Be Our Guest ...

Ben and Beth met while they were both working at Colonial Michilimackinac, part of Mackinac State Historic Parks in the northern portion of lower Michigan. The fort is a replica of the original French fur trading post build at the site. Beth had just completed classwork for her Master's in Historical Administration and was working as an intern with the artifacts and exhibits department. Ben was recruited by his cousin Eric to be one of the interpreters at the fort - interpreters interact with and educate visitors about what life was like during the fur trade era and beyond. Beth likes to joke that the first time she saw Ben is his full regalia, chopping wood and starting fires at the native encampment outside the fort, she knew they were meant to be together. They spent only three months together at Mackinac and when the summer ended Beth went to another internship in Kentucky and Ben returned home to Petoskey. Later that year, Beth moved to Petoskey to join him and they've been rooted in the Little Traverse Bay area ever since.