Behind the Mitten

On this Behind the Mitten podcast, John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are all over the state from the Keweenaw Peninsula to Saugatuck, with stops in Mt. Pleasant and Grand Rapids.

The show opens at the Laurium Manor Inn in Laurium, near Calumet in the Upper Peninsula. Owner Julie Sprenger takes John through the mansion, which was built in 1908 for Thomas H. & Cornelia Hoatson, owner of Calumet & Arizona Mining Co. The Edwardian Era mansion is spacious at 13,000 square feet and features 11 bedroom, all restored with history of who lived in each room. There is even a walking tour available for guests (for free), and the general public for a nominal fee. The Laurium Manor Inn, which was purchased by Julie and her husband Dave in 1989, is open from late May to October. View the Laurium Manor Inn Rooms & Amenities.

Next, Amy and Gonzo take you to Mt. Pleasant for a segment with Chris "Elmo" Walton of Max & Emily's, a sandwhich shop that is a favorite for students and locals alike. He exudes enthusiasm and love for the community. He is one of the most positive people you will ever meet.

On the show they also welcome Jack Eisinger and Kim Redlin of the Lakeshore Harvest Ride, a customized bike ride that takes you through farms, wineries and art studios from Saugatuck to South Haven or South Haven to Saugatuck. The rides can be as short as 15 miles or as long as 62 miles. The ride is Saturday, Sept. 16. Money raised will go to Friends of the Blue Star Trail, which hopes to build a 20-mile paved trail. Learn more about the ride at LHRide.com.

Lastly, Gonzo and Amy get to hang out with Paul Soltysiak, who leads the Fans of Valley Field, a grassroots effort to restore and revitalize Sullivan Field (originally named Valley Field), located on the Westside of Grand Rapids. They organization is bringing life back the neighborhood ballpark with a variety of events from concerts to a chili cook-off. Learn more at fansofvalleyfield.org.

It's a fun show!

Keep up to date on everything going at Behind the Mitten by visiting amyandgonzo.com.

On this special edition of Behind the Mitten, John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman spend time learning more about the Lakeshore Harvest Ride, a customized bike ride that takes you through farms, wineries and art studios from Saugatuck to South Haven or South Haven to Saugatuck. The rides can be as short as 15 miles or as long as 62 miles.

Plus there is a FREE concierge service that will pick up anthing you purchase along the way and bring it back to your destination.

“It’s a harvest ride for your senses - a ride you can see, touch, smell, taste all the riches of this beautiful region,” said Kim Redlin, chief marketing officer and co-chair of the ride.

The ride is Saturday, Sept. 16.

Money raised will go to Friends of the Blue Star Trail, which hopes to build a 20-mile paved trail, said treasurer Jack Eisinger.

Learn more about the ride at LHRide.com.

Keep up to date on everything going at Behind the Mitten by visiting amyandgonzo.com.

“Behind the Mitten” is Michigan’s premiere travel radio show and Podcast with about 500 episodes. It is co-hosted by veteran journalist John Gonzalez and longtime chef & beer expert Amy Sherman. The show has been recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters as Best in Category.

On this podcast, Amy Sherman joins Kent & Rob of the "Breakfast Flakes" morning show on WCFX in Mt. Pleasant. They preview this weekend's show, which is a little all over the state with segments from Saugatuck, Mt. Pleasant, Grand Rapids and the Laurium Manor Inn in the Upper Peninsula.

While on Breakfast Flakes, Amy was asked three questions: Can she juggle, play a musical instrument or use chopsticks?

This segment aired Aug. 10, 2023.

Learn more about the Breakfast Flakes wcfx.com/pages/breakfast-flakes.

Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.

Listen to Behind the Mitten on the following stations:

*8 a.m. Saturdays on WBRN - 1460 AM and 107.7 FM in Big Rapids

*8 a.m. Saturdays on Kalamazoo Talk Radio 1360 WKMI

*8 a.m. Saturdays on WILS-1320 AM in Lansing

*10 a.m. Saturdays 95.3 WBCK-FM in Battle Creek

*10 a.m. Saturdays on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM in Benton Harbor

*4 p.m. Saturdays on WIOS "The Bay's Best!" - 1480 AM & 106.9 FM in Tawas / East Tawas

*7 a.m. Sundays on the following Black Diamond Broadcasting stations:

-WCFX - CFX Today's Hits (95.3) in Mt. Pleasant
-WGFN - Classic Rock The Bear (98.1 & 95.3) in Traverse City
-WMRX - Sunny 97.7 in Midland
-WUPS - The Classic Hits Station (98.5) in Houghton Lake
-WWMK - 1063 MAC FM in Cheboygan

*Noon Sundays on News, Talk and Sports - 1380-AM WPHM in Port Huron

*1 p.m. Sundays on WSGW-AM (790) and FM (100.5) in Saginaw

*6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM (1300) and FM (106.9) in Grand Rapids

Follow John and Amy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten or
Twitter at @BehindTheMitten and Instagram at @BehindTheMitten_.

