A Quick Trip "Up North"

In April, hubby was invited to a conference held at a resort "up north." In the winter, the area is known for skiing, but as is typical in late April there were only small piles of brown snow scattered about so it was pretty quiet. To say this is the 'off season' is an understatement.  Many retail establishments take the month off - some the entire winter - showing up sometime in late May to get ready for the busy summer "up north."

For those of you not from Michigan, I should clarify. Where exactly is "up north?" Well, basically anywhere in the top half of the lower peninsula. It's where people who live in the lower half of the peninsula go during the summer to stay in a cabin their family has owned for generations. Or if your family (like mine) was not bright enough to plan ahead, it's where you rent a cabin, cottage, hotel room or condo so you can enjoy the beauty of the area.

Do not mistake "the UP" (pronounced You Pee) as an abbreviation for "up north." The UP is a frozen tundra all it's own and refers only to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. When going to the UP, we do not say we are going "up north." We say we are going to the UP. If you live in the UP, you are affectionately known as a Yooper, a special breed that loves this beautiful, wild, unsettled, frozen-toes-most-of-the-year peninsula. The Mackinac Bridge sits between the upper and lower.

Yoopers affectionately refer to those of us in the lower peninsula as Trolls. Not because we sport long, bright colored hair and a jewel in our belly button, but because we live below the Mackinac Bridge. Get it? H-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.

Geography lesson over, we can now move on to our quick trip 'up north."

The conference was held on a Friday and Saturday morning at Crystal Mountain Resort and hubby invited me along so we could explore the area in the evenings and into the weekend. Apparently he was concerned that staying at the resort may result in a pile of spa receipts so he found a cute VRBO above the retail strip in the little town of Beulah. 

We enjoyed a slow trip up north along M-22, which follows the lake Michigan shoreline. Stopping for lunch at Luddington and then a beer in Manistee, we reached Beulah in the late afternoon. The town is situated on the shore of Crystal Lake, one of many gorgeous lakes that bring people up north. The town features only a handful of retail shops and restaurants, so the great outdoors is the main attraction. The Betsie Valley Trail runs through Beulah and my intention was to walk a good portion of it while hubby conferenced on Friday. Unfortunately, the 50 degree temperature and 25 mile-an-hour winds convinced me that it was a better idea to take a drive somewhere.

A friend told me to check out the Gwen Frostic studio and store in town, so I headed there first. I had checked hours on their website to make sure I didn't arrive too early for retail. Jumping out of the car, I ran to the door excitedly, where I was met by a cardboard sign saying "closed for winter, returning sometime in April." Apparently, not by April 21st, though, so now what?

I opened my up north Michigan map - yes the paper kind that folds back and forth and fits in the side pocket of the car door. Interlochen popped out at me! I've always wondered what the Center for the Arts was all about so I decided to head there and take a look.   

Interlochen Center for the Arts offers arts education programs for students in grades 3-12 and adults of all ages and hosts hundreds of concerts and events. Twenty minutes later I was walking the campus that was pretty much void of students. As you can imagine, many of the buildings were some type of performance hall or art studio. The 'dorms' were small bungalows circling the perimeter of the camp. After grabbing a bite to eat, I headed back to Beulah to check out the retail shops.

I picked hubby up at 5 and we headed to Manistee to try out a seafood restaurant, called Blue Fish Kitchen. It was a gorgeous drive and delicious dinner! The fresh walleye I chose melted in my mouth and hubby enjoyed the Penne Bolognese.  

On Saturday I made a running stop to boot hubby out for his morning training and headed to Traverse City to meet a friend who recently bucked tradition to RETIRE up north. About halfway there, I realized the car was nearly out of gas so I had to make a bit of a detour to find a gas station. They are few and far between up north! I arrived right on time and we had a fabulous brunch at Patisserie Amie and enjoyed catching up on each other's busy, retired lives. 

Swooping south to grab hubby, we turned back north toward the Leelanau Wine trail. We stopped at 4 wineries along the Sleeping Bear Loop, sampling some very nice dry whites and reds. The wines from this area continue to achieve national and international accolades. We purchased a bottle of red. 

