Top 2014 Midwest Wanderer Travel Experiences

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, South Dakota December 27, 2014April 2, 2018Art Party Studio, Bowers Harbor Inn Travers City, Buffalo Roundup, Chicago Helicopter Experience, DeSoto House Hotel, Grand Traverse Commons, Henry Doorly Zoo, Historic Park Inn, Kenosha Dragon Boat Festival, Midwest Travel, Midwest Wanderer, Mission Point Lighthouse, Pontiac Oakland Museum, Poopy's Pub n' Grub, Suzie Q Cafe, Traverse City, Village at Grand Traverse Commons 0 Comment

As another year comes to a close, we reflect on all that we’ve accomplished over the past twelve months and plan new goals for the coming year. For me, 2014 brought lots of opportunities to explore the Midwest, discovering more attractions, events and restaurants to share with you. It’s always amazing how much there is to do right here in the Midwest, from the Great Lakes to the Black Hills, from small towns to big cities. Today I’m sharing with you some of my personal “firsts” and also my top ten blog posts of the year, the ones most popular with you, my readers.

2014 New Experiences:

In March I discovered that anyone can paint—even no-artistic-talent me. At the Art Party Studio in Champaign, Illinois, bring your own wine, if you’d like, follow the step-by-step painting instructions, and every painting turns out well. If, on the slim chance it doesn’t, you can always blame it on the wine.

I tried my hand at glassblowing for the first time at The Glass Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Okay, so my turn lasted only a minute or so, since I was on a group tour and we just had a sampling. It would be fun to go back and create a “work of art” of my own.

I joined the Kenosha Area Convention & Visitors Bureau dragon boat team in the Kenosha Area Dragon Boat Festival in July. As hard as our team tried, we came in last place, but we had a great time.

Two new states were added to my list this year, Nebraska and South Dakota. I spent a couple of days exploring Omaha, including gardens, museums and shop. If you like zoos, you have to see Henry Doorly Zoo, my favorite zoo of all I’ve ever been to.

Besides the national monuments, national parks and so many other things western South Dakota has to offer, I took my first helicopter ride with the Black Hills Aerial Adventures, where I saw the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments at eye level and the Needles Highway from a bird’s eye view.

As great as everything else was in South Dakota, the highlight was the Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park, where I bumped along in the back of a pickup truck right in the midst of the cowboys and cowgirls on horseback rounding up around 1,100 head of bison for their annual vaccines and pregnancy tests.

The year concluded with my second helicopter tour, this time in the evening with Chicago Helicopter Experience, along the Chicago lakeshore, with a great view of the Lincoln Park Zoo and Michigan Avenue Christmas lights.

Top 10 Posts of 2014

Haunted DeSoto House Hotel, Galena IL was published in 2013 but continued to be the most popular throughout 2014.
Ghost stories are apparently popular. Bowers Harbor Inn, Traverse City: Two Restaurants and a Ghost created quite a controversy among Traverse City locals, some believing the legend and others not.
I don’t know whether it’s because of the location on Route 66 or if people are interested in car museums, but the Number 3 most popular post was Pontiac Oakland Museum, Pontiac, Illinois: Auto Nostalgia along Route 66.
Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is always popular, so I’m not surprised that Historic Park Inn: Last Remaining Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel made the list.
Billed as the biggest biker destination in Illinois and along the Great River Road, Poopy’s Pub n’ Grub, Savanna IL; Popular Even with Non-bikers, came in at Number 5.
Downtown shops in towns in southwest Michigan resort towns are always fun to explore, and Traverse City foodie fans especially liked Traverse City Shops: A Culinary Delight.
Green County, Wisconsin, celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the Cheese Days in 2014. In June I attended a press preview of the big September event and wrote about it in Cheese Days 100^th Anniversary Preview, Monroe, Wisc. The event is held every two years, so plan ahead to attend in 2016.
Published just in time for Halloween, another Traverse City supposedly haunted location came in at Number 8, Tour a Former Asylum at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City.
Eating at a tiny ten-seat diner is fun, especially when the delicious food is served by a magician, like it is at the Suzie Q Café, Mason City Iowa: A Meal with a Dash of Magic.
Old lighthouses are fun to explore. The stories behind them are always fascinating. Another Traverse City attraction, Tour Mission Point Lighthouse, Traverse City, Michigan made the list at Number 10.

I’m looking forward to sharing more fun and interesting attractions, events and restaurants in Midwest destinations throughout 2015. If you have suggestions on Midwest places to see and things to do, don’t hesitate to share them at info@midwestwanderer.com, and I’ll help spread the word.

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Tour a Former Asylum at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City

Connie Attractions & Events, Michigan October 30, 2014October 10, 2016Grand Traverse Commons Tour, Traverse City, Traverse City attractions, Village at Grand Traverse Commons 1 Comment

Driving onto the Village of Grand Traverse Commons grounds on a sunny day should have been a tranquil experience. Massive old shade trees dappled shade across the expansive green lawns. Beyond the front lawn stood towering three-story 1880s Victorian-Italianate buildings. However, instead of tranquility, I felt a bit of eeriness. Had I not been aware that the 500 acre property was once a mental health asylum, maybe the eerie feeling wouldn’t have existed.

