- [Tom] On this episode of "UTR," we travel to Traverse City for a sudsy dog day afternoon, cool fall colors, a legacy art park and an earthen satellite full of ales.

We'll even set sail with Native American tales.

Get ready to explore the cool people, places, and things that make Traverse City terrific.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls auto collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines, dating back 150 years, that must be seen and heard.

Info at StahlsAuto.com.

(upbeat music) - I've been around the world.

But there's one place I keep coming back to.

And the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin, and this is "Under The Radar Michigan."

(upbeat music) (screen whooshing) Well, we're back with more reasons why people absolutely love Traverse City.

And it's not just the people that live here.

People come here from around the world to enjoy this place.

I guess the secret's out.

- [Off-Screen Voice] Thanks a lot!

- Sorry about that.

Not really.

Yep, Traverse City is continually ranked one of the best places to live, work, play in the entire US of A!

It's a cool, cultural cosmopolitan community that's smack dab in the middle of paradise.

Why do you think we've been here so many times on the show?

I mean, heck, we've sailed beautiful Grand Traverse Bay, quaffed Michigan's best at world-class wineries, walked the wondrous woods, fat tire biked back trails, toured an uncommon historic village, played putt-putt like a pirate, and even stayed and played at a five-star resort.

And don't even get me started about the food.

You'll find an endless array of eatable adventures in Traverse City.

From bona fide Bubbies Bagels, and a food truck town, to a chef-inspired cook's house, Rare Bird Brewery and cherry pie pleasing places, the foodie in you will wonder why the heck you don't live here.

Yep, I'd say that everything you need for quintessential Michigan quality of life is all around you.

The entire city is walkable and full of the kinds of creative shops, sights and special events that will entertain even the biggest brain.

And no matter the season or the reason for your visit, you'll feel like you're on vacation the whole time you're here.

It really is that kind of place.

So get ready, 'cause you're about to be in what we call TC.

Traverse City is located in northwest lower Michigan, right on the shores of beautiful Grand Traverse Bay.

(screen whooshing) Now, when you're sitting at home having a frosty cold Michigan-made adult malted beverage, is your dog your best drinking buddy?

Well, guess what?

Now when you go out, you don't have to leave 'em home!

That's right, thanks to Joy and Dan Goodchild, now, when you go out to enjoy a brew or two, you can share your relaxed time with the most social mammal in the entire animal kingdom.

Your dog.

Yep, here at K&A Hop Dogs, while you're erasing the stress of the day, your furry friends can come and play.

Now before I have 'em prepare me a proper pint, and commence to petting all the pups, I thought it would be a good idea to sit down with Dan and find out how this all happened.

I really, really, really love dogs because they're in a place that we'll never get to.

I mean, they unconditional love.

They live in the moment.

Now if I come here and I have a couple of adult malted beverages, I might get closer to that spot.

I might scratch myself too.

But this is such an extraordinary idea.

Whose idea was it?

- Primarily my wife, really, I mean...

But we both love dogs.

And we've had dogs our whole lives growing up too.

But we got married, had dogs, and we both like to have an adult beverage now and then, but we'd always take our dogs with us.

Not every place lets you bring your dog in.

- [Tom] Right.

- The few that we're able to find, it's, you have to be on leash and outside, which you still like to have a beverage in the winter, so that's a bit uncomfortable.

As time goes on, we're just looking at what do we wanna do someday for retirement.

- [Tom] Yeah.

- [Dan] And we've looked at a couple other things, but this has kind of came up as something, there's nothing around here like this.

- [Tom] Nobody's doing this!

- [Dan] And let's make it so we can be off leash, and then people can just come in and relax and dogs can play together, and... - You're Dan, and your wife's Joy.

- Yeah.

- What's the K and A?

Why is it K&A Hop Dogs?

- So those were the first two dogs we got together after getting married.

Kay is Koda.

She is our five-year-old Great Pyrenees.

- [Tom] Gotcha.

- A is Abby, our 5-year-old golden retriever.

- Gotcha, okay.

