- Hi, and welcome to Destination Michigan.

We have a great show planned for you.

Take a look at what's coming up.

Bringing the spirit of up north downtown, we'll head inside the DNR's Outdoor Adventure Center and see how the historic Detroit building acts as a gateway to Michigan's wilderness.

Then, we'll climb our way to the north and get a grip at ELEV8 Climbing and Fitness in Traverse City.

And after all that adventuring, it is time to eat.

We head to the Twisted Fork in Mount Pleasant and learn what inspires their culinary creations.

In Tawas, we find out how they beep the winter blues with a fun-filled bash for all to enjoy.

Plus, we relive the excitement and joy of what happens when Antiques Roadshow comes to Northern Michigan.

(exciting upbeat music) Hi, and welcome back to another edition of Destination Michigan.

Today finds us on the peaceful but beautiful snow-covered grounds of Castle Farms in Charlevoix County.

It is a far cry from our visit here last summer when thousands traverse the area armed with items and stories during filming of Antiques Roadshow.

We'll have much more on that visit coming up.

But first, for many of us in Michigan, the outdoors are just a part of life right outside our door.

But for a lot of families, the woods, the water, even simple things like trails or wildlife programs are not always in reach.

Jamie Mankiewicz takes us to a world of wilderness all inside the Motor City.

(kids howling) When you climb with a couple of excited preschoolers up a giant tree like this one, it's easy to forget you're inside a historic warehouse on Detroit's riverfront, not deep in the woods, somewhere up north.

At the Department of Natural Resources' Outdoor Adventure Center, the first step into nature starts on the stairs of an oak tree that was built to be climbed.

- We went up, all the way up, to our tree house.

- [Jamie] In the tree house?

Is this a real tree?

- No, it's not a real tree.

- [Jamie] It's not a real tree.

- But it's just magic to be in a tree house.

- [Jamie] It is magic to be in a tree house.

Is that your favorite part of this place?

For many kids, this place feels like magic.

For the people who work here, it's something more than that.

It's a bridge.

Emily Grant is an educational programmer at the OAC.

- It's wonderful how we connect people to all the outdoor things in Michigan.

We have three floors of outdoor resources in an indoor place.

- [Jamie] Trails, treetops, simulators and animals all under one roof.

For a lot of us in Michigan, spending time outdoors is a given, but for others it's not that simple.

- A lot of our friends are uncomfortable with outdoor experiences.

Sitting in the grass, in my outdoor education experience, can be really unsettling, uncomfortable for a lot of friends.

Here in the building, we can give those first steps into experiencing what nature has to offer, whether that's through a field trip class experience, or you're coming as your family, and you're coming to our Farm and Garden Expo and checking out agriculture in Michigan and how you can start a container garden in your backyard.

- [Jamie] Here it's a starting point to help ease visitors into a bigger adventure.

- [Emily] We're just trying to give you those first steps on the journey of really appreciating what's outside.

- [Jamie] The mission is as big as the space.

- Our job is to connect, inspire, and educate our guests in our Detroit neighborhood and beyond to Michigan's natural and cultural resources.

So, everything we do is about showing you what's here, what our state has to offer, and getting you to go do it.

You know, we really just wanna open the door for you.

- Assistant Director Katie Gillis sees that mission play out in the sheer volume of people who come through the doors.

- We opened in 2015.

Tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Yeah, we see a lot of folks between just families coming in, you know, public visitors on weekends, or even during the week, to school groups who come during the school year for field trips, and then we get day camp visitors in the summertime as well.

- [Jamie] And the place that they're discovering it in has already lived several lives.

Built in the 1890s, the Globe Building was once part of a massive ship-building complex along the Detroit River.

Over the decades, it shifted roles.

From engine works to a stove manufacturer to a Detroit Edison repair shop and eventually a warehouse for the Globe Trading Company.

Henry Ford spent two years here as an apprentice machinist learning the mechanics that would shape his future.

- The boilers for the ships built here were made in this building and there was a dry dock.

And then after that kind of phased out it was, you know, this area kind of became like a warehouse district and it got repurposed in those ways.

But it sat vacant for a while until our previous Chief of the Parks and Recreation Division, who we are under, had the vision for the Outdoor Adventure Summit.

