Mark Naida

Austin

Managing Editor at Enjoyer

Managing Editor, @mich_enjoyer Formerly: @WSJOpinion, @CNNBusiness, @detroitnews Catholic, husband, father [email protected]

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Articles

Paris, Michigan, Has No French Connection

1 day ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

Paris — Just north of Big Rapids is a quaint crossroads with a cabinet maker, a taxidermist, a pizza joint, an antique dealer—and a scale model of the Eiffel Tower, of course. There are at least 23 towns in the U.S. named after the French capital, but ours is not one of them. John Parish platted this village of 270 souls in 1865, and after a fire about a decade later, the “h” fell off the town’s name. “Parish” became “Paris.”This little village was once home to the state’s second fish hatchery.
How One Soft-Palmed Editor Screwed Up His Turkey Hunt

2 weeks ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

Big Rapids — I knew everything I needed to know, and it didn’t matter. We found the turkeys before dawn and started the dance. We called, they gobbled. They flew off the roost, and we hoped a tom would come square off with our jake decoy. The gobbles got louder, and we saw a black shadow scratching its way forward as dawn blossomed to morning. I couldn’t have had it easier. This was less hunting and more playing gunman.
The Government Says Charlevoix Is the Best Place to Live in Michigan

1 month ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

That’s according to a 1999 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA created an index for what it deemed “natural amenities” and ranked every county in the lower 48. The environmental qualities the index favored were mild, sunny winters, temperate summers, low humidity, topographic variation, and access to a body of water.
The Robin Shouldn’t Be Our State Bird

1 month ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

We all know why they got the honor: Because when you see one, you know spring is here. Don’t get me wrong, these red-breasted thrushes are fun to watch. They fly around with worms hanging out of their mouths. They’re distinct enough that everyone can identify them, and who hasn’t found a tightly built nest with a few baby-blue eggs? They’re good as birds go, but they aren’t unique enough to be Michigan’s state bird.
It’s “Ford’s,” Not Ford

1 month ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

If your grandparents grew up here, they probably refer to the Ford Motor Company as “Ford’s” and Meijer as “Meijer’s.” Many laugh this off as some silly midwestern linguistic tic, but it’s not. It’s a recognition that great men have built great companies in Michigan. When Chrysler Fiat and Peugeot merged in January 2021, the company chose to be known by a new name, a contrived one: Stellantis.
Home-Price Whiners Aren't Gonna Make It

1 month ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

Every parent tells his kids not to bellyache, but when the housing market comes up, that’s all millennials and zoomers can seem to do, even in Michigan. Type “housing” into the X search bar and you instantly see people complaining about zoning rules, fever dreaming about a housing collapse triggered by Trump’s tariffs, and bemoaning the fact that whatever mortgage they could get will be twice as costly as their parents’.
In Michigan, You Can Always Escape the Rat Race

2 months ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

Say you want out of your median life: earning $45k a year and renting in Metro Detroit, commuting for hours each week, addicted to your phone, and scrapping for work in the ever-hollowing auto industry. Say you’ve had a dream: a house you could pay off near the lake, time spent with a line in the water, and more free time to enjoy the state you love. You can do it here. The Michigan housing market isn’t terrifying if you optimize for leisure over status and comfort.
Why Gilmore Girls Is Taking Over Brighton

2 months ago | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

Brighton — Keep an eye on the Brighton city council minutes. It might not be long before they consider renaming the town Stars Hollow. Following the success of last fall’s Destination Stars Hollow event, in which 40,000 fans of the show “Gilmore Girls” descended upon the small town, quintupling its population for a day, the event organizers have announced that the event will expand to a whole weekend this year in mid-September.
Why Aren't Huron and Michigan One Lake?

Jan 22, 2025 | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

Every Michigan kid learns the abbreviation HOMES for the five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. But if you had never learned that and saw an unmarked map, wouldn’t you think there were only four Great Lakes? In hydrological terms, Lakes Huron and Michigan are a theoretically bisected by the Straits of Mackinac. They have the same elevation, same species, and are in most ways ecologically similar.
The World's Oldest Chairlift Is on Boyne Mountain

Jan 9, 2025 | enjoyer.com | Mark Naida

Boyne Falls — Michigan’s lakes are great, but did you know we also have the second-most ski resorts in the country? More slopes than your neighbor’s driveway after a snowstorm. Boyne Mountain has something really special. The Hemlock chairlift is the world’s oldest. It wasbuilt in 1936 at the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho and moved to Boyne in 1947. They’ve updated it since, but the original terminals are still standing. It’s like an old truck—reliable, timeless, and still gets you where you need to go.