Michigan 2009

We arrived in Grand Haven on a windy, stormy day. Still in the heart of tourist season, a Saturday dinner at Snug Harbor was a challenge. The six of us managed to find a table in the even better upstairs restaurant, Jelly's. There we were able to order sushi in the form of a classic Philly roll, salmon bruschetta with goat cheese capers and balsamic vinegar. The main course came from the appetizer menu in the form of glazed, seared scallops. And the first night in town deserved to be marked by dessert, a pecan caramel cheesecake. The wine was a nice Spanish tempranillo. Outside the restaurant window, a storm was raging. The rain came from every direction as the wind blew in. White caps covered the rocks and then receded. It truly was Snug Harbor. We finished dinner in time and the rain stopped long enough for our first chance to see and hear the musical fountain. Grand Haven is home to the world's largest. Stephanie and I find great humor in this fun fact. We found our condo to exceed the expectations. It was brand new and the building itself was beautiful but eerily empty. Until our last day, we only saw two others that were staying in this expansive place. On the ground floor, we were happy to find an outdoor equipment store called Good Earth and an ice cream place called Sweet Temptations. A diagram outside the display condo that showed the long term vision of docks along an expanded development going all the way to the Grand River. Sunday morning, we were off for a big breakfast at the Dee Lite which uses the Theatre Bar side to serve its Sunday breakfasts. They were serving a tasty special, stuffed hashbrowns. The eggs benedict were excellent as well. We made a grocery run to save on expenses and calories so we could eat the remaining breakfasts at the condo as well as a few lunches. Celeste and Stephanie invited us to dinner where we enjoyed lasagna and salad along with fresh bread. For dessert, we had strawberry shortcake. We ended our evening with a lovely fire on their beautiful stone patio. Monday was a beach day. It was on the cool side, 68 degrees, but still sunny and enjoyable. The crazy waves we encountered on day 0ne had subsided into a gentle lapping of the lake. We happened to pick a spot near a group of 4 locals that were a very opinionated lot. I had to tune them out a couple times because their political rantings were too much for me to take. There was humor in the day when a group of college aged kids laid down their beach blankets and food nearby and then all took a walk down the beach. They returned to find a seagull invasion had appropriated most of their snacks. The birds are not shy and it is best to keep a vigilent eye out for them when eating your sandwich or chips. We ate a quick dinner at the chain restaurant, Culvers, famous for the butter burger and stayed in that evening. Kari taught us how to play a card game called Shanghai. Tyna and I took a walk around the condo later to see if we could spot any other neighbors, only to realize it was 9:30 and again time for the musical fountain. Though we couldn't see it, we could hear it. Tuesday morning, I took an inpsiring run down the pier from Chinook to the Coast Guard station, with the gorgeous bright red lighthouse in view all the way. There are a few things that I always notice about Grand Haven. It is very "white" and the only people of color I saw all week were the musician playing at Jelly's our first night in town and a group of boys walking on the beach. They really stood out as they had on baggy pants and tennis shoes. By the end of week there, I usually long for the diversity and cultural variety that you just don't find in western Michigan. Interesting, the economy in Michigan collapsed before it did throughout the rest of America and yet Grand Haven has kept a facade of wealth. Though, there are houses for sale all over town and the foreclosure list in the paper is three pages long, the town is still touristy and nice. Because of the lake scenery and just enough visitors, things keep chugging along. Tuesday afternoon, we headed for a shopping day in Sagatuck. It is as cute and quaint as ever. I loved the sign about life that I saw in one of the little shops. It said to arrive at the end, "skidding in with chocolate in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. " We all bought a few odds and ends. I found a "life is good" leash for Mika and a mouspad with a lake scene done by a local artist. We also found Steve, the massage therapist, and took 15 minute chair massages. Tyna opted out but calmed herself by petting his very sweet dog. We had lunch on the water at the "Butler". Carol had the clam chowder and I started with the tortellini soup. Carol and I had a glass of wine made for the restaurant by Fenn Valley winery. We stopped by the drugstore to find some bargains, it was a mix of