Viewing entries tagged
Small Town Michigan

Snapshots: Cheboygan - Gateway to the North

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Snapshots: Cheboygan - Gateway to the North

Cheboygan was incorporated in 1871 and grew up around the timber industry, supplying wood for the westward expansion of the country. Located at the confluence of the Cheboygan River and Lake Huron, the town became known as the “Gateway to the North”, although now it goes by “Historic Rivertown” as well. Because of its location and proximity to the Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island, Cheboygan certainly sees its fair share of tourism, yet it maintains its small-town feel and felt more like a real, lived in town than many of the places I visited in the state. With two beautiful lighthouses and as the home port of the Coast Guard Icebreaker Mackinaw, Cheboygan maintains its maritime history as well. I had a wonderful time in Cheboygan and only captured some of the beautiful places the town has to offer, but it’s definitely a town worth seeing - ether as a less touristy gateway to the region or in its own right. I hope you enjoy these photos from my time in beautiful Cheboygan.

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Snapshots: South Haven - Historic Charm on the Sunset Coast

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Snapshots: South Haven - Historic Charm on the Sunset Coast

South Haven, Michigan is a charming little port town where the Black River flows into Lake Michigan. Originally inhabited by the Potawatomi people, the first settlers arrived in the 1850s. Like many towns along this coast, South Haven started out as a lumber town, supplying the trees to build the towns as the United States expanded westward. As the trees were cleared, farmers took advantage of the open fields to plant fruit, and the area grew to be a major supplier of fruit to the Great Lakes region and beyond. Today there is still plenty of traffic moving up and down the Black River and in and out of Lake Michigan, but South Haven has also made tourism a major industry. The beach is warm and welcoming, the downtown area is clean and lively and there is definitely plenty to keep you busy on a short or long stay. Of course, sunset is the highlight of every day along the Sunset Coast of Michigan. I was there over the 4th of July weekend and while it was probably busier than usual, South Haven maintained its small-town cool and handled the busy weekend well. I really enjoyed my stay in South Haven and hope you enjoy these photos from my visit.

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This Week on the Road - July 1st-7th

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This Week on the Road - July 1st-7th

Hello Everyone. It’s been another great week on the road out here in southwestern Michigan. I had to slow down a bit because of the holiday weekend, but it’s been nice to spend some time at the beach and to have some quiet time to catch up on some work. The beaches on the shores of Lake Michigan are beautiful, and the temperature has been perfect to enjoy them without getting too hot. The water is a little chilly, but it’ll sure wake you up if you jump into it. It’s been great to see some of the beautiful lighthouses out here as well and wander through some cute little towns. Most of the 4th of July celebrations in the area were cancelled due to Covid, which was understandable but also a shame. It’s definitely been a crowded week as well and I’d just as soon avoid the crowds, so I’ve been laying lower than usual this weekl. All-in-all it’s been a good week, though, and I’m still enjoying my time in Michigan. I should probably be moving a little bit quicker than I am, but my goal is to stay happy and healthy and not wear myself out so on that front, I’m doing well. Shadow Catcher is also doing well and while I need to replace the city water connection (which I just had replaced a few months ago), that seems to be the only issue at the moment which is great.

When I left you last week, I was on my way to the Gilmore Car Museum in Richland, one of the premier automotive museums in the country, and it did not disappoint. It was clear from the minute I walked into the first exhibit that this was a museum designed and built by genuine car enthusiasts. That first exhibit was on the evolution of the Corvette from a concept car (one of which was a station wagon!) into one of the most notorious American sports cars in history. From there I went on a somewhat chronological tour through cars of different decades from the early days through to the 70s, after which cars lost all style and excitement. There were also outbuildings with different collections and themes and even an old diner brought to the museum from Connecticut. One of the coolest items was a mock-up of a Ford Model A cockpit which walked you through the steps of how to get it started. I giggled with glee and did it three times in a row (nobody was waiting or watching). I spent about 4 hours at the museum and after it closed, tons of classic cars started pouring in for some kind of event. I just enjoyed standing in the parking lot and watching them go past.