“Behind the Mitten” is Michigan’s premiere travel radio show and Podcast with about 500 episodes. It is co-hosted by veteran journalist John Gonzalez and longtime chef & beer expert Amy Sherman. The show has been recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters as Best in Category.

On this podcast, Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez join the Paul Miller Show (Aug. 4) on WPHM in Port Huron to preview this weekend's BTM show, which is all about the Crim Festival of Races in Flint (Aug. 25-26, 2023).

Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.

Learn more about the Paul Miller Show at wphm.net. And make sure to listen to this weekend's Behind the Mitten on the following stations:

*8 a.m. Saturdays on WBRN - 1460 AM and 107.7 FM in Big Rapids

*8 a.m. Saturdays on Kalamazoo Talk Radio 1360 WKMI

*8 a.m. Saturdays on WILS-1320 AM in Lansing

*10 a.m. Saturdays 95.3 WBCK-FM in Battle Creek

*10 a.m. Saturdays on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM in Benton Harbor

*4 p.m. Saturdays on WIOS "The Bay's Best!" - 1480 AM & 106.9 FM in Tawas / East Tawas

*7 a.m. Sundays on the following Black Diamond Broadcasting stations:

-WCFX - CFX Today's Hits (95.3) in Mt. Pleasant
-WGFN - Classic Rock The Bear (98.1 & 95.3) in Traverse City
-WMRX - Sunny 97.7 in Midland
-WUPS - The Classic Hits Station (98.5) in Houghton Lake
-WWMK - 1063 MAC FM in Cheboygan

*Noon Sundays on News, Talk and Sports - 1380-AM WPHM in Port Huron

*1 p.m. Sundays on WSGW-AM (790) and FM (100.5) in Saginaw

*6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM (1300) and FM (106.9) in Grand Rapids

Follow John and Amy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten or
Twitter at @BehindTheMitten and Instagram at @BehindTheMitten_.

On this episode of Behind the Mitten we "Meet In Mt.Pleasant" for a fun filled trip around the middle of Michigan, where you can shop, dine, have an outdoor adventure, catch a world class concert, and always be fired up. We recorded the show in downtown Mt. Pleasant at the uber popular sandwich shop, Max and Emily's.

Our first guests are our friends at the Mt. Pleasant Convention and Visitors Bureau, executive director Chris Rowley and marketing coordinator Claire Doty. They share just what makes this community so special, including being the home to Central Michigan University, and how it has become a gathering place for both a city experience as well as an outdoor playground.

Michelle Sponseller, the downtown development director for the city of Mt.Pleasant, who shares some of the new businesses in MP, as well as old favorites to explore. Did you kow that there is a shuttle bus that runs from CMU's campus right to downtown? So if you are dropping of a student this fall, you can take advantage for some fun shopping and dining just blocks from campus.

Mt. Pleasant is located in Isabella County, which has an extensive park system that includes both walkways and waterways to explore. Miranda Walker and Rachel Rollin, from Isabella County Parks and Recreation share a few favorite outdoor locatons in the area, including Deerfield Park.

One of the biggest draws in Mt. Pleasant is Soaring Eagle Casino, which is so much more than just a casino. We catch up with Tanya Bardy, the advertising and public relations manager at Soaring Eagle, and talk about their outdoor summer concert series, upcoming new food hall, and more about what is going on at this exciting spot.

"Behind the Mitten" is on the road to the Hoxeyville Music Festival!

Join us and our friends at Dunegrass Co. this Aug. 17-20 in beautiful Wellston, Michigan for this incredible music festival, that will feature an amazing lineup of musicians, including headliner Marcus King.

Dunegrass Co. co-owners Eric and Chris Piedmonte stop by to explain what we can expect at Dunegrass Gardens, the specially designed consumption lounge that will be at the festival for those 21 and over. This family-owned, and Northern Michigan-based business has been working hard on creating a unique, safe experience, and one of the very first ones to be held at and with a music festival.

Our friend John Sinkevics is no stranger to music festivals, he runs Michigan's premier music review site, Local Spins, and has been to Hoxeyville more times than we can count. He not only discusses the musical line-up, he shares lots of great festival tips, whether it's your first time or your 20th.

Musician Seth Bernard is well-known, and well-loved, throughout the state, not just for his incredible talents, but also for his commitment to protecting our environment, especially our waterways in Michigan. He shares some of the projects he's been working on, and also why he loves this festival that he's been attending since he was a baby is one of his favorites.

Learn more about Hoxeyville at hoxeyville.com.

Learn more about Dunegrass at dunegrass.co.

Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.