Moving along to Fish Town, we picked up smoked salmon, some cheese and fruit and combined it with the bottle of red as dinner back at our little nest in Beulah.  

We could not head home without a visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Sunday we arose early, donned our tick-resistant gear, enjoyed breakfast across the street at Ursa Major and headed north to The Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Center in Empire. There, a park ranger morosely monotoned the closing of a popular lookout point due to a recent wind storm. When pressed she said, "100 trees still down on the road." Silently, she pushed a quarter-sheet of paper toward me. It listed the half dozen trails nearby. 

We chose Empire Bluff and doubled back a bit to find the trail head, then took off into the woods. Only 1.5 miles in length, the trail was not challenging but did get our hearts pumping as we trudged over hill and dale. The payoff was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. 

Sadly, it was time to head home, but not before stopping at Stormcloud Brewing Company in Frankfort. Recently named the #1 new craft brewery in Michigan by Mlive, Stormcloud certainly lived up to the title. I loved the Darkstar Porter, Belgo-American Porter brewed with tangerine zest, star anise and Michigan hops. Hubby chose a Belgian IPA, called Whiled Away. For lunch, we ordered the specials of the day: Elk Bolognese, Veal and Bean Soup and Broccolini Flat Bread. Yumo - there were amazing!

Up north - we will soon be back to enjoy your beauty, libations, food and fun! 

Salut!

Miriam

Exploring Hamtramck with our favorite daughter

Hubby and I had a great visit with our 20-something daughter to check out her stomping grounds. In 2 short days we made it to the DIA, Dequindre Cut Greenway, Detroit Riverwalk and Belle Isle. We ate Polish, Thai and Yemeni food all within a quick walk with lots more options all around. So many cuisines, so little time! We arrived on a Tuesday in time for lunch and a little exploration.

Hamtramck grew dramatically in the early 1900's when the Dodge brothers built a new plant there. The plant initially produced machined products, forgings, and castings, all used in parts supplied to Ford. The Dodge brothers enlarged the plant significantly In 1914-1916 in order to produce their own automobile. They built the first Dodge in November 1914 and the new car was an instant success. Poles, already the largest ethnic group in Detroit,  arrived in Hamtramck in droves to take advantage of the opportunity to work in the new plant. In 1922 Hamtramck became a municipality, electing a Pole as its first mayor.

Soon to be known as a vibrant center of Polish American life and culture, Hamtramck's Joseph Campau Historic District became the main shopping corridor. Unfortunately today there are shuttered storefronts, among thriving businesses. Some say this is due to one landlord who owns much of the property along this retail corridor and demands extremely high leasing rates.

With the 1978 election of Karol Wojtyla as the first Polish pope, the people of Hamtramck felt a special bond to the new pontiff. On Oct. 26, 1982, the city opened a park in his honor and named it Karol Wojtyla Hamtramck Park. The mural depicts aspects of Polish culture.

 The mural was restored in 2000 and the pavement and fixtures in the park renewed in the last couple of years.

The 6,000-pound, 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Pope John Paul II stands high above what has fondly become known as "Pope Park." 

That evening we enjoyed dinner at the Polish Village Cafe, known to have "the finest food west of Warsaw."

We ventured out the next morning and decided to check out the Hamtramck Coney Island for breakfast. Yep, this cute, squeaky clean coney island serves wonderful breakfast as well as lunch and dinner.  I highly recommend the gyro omelette.

Inside Coney Island, the current diversity of Hamtramck is evident. Over the past thirty years, a large number of immigrants from the Middle East (especially Yemen), South Asia (especially Bangladesh), and Southeastern Europe (especially Bosnia and Herzegovina) have moved to the city. As of the 2010 American Community Survey, the city's foreign born population stood at 41.1%,[13] making it Michigan's most internationally diverse city

Although we loved the food at Coney Island, we were still after a sip of strong coffee. Oloman Cafe hit the spot with pour-over decaf. While waiting, we checked out the amazing photography displayed on the wall.