- [Jamie] A building that once helped power Great Lake Ships now powers something different.

- Our mission is to inspire, educate, and connect our visitors to Michigan's natural resources.

So we do that through the components within the exhibits in the building, but also through our various educational and recreational programs that we offer.

- We just want you to experience another avenue of outdoor recreation.

If you choose to take that further, you can take on our four-week archery 101 class, you can do our explore archery programs, you can even get into like bow hunting classes and things, and learn about the hunt and harvest traditions of Michigan.

So, you can take this journey as deep as you like, or it can be more of a starting level and then you can go find new adventures elsewhere in the state.

- [Jamie] The second floor has its own way of putting you into the landscape.

- [Emily] Our rides exhibits are so popular.

So, you can test out a snowmobile and an off-road vehicle.

The videos are of beautiful up-north parks.

- [Jamie] Interactive trails, the squirrel shooting simulator, and a wood plank walkway up top gives you an overhead view.

You can also get a look at the night sky along with the fish swimming in giant aquariums - So, you really feel like you're in it and experiencing those big adventures out there.

- [Jamie] Employees like Miranda Grant started out as a young visitor.

Now, she's helping kids meet Michigan's wildlife face to face.

- Came for, like, my ninth birthday.

I love the place.

I love stuff like this.

I'm very lucky I come from a family that got me outside a lot and interacting with things like this.

My main role is helping educate the public about Michigan's natural resources in wildlife, especially.

We'll do teaching tables, assist with classroom programs.

So, this is a great place for kids that either wanna get outside or maybe they're not super confident going outside yet.

It's a good entry point.

Every now and then, no matter the age, we'll get one kid that's super, super into a specific thing.

I love it.

We get a lot of kids who they see the animals, that's what they're really, really drawn to because it's a turtle right in front of me.

- [Jamie] Adventure Guide Kai Green also first came here when he was young through a program designed to help get kids outside.

- What brought me here was the Healthy Kids Program, which is a program that exposes kids to the Department of Natural Resources and different things in nature.

We went to different parks, state and non-state parks.

And this was a facility that we went to and that's where I first saw this facility.

We got to see what they did with animal care, testing the water to make sure the pH and nitrate levels are correct.

- [Jamie] Now, Kai is one of the people explaining what lives in Michigan's forest and wetlands with the help of some face-to-face meetings with some animal ambassadors inside the Habitat Lounge.

- One thing that we do in this room a lot is herpetology, which is frogs and turtles and salamanders.

So, we give education based on that because one thing about this facility is that we specialize in animals that are in Michigan.

That's why one of the slogans is bring up north downtown.

- [Jamie] Inside the building or out in the field, the point is the same, turn curiosity into confidence.

For Katie, that looks like something specific when visitors walk back out the door.

- Michigan state parks are all of our state parks and these are all places that we can visit and enjoy and protect.

And I really hope that everyone who visits the building maybe walks away with like a new interest or a new hobby that they might wanna try or expand on outside in our state parks here.

- [Jamie] And for Emily, it boils down to something simple.

- I just want you to go outside.

I love playing outside.

I've always gone camping and hiking and all of that good stuff.

And it's not an experience that everybody gets to have in their childhood.

So, no matter how big of a kid you are, you know, we work with seniors and three-year-olds and everybody in between, we want you to go play outside after you come visit us.

You can come back and see us again, but mostly just go play outside.

- Thank you so much, Jamie.

That looks so fun.

For kids who want to go beyond the building, the Outdoor Venture Center offers summer camps, from mini-camps for seven-year-olds to week-long trips for teens.

Plus, don't forget the many nearby outdoor opportunities to explore like Belle Isle Park, the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, and of course, Detroit's River Walk.

A lot to do there.

Now, from the Motor City, we roll into the Cherry Capital.

If you're looking to reach new heights, ELEV8 Climbing in Traverse City is a great place for thrill seekers wanting to learn more about the sport and those looking to polish up their skills year-round.

Chris Ogozaly explains.

- It's a completely different type of movement and activity than anything else you're gonna get.

It's not the adrenaline, like fast racing carts, or zipping down a hill or anything like that on skis.

It's more of a social and a mental and meditative, almost, but yet, physical and high-energy activity.