From there, I headed back to Kalamazoo and straight to the Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Café. I’ve been a lover of Bell’s beer for many years now and was excited to try some of their brews that don’t make it out of their backyard. I put Bell’s right up there with Dogfish Head as one of the absolute best and most consistent breweries in the country. They didn’t disappoint and I enjoyed a few beers in their back garden while I was there. I wandered around downtown for a bit and ended up stopping in the only other brewery that was open on a Wednesday night, which was Final Gravity. Their beer was truly terrible, but the bartender was both a fellow Penn Stater and a fellow former teacher, so I really enjoyed chatting with him over my barely palatable beer. It was definitely nice to have someone to talk with for a while…

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Snapshots: Marshall - Southern Michigan's Cutest Town

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Snapshots: Marshall - Southern Michigan's Cutest Town

Tiny Marshall, Michigan sure has a lot to see in a very small area. Most of the downtown area is part of the National Historic Landmark District which includes over 850 buildings, a staggering amount for a town of just 7,000 people. It is not easy to maintain a town in the condition Marshall is in, and I really take my hat off to those who are working so hard to keep it the way it is.

Marshall was founded in 1830 and grew as a transportation hub catering to road, rail and river travelers with several historic inns and restaurants in the city dating back to those early days. The town was named for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall and of the more than 20 towns named after Marshall, this was the only one so-named before his death. Marshall became an early innovator in the public schools movement and their model was copied across the country. The town was also one of the final contenders to become the State Capital when it was moved from Detroit, but lost out to Lansing in the end.

Today, Marshall is incredibly well maintained. I loved that I could pick up a map outside of their tourism office at any time of day and the music playing on the street made me smile. There were historic walks laid out on the map, and markings on the sidewalks to help guide you along. The buildings downtown were well preserved and some truly transported me back in time. The homes in the surrounding neighborhood were equally historic and also well cared for. My favorite was Honolulu House which offered a wonderful guided tour. I came to Marshall planning on spending an hour and ended up there for more than half the day. It was definitely the cutest town I saw in all of southern Michigan and I am definitely looking forward to returning in the future. If Marshall isn’t on your list of Michigan small towns to visit, it certainly should be. I hope you enjoy these photos from beautiful Marshall, Michigan.

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This Week on the Road - June 23rd-30th

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This Week on the Road - June 23rd-30th

Hello Everyone! I hope you’re all having a wonderful summer so far and are getting out and enjoying yourselves wherever you are. 2020 into 2021 was such a long year and a half and while I know we’re not out of the woods with the coronavirus yet, it is really nice to be vaccinated and on the road again. I can’t believe that I’ve been gone almost a month – it really has been flying by out here. This week wasn’t very eventful. I spent a good chunk of it in Lansing, waiting to get Shadow Catcher’s transmission fixed and hanging out with my friend, Eric. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much accomplished this week work-wise so I feel like I’ve fallen behind, but I am trying to catch up. I am going to try and buckle down a bit so I can get all of my photos edited and published this week as I make my way out to the coast and up along shores of Lake Michigan.

After finishing up last week in Flint, I headed down to Lansing and met up with my friend, Eric. Eric and I were both teachers in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. We interviewed together, trained together and while we went to work at different schools, we were often together for work and after work as well. Since we both left New Orleans it’s been hard to catch up with him in person. I saw him a couple of years ago when I came up to Lansing for his office’s Grand Opening, but that was a busy day and we didn’t get to catch up much. I really enjoyed getting to spend a few days with him this week, even though it wasn’t under the best of circumstances. Eric’s friend’s 16 year-old son had just been shot and killed last week while downtown in a park. He was an athlete and a good young man who just found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. I went with Eric to the young man’s repast, which was hard even though I didn’t know him, but was definitely organized as a celebration of his life. Eric had lost two other friends who were closer to our age in the last couple of weeks as well, both due to health issues. Over the four days I was in Lansing, a steady stream of people came through their house and it was great to meet so many of his friends, even under those circumstances. I was glad to be there to help support Eric through his grief. Sometimes I feel like I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, exactly when I’m supposed to be there, and this weekend definitely felt like that.

