McCourtie Park Have you ever been inside an authentic speakeasy? Join my husband, Chuck, and I as we were given a spontaneous tour of the Rathskeller complete with bullet proof doors, secret underground parking and a full bar. On the same property we strolled McCourtie Park where seventeen faux bois […]
History and Culture
114 posts
A wise horse, Old Sam, who had served in the Civil War, now has plaques and a grave marker in Coldwater, Michigan where he’d been born. Old Sam’s story is one of dedication and bravery. How did he become a Civil War hero? Where is Old Sam buried? His burial […]
What’s a “Boatel?” Well, one can spend the night aboard an original 1931 railcar ferry, The S.S. City of Milwaukee. A “Boatel” is a living history hotel with water underneath! I had no idea that Manistee, Michigan housed an original 1931 Grand Trunk Railroad ferry steamship. Join my husband, Chuck, […]
Who has left a permanent impression on your life? Well, Feodor Protar had made a lasting impact on the islanders who have called Beaver Island their home. His log cabin has been made into a museum and stone walls stand guard over his gravesite. A century after his passing, Feodor […]
Join DaViking (my husband, Chuck) and I as we search for the 33 markers commemorating an ancient trail from Cadillac to Traverse City, The Old Indian Trail. Evidence found along the 55 mile trek has been dated to 700 B.C.E. This passage had been used by the Hopewells and then [...]
My first sight of the Woolsey Airport had been four years ago on a Restless Viking YouTube video. (See “Related Links”) I knew this unique stone structure must have a story. In May 2023, My husband, Chuck, “DaViking” and I made a stop as we drove around the “pinky peninsula” […]
Captain Timothy Alfson, a Lowell resident, spoke about being the captain of the Edwin H. Gott, a thousand (plus 4) foot Great Lakes freighter. Chuck, my husband, and I attended the event which was sponsored by the Lowell Historical Museum. Join us as we learn about maritime economics and “GOTT […]
Near White Cloud, Michigan in Newaygo County there had once been the largest desert east of the Mississippi, The Big Prairie Desert. What? I had no idea! My husband, Chuck, always finds curious history. Starting in 1865 until the 1930’s this 2,000 acre area had been an enormous sandy expanse. […]
What? There are still speakeasies in Chicago? Come along with Chuck and I as we find The Drifter, a secret bar located behind a shelf in the basement of The Green Door Tavern. The Drifter had materialized one hundred years ago, sometime around 1920. The records are sketchy on the […]
The Fire Following a wet spring in 1908, the summer in eastern side of northern Michigan’s lower peninsula had been dry. On October 15th rampant winds caused a random spark to start a tragic fire. The blaze had started in Millersburg and grew quickly. The flames burnt northward for 31 […]