Some businesses feel manufactured. Others feel like they grew naturally out of the community around them. The Paddling Pig is very much the second.

Long before there was a food truck, Chris Diehl was simply the guy everyone wanted behind the grill. Family parties, cookouts that turned into full meals for a crowd — cooking had always been part of who he was. Eventually, Beverly looked at him and said, "Maybe we should stop doing this for free." That one sentence ended up changing everything.

As winter fades across Northern Michigan, longer days and warming temperatures signal something important for second-home owners—it’s time to reopen, refresh, and reset your Up North retreat.

Whether your property sat quietly through the snowy months or hosted the occasional winter weekend, spring clean-up is about more than tidying up. It’s your opportunity to protect your investment, prepare for the season ahead, and make sure everything is ready for those long summer days at the lake or around the fire.

In late March of 2025, Northern Michigan experienced one of the most destructive natural disasters in its recorded history. For nearly 60 hours, freezing rain coated everything in ice—knocking out power for nearly 200,000 people, blocking thousands of miles of roads, and cutting entire communities off from communication and essential services.

But for those who call Lewiston home, the storm didn’t define this place. What happened after did.

If you were scanning the photos closely this week, you may have caught him…

Every week, Huston Real Estate’s beloved office mascot—Hughie (aka Hubert Honkington III)—picks a new hiding spot and dares our community across Lewiston, Atlanta, Johannesburg, and Northern Michigan to find him. This week, he found something a little more than just a clever hideaway.

Another week, another great local spotlight—and of course, Hughie couldn't resist tagging along. If you joined us this week for our feature on the Lewiston Hotel Bar & Grill, you may have noticed our favorite feathered friend tucked somewhere inside the photos, quietly taking it all in.

Well… it's time for the reveal. Did you spot him? Our community across Lewiston, Atlanta, Johannesburg, and Northern Michigan had all week to track him down—let's see how you did!

This week’s Hidden Hughie had a very important job — keeping watch over responsible recycling efforts across Northern Michigan.

If you looked closely while reading our Local Transfer Station Guide, you may have spotted Hughie perched right on top of the recycling bins in the Otsego County recycling program section. From his vantage point, he was making sure everyone knew where to properly dispose of recyclable materials and household waste. Did you catch him before the reveal?

In northeast Northern Michigan, elk are more than a wildlife success story — they are a living symbol of habitat restoration, careful stewardship, and deep community identity. After disappearing from Michigan's landscape entirely around 1875, the state's free-ranging elk herd began with a remarkable 1918 release of just seven animals near Wolverine and has since grown into one of the most celebrated wildlife populations east of the Mississippi.

Today, with the Michigan DNR estimating roughly 1,150 elk statewide, the herd centers on the Pigeon River Country area — right in the backyard of communities like Atlanta, Lewiston, and Johannesburg. Atlanta's long-standing title as the “Elk Capital of Michigan” has become inseparable from the elk's presence, shaping tourism, seasonal traditions, and the very character of life Up North.

Whether you're planning a wildlife viewing trip, dreaming of owning land in elk country, or simply curious about one of Michigan's great conservation stories, this guide covers everything you need to know.

Living in Northern Michigan comes with beautiful forests, pristine lakes, and wide-open spaces. Keeping it that way starts with responsible waste disposal.

Whether you're a full-time resident, a seasonal property owner, or managing a renovation project at your Up North cabin, here's a clear guide to local transfer stations and landfill services in Lewiston, Atlanta, and Johannesburg.

Dreaming of owning a cozy cottage Up North or a second home near the lakes and trails of Northern Michigan? Before you start touring properties, it's important to understand that financing a second home is different from financing your primary residence.

If you're considering buying a second home in Lewiston, MI or the surrounding Northern Michigan communities, here's what you need to know.