Lansing Michigan Capitol 2023

And here is a quick tour through the Lansing Michigan State Capitol Building!

Rost Coffee in Chillicothe Ohio 2023

Here is a quick video from Rost Coffee in Chillicothe Ohio!

Chillicothe Ohio October 2023

We were in Chillicothe several months again and really loved the town!  The small Southern Ohio town has a lot going for it, and it has some great small businesses.

We went originally to see their production of "Tecumseh!" at Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre.  We went this time to again visit the Sugarloaf Mountain, but this time we saw their Halloween production and festivities.

AND, we again visited some of their fun businesses downtown.

Chillicothe has a ton of history and fun stuff to do.

Two Roasting Joes Chillicothe Ohio 2023

There are some great small businesses in Chillicothe Ohio....  we stopped by Two Roasting Joe's Coffee and really loved this place!

Train Chillicothe Ohio October 2023

Here is a short video of a train we saw in Chillicothe Ohio!

"It's Alive" Frankenstein in Chillicothe Ohio October 2023

We visited Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre in Chillicothe Ohio a few months ago to see their annual production of "Tecumseh!".  We had a great time.

I saw that they were doing a version of Frankenstein for Halloween.....  we KNEW we had to check that out!  They had several other cool things going on that night too, like a haunted trail.

We had a lot of fun, and here is a short video from our visit!

North Perk Coffee Petoskey MI

Petoskey Michigan is such a cool town, overflowing with cool shops and places to eat and hang out.

We stopped in to North Perk Coffee to try a couple of drinks and this ended up being a great place to relax.  It was cold and rainy outside and the vibe here was warm and cozy.

It had a very classic coffee shop feel, and we noticed a lot of locals coming in and chatting with staff.  If I lived in the area, I would be hanging out here a lot.

They had a poster up for a local production of Steel Magnolias.  Too bad we would be gone from the area by the time this one started.

I have found that, when I travel, especially around a coffee rich state like Michigan, I have to get small coffees, because i will be drinking several each day, and I will want to try multiple coffee shops.

Well, I got a small Americano here, and..  I am almost embarrassed to admit that I nearly ordered a second one before leaving.  My wife insisted that there would be no possibility of sleeping if I did that, so she stopped me.

 

Toy Soldiers at The History Store Chillicothe Ohio

Check out the detailed toy soldiers at The History Store in Chillicothe Ohio!

Ziggi's Coffee Holland MI

Ziggi's Coffee in Holland Michigan wasnt on our radar for this road trip, but we stopped by one morning as we were travelling.  It was the first coffee shop we saw that wasnt a major chain (though, I just read that there are about 40 across the US), so we decided to check it out!

I really liked to inside, it was clean and nice, and had lots of windows.  Very open.

The coffee was nice and smooth too. 

I noticed they had some pretty big sizes too, which was impressive.

I hope this chain continues to grow...  they are doing just about everything right.

 

Indianapolis Zoo Train Ride

AND here is a nice little train ride through the Indianapolis Zoo!

Schuler Books Grand Rapids MI

I wanted to take a second to say that we really enjoyed a quick stop in to Schuler Books in Grand Rapids Michigan on our recent road trip.

The place is huge, and I suspect the building might have housed another larger chain bookstore before.  It had that kind of feel.

We found some great books and just enjoyed looking around the place.

I was exceptionally impressed with the fact that they had an "Espresso Book Machine".  I know I have read about these before, but there was something special about standing right next to one.

Roughly, the Espresso Book Machine can print off a book in just a few minutes.  It is directed toward independent publishers who might not expect to sell tons of copies.  Schuler's Books seemed to be utilizing it for very niche small demand publications.  They had flyers detailing the arrangement that an author could get if they wanted to set up and publish with the Espresso Book Machine. 

I personally get pretty excited about small print, obscure titles that you have to hunt for to find.  I'm not a fan of the e-readers either and I love being surrounded by actual books..... so I like what they are doing with this.

 

Indianapolis Zoo 2023

Here is a video mostly of the animals we saw at the Indianapolis Zoo!  

"The Mystery of the Missing Nun" by Larry Wakefield

While in the great city of Cadillac Michigan, we found ourselves in the nice little shop, Horizon Books.  They had a great local section, and I picked up "The Mystery of the Missing Nun" by Larry Wakefield.

The book was on sale, and I flipped through it and realized it was just a nice, well written book on crimes in Michigan.  It would be well worth the sale price.

Wakefield gives us a lot of strange stories, and he keeps them short.  He is giving us the main details and info on the cases.  A reader could use this book as a starting point to start researching various strange crimes in the state.

There are a lot of weird ones.  Of course there are stories about possible cheating spouses and upset family members.  There are several stories involving multiple trials and questionable verdicts.

Some of the stories that stuck out to me involved lots of twists and turns.  All of the males in a family are killed by arsenic.  A pastor kills a man who may have been a lover.  A banker is accused of killing a partner.  A reporter falls from a balloon in a possible conflict.  I could go on and on.

If you are fascinated by true crime, and enjoy stories that get right to the point, this would be a perfect book for you.
 

Indianapolis Zoo Skyline Ride

We had a great visit to the Indianapolis Zoo and enjoyed their Skyline Ride!

Harrodsburg, Kentucky Postcard

"Reproduction of historic log fort at PIONEER MEMORIAL STATE PARK provides unusual scene of frontier days, Harrodsburg, Kentucky."

Im guessing this postcard is from the 60s or 70s.

Pioneer Days at Fort Harrod Kentucky 2023

AND, just a short video of our visit to Old Fort Harrod for Pioneer Days!

Owl Eye Coffee Roasters Cadillac Michigan 2023

We visited the very nice little coffee shop, "Owl Eye Coffee Roasters" when we drove through Cadillac Michigan!

Eckert's Orchard Versailles KY Fall 2023

Here is a quick video on our visit to Eckert's Orchard in Varsalles recently!

Custer Michigan 2023

We drove through Custer Michigan!

Guthrie Kentucky 2023

And here is a quick run through Guthrie Kentucky!

Schuil Coffee Company Grand Rapids Michigan 2023

I have brought up Schuil Coffee Company a lot.  I love this place.  Well, luckily, we made it up there again!

Trenton Kentucky 2023

Here is a nice quick drive through Trenton Kentucky!

Bay Harbor Inn Petoskey Michigan 05 2023

 

We were lucky enough to spend some wonderful days at the Inn at Bay Harbor near Petoskey Michigan.  This hotel is spectacular, and I would easily rank this among my all time favorites.  Make sure you spend some time there when you are doing your road trip around Lake Michigan.

The front desk and restaurant staff immediately took care of any request.  I had a great time collecting rocks behind the Inn too.

Oddly, this great site wasn't on my radar when we planned our trip, but someone told us about it, and we knew we had to get to it.

Check out the youtube video.  Check out that view from our room.  It was a cold few days while we were there, and we enjoyed that nice fireplace too!

Gramps Coffee and Donuts Owensboro Kentucky 2023

Coffee AND donuts in Owensboro!