What a birthday gift! My husband, Chuck, was treating our family to a hot air balloon ride for my 50th birthday. My tummy fluttered with excitement! We couldn’t even imagine the views and fun we’d have when we arrived at Altitude Endeavors in Battle Creek! Following our safety briefing, we […]
Interests
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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 […]
Join Poppins and DaViking as they search for the secrets of Mystery Valley!
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 […]
The summer mugginess hung around us as we strolled around Kalamazoo. My husband, Chuck, and I often return to the city where we’d met decades ago at WMU. “Hey, isn’t that the abandoned building we’d climbed into?” Chuck mentioned. We noted how the painted brick had been sandblasted to reveal […]
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 […]
I have had no idea about how to conjure beer, but Dani, the brewer at Big Boiler Brewing in Lowell, had invited my husband, Chuck (DaViking) and I to collaborate in creating an ale, Restless Viking Red. We were honored to work with Dani and get to know her! Dani’s […]
Have you ever wanted to learn how to sail? Did you know that The Great Lakes Sailing School in Traverse City has eleven instructors? Sailing certification for American Sailing Association (ASA) 101 and 103 requires four days aboard a sailboat with actual sailing, knot tying and taking two exams. Even […]
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 [...]