So, it blends a lot of unique factors together, and you get that exposure, that height exposure you get, to the top of these walls, and you feel like you're up there and you had to earn it, too.

It's kind of a sneaky way to get a workout while having a good time with friends.

- [Chris] After spending time in Colorado, Kevin was ready to reconnect with Northern Michigan and family.

His plan, however?

Well, that was quite literally up in the air.

- Certainly a passion, a love for climbing, and then roots here in Traverse City and then starting a family which then shifted our focus on, all right, maybe we should move to Michigan and be closer to our roots, closer to our extended family.

But we were living out west out in Colorado for the years prior.

Had our first daughter and thought about, hey, what's the future look like?

Didn't wanna live somewhere without climbing.

And Traverse City was a place without climbing.

Indoor, outdoor, really nothing around here.

So, sat down, started doing all the due diligence, building the business plan, because we have a pretty unique requirement for what our space needs to look like.

So, as you can see behind me, we've got 45-foot tall ceilings.

So, we've got walls that are over 40 foot tall in here.

And, yeah, that was something we didn't want to compromise on.

So, it took a while from inception of the idea to arriving here in Traverse City to finally securing this location, designing and building the space, and opening our doors, it was quite a run of time.

- [Chris] Climbing isn't just about walls, it's about community, too.

- We've really built a climbing community from ground up.

Yes, there were climbers here that were present already and they showed up and a lot more of those than we realized, too.

But a whole host of brand new climbers and a lot of those people have fallen in love with it, too.

So, I've really given them an opportunity to, yeah, to engage in a new hobby, find a new passion, relate with people that they can do it with.

- [Chris] If the thought of climbing makes your palms sweaty, don't worry.

ELEV8 is friendly for beginners, too.

- We have climbers of all levels.

We've had climbers in here that are, you know, competitive climbers that go to youth nationals.

And then we've had people in here that have never seen or touched a climbing wall and have no idea what it is or what it means.

And then there's different disciplines of the sport as well.

There's the shorter wall without the harness.

There's the taller walls where you're using the harness.

There's some where it's automatic, you just clip in.

Super simple.

We can teach a first timer how that works in just a minute.

And then there's others where you're using climbing equipment to belay and using the ropes and you have to understand the knots and the systems and the commands and the techniques and all that.

So, there's kind of this hierarchy of, with understanding the systems at work here.

So, yeah, there is really truly something for everyone.

So, someone can walk in never having climbed before and we'll get them geared up.

We'll talk them through all the safety that they need to know and they can have a full day of climbing.

Pretty streamlined, chill process.

People come in and within 10 minutes we've got them on the wall climbing.

- [Chris] The experience for every climber is different, but you can find out a lot about yourself in the process.

From upper and lower body strength to vision and problem-solving.

- There's basically roped climbing and then there's unroped climbing.

The only reason we use ropes is because you're climbing high enough off the ground that it would be dangerous if you were to fall, right?

So, with the bouldering wall, which is this section of wall here, there's thicker mats underneath it because if you do fall, you're free falling to the ground.

So we've got thick, cushioned mats.

Each climb on the wall is gonna have, at different moments, it's gonna require different things of you to, to kind of solve this physical puzzle that's on the wall.

In here, it's super supportive, too.

It's pretty unique.

When people are climbing, it's not a head-to-head competition against someone else.

It's not one team versus another.

You're not necessarily comparing how I did with how you did, I'm comparing how I did with how I did last time, maybe, on that route, or how I want to be able to do it, right?

So, it's kind of us against gravity and the wall.

When you climb, everyone wants to see you succeed.

And people share movement ideas.

If someone's like, "Hey, I'm stuck on this.

Got any ideas for that?"

And people share that intel.

But there's all types of bodies out there doing the things and getting to the tops of walls.

And that's kinda what's cool about it, too, is like everybody solves that problem on the wall in a different way.

So, you know, if I climb with my daughter who's half my height, she's gonna climb something way differently than I am.

And it's really awesome to watch that sometimes, some of the creative solutions that they have to come up with and the workarounds.

Because like, being taller, you end up getting scrunched up and it's uncomfortable for you where someone else is like in a more comfortable position.

So, every climber kind of has a unique experience as they go up the wall.

