Megan Swoyer

Michigan

Editor at Michigan BLUE

Editor at Detroit Design

Michigan-based writer, editor, watercolor artist, and beginner watercolor teacher

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Articles

A Sneak Peek at Frankenmuth’s First Luxury Boutique Hotel

3 days ago | hourdetroit.com | Megan Swoyer

In 1848, just a few years after Frankenmuth was founded, the Hubinger brothers builtaflour mill on the banks ofthe Cass River, an energetic waterway. The mill was torn down in the 1950s and 30 years later, a replica was built in its spot. Once it closed, after several ownership changes and concepts, the facility sat empty for years, until the Zehnder family purchased it in 2022.
She Had an Epiphany

1 month ago | mibluemag.com | Megan Swoyer

Ever since she was a young child, glass artist April Wagner knew that she’d one day be an artist.“I was the kid messing around, trying things,” says Wagner, who grew up in Muskegon.
The Dearborn Inn Undergoes Historic Renovation

1 month ago | hourdetroit.com | Megan Swoyer

The Dearborn Inn, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, has a new life. The 94-year-old property that was originally built by Henry Ford and designed by Albert Kahn across from what was once the Ford Airport, now welcomes guests once again with a gleaming transformation.
Force Of Nature - Michigan Blue Magazine

1 month ago | mibluemag.com | Megan Swoyer

Two decades ago, Charlie Heid, 20 at the time, was fixing up old houses and working for a West Bloomfield-based painting company. He eventually became friends with the company’s owner, also in his early 20s. Fast-forward to 2021, and Heid got a call from his old friend/boss. “I know you’re an architect now,” said the friend, “and I have a house that needs you.” Heid, who owns architectural firm Heid Architects, based in Birmingham, was happy to check out his friend’s 4,600-square-foot home.
European Flair - Michigan Blue Magazine

1 month ago | mibluemag.com | Megan Swoyer

About a year ago, Chris and Allaire Swart took a splashy, entrepreneurial plunge. Diving into veritable vats of tasty wines and learning all they could about grapes, the couple opened Chateau Grand Rapids in the historic East Hills area of the bustling west Michigan city.
Photo Essay - Michigan Blue Magazine

1 month ago | mibluemag.com | Megan Swoyer

Pink shell-colored sand, Caribbean-blue waters, and a crisp white surf mingle along a curvy coastline that is perhaps the most idyllic and alluring setting in the state. Empire’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore — quintessential Michigan, to be sure. Spring at northwest Michigan’s Black Star Farms on Old Mission Peninsula bursts with neat rows of vineyards reawakening from dormancy, and a cherry orchard blooming with puffy pastel pinks, fresh greens, and the promise of some delicious fruit.
Fresh Perspectives

1 month ago | mibluemag.com | Megan Swoyer

I soaked up some fresh perspectives during the Thunder Bay International Film Festival in Alpena. An annual event held in Michigan’s northeast corner, a wide variety of films are shown at area venues throughout a long weekend in January.
Northern Nuances

1 month ago | mibluemag.com | Megan Swoyer

When artist Rebecca Deneau’s three sons were very young (they’re teenagers now), she would bring home a fresh stack of children’s books from the library every week. “My most joyful times were spent snuggled up on the couch reading with them,” recalls Deneau, of Traverse City. After taking in a variety of artistic styles and different types of poetry, plots, and prose, Deneau’s desire to illustrate a book began to take off.
Lake Michigan, Letter by Letter

1 month ago | mibluemag.com | Megan Swoyer

When Julie Dickerson retired from elementary school teaching in 2010, she started thinking about writing a book. Fast-forward some 15 years and now she’s published! The teacher-turned-author recently sat down to share some insights on her first book project, “Beaches, Boats, and Birds: A Lake Michigan Alphabet Book,” illustrated by Rhonda McKinnon. Michigan Blue: Why is reading important to you?
A Look Inside One Historic Lake Orion Farmhouse

2 months ago | hourdetroit.com | Megan Swoyer

When Royal Oak residents Sarah Barry and her husband, Timothy, were looking for a new home for their family in 2019, they had two things on their list: expansive property and water. “The minute we pulled up to an old farmhouse on Lake Orion, we got the chills,” Sarah Barry recalls. The house had been on the market for a while because it wasn’t in the best of shape, “but when we stepped foot on the property and took in an old red barn and the water, we went crazy.