Have you ever wanted to stay at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island? We finally did. We headed there to celebrate our Mom’s 80th birthday, a “Girls’ Trip.” My sister, Trish, had organized our “field trip” of FUN! It had been fulfilling to spoil our Mom, Marcia Bunek Meade, on […]
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“Mom, I have our date all planned.” my 28 year old daughter, Charlotte, swooped into our house with the winter wind at her heels. She’d arrived from Ann Arbor! My Christmas gift from her was a Mother-Daughter date. “First we’ll go out to eat, then we’ll play board games at […]
Slurping a milkshake, crunching on fresh fries and biting into a stacked burger at Short’s Drive-In builds a sense of satisfaction and togetherness! Short’s has been recognized with various awards. Even their car-hop service was voted “Best in Michigan” by mashed.com. Short’s Root Beer Drive-In is a family-owned gem in […]
Throughout North America in the crisp, early spring people gather around steamy pans of boiling maple sap. Neighbors come together around evaporators to swap stories and share memories as part of the syrup making ritual. Join Chuck and I as we visit two west Michigan families who keep this time-honored […]
Found across North American at Anishinaabe archeological sites, these “Lucky Stones” or “Lucky Pieces” can still be found across our continent today! These tiny, smooth, white half-orbs are marked with a “J” or an “L.” Where did these gems come from? As a regular rock connoisseur, I was surprised that […]
The Anishinaabe have utilized maple sap for centuries. The first written record of this antioxidant-packed resource had been in 1557. Last year, Michigan produced an impressive 200,000 gallons. Each gallon of this “liquid gold” is worth at least 15 times more than crude oil. Join us as we investigate the […]
As always, Chuck and I seek unusual excitements around the Great Lakes. With USA Today‘s article about the nation’s top ten New Year’s Drops, we found “The Pierogi Drop” in Whiting, Indiana, just south of Chicago. These Polish potato dumplings are most often boiled then fried. Join us for our […]
When I have heard people mention, “Jackson, Michigan,” immediately my mind has focused on the expansive prison. I had not been prepared for the magical, creative community of 30,000 residents that we would meet. Chuck and I were both drawn to the people of the city and will return again […]
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day.” The traditional holiday carol lofted across the three acres of the Realy farm, northeast of Jackson, Michigan. This small group of carolers had created a portal, welcoming us to the 1880’s Waterloo […]
Fifty-six years after the United States had become a nation, Calvin Snell built his home along US-12, the Chicago Road, in the Michigan Territory. From 1832-1843 Calvin Snell offered meals and rest for people making the five day stage coach journey from Chicago to Detroit. Later it was named “Walker […]