Recent Blog Posts

It’s time to hit the slopes! Ski lovers wait for this all year long – the white stuff + a long weekend = heaven! Here are a couple of downhill ski options not far from Petoskey to checkout.  And while you’re here, be sure to spend a little of your time off the slopes walking be...
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Photo by Kristina Lishawa Photography. Look for these winter wonders December through March It’s the thrill of a lifetime – spotting the prominent white plume of a snowy owl, either on the wing or perched up high on a tree branch. And, guess what? It’s finally our time of year to see th...
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You may be aware that Michigan’s birthday is coming up. January 26 marks our state’s 186th anniversary, which is pretty impressive. However, did you know there’s another day dedicated to The Mitten State? Since 2017, the National Day Calendar has celebrated each state in the order in w...
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The slang is just plain fun:  Do you have a fatty?  It’s fatty weather!  Let’s rent some fatties! Fat bikes are all the rage and for good reason. These bikes are outfitted with wide tires and knobby tread that roll through everything – mud, sand and snow. And wi...
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Every year, Grandpa Shorters delivers mail to Santa that boys and girls put in the red mailbox in front of Grandpa Shorters Gifts during November and December. Here are some letters from Christmas 2022. Dear Santa, My name is Dakota and I am 6 years old. This year I have been very nice. F...
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The holiday season is rife with traditions, whether unique family customs and rituals or ones in which the populace at large partakes. Perhaps you bake a special kind of cookie or watch your favorite holiday movies with friends and loved ones every December. Maybe, like my family, you chop down...
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What a wonderful time of year – pots simmering, roasts roasting and families gathering. And the perfect time to learn something new to bring to your family’s holiday meals! Here’s a look at what’s “cooking” in Petoskey, from in-person to virtual cooking classes to recipes and dip mi...
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You’re probably familiar with our handsome mascot—Carlos—the moderately tall, dark, and handsome black bear who stands outside our door and greets you. Carlos, whose name comes from Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts patriarch Carl Shorter, aka Carlos to his friends, has been with us for nearly tw...
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They are local lore, a national mystery, and just plain fun. They are Bigfoots. Do they exist? And have there been any sightings near Petoskey? Everything we found was hearsay, but oh-so-fun. Read on… What is Bigfoot?Bigfoot or “sasquatch” (which means “wild man”) is a “large, ha...
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Don’t you just love the spooky season? All the orange, black, and creepy decor around every corner? The big bags of candy for trick-or-treaters? And listening to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at least half a dozen times before October draws to a close? We thought so.  The lead-up...
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