative about how to make things work pretty much off the grid.  For instance, they mill their organically grown wheat by hand using a 50- year-old vintage hand-cranked mill! Shari and I have an affinity for the use of vintage tools and processes, so that was right up our alley! In fact, we had fun talking about how we have an antique hand-cranked bread making machine.  It was manufactured by Frary and Clark around 1900 and can make up to six loaves at a time!  We also grind our coffee beans with an antique coffee mill. So our love of the use of traditional methods was something we had in common.

Joanne and Paul’s appreciation of traditional methods also extends to the way they bake. Paul designed and built the brick oven they use for baking their breads.  Before the loaves are put in, the oven is heated by a hardwood fire. When the oven reaches the proper temperature for baking, the coals are raked out, and in go the loaves.  The firebrick retains the heat while the bread bakes, and out come unique beautifully crafted and baked breads.  On the day we went they had several kinds from which to choose.  Hmmm…apple oat, parmesian oregano, cheddar onion, cracked wheat, or country harvest?  We went with a fresh loaf of sourdough.

nsbakeryWe ended our visit back in the front room where we spent some time perusing the gifts and handcrafted items for sale which were displayed against rustic appointments that included an antique stove. Shari found a couple of nicely scented soy candles she wanted to buy.  With our purchases complete we said goodbye to Joanne and Paul. We continued on our way, all the while looking forward to the toasted slices of sourdough bread with butter we‘d be eating later, and feeling grateful for “stops along the way.”                -Wyatt

Firing up the Wayback Machine…

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Click on the pictures for a larger view.

I’ve been thinking back on the last three years since we put all our stuff in storage, bought our Minnie Winnie and started our new life as wandering minstrels and authors. That first year we were learning how the “dry camping” and “boondocking” thing worked for the various places in Michigan where we would stay.  You soon find out which big box stores are friendly to overnight parking and where to find places to empty tanks, get propane cheap, and fill up with fresh water.  It’s gotten to be so we know how to “work” most of the places in the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan where we ply our craft.

Our prime spot at the beach!

Our prime spot at the beach!

That first summer we spent a lot of time at Holland State Park during the day.  We’d get there very early in the morning, claim our spot, put out the awning and spend the day at the beach. As evening approached and our day’s work was done, we’d take a quick swim, get the motor home travel ready, and then sit out in the sand in our lounge chairs and watch the sun set over the wide expanse of the big lake   We’d try hard not to blink at the very second it disappeared below the horizon so we could try to see the famous “green flash.”

Holland, Michigan Sunset

Holland, Michigan Sunset

It was that same summer that Shari really put our situation into perspective when she looked at  me with an expression born of epiphany and said, “Wyatt!  We live in a motor home!  We’re driving ten miles a day back and forth to the beach. We can do our work anywhere. Why not take those miles and work our way north and see where we end up?”  All at once we were inspired by this fresh approach to the hours of laboring on phone calls, developing promotional material and wrestling with computers and printers.  We could pick our work environment.  We were in charge!  And instead of driving back and forth between our dry camping spot and the beach, we could just pick a direction and go.

Orchard Beach Campground, gateway to M22.

Orchard Beach Campground, gateway to M22.

So we decided to inch our way up the western coast of Michigan, following US 31 and M-22 much of the way. We found ourselves traveling through quaint little towns and some of the most breath-takingly beautiful hilly and rugged scenery.  Some of the towns had banners up advertising summer concerts, and we began leaving our promotional material with them as we passed through.  We would find a scenic place or state park along the way where we could spend the day and work. It was our mini “blue highways” trip, and established what became our annual “northern tour”.

Thinking back on all of this gets the two of us excited about sharing stories from the last few years, so our future posts are bound to include a few trips in the “wayback machine.”  So if you’re ready–hang on!  Let’s see where we land!                        -Wyatt