Up North / Up North Blog

There’s just something about a hike or bike ride on your favorite trail to clear your mind, calm your soul, and re-energize your spirit. And in Northern Michigan, we are blessed with an abundance of outdoor opportunities. Whether venturing out to the trails and beaches snaking through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore or hiking and biking your way through the surrounding counties, you will be rewarded with spectacular vistas, majestic birds and animals, sweet fresh air, and a peacefulness you won’t soon forget.

Below are three of our favorite spots, courtesy of our Marketing team. Happy hiking and biking!

Lisa Wozniak's voice is a familiar one amidst the growing conversation about land, water, and air protection in our beloved Great Lakes State. The executive director of the

Nels Veliquette is a second generation cherry farmer, the C.F.O. of Cherry Ke and Cherries R Us, and for the last decade, a vital partner of Cherry Republic. The Veliquette family owns and leases thousands of acres of cherry orchards in Northern Michigan. They are fully integrated farmers, meaning they pick, pit and store all of the cherries they grow.

Dr. Nikki Rothwell's name and reputation are well known among Michigan fruit farmers and, frankly, to anyone who likes to stay abreast of the health of our area's cherry crop. For the past 15+ years, Nikki has been the face of the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center (NWMHRC) as the District's Integrated Pest Management Agent for Fruit. In 2010 she was named NWMHRC Coordinator and District Extension Horticulture Educator — splitting her responsibilities between the Michigan Agricultural Research Station and Michigan State University Extension.