In 1984, Dean Oswald and his wife Jewel established Oswald’s Bear Ranch as a private sanctuary for orphaned cubs and injured bears.

The Polish Art Center’s two shops are packed with imported foods, linens, folk art, amber jewelry, books, apparel and hand-painted Boleslawiec Stoneware.

Since 1898, the Parsons family has farmed the land and tapped the maple trees at Harwood Lake, about 12 miles south of Charlevoix, for “liquid gold.”

A guided tour of the Motown Museum offers a glimpse into the humble beginnings of the success story, including Gordy’s upper flat, where the dining table served as the label’s shipping department.

In 1989, Julie and David Sprenger rescued this 45-room Victorian mansion and restored it as the Laurium Manor Inn, where guests sleep in the Hoatson family bedrooms and breakfast in the dining room with its elephant hide-covered walls.

Nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant, the 26-foot-tall Spirit of Detroit has been the symbol of the city since 1958, when it was installed at the entrance of the new home of Detroit and Wayne County government business.

Falling Rock Cafe & Bookstore takes its java so seriously, it founded Great Lakes Coffee Company to bring the best brew possible to the hangout in downtown Munising, the western gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

A summertime resort area since the late 1800s, Les Cheneaux is home to a boat building school and a culinary arts school with a restaurant that serves as an internship for its annual small class of aspiring chefs.

Our editorial team explores what’s happening throughout the Mitten State, including the artisanal food movement in northern Michigan, the Grand Hotel’s 130th anniversary season, and a look at Finnish design with Cranbrook Art Museum.