The Polish heritage is still very evident in Hamtramck. New Palace Bakery was stocked for Easter with beautiful traditional Polish deserts.

Old Fashioned Mazurka and Mazurka Tortes are beautiful!
 

We just had to buy some goodies for Easter! We chose the old fashioned raisin cheesecake and raspberry Babka, which is much like a sponge cake. Delicious!

Neighborhood watering holes abound in the 2.09 square miles known as Hamtramck. Suzy's was dangerously close to our apartment.

The next morning, it was time to work off some food and beverages with a bike ride.  As we headed from Hamtramck to Belle Isle along the Dequindre Cut Greenway, we came across this great oasis featuring some pretty familiar site furnishings, made in Kalamazoo!

All that bike riding makes one thirsty and hungry! Arclight brewery, headquartered in Watervliet, Michigan, has a Detroit location and boy were we happy about that! A cold beer and delicious pulled pork and tempeh sliders hit the spot.

About this time, I was thinking it was time to head back to Suzy's, but my companions had other plans. On to Belle Isle for a 3 mile ride around the perimeter of this lovely island nestled between Detroit and Windsor, Canada. We noticed many jersey barriers being fork lifted into place and realized this was the initial prep for the Detroit Grand Prix, scheduled for June 2-4.

Lake Michigan tempers the weather on the west side of Michigan which means it was more like spring on the east side of the state. We enjoyed the flowering trees and spring flowers, then wandered into the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory to give our bums a rest and observe some tropical plantings.

Finally turning our bikes toward "home," we wordlessly peddled for about 45 minutes arriving at Suzy's just in time for happy hour. A beer later, we were ready for some middle eastern food at The Yemen Cafe. Located in a strip mall on Joseph Campau, it was about a quick-paced 20 minute walk from Suzy's. The place was packed and the food delicious!

Tummies full, we drove our daughter and her bike back to her apartment and returned to ours, rented on VRBO, to chill and prepare for our drive home the next day.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Time spent with our grown children is always fun and heart-warming. So great to see them find their own way and to be assured that they are pretty darn cool humans.

Next month, off to D.C. to visit our favorite son!

Till then, happy riding!

Miriam
      

Packing a Peck of Pickles

It's pickle time!

For the past few years, my husband has been all about making "Sun Pickles." What on earth is a sun pickle, you say?

Simply put, it's making pickles from cucumbers, using sunlight as the heat source. Google it and you'll find plenty of recipes.

Since we are both retired now, we decided to go crazy on Sun Pickles! Hubby bought a half bushel of small cukes at a Russel Farms, just down the street, fresh dill from Horrock's in Battle Creek and brand new half gallon canning jars from Meijer. 

Oh and we had a few wonderful dill heads from volunteer dill in our garden!

 We started by soaking the cukes in ice water for about an hour to make them as crisp as possible. While they soaked we both worked to chop garlic bulbs, carrots and jalapenos into appropriate sizes to include in each jar. 

Next, ends were cut from the cukes and hubby used a fork to score the sides - all the better to allow the brine to make itself known.

And speaking of brine. The first year we made them, we found the PERFECT recipe. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED those pickles. Alas, we did not bookmark the recipe and thinking we had found the same one the next year we proceeded to pickle.  But... no...too salty, too tart.

So, wouldn't it have been smart to bookmark the recipe we did NOT like to make sure we never used it again. Yeah, it didn't happen. 

Again this year we searched, we discussed, we prayed, we chose a brine recipe. We decided to go with a (seemingly) pretty traditional (it was called grandma's recipe) 6-2/3 cups water to 3-1/3 cups apple cider vinegar, plus 2/3 cup pickling salt.


We sterilized jars and lids in Easy Clean No Rinse Cleaner, purchased from Bell's Brewery, instead of boiling to save time. Hey, it works for beer glasses and growlers, so why not pickle jars? 

Now it is assembly time.  Garlic bulbs, jalapeno slices, black pepper and dill in the bottom of each jar, a layer of pickles, more dill, another layer of pickles and finally the brine. 

