A wise horse, Old Sam, who had served in the Civil War, now has plaques and a grave marker in Coldwater, Michigan where he’d been born. Old Sam’s story is one of dedication and bravery. How did he become a Civil War hero? Where is Old Sam buried? His burial […]
Interests
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The summer mugginess hung around us as we strolled around Kalamazoo. My husband, Chuck, and I often return to the city where we’d met decades ago at WMU. “Hey, isn’t that the abandoned building we’d climbed into?” Chuck mentioned. We noted how the painted brick had been sandblasted to reveal […]
What’s a “Boatel?” Well, one can spend the night aboard an original 1931 railcar ferry, The S.S. City of Milwaukee. A “Boatel” is a living history hotel with water underneath! I had no idea that Manistee, Michigan housed an original 1931 Grand Trunk Railroad ferry steamship. Join my husband, Chuck, […]
Who has left a permanent impression on your life? Well, Feodor Protar had made a lasting impact on the islanders who have called Beaver Island their home. His log cabin has been made into a museum and stone walls stand guard over his gravesite. A century after his passing, Feodor […]
I have had no idea about how to conjure beer, but Dani, the brewer at Big Boiler Brewing in Lowell, had invited my husband, Chuck (DaViking) and I to collaborate in creating an ale, Restless Viking Red. We were honored to work with Dani and get to know her! Dani’s […]
Have you ever wanted to learn how to sail? Did you know that The Great Lakes Sailing School in Traverse City has eleven instructors? Sailing certification for American Sailing Association (ASA) 101 and 103 requires four days aboard a sailboat with actual sailing, knot tying and taking two exams. Even […]
Join DaViking (my husband, Chuck) and I as we search for the 33 markers commemorating an ancient trail from Cadillac to Traverse City, The Old Indian Trail. Evidence found along the 55 mile trek has been dated to 700 B.C.E. This passage had been used by the Hopewells and then [...]
Tulip Time! I had received a text from my husband, Chuck, “4:15 Dinner at Boatwerks?” Boatwerks is a restaurant in Holland, Michigan. He had been volunteering on the 1810 replica ship, Friends Good Will, in Holland for Tulip Time. “YES!” I replied. The Michigan Maritime Museum had sailed their wooden […]
My first sight of the Woolsey Airport had been four years ago on a Restless Viking YouTube video. (See “Related Links”) I knew this unique stone structure must have a story. In May 2023, My husband, Chuck, “DaViking” and I made a stop as we drove around the “pinky peninsula” […]
Byssus, a thread made from mollusks’ saliva, is extremely rare and has ancient references! This “Sea Silk” had been named on the Rosetta stone and was reported to have been found in pharaohs’ tombs. Many have believed Byssus had adorned Moses’ altar. Byssus is mentioned 45 times in the Old Testament. […]