Travel Flashback: Mackinac Island

Posted in Travels by Al

(And no, sadly the title of this post doesn’t rhyme. It’s pronounced “mack-in-aw”.) Last summer, I wrote about my trip to Mackinac Island, up in Northern Michigan. I hadn’t been there in about twenty years, and instantly fell in love. It almost pains me to say that, since it’s considered by some to be a tourist attraction here in Michigan, but oh well. It’s for a good reason. The island is charming to pieces, the views are spectacular, the dining is fun, there’s interesting history, I could go on. But instead, I’ll just relish in the trip again with a little flashback…

To get to the island, you have to take a ferry or plane. There are no cars on the island, only horses and bikes. So as you approach the ferry docks, you get an incredible view of hotels, cottages, and the marina. Continue reading →

9Jul2014

Manistee National Forest

Posted in Travels by Al

A few weekends ago my family convened on the west side of the state for a little mid-summer camp trip. The weekend was filled with a lot of laughs, and even more mosquitos. Here in Michigan people have been talking about how this was going to be a banner year for mosquitos because of all the rain and melted snow – and they’re not joking around. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Yikes. The beach was the only respite. But the weather was gorgeous, complete with exciting thunderstorms at night. We ate like kings, and were re-introduced to the magic of pie irons. Oh, the possibilities! I felt like Bubba Gump listing out all the ideas for what to concoct in the pie iron over the fire. (Forrest Gump? Not a timely reference, I know.) It was fun to camp with my brother and his family, something we’d never done before. Lake Michigan never disappoints, that’s for sure. It’s always a little different, which is always good in my book.

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19Jun2014

Saugatuck Getaway

Posted in Travels by Al

For my mom’s birthday back in March I gave her a weekend in Saugatuck, just us. Leaving the men and dogs at home. Since my parents skip town immediately following her birthday, our trip had to wait until their return, almost three months later. A touristy-artsy-charming town on the west side of the state, Saugatuck is a great little place. We chose to go early in the season, and in the middle of the week to avoid both crowds and high weekend rates. The town is situated on Kalamazoo Lake, which then flows into Lake Michigan. Our visit was a little too chilly to do any beaching, but it’s supposed to be pretty spectacular. (I’m partial to Lake Michigan beaches as it is, so I couldn’t really give a fair assessment.) Continue reading →

3Jun2014

A Traverse City Memorial Day

Posted in Travels by Al

As part of our whirlwind Memorial Day weekend, Ryan and I decided to spend the day in Traverse City after the music festival. Half because it’s awesome, and half because it was practical, and a little bit of needing cross-country flight hours for his next rating, Ryan decided to fly. So, we got up early, put the dog in the car, and drove to the airport. I texted my parents that we’d be there mid-morning, and that was that. We flew into the Traverse City airport, my parents picked us up, and we had a magical day. Then in the evening, after a delicious BBQ chicken dinner fitting of Memorial Day, we took off for home. The flight was quick and easy, and Ruby did awesome in the plane – I even caught her looking out the window.

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15May2014

Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Derby

Posted in Travels by Al

I don’t really count myself as a horse racing fan, per se, but what I AM a fan of is dressing up, having cocktails, being outside, and people watching. The weekend of the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks contains all these things, and is really something to behold. Many people don’t know this, but the day before the Derby there is a full schedule of races, culminating in the day’s main event, the Oaks. Continue reading →