- So this is their bar.

- And I am blown away at how big the space is that you have here.

This has gotta be a couple of acres, it looks like.

- Yeah, yeah.

It's a little over two and a half, total.

And then you take out the parking and the building, which really isn't that big a footprint.

We got, I would say over a acre and a half at least, fenced in, for the dogs to play in.

- Now the beer scene in Traverse City has exploded.

- Oh yeah.

- There's so many brewers here and so many beer aficionados or beeros, as I call them.

I mean, you guys, you must have, how many taps do you have here?

- We have a total of 18.

We kinda, we throw a couple ciders in there, but all the rest are beers.

- [Tom] Now what's your philosophy on food here?

What do you do about food?

Can people bring food in?

- [Dan] You can bring food in, yeah.

We don't actually have an on-site kitchen.

- [Tom] Right.

- For our events, we'll get a food truck in.

But other than that, just the local restaurants or stuff, you can bring food in.

- So I can grab a pizza and grab a box of kibbles and bits and come on in here, and... - Kibbles and bits, probably not.

But pizza.

- Right, pizza.

- Yeah, so that's our two other things, is we don't allow toys in and no outside treats.

- That's a good idea.

Because yeah, once, yeah.

It's like, that's my toy.

No, that's my toy!

- [Dan] Right.

- [Tom] That's my toy.

Yes, that's a good idea.

So food, anybody can just bring food in, sit down, relax.

Yeah, just don't share it with Fido because, yeah.

Now you guys don't let St. Bernard's in here, do you?

'Cause I hear they drink a lot.

- We haven't seen one yet.

But I would welcome it.

Yeah, for sure.

I think that's rum they usually carry in their, - Yeah, yeah.

It's usually empty too.

- Right.

(both laughing) - [Tom] This really is a fantastically furry idea.

It's good for you, good for your dog, great for the local brewers, and helps bring the whole human and canine community together.

And all at the expense of an occasional cleanup.

If you're looking for a place where both you and your dog can relax and play your cares away, and at the same time, connect with fellow canine caregivers, release your pooch and kick back with a pint at K&A Hop Dogs in Traverse City.

And the next time somebody says, "Hey, who let the dogs out?"

You can take a sip, smile and tell 'em it was you.

(gentle music) (screen whooshing) Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville is such a great four season place to go because there's so much to do here.

You can ski, you can golf, you can mountain bike, you can hike, go to the spa, get married here.

The restaurants are great here.

There's so much to do.

But there's a couple of things that just might be under your radar.

One is the breathtaking chairlift ride that you can take in the fall to enjoy all the amazing fall colors.

And the other is the incredibly creative and inspiring Michigan Legacy Art Park, where a simple walk in the woods becomes a surreal adventure filled with multiple magical moments.

Well, to get things started, we chose the chairlift.

So Karyn Thorr and I hopped on the Buck Quad, brought down the bar, and began our bountiful banter about this beautiful experience.

Oh my gosh.

Anybody who hasn't ridden a chairlift in the summer or the fall, it's such a different experience.

- Sure.

- Because you're not freezing to death.

You're not trying to talk through your muff.

- For sure, for sure.

- It's such a wonderful, wonderful experience.

- And I love that.

When you, like for example, the slide, it's an adventure riding the chairlift for a lot of people.

- Oh yeah.

- Let alone getting up there and riding the slide.

But they haven't ridden a chair, so often in the spring, summer and fall.

- Yeah, it's just, - Yeah.

- I mean, already you're starting to be able to see forever.

Oh my gosh, turn around.

Look at this!

- Oh wow.

- Oh my gosh.

Yeah, already, and we're not even anywhere near the top.

- Yeah, the peak is coming, probably another week or so?

Yeah, this is fantastic.

And what I love is the brilliant color of the hardwoods against the pine forest as well, right?

- Yeah.

- [Karyn] It's so lush.

- [Tom] Well, the pines make the other colors really pop.

- [Karyn] They do.

And you put that against a lake and it's pretty awesome.

- [Tom] Well, you landed in one of the greatest places.

