Modified from story written by William J. Purpura and originally appeared in AAA's Home & Away magazine.

One of America’s memorable entertainers has his heart pinned on the Wolverine State. It is a chilly night and Ann Arbor is wrapped tightly in a bone-drilling early-winter blanket of cold. Inside the Blind Pig, though, upstate New Yorker Julia Nunes has the heat cranked up as she delivers husky-voiced sets of rock vocals to an adoring college-age crowd.

As good and edgy as Nunes is, she’s no Ann Arbor anomaly. The city’s bars, theaters, art studios and restaurant kitchens are teeming with her kind of explosive talent, which explains why southeast Michigan is such a draw for those in search of all things artful. ... Read More

While my job has afforded me the opportunity to travel to many unique, exotic and interesting places around the country, none have been as cool and adventurous as my recent trip to the Rock Harbor Lodge (One Diamond). The lodge is located in the Isle Royale National Park off the coast of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The fun started  with a 65mile flight over Lake Superior on a small single engine seaplane that seats six, including the pilot. Before boarding the tiny plane, the pilot boldly asked each of the passengers their weight.... Read More

As I got off the plane at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, I had no idea what to expect of this small, sleepy town in northern Michigan where my mom and step-dad reside. The online reviews I read stated that Traverse City was a “foodie” town, but can you really trust those faceless online reviewers? In this case, the town lived up to the hype.

After I got settled in, my mom, step-dad and my step-dad’s brother-in-law Bab from Detroit (his name is actually Bob, but we call him Bab because that’s what “Bob” sounds like when a local pronounces it) took me downtown.... Read More

I was doing some inspections recently in Frankenmuth, famous for being Michigan’s “Little Bavaria.” I had been here before, and had always found it to be charming. The winding main street of the town is lined with wood and stucco Bavarian-style chalets, and the Cass River runs in a “U” shape right through the center of the town which makes for some lovely park space and gorgeous river views from many of the hotel rooms.... Read More

Question: Charlotte Ross asks: We'd like to drive from Kansas City to Lake Michigan.  Any suggestions on where to go that would be about a day's drive (8-12 hours) and have a good beach and things for us to do with my 8 year old grandson?
 
Answer: Vickie Sievert-Leclerc, business support consultant at the AAA office in Dearborn, Mich. says: You will find many beautiful white, sandy beaches anywhere between Muskegon and Ludington, Mich. ... Read More