Do you have a backyard? How about young kids? Are you constantly picking up their toys or just running them over with the lawnmower out of frustration? It may not be as hopeless as you think, especially when you consider the alternative. Plus, it’s a place you can go and see dozens of bears in their natural habitat. It’s not a zoo, by any means, and it’s definitely worth the hike to the U.P. for it.Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

It takes a lot longer. It’s a throwback. But for some, drying their clothes outside is a quiet luxury. Yet in certain places, it’s actually against the rules. You can guess which ones. Plus, the hidden lesson in the tiny town of Mecosta about cultural renewal. It’s the home of an intellectual giant you may have never heard of, but his life’s work has probably influenced American life for decades.Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

Are you one of those who obsess over the perfect lawn? Do you need every blade of grass to be cut the same height? Do you mow more than once a week? Then the front and back yards of Northern Michigan may give you heart palpitations. O.W. let’s it go natural. Plus, did you know they were still skiing up at Boyne Mountain in May? The surreal experience of hitting the slopes in t-shirts and shorts makes for a wild ride!Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

It was literally just like the scene from the Seinfeld Episode. O.W. shows up to rent a car with a reservation, but there are no cars. What in the name of Cosmo Kramer is going on with these rental companies? Plus, if you've ever wanted to visit the Hobbit's Shire from Lord of the Rings in real life, the closest place in the U.S. is in Charlevoix. That's where an architect liked to design and build homes, but didn't much care for rules.Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

It’s spectacular Up North when the weather finally starts getting warm. But it comes with a price - millions and millions of bugs. This year, O.W. is arming up to fight off these six-legged invaders, chemicals be damned! Plus, two big construction projects in Petoskey have different clientele. One keeps the town going, the other want to turn it into Traverse City.Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

What's worse than losing your home in a flood? Some victims in the Cheboygan area are finding out the damage isn't covered by insurance. They needed flood insurance, but were they even eligible to buy it? Plus, a legendary tale of frontier Michigan, the day a man fought a bear. There were no survivors, but the story has endured to this day in Devereaux Lake.Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

When was the last time you used a power tool or a kitchen gadget that was older than you are? How about older than your parents? O.W.’s mother has an electric juicer that predates them both, and says volumes about the way things used to be built to last. Plus, Ludington needs a road diet. It’s main drag downtown is way to wide for this cozy community. It’s picturesque view of the lake is overshadowed by a mass of ugly concrete.Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

As the sunshine and warm temperatures finally start hitting up north, so do the floods. That enormous amount of snow this winter has melted, overwhelming riverbanks and dams in Northern Michigan. Of the many casualties, the Tunnel of Trees in Cross Village. But not all of nature is menacing. Behold the great migration of the blue-spotted salamander in Marquette. It’s an event that brings out those elusive creatures who burrow away all winter … and also the salamanders!Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

Springtime up north can sometimes feel like having Stockholm Syndrome. It conditions you into accepting anything that is "not winter" is therefore, beautiful. That's why mud can become a welcoming sight after months of snow and ice. Then there's the case of the 500-Pound Man-Eating Clam of Northern Michigan. You can see it up close, but only if you dare!Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com

If you're wondering when the off season is Up North, this is it. No, it's not warm enough for the beaches or about half of the activities that people come up north for, but there are places, like The Perry, where you can snag a heck of a vacation deal. Plus, O.W. takes you to a place where digital doesn't exist. It's a bar that plays nothing but vinyl records. You won't find a TV blaring sports or news, just old school jams being played as God intended.Discover more at Michigan EnjoyerFollow O.W. Root on X: @necktiesalvage This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michiganenjoyer.substack.com