The skiing here is extraordinary.

- [Karyn] It's a great ski area.

- [Tom] Oh yeah.

And the golf here is great.

The restaurants are great.

You can mountain bike here.

- [Karyn] Sure.

- [Tom] You can hike.

And Traverse City is right around the corner.

- [Karyn] Fantastic, yeah.

- [Tom] This is, I mean, - [Karyn] Right around the corner.

- And I believe Iron Fish is just down the road, which we featured on the show.

- Great folks over there, Iron Fish.

Great neighbors, yep.

We love having them in the neighborhood, for sure.

- Yeah, this is, like I said, - Fantastic.

- Even if you're not here in the fall, this is such an iconic, extraordinary Michigan experience.

The view up here is just breathtaking.

- What's not to love?

Yeah, it's fantastic.

- [Tom] Well, after soaring through the sky for an early bird's eye view of all the fall foliage, it was time for a gentle walk in the woods at one of our most treasured and artful trails, the Michigan Legacy Art Park.

And the bonus is, it's right here on the grounds at Crystal Mountain Resort.

So to make sure I absorb all the art, I connected with Angie Quinn.

How did this all happen?

- So it's kind of a unique origin story.

Back in the 1980s, an artist living down in Detroit area, named David Barr, started really thinking about not only environmental issues, but historical things that were even happening at his time.

And trying to figure out what can artists do that expresses that.

And then he thought, if artists could express the issues and the history and the culture and the environmental crisis, what would it look like, and how would we convey that?

And so that was kinda like the nutshell of his idea.

And it took him a few years.

He put together a small group of people who came together, incorporated, and then they looked for a location after they came up with the idea and they happened to talk to some of the folks with Crystal Mountain, and then the rest was magic.

So yeah.

- And speaking of locations, this, I mean, art and sculpture in a big building is fine.

But when you get to see it in a natural setting like this on the most beautiful trail, in the most beautiful area of Michigan, I mean, it just makes it that much more special, the experience.

- There's something for everyone here.

We have some visitors that just really enjoy the quiet of a walk in the woods.

It is a somewhat moderate hike.

We try to make it as accessible as possible.

And then also, it is a place to enjoy art.

It's a place to go birdwatching.

It's a place to see spring wildflowers and it's a place to engage with your family.

So this is a great family activity.

- And you do great things with school children?

- Right.

So we have a really robust field trip program.

And then we also do classroom activities.

We do community art projects that involve communities around Michigan, who come and create their piece of something that then is installed as a whole piece created by thousands of people in Michigan.

And we also can offer group tours and other ways to participate as well.

- You also do live music up here, you do theater up here.

And this is just so all inclusive, and such an enlightening experience that I promise you.

Where should I look, Matt?

Over here?

I promise you that if you come here, you'll be surprised, delighted, and enchanted.

It's just, wonderful park.

- Awesome.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming out and for sharing this with everyone in Michigan.

- Oh, shucks.

It's my job, thanks.

(both laughing) As we wandered through the woods, we discovered amazing stories of Michigan's culture and natural history, all brought to life through art.

This truly is a meaningful hiking experience that is uniquely northern Michigan.

If you love beauty that's both natural and manmade, the Michigan Legacy Art Park is a treat of a trek you need to try.

And actually, if you're looking for a place that offers four seasons of Michigan-made adventures, venture to Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville.

You'll find tons of fun for the whole family.

(screen whooshing) Now I know it's only been a couple of segments since we talked about beer, but when it comes to Traverse City, beer is why a lot of people love it here.

Now to say Traverse City has a vibrant beer scene is a tremendous understatement.

In these parts, this bountiful beverage is more of a mindset, philosophy, and way of life.

Heck, some might say it's a calling for the bevy of brewers here.

Yep, when you're in Traverse City, you're always near an incredible beer.

And if you're looking for a great place to taste, might I recommend Tank Space on Eighth.

It's fun, colorful, and owners, Andrew and Jamie Kidwell-Brix are dedicated to your hoppiness.

