Travel memories last a lifetime…

One of my earliest travel memories involves a trip my family took when I was about 3 years old. The details are sketchy, but I remember tall pine trees, blue water, our woody station wagon, a tent – and rain. I later learned that we had spent a few wet days at Leelanau State Park in Northport (sleeping mostly in the car because the tent leaked).

Apparently at one point, we also made a visit into Traverse City because I recall visiting a zoo and riding on The Spirit of Traverse City miniature steam train (in a blue dress, with white polka dots) at the former Clinch Park Zoo.


I expect this trip was one of our first – and to my knowledge, our only – family camping trip. I firmly believe that first memorable family trip helped spark in me the travel bug which sustains me today. And, given the destination of our trip, it explains my ongoing love affair with the Greater Traverse City Area.

Fast forward a dozen years to my next (and last) camping experience – this time, with a high school friend and her family. I can’t recall where we were – I just remember that it rained (go figure) and it was cold. The highlight of the weekend was rustling up a fire to toast marshmallows for smores (today, still one of my FAVORITE treats. Oh, and by the way – August 10 is “National Smore Day”).

So – obviously camping isn’t necessarily my forte. I’m not opposed to camping, it’s just something that I haven’t been exposed to and now at 40+, not exactly sure how to get started.

Luckily for me, there are programs offered to help educate newbies like myself. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” (www.michigan.gov/bow) provides tips on everything from archery and firearms to paddling, fly fishing, camping and so much more. Taught for women, by women, these programs teach outdoor skills in a non-threatening environment – with all equipment provided!

The Michigan DNR also offers a new Recreation 101 program – with hands-on clinics held at Michigan state parks, recreational areas and boating facilities throughout the state. These free lessons acquaint novice outdoor enthusiasts will the skills and knowledge to get them started in a new activity such as hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, paddling, horseback riding, birding and even geo-caching. (http://www.michigan.gov/dnr).

If, like me, you are looking for an opportunity to get out and explore the Great Lakes State’s great outdoors, August is the perfect time as it is Michigan Camping & RV Month (see featured destination to the left). This state-wide celebration highlights the woods and waters of Michigan and encourages residents and visitors alike to rediscover what makes our state so special. For more information, visit www.MichiganCampingAndRVMonth.com.

For more details on other Pure Michigan experiences, visit www.Michigan.org!


Safe Travels!


Footnote…the Spirit of Traverse City is scheduled to be closed down following this summer season. To help keep this train a rolling, please “like” this Facebook page to “Save the Spirit of Traverse City Steam Train” www.facebook.com/pages/Save-The-Spirit-of-Traverse-City-Steam-Train

If you plant it, it will grow…

It only made sense that with my growing love of the farm-to-table movement, that eventually I’d get around to planting my own vegetable garden (I’ve been dabbling in flower gardening for the past few years – so it’s a natural progression).

Driven by the passion of some of my favorite local chefs – Matthew Pietsch at Salt of the Earth, Matthew Millar at Reserve GR and Paul Olsen at Mission Table, among others, I have returned to my long-time “lifestyle” of trying something new – this year, it was the chef’s garden!

My visual inspiration came from two primary sources, the first being JW Marriott’s six.one.six restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids. Tucked in the corner of the jdek, overlooking the Grand River, the intimate seasonal garden boasts a variety of herbs and small vegetables. The thought of the culinary team stepping outside each morning to gather their bounty for the day puts a smile on my face.

The second, grandiose vision came from the movie, It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Not from the storyline itself, but from the magnificent and vibrant chef’s garden that Meryl’s character, Jane, has grown. That is my dream garden!

I fully expected that I could easily duplicate the garden from the movie – until I actually began the process!

My daughter, Mollie, and her friend, Nikki, helped me take off the garden in the south side yard – 10 x 25 is what we ended up with, although my original plan was twice, maybe three times that size. I’m sure my son, Caleb, is thankful we started small – because he was charged with the job of tilling the land, turning over the dark, rich dirt. He had been bragging about his progress in his weight training class, always showing off his “guns” so I thought this was a way for me to prove just HOW strong he really was

From then on, the garden was all mine! I spent the afternoon pulling out the clumps of grass and roots, tossing rocks into a pile for later use. By the end of the weekend, it was ready for planting and I set out in search of my favorite veggies: tomatoes (4-5 different kinds), peppers ( 2-3 different kinds), brussel sprouts (a dozen plants – much to the dismay of my father, but to the joy of almost everyone else I know), purple cabbage, broccoli, sweet corn, zucchini, lettuce (leaf and romaine) and eggplant – as well as herbs: chives, cilantro, sweet basil, parsley.

Even as I sit her on this sunny morning, my daughter stopped by for an unexpected visit. So, I took a short break from writing and walked with her to explore the growth in the garden. A handful of peppers and tomatoes are there…the zucchini have flowers, as does the eggplant. And, the corn was well past my knees by the 4th of July.

We picked some lettuce, basil and cilantro for her to take back to her place – a salad in the works! She’s anxious for the tomatoes – saying she wants to make a capresse salad (a girl after my own heart). I am already anticipating a big gathering of family and friends to celebrate the harvest later this summer. It will be grand time, without question. Photos to follow!