Compared to what was going on in Eric’s life, my van issues were certainly less important, but they did need to get resolved. I had ordered new house batteries for my van to be shipped to Eric’s place and they were there when I got there. Most smaller items I can pick up at an Amazon Locker, but these were too big and heavy and I was very grateful to have somewhere where they could be delivered. There are very few places in the country where I’m more than a day’s drive from a friend and for that, I’m eternally grateful. It took me about an hour to switch them out, and I am so happy to have fully charged and functional batteries again. Eric also had a friend named James who could take a look at my transmission. As you may know, I’m not a huge fan of getting van work done when I’m out here, but it’s definitely inevitable with an older van. Of course new cars and vans break down as well and are usually more expensive to fix, so there’s that too. Bringing in a vehicle with out-of-state plates can bring out the worst in a mechanic who knows you’re vulnerable, so having a personal recommendation really makes a big difference. That and the fact that I could hang out at Eric’s place while the work was being done and not have to sit there all day was also a good thing. James seemed like a really good guy and a good mechanic, and the problem turned out to be just a leaky gasket which was what I had suspected all along. While he had the pan off, he replaced the filter and fluid and it should be good to go for another 80,000 miles or so (at least as far as the transmission is concerned). It’s a huge relief to have those two issues sorted out and I’m very grateful to Eric and his wife, Wendy, for all of their help this weekend.

I did get out to see a little bit of Lansing while I was there. I toured the State Capitol which is definitely something I have tried to do in every state I’ve been to and was lucky enough to get a private tour from the lead guide. I wandered around downtown a bit to see the Lansing Lugnuts’ stadium and Lansing Brewery and definitely ate at some pretty good restaurants as well. Mostly, however, it was about spending time with Eric and getting my van ready to roll again. I got to meet his grandson, Legend, while I was there. Legend is 2 and is such a cute and sweet little boy. We had fun playing together and twirling in circles and I definitely enjoyed spending time with him. It made me miss my little buddy, Mason, but it was really great. We had tornadoes touch down while I was there as well, and I was even more grateful to be inside and in a place with a basement if the need for shelter arose.

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Snapshots: Frankenmuth - Michigan's Bavarian Village

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Snapshots: Frankenmuth - Michigan's Bavarian Village

Frankenmuth, Michigan is a whimsical fantasyland of Bavarian architecture, fried chicken, cheese and chocolate. The town was originally settled in 1845 by German immigrants from Franconia who combined their homeland’s name with the word “muth” for “courage” and called their new home Frankenmuth. These early settlers were Lutherans and attempted to convert the local Native Americans to their religion without much success. They did build one of the larger Lutheran churches in the state though. Today, people come from far and wide to eat chicken at either Zehnder’s or the Bavarian Inn, right across the street. I chose the Bavarian Inn and the chicken was good, but not great. I did enjoy the feel of the town, the architecture and strolling around the shops and down by the river. It’s definitely different and very photogenic. I hope you enjoy these photos from tiny Frankenmuth, Michigan.

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Snapshots: Lexington - Small Town Charm on the Shores of Lake Huron

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Snapshots: Lexington - Small Town Charm on the Shores of Lake Huron

Heading out of Port Huron on my way to explore Michigan’s “Thumb”, Lexington was the first town I visited. It was so clean and pleasant that I had to stop and take some photos. They had some great little local businesses along Main and Huron Streets, a nice little harbor and a cool small-town vibe. It really is just a little beach town on the shores of Lake Huron, but it definitely seemed like a nice place to relax for a few days and probably a great town to live in. I hope you enjoy these photos giving you just a little snapshot of my brief stay in Lexington, Michigan.

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Snapshots: Tecumseh - Small Town Charm on the River Raisin

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Snapshots: Tecumseh - Small Town Charm on the River Raisin

Tiny Tecumseh, Michigan was established on the River Raisin in 1824. It was named for the Shawnee Chief who once organized different Native American tribes to fight against the expanding United States in the War of 1812. Tecumseh was once the county seat of Lenawee County, but in 1838 that duty was transferred to nearby Adrian. Today, Tecumseh has a population of about 8,500.

I really enjoyed my visit to Tecumseh. It reminded me of how most American towns used to look. They have a bakery, a shoemaker, a quilt shop, a winery, a brewery, a hardware store, a small grocer and several craft, hobby and antique stores. There wasn’t a chain store in sight which I found quite refreshing. A town has to really fight to keep those mom and pop downtown businesses afloat, and I respect that. It was a great little town to walk around and though I was only there for a few hours, it seemed like a really livable place. I hope you enjoy these photos of the quaint and charming town of Tecumseh, Michigan.

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