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Sometimes you want to get out and enjoy the winter (or at least get some exercise) but the conditions aren't really right for skiing or snowshoeing, and you don't want want to deal with a lot of special gear anyway. Not to worry -- you can always take a winter walk! All you'll need are mittens, a hat, a warm coat and a good pair of boots!

Say what you will about the quality of Traverse City’s cultural and culinary scene (and believe me, I’d be the last person to disparage it) the Number One Winter Attraction up here is still what you can do in the Great Outdoors. Once the snow begins to fall across this glacier-carved landscape, it becomes a sparkling white playground for outdoor winter sports – and that’s where the fun is.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the fall color from below – looking up from the seat of your bike or your car as you pass a blazing hillside of red, gold and orange maples. Hard-core foliage fans, however, won’t be content until they’ve climbed the summits of a few hills to enjoy the autumn display from above.

At the top of Schuss Mountain. By MIKE NORTON When you’ve got a perfect winter day – bright sun, clean snow and an impossibly blue sky – there’s no better place to be than the top of Schuss

Nicole steps off into space at Mt. Holiday. By MIKE NORTON TRAVERSE CITY — Nicole Janiga’s face said it all. The Traverse City high schooler had just been buckled into a harness and swung

Autumn glory along the Bellaire River By MIKE NORTON Last week, I was definitely in the mood for a change of pace – and I knew the fall colors would be especially good in the area east and north

Playing the Cedar River course at Shanty Creek By MIKE NORTON I’m not a golfer. Just never could figure out the appeal of the game. On the other hand, I’ve always loved golf courses. Ever since

Skiing Schuss Mountain at Shanty Creek By MIKE NORTON For a while, I didn’t think I was going to see snow this month. But there I was, kayaking out in the middle of East Bay on Saturday afternoon