January 19th, 2009 by Sean

Today was the kind of day that makes winter tolerable in Leelanau County.  The sun came out for a while and everything started to get its color back.  There’s a whole lot of snow on the ground I fully realized after shoveling out the cars that have beeen sitting in the driveway for the couple of weeks that it must have come down non-stop.  By the time I made it to Fishtown the light wasn’t as good for taking pictures as it probably was when the sun was a little bit higher. Leland is strangly photogenic in its semi-dormant winter state.  The wind blown snow and shifting ice moves in a way that makes an angle that has been captured thousands of times different with every shot.  With a clear day though comes that kind of Leland cold that goes right through you, and I wasn’t really dressed for the part today.  Armed with some higher boots and a heavier jacket, I should be able to get out to the beach and explore the new ice creations along the shoreline.  I’ll have to crosss my fingers for more sunshine.

January 18th, 2009 by Sean

Most of my day was spent making the flight north from a sixty degree southwest Florida cold spell to a wintery Traverse City.  This time of year the collective sentiment on the ride up is usually one of reluctance to return to a cold, grey, snowy day.  Admittedly, I shared that sentiment today.

A flight to or from Traverse City is a strange experience in that you almost expect to know people either on the plane or at the airport, because you usually do.  So as I walked off the jet bridge in Traverse it was comforting to exchange hellos to a farmiliar face escaping to warmer climates for a vacation.  I think the sun may have even popped out for a minute on the drive back to the county.  A drink at a hometown bar should cap off the night nicely.

January 17th, 2009 by Sean

When you think of New Years Eve party destinations, New York City or Las Vegas more than likely sit at the top of the list.  If you’ve ever even heard of Riga, Latvia or are familiar with its geography it almost certainly wouldn’t make your top ten.  Nonetheless that’s where Rick rang in 2009.

For more than several years The Cove has been involved in international summer work exchange programs for college students from all over the world.  If you made it out to The Cove this summer you may have heard accents from Russia, The United Kingdom, France, Jamaica or Taiwan.  Over the course of the seasons we’ve had a lot of positive experiences, not the least of, seeing our friend Igor from Latvia grow from a minimal understanding of English to running the entire kitchen.  Igor’s back in Latvia now and since his departure he’s graduated college, gotten a job in Riga, married his girlfriend Irina (who also spent time working at The cove), and has a child on the way.  After countless invitations to come see his home country, it was overdue for a visit.

The trip lasted two weeks, covering from Riga to Kaliningrad, Russia, where Rick caught up with several of our past summer friends.  The wild New Years Eve fireworks in Riga was a highlight.  (check out the video)

January 16th, 2009 by Sean

It wasn’t too long ago that the bar at Rick’s café was run from an antique cash register and you could find Rick behind a Sear’s home barbeque grill,  wearing motorcycle goggles, and engulfed in a cloud of smoke.  And it wasn’t too long ago that I stood by on a milk crate just to be tall enough to see over the countertop and fill baskets with pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and chips.

As times change, the old cash register and hand written tickets have been replaced with linked computers and ticket printers.  The Sear’s grill upgraded to a custom Nick Lederle “nick rigged” monstrosity.  But you can still find Rick, Chris and I, much of the summer, behind the “burger bar” flipping burgers and making baskets (no milk crate required).

We’ve seen the ownership of Fishtown change hands, thankfully to an organization that vows to preserve the property and the businesses that comprise the Fishtown community.  In the near future there’s sure to be more evolution as the Leland Harbor is given a face-lift and The Fishtown Preservation Society sculpts their vision.  Buildings will be moved and new ones erected.  As a community we won’t always be in agreement on the changes to be made.

But the things that make Fishtown such a unique and magical place will always remain the same.  The sun will set over the Manitou Islands.  The aroma of the smokehouse will linger through Fishtown.  Kids will jump off the end of the breakwall.  The charter boats will unload their catch to a group of onlookers on the docks.  There’ll be more Fourth of July fireworks and parades.  The Chicago to Mackinac boats will be rafted in the harbor after their race.

And at The Cove, you’ll be able to welcome in summer at the “Here Comes the Sun” party or spend an afternoon on the deck, next to a rushing waterfall, for a burger and a chubby mary.

This time of the year, when Fishtown posts temperatures in the negative numbers and the action on “The Cove Cam” is mostly in the form of blowing snow drifts, its difficult to visualize the buzz of Leland summer.  But that feeling is always there.  And whether Rick and I are in Florida or off on our travels, Fishtown is never far from our minds.

This is a blog that chronicles that lifestyle, mostly through the eyes of myself.  It may not be updated everyday, and in some posts not have a whole lot to do with Fishtown or even The Cove.  It’s the story of the people who no matter where they are, keep a little bit of Fishtown with them.

So post your comments, questions, or ideas and keep in touch.  Hit the subscribe button to get notified when there’s a new post, and stay tuned…there’s much more to come.

-Sean Wanroy