- At ELEV8 Climbing and Fitness, you can hone your climbing skills, but the facility also has free weights and offers yoga and workout classes.

Lots to do there.

Well, after a workout like that, I have worked up an appetite.

Our next stop takes us to the Twisted Fork in Mount Pleasant.

Hunger might bring you in, but they're unique dishes, vibrant walls, and community focused initiatives will keep you inspired and coming back for more.

Take a look.

- I take a dish like pad Thai or drunken noodles, and I just go with my gut on what I think is gonna expand the flavors, expand the depth, and hit all the taste buds.

- [Stefanie] Where an artist may pick up a paint brush, Chef Pete Grondin picks up a pan and things begin to sizzle.

- Through my travels, I did work overseas a little bit, mostly for free rent, but I frequented a lot of restaurants.

So, I took the best of every restaurant and I put them all into one.

And then I created a menu based on global cuisine with my own spin.

My heart, honestly, that's really what it is.

I don't know how to describe it.

My staff doesn't understand it because I can just whip up some crazy thing.

- [Stefanie] With dishes inspired by his time overseas, you might be surprised to learn that working in the food industry wasn't exactly the goal.

- It was more for survival.

I had no intention of this ever happening.

I had no intention of ever becoming a chef or a restaurant owner.

It was just a means to an end as a 16-year-old.

And I did work all over Mount Pleasant through my very early twenties.

I lived a very colorful life in my teens and most of my twenties.

And I struggled with addiction, so, I decided to vacate the town and that's when my life changed.

And I moved to Mackinac Island and that is where I really fell in love with culinary arts and food.

And I did a lot of networking there, made a lot of great connections.

And from there I decided to move to Hawaii and I lived out there for two years.

And from there, I started traveling internationally through Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and China.

- [Stefanie] Traveling abroad may have inspired Pete's culinary journey, but it also put him on the path towards something else, peace.

- I don't know when that changed.

I think it was part of, I know I told you I had a very colorful life and some struggles in the past, and I think I started noticing I'm a very creative person.

I'm an artist.

I paint.

I do a lot of wood carvings and different, you know, I grow bonsai trees.

I'm just a very creative person.

I need that in my life.

And I think it took five or six years before I realized, wow, I can do that with food, you know?

And it hits all the hits all the things that I need in me, you know?

And then once food gave me that creative outlet, I noticed healing.

- [Stefanie] Pete returned to Mount Pleasant and began feeding people out of his food truck.

It wasn't easy.

18 months later, though, he opened his first storefront.

He credits the community with his success and in return pays it back when he's able.

- It took a while.

It took a lot of sacrifice, going without my daughter, my newborn daughter going without.

So, people think I own a restaurant and I don't look at this as a restaurant, I look at it more of a community institution.

What do you think of when you think of an institution?

A hospital, a school courthouse?

When you walk into those places, you feel it's professional.

You feel like you can trust them.

You know you're getting quality service, quality care.

That's what I want for the Twisted Fork.

- That food looks amazing.

Thank you so much, Pete.

Well, sometimes Michigan winters can feel a bit long, right?

More than 70 years ago, a group of locals came up with a plan to break up those winter blues, a fishing competition on the bay in Tawas.

Now in its 76th year, Perchville is still going strong.

Adam heads to the east side of the state to experience a one-of-a-kind winter celebration.

- Anybody that's been to Tawas or Oscoda or any of these lakeside communities know it's beautiful up here in the winter and the summertime.

- Perchville is a coming together of the community and the public, and just a wonderful weekend.

Basically, you know, I call Mother Nature, and I ask her for some ice so we can have polar bear swim and a little snow, so, you know, we have a winter festival.

- [Adam] Now in its 76th year, the festival celebrates winter, community, and just a little friendly competition.

- Perchville originally started from the locals, and this time of year when the ice would freeze, a bunch of fishermen would get together on the ice and they would perch fish.

They would actually build fires out there.

They would have, like, their little communities.

And it turned into a fishing contest between the locals on who was gonna catch the biggest perch and stuff like that.

It kept growing and growing and growing, and somewhere along the line, somebody thought, well, let's turn this into, like, an actual festival.

- [Adam] The event has evolved over the years.

For a time, a demolition derby was held on the ice.