Lids popped on top, rings finger tightened, and jars placed on garden wall. Now it's time for the sun to do it's magic.  

As they sit, the lids seal... unseal... seal... and in some cases stay sealed. Some seal for good in the refrigerator and some never stay sealed. Rule of thumb - no seal = refrigerator pickles, eat 'em up. Sealed = up to a couple years shelf time. (Note: remove the rings so if the seal releases the ring does not cause it to reseal and potentially become lethal. Yipes!)

We are happy to say the pickles are YUMMY! We really like them... maybe not LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, but with a few alterations, they will be better next year. And yes, we made notes!

Stay pickled!

Miriam

Carried Away at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum

Last Friday I enjoyed another Walk About, this time on the far west side of Kalamazoo. Our class met at the Oshtemo Township Park behind the Fire Station on West Main Street.  

My girlfriend and I were not familiar with this park that offers a baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, playground, pavilions, restrooms, walking paths, and a disc golf course!

Since we had both enjoyed our morning coffee before heading out on our 30 minute drive from Richland, we were happy to find the restrooms unlocked, clean and well-stocked.

Nearly all 18 class mates showed up as well as our two instructors, Bobbie Jo and Theresa. Today, however, we were fortunate to be joined by Dave Meeker who is a board member of the Great Lakes Adventure Club, a diverse group of people from Southwest Michigan and beyond who enjoy outdoor activities such as backpacking, biking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, hiking, ice climbing, kayaking .... (insert big breath in)..... orienteering, rock climbing, rollerblading, sailing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and white water rafting. 

The club's goal is to have as much non-motorized outdoor fun as they can stand while treading as lightly as possible upon the earth. With an annual fee of just $10, the GLAC is always accepting new members!

As today's hike leader, Dave explained that our 3 mile hike would begin on the west side of the township park, then wander into the Lillian Anderson Arboretum and back to the park, exiting the trail on the east side adjacent to where we started.

After hearing an overview of the GLAC and applying our mosquito repellent, we set off on today's hike. As promised, we strode through the park paths dodging a few overthrown frisbees and soon came to a low railing separating the park from the Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

Owned by Kalamazoo College, Lillian Anderson comprises 140 acres of marsh, meadow, pine plantation and second-growth deciduous forest. Historically, several families worked the land between the early-19th and mid-20th centuries. Lillian Anderson, a Kalamazoo College graduate, donated approximately 100 acres of her family's farm to the College in 1982. 

In 2000, thanks to the generous financial assistance of Dr. and Mrs. H. Lewis Batts, the College added 31 acres of land along the eastern boundary of the original Anderson property. 

The Arboretum was established in 1998 as a resource for the Kalamazoo College community, Kalamazoo-area residents, and visitors to the area.

Although this is a private facility, the public is welcome to walk the trails as long as they abide by these simple rules.

• Motorized vehicles, bicycles, hunting, firearms, campfires, camping and horseback riding are prohibited.

• Pets must be kept on a leash at all times.

• Please remain on marked trails.

• Don't pick flowers or remove plant or animal material. Take only photographs, leave only footprints.

With these important rules in mind, we stepped over the railing and began to hike. These were very well-marked and groomed trails with "you are here" maps at every major intersection. Beautiful wooded forests, valleys, hills, streams and a lake made for enjoyable scenery - if only we had time to stop and look!

Dave set a brisk pace over tree-rooted ground that required a sharp eye to avoid tripping. An avid hiker and (who knew?) storyteller, Dave proceeded to share anecdotes from his hikes and adventures all over the U-S-of-A! 

Dave is not a soft-spoken kind of guy, but has a mighty teacher voice that I suspect those in the back of the group could hear, even if they couldn't quite make out what he was yammering about! 

Dave takes a break to talk about the Arboretum

We did occasionally stop so all hikers could catch up and that gave me time to take in the scenery. Dave kindly pointed out poison ivy and what he thought may be poison oak (although Pat highly suspected it was English ivy). 

Soon we were near the eutrophic lake which also turned out to be a great breeder of ferocious mosquitoes!  

