The weather is positively sparkling, and if you don't have plans to enjoy the sapphire blue that is Leelanau's abundance of water, we'll help you make them.  Here are a few of our favorite area beaches.  Happy swimming!

At The Riverside Inn, our chefs are involved in every step of each meal; from menu creation, to procuring fresh produce from hand-selected local artisans like Sue Kurta of Boss Mouse Cheese, to the mouth-watering execution of each and every menu item. The kitchen crew works tirelessly to ensure each dish is as close to perfection as possible when it arrives at your table.

Emily’s Picks

At the Riverside Inn, we are fortunate to have not one, but TWO certified sommeliers in-house.  Their passion and dedication to wine is the heart of our extensive wine list, and their education and training of our front of the house staff is priceless. Recently, I sat down with one of these experts, Emily Larkin, to chat about wine and to find out what she is excited to be drinking these days.  These are Emily's picks for fall.

Hi Friends! This short but sweet blog post is brought to you with your complete satisfaction in mind.  Today we are discussing the importance of reservations.  As many of you know, this time of year in our northern paradise is marked by ebbs and flows in the number of people in the area.

Shaub Farm is located on Popp road in Lake Leelanau.  Overlooking the lake, the property spans 80 acres and was purchased by Ralph Shaub when he was just 18.  He has been farming the land on his own for over 48 years. Recently his son Alex has become more involved and the two work together to grow cherries; their main crop, rhubarb, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, plums, pears and of course peaches.

We have been fortunate to work with Dean Slater and Mike Keyes from PKS Heirlooms since 2013.  Located in Copemish, Michigan, the duo started growing heirloom tomatoes on 60 acres of family land in 2001. Since that time, PKS has expanded to include potatoes, peppers, eggplants and fall squashes. One of their squash varieties is especially dear to our heart.

Last week I visited Sweeter Song Farm, a local certified organic fruit and vegetable farm owned and operated by Judy Reinhart and Jim Schwantes. The farm is located on eighty acres, five miles north of Cedar in Leelanau County.  My first reaction to Sweeter Song Farm was one of awe at the sheer size of the operation.

Leelanau county is home to more than 11,250 acres of cherries, and Stanton Orchards owns and farms over 320 of them.  Purchased as a hobby farm by Earl Stanton in 1960, Stanton Orchards has evolved into a large and impressive commercial cherry operation under the direction of Greg Stanton who is Earl's grandson and now co-owns the business with three of his siblings.  When Greg took over the operation the orchards where deteriorating due to mismanagement and aging or neglected trees.

Hooray!  It’s Saskatoon berry season in Leelanau County!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with these yummy berries, Saskatoons are a deep purple, nutrient dense fruit resembling a blueberry.  They are considered a “Super Fruit” due to their high levels of antioxidants, protein, fat, fiber, calcium, magnesium, manganese, barium, and aluminum which are superior to most other small super fruits - including the blueberry.  They are also incredibly delicious.