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On a beautiful day in April, we went on a day road trip
to Grand Haven Michigan, which is about 30 miles from
Grand Rapids. Grand Haven is on Lake Michigan, it has a
great beach. If you won’t take my word for it, it was
named one of the Top 5 Beaches in the United States by
Good Morning America-Travel Mom and has hosted the AVP
Pro Beach Volleyball Tournament throughout the summer
months, due to the quality of its sand beaches.
It also has 2 lighthouses, connected by a lighted catwalk
which runs along the pier to the shore. Grand Haven is a
Great Lakes port, home to a large charter fishing fleet, the
US Coast Guard Lake Michigan Group, which coordinates all
Lake Michigan Coast Guard activities. In fact, Grand Haven
is officially nicknamed, Coast Guard City USA.
Grand Haven State Park is also a popular destination for tourists,
because it is on fabulous Lake Michigan. We are so fortunate to
live so close to a natural wonder, Lake Michigan, one of the
largest fresh water lakes in the world. On a balmy day in
April, it is so serene. The same scene in stormy November
or January can look totally different. We get warnings on our
weather channels about wave heights and swimming in
dangerous rip tide conditions all summer.
But on a day trip to Grand Haven in April, all we have to
concern ourselves with was lunch. Which we had on the channel
at the Snug Harbor Restaurant while we watched the boats
going up and down the channel out to the big lake.
Grand Haven has lots to offer, whether you come for a vacation,
the Annual US Coast Guard Festival, or just a day tripper, like us.
Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate
Copyright 2009 All rights reserved
We travel through Indiana frequently. Our son lives in Indianapolis,
so we usually stop there, but on our trip to North Carolina, we
traversed the length of the state. If you haven’t traveled through
Indiana before, I will tell you the code word…….FLAT.
Indiana is a pretty flat state, which makes it perfect for growing
things. There are lots of farms and fields of grain, soybeans, corn,
and other crops. If you stop in a small town restaurant, you are
likely to see farmers and farmer’s families. In the spring, they
still have the mud from the fields on their boots. So, now that
you know where lots of your food comes from, you might like to
take a look at our photos.
These are typical photos of Indiana countryside…… but no silos.
There were so many I couldn’t decide which ones to photograph!
We made a few stops. Once at a rest stop to check email and water
our dog, Kitty. You can see her right under the table where Terry
is reading his email. The harvested wheat field was right behind
the rest stop area. On the way home, we stopped for blueberries.
We get blueberries at this farm every year when we take or pick
up our grandson for his annual stay at Grandpa & Grandma Camp.
We hope you enjoyed our little romp through Indiana from the
Interstate.
Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate
Copyright 2009 All rights reserved
Photos & Post by Bonnie Westbrook
No soybeans were harmed in taking these photos- the blueberries
weren’t so lucky.
When relatives live a long distance away, you get to know the places
to stop on the road. The places that have the best meals, the best inns,
the places that have interesting shops and events.
On our long trips (12 hours of driving) to North Carolina from Michigan
to visit relatives, we have discovered Berea Kentucky.
Berea College has been in existence since 1855. It is still the hub
of Berea activities and the base for its Artistic Roots.
Berea College offfers its students Bachelor of Science and Arts Degrees.
Berea College exists for the young people of Appalachia, so they can get
an education and make a living. The hills of Kentucky don’t
have a lot of heavy industry, manufacturing plants, or flat farm country.
So instead of losing their young people to big cities for employment,
they are giving them an education. Native Kentucky crafts, such as
hand made brooms and baskets are also marketed through the college
work programs. In fact, HAND MADE is the theme in Berea. There are
giant decorated Hands all over the area.
We stayed overnight at Berea, and had breakfast at the Boone Tavern Inn.
They just completed a $ 1+ million renovation of the hotel and restaurant.
It is a historic building (part of Berea College) and the renovation is
spectacular. We took a long morning to look around the galleries & shops.
We visited Berea College’s Log Craft House where they sell student’s
and artist’s hand made crafts from pottery to jewelry to furniture. Then
we went out to the Kentucky Artisan Center near I 75, exit 77. This is a
huge building with gigantic galleries of sculptures, blown glassware,
paintings, jewelry, carvings, and numerous other craft items for sale.
A collection that takes some time to look over.
They also have a wonderful cafe and grill that serves great food
(actual food – not fast food) and clean, modern restrooms.
This building is a wonderful place to stop if you are traveling through on
Interstate 75, just as a rest stop. We like to stop and walk around to
get the kinks out after travelling for many hours. But I doubt you can
resist buying something here! The selection and quality is overwhelming.
We hope you enjoy this montage of photos we took while we were
visiting friendly Berea Kentucky.
Grand Rapids MI Real Estate – Westbrook Realty
Copyright 2009 All rights reserved
video montage & photos by Bonnie Westbrook
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