So you're a brewer?

- Yes, but not a Milwaukee brewer.

- Well, no, thank goodness for that!

So you're a brewer, you got the beard, but where are the tattoos?

So the tattoos are this thing that we've been meaning to do since we opened Earthen Ales.

- What inspired you to open this wonderful cartoony place?

I mean, this is like, this is my kind of place to come here.

Because it's like you're drinking in a cartoon.

- So I feel like at all of our years at Earthen Ales, we always had more that we wanted to do.

We had more beers that we wanted to brew, more ideas that we wanted to share.

And I don't know, our own oddities and weirdness that we just had to get out somehow.

- Oddities and weirdness go very good with beer, actually.

But where did the name Tank Space, I know we're on Eighth, 'cause you're on Eighth Avenue.

But where did Tank Space come from?

- We started thinking about kind of how we would express ourselves in a new place.

And one of the things as a brewer that I really wanted was there's some kind of new equipment and new serving styles and actually historical serving styles as well that we wanted to explore.

So we actually got a couple of European-style serving tanks and we were just kind of riffing on names.

And that was kind of really what kind of set this concept of us was serving some beer fresh from the tank brewed here, so tank beer served here.

- And you guys don't serve food here, but you've got, tell me about the burger phone.

I love that!

- Well, our emphasis has always been beer.

So we think it's what we're best at.

We wanna stay focused on that.

So if we can do it in a way that we make it easy for someone who does food and does it really well, that's part of the reason the Tank Space is where it is, because Oakwood Proper Burgers is right next door.

And we wanted to make that as seamless as we could.

And so the idea of actually having a hamburger phone...

There was no other option.

That just had to happen.

- It's brilliant.

So you pick up the little, that little burger phone, and it's got the burger place next door.

- Yeah, yeah.

On auto dial.

You open up the phone and it just calls right over.

They pick up, you order your food.

- That's brilliant.

And you guys also have a social district here too, right?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- We actually have Traverse City's first social district.

For those that don't know what that means, it's a really cool, innovative way that different businesses can work together to share a communal outdoor space, and share it with the neighborhood as well.

I think one of our neighborhood groups just had a block party out here, which is really cool to see.

But you could basically take product from any of the businesses here and go enjoy it in a outdoor area in front of all of our businesses.

- And you guys have beer festivals up here like crazy, don't you?

- I think that's one of the really cool things about having such a strong community, is we can have a beer festival where the majority of the vendors are local breweries.

And it's just a celebration of everybody's hard work and innovation and we're all going around supporting each other.

When we get off work, we go visit other breweries here in town, they come visit us, - [Jamie] We brew together sometimes.

- [Andrew] Yeah.

- Collaborations, and kind of supporting each other.

It's something we love to do.

- You guys brew for each other sometimes, the brewers?

- And brew with each other, yeah.

- Yeah, see, that's what I love about it.

It's just this one big happy family of people being creative, creating a sense of place.

Because let's face it, places like this, it's like the old pubs were in England.

This is where you go to share, to care, to just to mix with people, and to rub elbows with your buddies and your friends, where you can meet new people, share ideas, share beers, share beers.

- Share beers.

- Cheers!

- Oh my gosh.

- You stole our tagline a little bit.

We always say at Earthen Ales, we like to brew beer with a sense of place.

So you nailed it.

- There you go.

By the time we're done here, we're gonna solve all the problems of the world.

- Cheers.

- Hear, hear to that!

(glasses clinking) Woo hoo.

- [Tom] Well, I think it goes without saying that we had a blast at Tank Space on Eighth, because the atmosphere here is just right for beer and good cheer.

So Andrew, Jamie and I toasted, sat back, and by the time we were done, we solved all the problems of the world.

It really does seem that beer is near and dear to all who live here.

And for those of us who like to come and stay and play, it makes it kind of hard when we have to go away.

So if a frosty cold Michigan made adult malted brew is something you like to do, I'm sure the Traverse City brewers have a beer that's just right for you.

Cheers.