trendy tourist with a small town vibe. We also did a tasting the Tabor Hill tasting room. With no other customers to rush the process, we leisurely tasted and enjoyed interacting with a very experienced employee who listened to our wine loves and helped us on to new discoveries. The Tabor Hill sherry is really awesome. Just outside of town, we had a great time on the dune buggy ride. Kari really enjoyed this as she has no idea what to expect. One minute, we were in town and the next, we boarded a jeep, seat-belted in and took off into the wilderness of the dunes. Our driver was a comedian too and he made a few of the hills feel like a rollercoaster ride. We had dinner at Bil Mar's on the lake and our photographers ran out and captured the sunset. I ordered a glass of the Chateau Winery chardonnay which was awesome, very oaky and buttery. Afterwards, we strolled down the pier to the lighthouse. Kari found a "lost" boy fishing on the pier and gave him $20 bucks as he looked liked he hadn't eaten in a while. We came back to the condo and had quite a philosophical discussion about body image, talents, and compromise We had started on this theme at dinner when we talked through the "what ifs" of winning the lottery and what we would do with the money. On Wednesday, we went sailing and it was probably the pick sailing day of the whole season. The wind was 12-14 knots, the sky was blue and sun was shining. Our captain was an old crusty guy from Texas with years of boating and scuba experience. He played the required Jimmy Buffett mix and his youg assistant was quite a bartender and didn't skimp on the key ingredients. The boat was beautiful, with plenty of room for the six of us plus 3 others. It has been around, logging 120,000 miles including a trip across the Atlantic. Thursday was another beach day. We met some interesting characters and flew our cheap kite. There was the couple from Lansing who wanted to thank us for coming to Michigan and helping their ailing economy. She was concered about him stepping into the water as the cold might shock his pacemaker. As they walked away, she asked is we were a bridge foursome. Why else would 4 ladies travel together? It was Kari and Tyna's anniversary so our special dinner was in the Grill Room at Kirby's. We all had steak and Tyna even had lobster. My steak had a brandy cream sauce so I pushed my calorie limit to the top and ended with the most decadent chocolate creme brulee. The Grill Room is so different from the rest of the very trendy Kirby. The walls are dark wood, exposed brick, old photographs, and 1 oddity. The oddity is a colorful painting of what looks to be an alien with an exposed circulatory system. Friday, Carol and I went to walk at Rosy Mound. We had tried to get there numerous times before and the park is actually breaktaking. There is a marked trail that takes you through woods, dunes, and climaxes with a lake view. There were few other hikers and we felt like this vast ecosystem was ours for the day. From there, we went over to Spring Lake and then to Linear Park. Along the way, our friend Kenny called to let us know that his partner of 15 years, Kevin had passed away peacefully during the night. Though not unexpected by any means, it was sad and we thought of him as we walked the trail at Linear and saw a lone fisherman passing his day. From the trail, you have a great view of the yacht club and all the boats, big and small, as the traffic reflected that a holiday weekend was upon us. We had lunch at Butch's Burrito's. Tyna had the 3 Alarm Original beef and bean burrito. It was great but several hours before the fire passed. That evening, we had our friends over to the condo for dinner and served a great spread from the little Syrian/Greek place we had discovered earlier in the week. The classic ethnic food and good company was a fitting way to end a very nice, relaxing vacation. Until next time.... Grand Haven http://www.grandhaven.org/ Saugatuck http://www.saugatuck.com/index.asp My favorite artist http://volmod.com/ Wines in Michigan http://www.michiganwines.com/ Boating http://www.winddancercharters.com/daily.html Michigan has a number of great tourist destinations, South Haven, Sagatuck Grand Haven, Traverse City, the Upper Peninsula and Mackinaw Island. Overall the state is home to several sports teams in Detroit, the Tigers baseball team, the football Detroit Lions, the Detroit Shock-a WNBA team, and of course hockey, the Detroit RedWings. The city is also home to the Motown Museum. Each summer in Hart Michigan, you find the Michigan Women’s Festival. http://www.michfest.com/ In summary, Michigan is known for cars, cherries, tulips, blueberries and honey crisp apples. The state is plagued with an especially poor economy as so much of it is based on the auto industry which has completely collapsed this last year. http://www.lakem.com/