As we stopped to take some snapshots of the lake, we were swarmed by angry, hungry, blood suckers with a mob-mentality and suddenly the hikers were running faster than Dave to get out of the woods! No longer did we look like a bunch of old retired ladies! We were running, swatting, hurdling the arboretum railing and dashing for the finish line!

As I ran, flapping my arms by my face and ears I wondered if indeed this quantity of tiny arthropods could lift me up and carry me away! 

Ten minutes later, a bit out of breath, we arrived back in the parking lot at the Oshtemo Township Park. The mosquitoes thankfully stayed behind in their much-loved arboretum. Fortunately, the repellent worked for the most part and I only found a couple bites on my body. And as a bonus - no ticks!

Bobbie Jo reminded us of our rescheduled walk coming up July 17th and wished us a great fourth of July in the meantime. Then she gave us a hand-out featuring 2015 Hiking and Walking Opportunities, including the following.

Kazoo Walking and Hiking Meetup

Westside Oshtemo Walking Club (KVRT)

Chief Noonday Chapter, North Country Trail Association

After bidding our hiking friends goodby, we jumped in our car and headed out to explore the local eatery scene as our morning jaunt in the woods had left us thirsty and hungry.

One more walk-about down and a new park and arboretum explored! My friend and I agreed we would come back - but at the end of a rainless few weeks instead of during the current seemingly monsoon season. Those rabid mosquitoes were to be avoided at all costs!

Until next time, may your trails be dry and the mosquitoes unhatched.

Miriam

Walk About featuring the Kalamazoo Nature Center

As noted in my June 6th  post, I registered for a Life Long Learning Class through Western Michigan University called Let's Walk About. 
  
The class meets every morning in June rain or shine (with the exception of severe weather) and promises hikes on area foot paths that span 3-5 miles and a social opportunity to collect friends. 

You can learn more about OLLI and our first Walk About here. 

Last Friday was to be our second walkabout, but with preceding days of copious amounts of rain and a potential for severe weather that very day, class was cancelled.

Happily, this Friday dawned with much-missed sunshine and fresh air! We met at the Kalamazoo Valley River Trail lot near D Avenue and the Kalamazoo River. With a quick stretch and how-do-you-do, we set off.

Today's route took us on the asphalted KVRT where we found ourselves in wooded areas intermingled with meadows and somewhat hilly terrain. We hiked one-and-one-half miles to the entrance of the Kalamazoo Nature Center where we enjoyed a pit stop and a quick presentation on their offerings. They were kind enough to extend day passes to this OLLI group so we were ready to check out the trails at the KNC.

The Kalamazoo Nature Center, recognized by its peers as one of the top nature centers in the country, was established in the late 1950's. Previously known as Cooper’s Glen, a popular family picnic area with evidence of Native American and European Settler campsites, was saved by a forward-thinking group of community leaders who came together to purchase the land and establish an outdoor environmental education center.

Bobbie Jo, our esteemed leader, explained our goal was to walk the Fern Valley and Beach Maple trails then retrace our steps on the KVRT to retrieve our cars. 

Unlike the KVRT, these trails are grass or dirt and although well-groomed to remove face-smacking branches, they remain quite natural. We set out on Fern Valley, featuring a .7 mile "difficult" trail. 

After a bit of a detour onto the newly established Barn Trail, we found the entrance to Fern Valley and proceeded to troop up and down on mostly dirt paths that still held some water from our recent downpours. This was a tranquil, wooded area and the hills brought about some huffing and puffing from the group. As we rounded a corner, a deer spied us and scampered away.

We finished Fern Valley and realized it was already 10:40 a.m. and class was supposed to end by 11. With a quick raise of hands it was decided that due to the hectic agendas of retired people we had better head directly back to our cars, omitting Beach Maple.

With a quick pace, we made it back to the cars at roughly 11:25. We had walked 4.8 miles - quite enough for me and my cantankerous back. 

Next week, features a 3+ mile hike at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum in Oshtemo with guest hike leader, Dave Meeker who is a board member of the Great Lakes Adventure Club.

Be sure to check my blog to hear more about that hike. Better yet, enter your email address on the space provided just to the right of the title of this post to be among the first to learn about the Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

Happy Trails to you!

Miriam

Why did I retire at age 56 - and a half?

Have you read my bio? Well if not, I'll summarize. I retired nearly 3 years ago from a great job at a fantastic company in Kalamazoo.

I was only 56 - and a half.

Yeah, I know the last time you added the "and a half" to your age, was probably in grade school. But even 56 - and a half - seemed like a really young age to retire.

What is not included in my bio - or any posts to date is WHY? Why retire at such a 'young" age?

I get asked that question a lot and to be honest, I sometimes ask it of myself, which gives me the opportunity to remember -  it was God's plan for my life. Of course it took awhile for me to hear His plan. Here's the story.

Over the course of a year my fabulous job had changed dramatically. Although I had been advised of change in the works and clearly heard God say "I have your back," I was beginning to realize my role and the company culture were transitioning into something that didn't look too pleasant from my vantage point.

As I pondered my reaction to my new work reality and prayed to hear God's plan for my life, two things happened.

First, my mother, who was 87 at the time, decided to take me up on my long standing suggestion that she move from Iowa (her life long home) to the Kalamazoo area. She was needing more help and had no family in her small town and few friends still around and healthy enough to assist her. 

This seemed like the worst possible time for mom to make this decision. The leg-work to find the right senior living arrangement was sure to be time consuming and right when my job was getting much more hectic and there were new players to impress.

I continued to pray for God's guidance on my work situation. I even prayed for a Whack on the Side of the Head if necessary to help me see His plan for my life. (History has shown that a less than gentle approach is sometimes required to get my attention.)

Then a "whack on the side of the head" was indeed delivered. My 21 year-old daughter flew over the handlebars of a bicycle, landing on her bare head. Just out for a quick 10 minute spin to test a borrowed bike, she hadn't taken time to don a helmet.  The result? A severe concussion.

I'm not suggesting God made this happen, or that it was my fault it  happened (several therapy sessions later), but I do believe God knew it was about to happen. I also believe He cushioned her fall as the outcome could have been SO much worse.

Over the course of the next few weeks, my daughter realized she would need to take a medical leave from her junior year at the University of Michigan. She was finding it impossible to concentrate on her school work, having a hard time getting restful sleep and not able to plan her activities. But more concerning to me was the anxiety and depression she was experiencing which are typical companions of brain trauma.

It became obvious that I needed to be around to help her through this and make sure she received the right care as her brain did the hard work of healing.

God knew my daughter and my mother would need me and I hate to admit this, but the decision to leave my job would have been harder had it still been the one I loved. The job changes were part of His plan for my life.  

After serious discussions with my amazing, supportive husband, I decided to retire.  I could've "resigned," but the benefits would not have been as great. Also, we live in a time and country that - even as it becomes more accepting of alternative life styles - is rife with age discrimination.

Essentially, the decision to retire, not resign, gave me mental freedom from worrying about finding a new paid job and allowed me instead to focus on these two important women in my life. 

At last, I knew where God was leading me and I submitted my retirement plan, effective immediately.

After a year of recovery, my daughter returned to her college coursework and is just about to finish her degree. What a blessing that year was, as we healed together from abrupt changes in our lives and built an even stronger bond. Praise God and thanks to all who prayed for her since the accident. 

Mom is living at Crossroads Village in Portage and I do her grocery shopping and have the opportunity to help her out in numerous ways. It's been nice to get to know her as a person, not just my mom.  Here's a photo of Marilyn taken after the celebration of June birthdays at her place. The theme was baseball so she wore her LA Dodgers visor!  

I've done a bit of consulting and volunteer work in my field of marketing, but other than that I remain retired - a pretty good gig if you can get it!

I'll be honest, there are days I feel like I should be doing something more meaningful. So I continue to pray that God show me His plan for my life and what's next and I do my best to be still and listen. 

I no longer pray for a whack on the side of the head.

God Bless,

Miriam