(upbeat music) (screen whooshing) Now if you remember way back in Season Two, we set sail on the Tall Ship Manitou for fun and adventure on beautiful Grand Traverse Bay.

And they actually have all kinds of sails for you to sample.

Well today we're setting sail on one and the same, only this time, it's to explore the spirit of these waters with traditional native Anishinaabe storytelling.

It's called the Nibi Cruise.

And our guide and teacher for this fascinating float is Tera John.

Tera is a knowledge carrier and storykeeper for the Grand Traverse Ottawa and Chippewa Tribes.

And she shares science, ancient Native American histories, and amazing life lessons throughout this captivating cultural cruise.

As we embarked on our aquatic adventure, Tera's fascinating stories captured and captivated the hearts, minds and imaginations of everyone on board.

And in between gifting her knowledge, she even took time to talk to Tom.

First thing I wanna do is I want to thank you for what you do because honestly, sincerely, what you do is so important.

'Cause our Native American history is really our first genuine real history.

And the fact that you're keeping that alive and you're sharing, you're gifting these stories, I think means a lot to a lot of people.

What inspired you?

- Honestly, being a young mother, seeing that there weren't a lot of places for Native values to really be respected, much less reciprocated.

So I wanted to build out those safe spaces and really learn from those relationships and being able to come back home after helping to learn, really loving the land.

- Well through your stories, it's funny, I've been out on this bay before, on this very boat.

And I've always tried to wonder what it was like here 1,000 years ago.

And through your stories, I can feel that.

And the spirit must run warm through you because look, I'm wearing all the jackets I own, and you're wearing a T-shirt.

But yeah, it really is a genuine experience to hear you and to feel what you feel.

- I really do try to gift people a lens of love because if we can carry that the same way, I guarantee you it can't be exploited and puppeteered in a destructive way at that point in time, because if you love it the same way, I guarantee you, you carry it differently.

- Well that's one thing that we all need to do is start loving this planet again, because it's the mother of all we are and have and it really is.

And we need to respect it and love it, cherish it, and explain the ritual that you do with the bucket and the water.

I think that is so unique, and it's so, it's such a deep concept.

- It is, it really is.

I was taught from even scientifically from a young age that this is a closed system.

All of our water is all that will be here forever and ever.

And within that water, when we sing to it, when we pray over it, the very vibrations of the stories we carry in the language we speak, the prayers that we speak into it, affects the molecular level that this water is.

When I carry it around in a moment, I'm gonna have everybody actually touch this water and that will actually go back into the bay here.

So everyone's DNA will have an exchange here.

You'll be carrying some of that water with you that will, and some of your DNA will actually go back into the water here.

- And in a way we all become part of the water, and part of the, yeah.

I just think that's so beautiful.

And I think what you're doing is so, like I said, is so important, necessary and meaningful.

I mean, like I said, this was Native American land since, I mean, forever.

And the fact that you're carrying that on, and you're reminding all of us where we are, and that you're the stewards, the true stewards of this, the water and the land here, I don't know, I'm gonna start crying, 'cause I just think it's so special.

I really do, so... - Thank you for coming along with me on the journey and I'm glad that I'm able to carry this in such a way that is a value to everybody because I really do think it's important.

We all, like I said, we all have an effect, just like that water, we're all gonna have an effect on this bay.

We're all gonna be here together.

So hopefully I can transfer some of the value in these things and carry it forward.

- [Tom] I promise that this unique experience will move you, educate you, enlighten you, and make you feel one with the spirit and soul of this beautiful land and lake.

And the stories that Tera tells are as fascinating as they are fun.

I don't remember the last time I felt this profound while floating around.

If you're open to a great new adventure that will teach you the honored old ways, contact Traverse Tall Ship Company and set sail on the Nibi Cruise real soon.

Or, on any of their other creative cruises.

And if you're looking for a city that has all the best Michigan has to offer, take a trip to Traverse City.

It's paradise found smack dab in the middle of pure Michigan.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls auto collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years, that must be seen and heard.

Info at StahlsAuto.com.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues)