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We are excited to announce that an online shop is currently in development and expected to become operational by the end of 2018!
When we started MI State Love two years ago we were fueled with the simple desire to share our state pride. That desire quickly transformed into an online community of more than 9,000 people. Suddenly, we were able to showcase more than just our pride. We were able to show the pride of our neighbors, our friends, and our community. We are consistently in awe of the amazing pictures, videos, and places that our followers have shared with us. It has been a wonderful adventure over the past few years, and we don't have any inclination to slow down. We are proud Michiganders and we want to show it. That is why we are so excited to offer shirts, pullovers, and other attire online. We see it as an opportunity to provide a service to the MI State Love community. So stay tuned for updates regarding the opening of our store. In the meantime, if you want to be added to the mailing list just fill out the inquiry form on our homepage. Looking forward to growing this community with you! I discovered Stormcloud Brewing Company last summer while exploring downtown Frankfort. I don't want to sound cliche, but it was love at first taste.
Stormcloud offers a great selection beer in a casual and fun environment. They describe their beer as "Belgian inspired, Michigan made." This inspiration can be seen throughout their list of beers on tap. If you are looking for a great craft beer in a cool location then I would highly suggest you check out Stormcloud Brewing Company.
Next at Treetops is a short drive over to Treetops North. Treetops North is home to the Tradition, Premier, Signature, and Threetops. Treetops North has a driving range and a putting course with severe undulations. The putting course is a great way to settle bets with friends, but is not an accurate depiction of how the greens are at Treetops. Fortunately, there are other putting greens available over by the first tee of the courses so golfers can practice their putting stroke before teeing off. The Tradition course at Treetops is a Rick Smith designed links style course that is quite different that most Up North courses. It features wide fairways, dirt cart paths, numerous bunkers, and lots of fescue grass that I guarantee your ball will find during the round. You do not see many elevations changes at the Tradition nor do you see any water, but it provides a tough challenge with its strategically placed bunkers and sloping greens. The Premier course at Treetops is the only Tom Fazio designed course in the state of Michigan and elevation changes are the prominent feature of the course. There are numerous downhill shots that will play 1 or 2 clubs less along with uphill greens where you will be hitting 2-3 clubs more into the green. While the Premier can look intimidating off the tee, the fairways are actually pretty generous with lots of slopes. It is not uncommon to get an uneven lie in the fairway and it will test the golfer with difficult shots into these tough greens. The greens at the Premier probably feature more tiers than the other courses and the Superintendent can get tricky with a lot of tough pin positions. Overall the Premier can feel a bit gimmicky at times, but it offers gorgeous views of Northern Michigan and a fun golf experience. The last of the 18 hole courses at Treetops is the Signature. The Signature is a Rick Smith designed course that is also an upcharge to play at Treetops. The first tee is very intimidating as it is a steep downhill drop to a fairway that looks very narrow from the tee box. This sets the standard for the Signature as it has numerous elevation changes and intimidating tee shots. The one thing I noticed while playing is that these fairways may look tiny from up tough, but they are actually pretty wide with slopes that funnel most shots to the middle of the fairway. The greens at the Signature were definitely the quickest I played and can be very undulating at times. If I had to pick a personal favorite at Treetops, Signature would be the pick with the Masterpiece not far behind. The last course at Treetops is the 9 hole Threetops course. This will be the most fun 9-hole Par 3 course that you will play. Elevation change is the name of the game at Threetops and the course does not disappoint. The third hole is a spectacular drop that can sometimes play up to 4 clubs shorter! Every green at Treetops has at least one bunker around it and with greens that tend to slope from back to front. Windy conditions can make Threetops play very difficult and requires a lot of strategic club choices. I would recommend playing Threetops at least once while at the resort, you will not be disappointed. Overall Treetops Resort is a great golf experience for anyone who steps foot on the property. All courses are very well maintained and each course offers a unique golf experience. The staff is very friendly and the starters/rangers do a great job at maintaining the proper pace of play. If you are looking for a resort in the Gaylord Golf Mecca, Treetops is the number one option.
Many people associate the start of spring with things such as the first robin sighting, trees budding, or the first tulip bloom. Not for MSL. The official start of spring happens when one thing and one thing only happens: Bell's Oberon is released. It is somewhat of a holiday for us. If you are asking what Oberon is, then the first thing you need to do is drive straight to a store and buy some.
Bell's Brewery is based in Kalamazoo and has been brewing Oberon for 20 years. The release of this wheat beer has not only become synonymous with spring in the Mitten, but March Madness, Opening Day, golf season, and the beginning of longer days and summertime. In college I was never really a beer drinker (I know, gasp). Oberon changed all that. My roommate worked at the local bar and when Oberon was tapped they always wrote on the handle "Sweet Nectar of the Gods". They weren't kidding. The craft beer industry has exploded in Michigan. We should all thank Bell's Brewery and what I consider the grandfather of Michigan craft beer: Oberon. Now the real debate is with or without an orange slice?
Moral of the story is that if you have the opportunity to visit Short's Brewing Company, you should do it. It is worth the trip for any aspiring beer connoisseurs or those that just like beer in general. Personally, I see myself going back for a visit because we all know "up north" is the best place to be during the summertime. More on that later though...
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