On Hand
On Hand
Ever wondered why we call ourselves “Michiganders”? Or why we say “pop” instead of “soda”? Or, seriously, how many people need to be rescued from Sleeping Bear Dunes every year? That’s why we’re bringing you a new podcast - On Hand - to answer all your questions about what makes our state so special. To share a story or submit your questions, head to michiganpublic.org/onhand If you like what yo…Social links:
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Can you find Petoskey stones outside of Petoskey?
For many a Michigander, Petoskey stones are way more than just a cool looking rock. They’re a physical reminder of happy memories of Michigan summers past. The Petoskey shares a name with the Northern Michigan city, but their distribution–and the story they tell us about our state’s ancient history…
18:39
Your Stories: The Giving Cherry Tree
A listener shares his story about the lessons in tenderness, abundance and connection a forgotten cherry tree gave him. GUEST: Andrew Harmon originally from Rockford, MI but spent many of his young adult years living in Grand Rapids. He now lives in Boston, MA. Want to submit a question to On H…
07:01
How did Michigan become the cherry capital?
Come July, cherries are everywhere here. Sweet. Sour. Deep maroon, golden yellow and even blush pink. Michigan is the second largest grower of cherries in the nation and we're home to the National Cherry Festival. But why? In this episode we tell you the story of our favorite little stone fruit, t…
20:34
An ode to Lake St. Clair
Several of you reached out to argue for adding Lake St. Clair as a 6th Great Lake (or 5th if you count Huron and Michigan as one). On this episode, we hear about one man's love for this "heart-shaped" lake — and the song it inspired him to make. Plus, a story about life in the straits of Mackinac. …
08:59
Are Michigan and Huron actually one large Great Lake?
Are Michigan and Huron separate lakes – or have we been counting the Great Lakes wrong? There may actually be four Great Lakes: “Lake” Huron and “Lake” Michigan could actually be considered “lobes” of one big lake — big enough to unseat Lake Superior as the world’s largest freshwater lake by surfa…
21:56
Your Stories: The trucks are too heavy
MANY of you wrote in to say that the reason the roads are seemingly always in terrible shape in Michigan is because of truck weights - and the fact that Michigan often doubles truck weight limits from those of federal guidelines. Today we're hearing and feeling your anger, and talking to an enginee…
09:53
Why are we always fixing Michigan roads?
Are Michigan's roads really so bad that we need to be repairing them all the time? What's really going on with our orange-barrel forests? For this episode of On Hand, we tackle a listener's question about road repairs by talking to two actual road engineers. We'll also get externally-verified facts…
19:54
Your Stories: The U.P. is true Up North
For many Michiganders, Up North begins at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge. One listener defends the Upper Peninsula as true north. And another listener says the southern border of the mitten is also Up North for many people. GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE: Ken Raisanen, retired teacher and lifelong …
08:11
Where does "Up North" begin?
It's a great Michigan debate; what is the line or the place that marks the end of the southern part of the state and the beginning of that mystical land we call Up North? The answers vary from emotional to philosophical. But there's also an ecological answer that helps us better understand why we …
21:13
Your Stories: Summertime memories of Lake Michigan Drive
Many of us have a road that's more than a line on a map—it's a memory. Maybe it’s the street you grew up on or the dirt road that leads you to a cottage Up North. For listener Tom Topolski, it’s Lake Michigan Drive. GUEST: Thomas Topolski, Hudsonville resident Want to submit a question to On…
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