Now, ATVs race at a local park.

Ice shanties and a fishing tournament are still part of the weekend.

And family friendly traditions, like decorating perch and a parade draw locals downtown.

But the biggest attraction just might be the chili.

The competitors start serving up their chili shortly after the parade concludes and attendees line up to try a sample and cast their vote for the best offering.

- We have a lot of businesses that get really into the chili cookoff.

You can go to each business and taste the chili.

They have themes, they have costumes.

So, it's not just about the chili.

- [Adam] Locals and festival-goers turned out on a cold but sunny day to enjoy the chili.

Costumes and bullhorns, gimmicks, and a table full of toppings were all in play to win the popular vote for best chili.

- I just like seeing everybody come out and enjoy the Tawas area in the winter.

It's very quiet in the winter.

So, it's nice that we can have people come to town and enjoy everything we have.

- [Adam] Perchville brings excitement and a bit of noise to the town.

Just a few blocks outside of downtown, a park roared with ATV barrel racing.

Young and old competed head to head to see who could traverse the course the fastest.

Perchville may have started as a fishing tournament, but it's now clear that at the heart of this winter festival is bringing people together.

- Now, it's kind of a tradition.

We see a lot of families that come home for Perchville.

It's like a holiday.

People are, "Happy Perchville!

Happy Perchville!"

the week of.

- One of the biggest things is the families.

Like, their kids would go off to college or something like that, and so wherever they've gone to, Perchville is a time where people come home, get the gangs together, and just have a great time.

So it's, you know, family time, too.

- [Adam] Nothing says family time like encouraging loved ones to jump in to a freezing cold Great Lake.

And a staple of the polar bear swim has been Pete Barnes.

- I was approached by somebody, I think in 1990 or '91, about taking over the polar bear swim.

And I told the guy, Mark Elliot, as long as I don't have to do it, I will sign up for it.

And it's just a lot of fun.

You meet a lot of different people.

And that's what started it back, like I say, 35, 36 years ago.

- [Adam] In all of his years volunteering, Pete has come to one conclusion about those who take the plunge.

- Well, to me, you know, a little bit crazy.

I don't get it.

Because like I say, the water's about 40 degrees, - [Adam] Whether it is the chili, the perch, the barrel races, the cold plunge, or the sunset community, there is something for everyone.

- Perchville is just a really great celebration in the Tawas area and we're excited to be doing it for another 76 years.

- Plans are already underway for next year's festival and like every year the committee is hoping for good weather.

Fingers crossed.

And for those wondering, The Meat Market won the chili cookoff.

They were the ones with the table full of toppings because chili is all about the toppings.

All right, well whether it's winter, fall, or summer, Castle Farms shines with a stunning backdrop, gorgeous landscape, and architecture.

This popular event space found itself in a national spotlight recently during the 2025 filming of Antiques Roadshow.

WCMU had exclusive access during the day of filming.

We got to learn all about what it takes to bring the road show to life and to meet the people who make it all possible.

- The stories are as much about the people as they are about the item.

So, it's what we are assigning value to.

So, I've seen people cry over a $50 spoon that their grandmother used to feed them with.

- [Stefanie] Thousands of excited fans lined up over the summer at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, each one hoping to find out the story about the items they brought along with them.

- Honestly, my favorite part is the genuine excitement of not knowing what's gonna happen, what's gonna come in.

I mean, this is as authentic as they come.

- [Stefanie] Each and every item had its own unique story.

- Our job, we recognize something, we know it's good, or we know it's bad.

And then from that point, once we recognize its potential, then the research starts, then identifying it, getting the full story.

It's like playing detective about material culture.

- [Stefanie] And for many hopeful fans, just being a small part of the big picture is something they will never forget.

- It was awesome.

I mean, it was, I never thought I'd actually be in the line to get there and then to actually get there and have something appraised.

It was amazing.

- [Stefanie] Moments like these are what makes Antiques Roadshow so special.

- In many ways it's the American story and that's why it's compelling.

- Antiques Roadshow recently began its 30th season and they are not showing any signs of slowing down.

All right, well that wraps up this edition of Destination Michigan.

Hopefully, you learned something new to discover on your next trip in the Mitt.

Thanks so much for watching.

(exciting upbeat music)