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EnjoyerMichigan Enjoyer

O.W. Root

O.W. Root is a writer based in Northern Michigan, with a focus on nature, food, style, and culture.

Sailboats with colorful spinnakers race across blue waters during Harbor Springs regatta, with forested hills visible

Sailing Regattas Aren't Just for New England

O.W. Root·Jul 31
Sandy Lake Erie beach with green algae washing ashore while beachgoers relax under trees on a clear summer day

Why I Would Never Swim in Lake Erie

O.W. Root·Jul 24
mt. pleasant and isabella reservation

Mt. Pleasant Is On the Rez, But It Isn’t Very Indian

O.W. Root·Jul 23
Wooden benches on shadowed lawn outside brick building and white chapel.

An Escape From Striver America

O.W. Root·Jul 21
boating towards high island with ruins

This Deserted Island in Lake Michigan Was Home to a Celibate Sect

O.W. Root·Jul 20
Road closure barricade blocks access to tree-lined pavement showing ongoing infrastructure damage along Michigan's Tunnel of Trees

Will the Tunnel of Trees Ever Get Fixed?

O.W. Root·Jul 18
Wooden platform structure built over overgrown mine shaft entrance, surrounded by dense forest and chain-link fencing

A Million Bats Live in This Abandoned Mine Shaft

O.W. Root·Jul 10
Sun setting over Lake Superior near Silver City in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with dramatic storm clouds overhead

Eastern Time's Latest Sunset Happens Deep in the U.P.

O.W. Root·Jul 3
Stamford's Weathervane Restaurant vintage neon sign with sailboat topper stands against blue sky and spring trees

Charlevoix's Biggest Restaurant Is Also Its Best

O.W. Root·Jun 26
Black bear sits in grassy enclosure behind chain-link fence at Oswald's Bear Ranch sanctuary in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

America's Largest Bear Sanctuary Is in the U.P.

O.W. Root·Jun 20
Rustic log cabin coffee shop with green trim and outdoor seating nestled among tall trees in northern Michigan

The Only Great Coffee North of Harbor Springs

O.W. Root·Jun 12
Ferry boat cruises calm blue waters near Mackinac Island's historic harbor with Victorian hotels and buildings lining the shore

How Private Equity Lost the Mackinac Island Ferry Wars

O.W. Root·Jun 5