From "WHAT'S UP North" - August 16-22, 2002

East Jordan: Wild, scenic and unpretentious
by Mike Norton

Tucked away on the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix, where the magnificent Jordan Valley suddenly opens up to the sky in a panorama of green hills and blue water, East Jordan is still coming to grips with its emerging role as a tourist destination.

A potent symbol of that ambivalence is the city's waterfront, where kayaks, motorboats and sailing yachts carry vacationers past the looming shape of the East Jordan Iron Works - not just a holdover from the town's blue-collar past but a very real part of its blue-collar present. Unlike many of its neighbors, East Jordan is still very much an industrial community where people are proud of their factory paychecks and apt to look askance at anyone who puts on airs.

That's reflected in the local cuisine (home-cooked, generous servings), a distinct absence of expensive or pretentious boutiques, and a plethora of recreational pursuits on which the the community has made its growing reputation. Not only is this one of the few small towns in northern Michigan that still has a well-attended bowling alley on Main Street, it's also the stepping-off point for hiking, fishing and hunting excursions into the Jordan Valley, one of the most beautiful natural areas in the region.

But the lack of pretentiousness doesn't mean a lack of manners or culture. One of the surprises about the lower Jordan Valley, in fact, is that its simple pleasures have attracted an unusual number of nature-loving artists and artisans who've helped make it one of the most culturally vibrant communities in the north.

In the downtown area (and more often, in the glens and hills surrounding the town) there are studios, workshops, farms and shops that offer surprising and wonderful things: from hand-blown glass and hand-woven textiles to homegrown herbs and homemade quilts. And there are a good many public places and functions where these talents are put on display at regular times; East Jordan has a fascinating art museum as well as several music festivals.

Founded in 1874 as a logging port, the town got its first shot in the arm with the arrival of Englishman W.E. Malpass in 1883; it was Malpass who founded the Iron Works and established the city as something more substantial than a lumber boomtown. (In 1885 it was briefly the seat of Charlevoix County.) Like neighboring Boyne City, East Jordan prided itself on being a year-round community without the seasonal fluctuations seen in Charlevoix.

But tourists are "discovering" East Jordan, and there are signs that the influx of dollars is beginning to bring changes. Several of the community's historic brick buildings have been renovated already, and a particularly large set of them - the Porter and Votruba buildings at the entrance to East Jordan's downtown, are slated for a major restoration beginning this year. A brand-new bandshell that looks strangely like a turn-of-the-century train depot is also in the works.

Each January, the city hosts a three-day winter festival called the Sno-Blast, featuring winter games, races, music and other entertainments. In March, the Jordan Valley Express music center on M-66 is the setting for the annual Fiddler's Jamboree, a gathering of traditional fiddle-playing, dancing and singing. At the end of June, the four-day Jordan Valley Freedom Festival features parades, a carnival, fireworks and a mini-triathlon.

The best start to a day in this neck of the woods, whatever your other plans may be, is a good early breakfast, and there are two strong contenders for best early-morning hangout, both located at the south end of town. The Round Table, which opens at 5:30 a.m., and Darlene's, which is almost as early at 6, are two local hangouts where downtown business owners, fishing guides and police officers are likely to mingle and exchange news as they clear the cobwebs away with good strong coffee.

By midsummer, afternoons may be too hot for any outdoor activity that doesn't involve regular immersion in the water. (There are two fine Lake Charlevoix beaches for this purpose, by the way.) So save the afternoons for indoor browsing and shopping, and head out into the countryside that has made so many visitors to this area forget all their other favortie hideaways.

The Jordan was the first stream in Michigan to receive protection as a Wild and Scenic River, not simply for its beauty but for the diversity of its plant and animal life. Bald eagles and sandhill cranes are some of the rare bird species that seem not at all rare here, and a unique way to experience the back country of the Jordan Valley is on a bird-watching tour conducted by local birding guide Jerry Aydlott.

Other guides, for canoeing, fishing or kayaking the river are plentiful in East Jordan. Fishermen tend to congregate around the Jordan River Fly Shop for advice and news, while paddlers usually stop in at places like Jordan Valley Outfitters on Lake Street, which also organizes snowshoeing and cross-country ski excursions in the winter, as well as a one-of-a-kind winter rafting trip.

But there is more to the valley than the river, and much of it is easily accessible to the casual hiker. The 18-mile Jordan River Pathway can either be walked as a two-day adventure with a camping stop halfway along the route, or in smaller increments of a few hours. The deep, shaded glens of the valley are a perfect place to spend a hot day.

There are other, more human attractions in the outdoors, too. Just a few miles north of town is the Elm Point Estate on Lake Charlevoix, a former mansion that's now a local park with fine gardens and beaches and views of the town. (It's also host to the Portside Arts Fair, which is held every August.) Three miles south of town is another former estate, the Wagbo Peace Center, which holds regular workshops, courses and conferences on nonviolence, sustainable living and environmental stewardship.

East of town, on the Boyne City Road, is the Raven Hill Discovery Center, a hands-on museum that combines lessons in science, history and the arts in ways that are guaranteed to engage the interest of children and adults alike.

If all this hiking and paddling has made you hungry, a great place for lunch is the Two Dog Deli and Bakery on Main Street, which features great soups and sandwiches, homemade pizzas and a smoked turkey (they smoke it themselves) that's to die for. This little eatery has gotten so successful lately that the owners have opened a second branch in Boyne City. (If you're still too full for lunch, try a visit to Sodalicious, a 1950s-style soda fountain across the street, or Marty's on Water Street.)

Browsing the shops and stores of Main Street is a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon, and there are a few fine picks. Plaid Petunias, Busy Bridge Antiques & Gifts and 113 Gatherings are great places to fine out-of-the-ordinary items, and there's a clothing boutique called the E.J.Shoppe.

But if you want to sample some of the arts and crafts that draw bargain-hunting collectors to East Jordan, there are two must-see stops. One is the Jordan River Arts Center, located in the city's former Carnegie library building, which regularly mounts major exhibits that are the envy of much larger communities and offers a wide range of classes and support services for the area's burgeoning arts community. The other is the Jordan Valley Glassworks, where owners Jay Bavers and Glenna Haney have built a national reputation for their blown and stained glass pieces.

Three years ago, the Glassworks moved out of its tight quarters at Baver's home into a big cinderblock building on State Street; since then it's become one of the city's biggest draws. People come to watch Bavers and Haney create their vases, bowls and ornaments as much as to buy the objects themselves.

"We asked the Chamber of Commerce what we could expect in terms of visitors, and they told us maybe 40 or 50 people on weekends," said Bavers. "Our first weekend we had over 1,000 people come in."

Not far away is the Quilt Cottage on Water Street, which sells fabrics and offers classes in traditional quilt-making. But many of the community's other artists and craftsmen are located out in the hills; just for starters, there's the Circle Herb Farm on Hejdahl Road, Otis Pottery on M-66 and the Stonehedge Petting Farm and Fiber Mill, located on a 130-year-old farm on Pesek Road, southeast of town.

By this time, stomachs should be rumbling for dinner. Unlike neighboring Ellsworth, East Jordan hasn't carved out a reputation for haute cuisine, but its restaurants pride themselves on hearty family-style cooking. In addition to the eateries mentioned above, there's Ansted's By The Lake, Lumber Jack's, the Rainbow Bar & Grill and the Zone (located in the Gemini Lanes bowling alley), any of which can provide something to quiet those hunger pangs.

(Mike Norton is a Record-Eagle staff writer.)

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