Northern Michigan bar and restaurant owners are scrambling to prepare for the unofficial start to the Up North summer season this weekend now that the state has cleared the way for a partial reopening of dining rooms. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order Monday allowing bars and restaurants in the Upper Peninsula and the northern part […]
In the spirit of National Travel and Tourism Week, Under the Radar: Michigan, MLive, the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation (MRLAEF) and Pure Michigan are hosting a five-day virtual variety show, Come Together. The event is co-hosted by MLive’s John Gonzalez and Under the Radar Michigan host Tom Daldin and will feature live […]
Todd Callewaert said he plans to wait as long as possible to open his family’s businesses on Michigan’s Mackinac Island, which include the Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops. The company typically hires more than 250 people for a season that runs from the start of May to the end of October. “We don’t […]
Todd Callewaert hopes he’ll be able to open his seven family businesses on Mackinac Island as scheduled by May 22, but the situation is fluid. “Normally, we’d be up there the last week in April and now it’s the end of May,” Callewaert said. “I doubt that’s going to happen. We’ll see. It would be great. But I […]
If the porch of Island House Hotel could give up its secrets, it would surely spill details of the century-old soirees and vacation stays of early Mackinac Island settlers, Chicago socialites, members of the Moral Re-Armament and 21st-century guests. One of the earliest hotels on Mackinac Island, Island House Hotel (theislandhouse.com) dates to 1852 and used to […]
The Historic Hotels of America 2020 Top 25 Historic Hotels for a Romantic Proposal Announced Historic Hotels are the perfect place for celebrating special occasions that create lifelong memories and are the ideal location for a romantic proposal. These special milestones celebrated at historic hotels include romantic getaways, the ideal place to propose, the destination […]
The 125th-anniversary events, most of which are free, will be held at landmarks both on the island as well as in Mackinaw City. “Mackinac has such a special place in the history of our state and the hearts of Michiganders,” Phil Porter, Mackinac State Historic Parks director, said in a statement. “We look forward to […]
Fudge was being made on Mackinac Island long before Harry Ryba and Victor Callewaert opened their first shop there in 1960. In fact, it was the growing popularity of fudge at Michigan’s favorite summer destination that attracted the Detroit confectioners to the island. Since Ryba and Callewaert arrived on Mackinac Island, the place has never […]
Historic Hotels of America Announces 2019 Awards of Excellence Nominee Finalists Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide® are pleased to announce the nominee finalists for the 2019 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence. The Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence recognize and celebrate the finest historic hotels and hoteliers from across the nation and from around the […]
A half-century ago, the now-historic landmark was ever so close to being scrubbed from the scene forever. Then, Victor Callewaert and Harry Ryba changed the island’s future for the better. Click here to learn more about the Island House Hotel’s history and renovations.
