Entry 2 January 18, 2013
Now let’s get to know the Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District’s owners and management team! I used my top-notch interviewing skills I learned in my seventh grade Newspaper class (shout out to Clay Junior High- Go Trojans!) and put together some questions for my co-workers and myself to answer so everyone can get to know us better. I’ve added some side notes as well.
Here are the basics:
Full name? Matthew James Wiesen
Where were you born? Traverse City, MI
Where do you live now? Glen Arbor
How long have you lived there? My whole life, with a 5-year stay in upstate New York when I was little.
How long have you worked at CRO? 16 years (life-timer!)
Where can we find you when you’re not working at CRO? Preferably out on the water either kayaking, boating, or on my SUP (Side note: Matt & Katy’s dog also loves to SUP with Matt. They both have tremendous balance)
What is your favorite activity within CRO (ex: SUP, Kayak, Canoe, Bike, etc…)
Depends on the season. Early spring or fall you will find me kayaking or riding my road bike but on a hot summer day there is nothing better than getting on a SUP and fitting in a number of swims along the way.
What sports did you play in high school? Track, Skiing and Football
Favorite sports team? New England Patriots (Side note: Being from Indianapolis and, I’ll admit an “If I have to watch football, I’ll be a..” Colts fan, I have to say: yuck. Go Colts, #bleedblue and all that)
Favorite food? Veal Saltimbocca from Funistrada. Or shrimp prepared just about any way
Full name: Kathryn “Katy” Ann Wiesen
Where were you born? Rockford, IL
Where do you live now? Glen Arbor, MI
How long have you lived there? My family purchased a cottage here in 1989. When I was in college I started spending the summers here and worked at On The Narrows Marina. I officially moved here year-round in May of 2004 so I guess that means I have been a permanent resident for almost 9 years.
How long have you worked at CRO? Matt bought Crystal River Outfitters when we were dating and about to graduate from college. We were not yet at a point where the business could support both of us, so I spent 2004-2010 as the Director of Sales Operations at Cherry Republic. In 2010, we decided that Matt couldn’t continue to run the business on his own and needed help with marketing, bookwork and more. Fortunately, Cherry Republic had given me an amazing foundation to understand more about general business, marketing, and seasonal businesses in Glen Arbor. For these reasons and more, it made sense for me to come over to finally work for our businesses.
Where can we find you when you’re not working at CRO? We’re here A LOT (and mostly because the energy here is so great in the summer that it’s hard to stay away). So when I’m not here it usually means: I’m on a good, long hike with our two Shiba Inus, Bridger & Rennie, or hopefully on a boat in Glen Lake. (Side Note: Katy does not go on hikes. she goes on ventures for hours and miles at a time. It’s quite impressive)
What is your favorite activity within CRO (ex: SUP, Kayak, Canoe, Bike, etc…) Kayaking the Crystal River in a Sit-On-Top Kayak. There is nothing better than being able to sit back, relax, paddle when you want to, get out and swim when you want to and get some sun on your legs!
What is your favorite place to eat?
We are spoiled in Glen Arbor. We have some of the most amazing restaurants in the world right here and I love all of them for different reasons. I hate picking favorites so I have decided to pick no more than four words on why I love all of these places:
- Funistrada- heavenly comfort
- La Becasse- mouth-watering
- Blu- fabulous al fresco dining
- Riverfront- our neighbor spoils us
- Boonedocks- Deck=sign of summer (Side Note: Awesome music)
- Art’s- Chicken Caesar salad (Side Note: Tater Tots, Chicken Tenders)
- Western Avenue Grill- glass of wine getaway
- The Foothills- breakfast done right
- Good Harbor Grill- summertime fresh
- Cherry Republic- chocolate craving!?!?
- Leelanau Coffee Roasters- coffee addict
- Joe’s Friendly Tavern- amazing burgers, and named after Matt’s grandfather
If you could be in the Olympics, what event would you participate in? Synchronized Swimming! I was a synchronized swimmer in high school and wish I would have continued with it. I absolutely love the water, and although many consider this “not a sport”, it is probably one of the most physically challenging activities you can do. Such good exercise!
If you could snap your fingers and be anywhere in the world, where would you go? Captiva Island, FL. While we love Glen Arbor, this has become a great escape for us when we realize we need a little warm air and sunshine.
