Michigan - Day 3

Today was about animals. We headed north with a couple destinations in mind. Our first stop was the Country Dairy in New Era. My dad grew up on a dairy farm, but this is a FARM. The Country Dairy milks 1300 cows three times each day. They give tours, have a farm store, deli and pizza shoppe. How could we pass that up? Actually, we love factory tours. They're usually a lot of fun and educational.

On this tour we got to pet calves, saw cows being fed and had a tour of the processing plant. At the end of our tour we were offered free moochie (cheese curds) and chocolate milk samples. Since our tour ended just before lunch, we ordered from the deli and ate on the patio. Our sandwiches came with bottomless cups of milk. Did I mention our family drinks a lot of milk? That was definitely a win.

Our second stop of the day was near Ludington at the Amber Elk Ranch. This was so much fun. We paid for our tour and boarded a tractor-drawn wagon. Over the course of about an hour we drove through several pens of elk: Mature bulls, cows and calves. But the best part was getting to feed them. Some of the bulls were pretty aloof. The calves avoid people and the cows were total pigs. 

This was the closest I've ever been to elk. They tend to be shy and like all wild animals, can be unpredictable and aggressive. As our tour guide said, these tours don't happen in the fall when the animals are in the middle of the rut. It's simply too dangerous.

We got to back to Muskegeon in time to meet some cousins for dinner. The Station Grill came highly recommended, so that's where we went. They have huge hamburgers, homemade potato chips, fries and onion rings, all served in a '50's themed restaurant. The food was excellent!

Michigan - Day 2

This morning we woke up, had breakfast and decided to drive down to Holland, Michigan. Holland was settled by Dutch immigrants and still closely identifies with that heritage.

As we drove into town, we noticed a sign that said "Windmill Island Gardens" and decided to check it out. Not knowing exactly what to expect, we were very pleasantly surprised to discover that the park has a genuine, 250 year old Dutch windmill, called De Zwaan (The Swan).

The windmill is still operational, and has a Dutch certified miller who supervises the milling of wheat into flour.   According to our tour guide, this was the last windmill that was sold by the Dutch. They are now considered cultural treasures in Holland and cannot be sold and removed from that country. Our tour explained why the windmill has slanting bricks, the process for milling grain, and some intersting facts. The windmill is 125 feet tall, and it takes winds 16-25 mph to power the sails. 

In addition to the windmill, the park has an antique carousel for children, and an antique street organ from Amsterdam. In the spring the park has thousands of tulips in bloom.

After leaving the gardens, we wandered through Holland's farmer's market as it was closing down for the day. Then we headed back to Muskegeon.

Michigan - Day 1

This year our Family Reunion adventure began with a very early flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Having never been to Michigan, I was looking forward to seeing a new part of the country.

We arrived in Grand Rapids and picked up the rental car before heading west to Muskegeon. The weather was beautiful, in the low 70's, (as compared to the 90's Oregon was experiencing). We checked into our hotel and spent some time checking out the city and getting acclimated. After a long day of travel, we really just wanted a nice meal, and some rest.

For dinner we splurged a bit, ending up at The Lake House Waterfront Grille. Our table was on the patio, and we ordered some really good food. The Tuscan White Bean and Goat Cheese Dip was amazing! Then dinner arrived: filet mignon, yellow belly perch and parmesan crusted walleye. We don't eat much perch or walleye in Oregon so it was nice to experience something different. In keeping with the regional theme, we drank Michigan wine and craft beer. The craft beer industry in Michigan is big and growing fast.

After dinner we drove out Muskegeon State Park and walked on the beach/shore of Lake Michigan.

The lake was kind of fogged in, so the view wasn't great, but we enjoyed our walk and first up close glimpse of one of the Great Lakes.

Remembering....

Yesterday the family gathered to remember Aunt Vi. She passed away last month at the age of 97, the final survivor of this little group. Miss you all.

Grams, Uncle Howard, Aunt Vi and Grampa

Piano Music

My great-grandmother's piano became mine when I was six and it was moved into my parents' house after Granny passed away. Today the kiddos finally figured out it was a piano. Now they're going to want to play all the time.

Watching the Harvest

Our field was cut last week. Today, the combines, rake and baler did their job. And they had an audience. Of course, Papa (former farm kid) spent more time watching than the kids did.

How do you battle a heat wave?

You put on your swimsuit and make a backyard water slide, break out the buckets and enjoy some sun with a pair of little hams!

Raspberries!

My mother, sister and I picked 37 pounds of raspberries today. Then we made jam and froze a couple dozen quarts in simple syrup. I love the bounty of fresh berries in Oregon, but I wish the day had been a bit cooler.

4th of July

We spent a very quiet holiday at Blue River. No fireworks, no commotion. A little fishing, some boating, and a who lot of doing nothing. It was nice.

She's 3...

I can't believe it. Happy Birthday!