Lighthouses are prevalent along the Great Lakes. It seems there is one around every corner and that is okay with us. We enjoy visiting because each is unique and has an interesting history. Some are working stations and others have taken on another life. They could be a museum, inn, home or another use, yet they all make us remember their original purpose – the safety of ships and their crews. Continue reading
We visit as many wineries as possible, yet we don’t always write about them. The wines from this winery were good, but the setting and vineyard were beautiful. Maybe it was because the grapes were ripening or the drive through the vineyard was idelic; not sure why we just decided to write. Continue reading
Bike trails abound along Lake Michigan and we found them. Riding the Hart-Montague Trail north from Trailway Campground led us to New Era. Heading south we found Whitehall. What we did not realize is we were on two different trails. The trails interconnect and there are smooth transitions between each. Continue reading
Riding “Rails to Trails” routes is a favorite of ours. The trails are available for all to use and offer varied uses from bikes, walkers, equestrian, snowmobiles and so on. Yet we never really think about how the trails came to be. Sure they are on abandoned railroad beds, but what happened between the time the railroad left and the trails were opened? Continue reading
Ice Cream – just hearing that will put a smile on John’s face and his eyes light up. So when locals in Montague were suggesting things to do and see and ice cream was mentioned, John said yes, when and where. The when was twice; the where was Country Dairy in New Era, MI. Continue reading
In the formative years of America, the railroad tied cities together. The rails carried not only people to the new frontier, but also supplies, mail and other items. Many towns display rail cars, mainly engines or cabooses, celebrating the rail history of their area. Most towns have museums, many in non-descript buildings packed with history. Continue reading
Weathervanes have been in existence since the 2nd century BC, so there are many and varied in design. They are also varied in size and decor and appear on various buildings, barns and homes. We are not weathervane fanatics and do not seek them out. That said, arriving in Montague, MI we were awed by the weathervane near the RV park where we stayed. Continue reading
Who says bookstores are dead? Sure we have our Kindles, Tablets, Phones and other electronic devices for reading, but there is nothing like holding a book and turning pages. So what about bookstores – they evolve. Whether or not the small town of Montague, MI’s bookstore began life or evolved into the Book Nook & Java Shop & Best Cellars Wine Bar does not matter. What matters is this shop with a long name has big offerings. Continue reading
Over time many structures take on new lives and enjoy a total change of venue. Such it is with the State Bank building in Whitehall, MI. The building was built in 1912 and since the 1980s was mostly unoccupied. That all changed in 2013 when Dan and Jen Hain purchased the old bank and began renovations. Continue reading
Maple syrup – growing up in south Louisiana among sugarcane fields, maple syrup meant nothing to us. We had our thick, rich, sweet pure cane syrup. It was not until we began our RV adventures and enjoyed pure maple syrup that we understood how enjoyable it actually is. Don’t get us wrong, our first love is still pure cane syrup from south Louisiana. Continue reading