We always say that “Captiva is the Glen Arbor that we don’t get to do in the summer” because we are so busy with the shops. There are beaches, about 5 restaurants, you can walk and bike everywhere and all you need is your swimsuit, sandals, and sundresses (maybe board shorts for the guys)!
Full name: Gretchen Lee Schuman
Where were you born? Ypsilanti, MI
Where do you live now? Right where I want to be.
How long have you lived there? I’ve had roots here since the first time I went camping at 3 months old! But full time since I was 3, well I moved a lot in the last 10 yrs. But always seem to end up back here.
How long have you worked at CRO? 7 yrs!
Where can we find you when you’re not working at CRO? Drinking a beer or Bloody Mary on the beach or in the water!
What is your favorite activity within CRO (ex: SUP, Kayak, Canoe, Bike, etc…) Kayaking because I can do it in the middle of the winter, AKA when I have daylight/time to explore.
Favorite childhood TV show? The ones my siblings and I made up while exploring the woods of our backyard.
Favorite childhood past time? Learning to explore nature with my Dad. (Side note: Gretchen grew up near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. She had acres of woods, beaches, and water to explore and learn from. Although she did have a little trouble learning that she had to let the Trilliums be )
What animal would you be if you could choose? A Supersaurus! It’s the smaller, kinder version of a Brontosaurus and its purple with big glittery orange swirls and bright pink eyelashes. (Side note: In case you were wondering, Gretchen is amazing with kids..they have so much fun together!)
Full Name: Claire Michelle Shipley
Where were you born? Louisville, KY
Where do you live now? In the cutest little blue house at the bottom of Inspiration Point, Glen Arbor
How long have you lived there? The blue house? About 3 months. Glen Arbor? About 9 months
How long have you worked at CRO? 6 years? I took a ‘leave of absence’ one summer, but couldn’t stay away
Where can we find you when you’re not working at CRO? Hopefully on an awesome hike, reading a good book on the beach, or playing in Lake MI
What is your favorite activity within CRO (ex: SUP, Kayak, Canoe, Bike, etc…) I think it’s a tie between kayaking and biking..On a hot day, I love to kayak and be lazy down the river. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll check out the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail on a comfort bike!
Favorite Book Series: Harry Potter. Hands down. If I’d have to decide the order of the books (not movies) It would go: 3, 2, 6, 7, 1, 4, 5. Book 5 (Order of the Phoenix) is last because Spoiler alert! Sirius dies. I cried at that point. And Harry is just a grumpy teen..therefore Book 5 is last in my order.
What are your favorite activities you’ve started since moving up here? Zumba on a regular basis: this zumba is so much fun! We wear funny jingly, belly dancer belts and dance to awesome songs! Also, Readers Theater: coming from a dramatic family, this is one of my new favorite things. In the winter, the Glen Arbor Art Association does a series of plays with all local ‘actors’. No memorization is required, the shows are free, and it’s just so fun!
Favorite Childhood TV Show: Gummy Bears! In case you were wondering, I can still sing almost the entire theme song
Now, if you wonder how you will recognize us this summer, I’ve come up with some simple descriptions for you.
Matt: He always wears sunglasses. I’m jealous because I always forget mine, but you will never see Matt outside without his glasses on. He is also always running around being the king of the multitaskers..very impressive!
Katy: She also remembers her sunglasses too. Katy also will always be wearing her hair in the cutest little ponytail and have a big, welcoming smile on her face.
Gretchen: She will have pens in her hair. The busier we get, the more pens she has! If you can’t see her hair, then you can tell it’s Gretchen by the smile she always has on and she will be the one chatting to everyone, playing with kids, and making sure the whole operation is running smoothly.
Claire: I’ll be the one squinting due to lack of sunglass wearing. Gretchen says I also have the best hair-dos in the district, so I’ll take it! Oh, and at some point throughout the day, I’ll probably be dancing.
Now that you know us, you’ll understand everyone I’m talking about in the upcoming blogs. When you’re in the area come see us, say “Hi”! See if you like any of our favorite activites! You can see if I’m right in my descriptions of how you’ll recognize who we are!
Coming Next Week: Claire Shipley vs. Snowshoes
