“I’m the worst person to walk with.”
Nearly four miles into our mid-morning trek on the 17-mile-long Leelanau Trail, Julie Clark makes this confession.
“My family hates it. I think my co-workers just want to kill me some days,” she adds, letting out a low, rippling laugh. “If we’re driving anywhere, if we see a gas line or utility coordinator, immediately I’m like, ‘Where does that go?’ Yeah, it’s super annoying, to walk or drive or bike with me.”
Of course, none of this can possibly be true—she is a perfectly pleasant walking partner, someone who is both attentive to the conversation at hand (“How about you? How old are your kids?”) and friendly to passersby (“Have a great ride!” she cheerfully tells a couple of cyclists; “Go Blue!” she shouts to an older man standing near a bench, donning a U-M winter hat). And yet, as the person who arguably knows our region’s 100-plus-mile trail network better than most anyone else, there may just be a teeny-tiny kernel of truth in her words. Meant in the very best way possible, of course.
“Our goal, our vision, is that every house is a trailhead,” she says of Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails (TART), the organization for which she’s served as executive director for the past decade. “So, this doesn’t mean there’s a swath of land up to every front door, but how could you safely access the network? You should be able to do that, whether it’s a nicer shoulder on a road or … there’s a lot of rail around here that is not utilized—so in the meantime, while there’s not a lot of rail on it, how do we activate it?”
Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Camping With Your Dog
Bringing your dog on your next outdoor overnight excursion? Oh, yes! With a little planning, your canine companion will enjoy camping just as much as you. These Northern Michigan spots are perfectly pet-friendly.
SWEET ON THE BETSIE
JENA MATZEN AND GREGG TRAHEY WEREN’T LOOKING FOR A BIG HOME UP NORTH. BUT THEY DID WANT STYLE.
REFRESH IN BLUE AND WHITE
ASKED TO MOVE A HARBOR SPRINGS HOME FROM TRADITIONAL TO TRANSITIONAL STYLE, INTERIOR DESIGNER GEMMA PARKER BUILT ON THE FRESH, TIMELESS ALLURE OF BLUE AND WHITE.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Explore Emmet and Cheboygan counties by foot, bike or hoof, thanks to this scenic trail.
Please, eat the violets.
The wild violets that dot our forest floors are pretty enough to eat. Go ahead—let our six simple recipes fuel your culinary imagination.
OASIS ON ELK LAKE
ARCHITECT KEN RICHMOND DESIGNS A HOME THAT CAPTURES THE CARIBBEAN COLORS OF ELK LAKE WHILE FEELING COMPLETELY ORGANIC TO THE NORTHWOODS.
LOSS AND NATURE
Leelanau's Cedar River Preserve provides peace and perspective.
GO WITH THE FLOW
Celebrating an unconventional trout opener among friends.
CHAMPION OF TREES
Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is the “most hopeful project on the planet,” says David Milarch.
DINING OUT NEAPOLITAN, BUT WITH STYLE
American House—the Siren Hall spinoff—is making darn good pizza.