Bowers Harbor Inn, Traverse City: Two Restaurants and a Ghost

Connie Food & Drink, Michigan October 8, 2014March 22, 2024bower harbor inn, bower hotel, bower house, bower house hotel, bower house inn, bower inn, bowers, Bowers Harbor Inn Travers City, bowers hill inn, bowers house, bowers inn, genevive, Haunted restaurant, Jolly Pumpkin, mission inn restaurant, mission restaurant, Mission Table, Mission Table restaurant, old harbor inn, Old Mission Bay restaurants, old mission inn, peninsula table, table restaurant, the bower, the bower hotel, the bower house, the bower house inn, the bower inn, Traverse City, Traverse City restaurants 9 Comments

Bowers Harbor Inn, built in the 1880s on Traverse City, Michigan’s, Old Mission Peninsula, was the summer home of Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevive. Today the building houses the Jolly Pumpkin, a casual restaurant and brewery, and Mission Table, an upscale restaurant. However, even though the property has passed through several hands since the Stickney’s owned it, some say Genevive hasn’t left.

Traverse City Wineries Magnet for Wine Lovers

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Michigan August 11, 2014May 25, 2017Leelanau wineries, Michigan wineries, old mission wineries, Traverse City wine, Traverse City wineries, wineries in Michigan 0 Comment

It’s not uncommon to see groups of young women, very often bachelorette parties, hopping from winery to winery via limousine along Midwest wine trails. Wine tasting is a popular date among couples, too, standing at the tasting bar, sipping a half dozen or so wines and then moving on to the next winery along the trail. In the past couple of decades the number of wineries in the Midwest has exploded. It seems the more wineries on a trail, the more popular the trail. Traverse City, Michigan, and nearby Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas are home to over 50 wineries. The area is a magnet for wine lovers. We visited some of the Traverse City wineries during our recent visit.

A Weekend of Leisure Indulgence at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

Connie Food & Drink, Michigan July 8, 2014April 2, 2018Grand Traverse Hotel, Grand Traverse Spa, Traverse City, Traverse City Hotels, Traverse City MI, traverse city michigan, Traverse City resort 0 Comment

As I sat by the window of the restaurant sipping my key lime pie martini, I watched from a bird’s-eye view as the sunset turned the sky a brilliant orange, as though it set the clouds ablaze. I thought, “Wow, this is the life.” My husband and I were staying at Michigan’s Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and dining at Aerie, the 16^th floor fine dining restaurant, just one of the resort’s many impressive elements. With several accommodation types, dining options, golf courses, pools, tennis courts, shops and a spa, there is enough to do at the Acme, Michigan, resort to treat yourself to a weekend—or a week—of leisure indulgence.

Accommodations
Our spacious, nicely decorated tower room overlooked one of the resort’s three golf courses and included a wet bar, a fridge and a Jacuzzi tub. A hotel, condos and resort homes are other accommodation options to consider.

Restaurants
My favorite restaurant on the resort was Aerie, where we dined on elegant food, all beautifully plated. We started with sweet potato beignets, and continued with salads, filet mignon with asparagus and Broccolini, and shared chocolate bananas foster for dessert.

We had breakfast at the Sweetwater American Bistro, where besides typical egg dishes, pancakes and waffles, they serve specialty dishes, including three types of Benedicts and bananas foster french toast. Depending on the house count, they sometimes also offer a buffet.

Other dining options are pub food at Jack’s Sports Bar; soups, salads, sandwiches and an assortment of entrees at The Grille in the clubhouse; deli sandwiches, salads and baked goods at The Marketplace; and of course, in-room dining.

Shops
You’ll find several boutiques and gift shops in The Tower Gallery of Shops. At American Spoon, taste jams, fruit butters and salsas before buying.

Dylan’s Candy Bar and Candy Café, created by Dylan Lauren, fashion designer Ralph Lauren’s daughter, are two separate shops, but both sweet and colorful. Between the two, you can indulge in your favorite nostalgic candies like candy buttons and Pop Rocks, or enjoy local treats like Mackinaw Island fudge and Moomer’s ice cream. Dylan’s also sells candy themed home décor items, clothing and accessories.

Activities
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa boasts three golf courses, each at a different challenge level, including The Bear, designed by Jack Nicklaus. The resort has been the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions over the years, the Silver Medal by Golf Magazine and the Best Midwest Golf Resort for a Family Trip by Travel + Leisure Golf among them.

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I didn’t get a chance to visit the spa on my trip, but it sounds luxurious and pampering, offering services from nail care and hair styling (they refer to it as hair artistry) to massages that range from the classic Swedish relaxation massage to the more exotic bamboo massage.

With pools, hot tubs and tennis courts both indoors and outdoors, you can swim or play rain or shine, warm weather or cold. At the Private Beach Club, rent watercraft to use in East Grand Traverse Bay, part of Lake Michigan. In the winter, take a dog sled ride, ice skate, snowshoe or cross-country ski.

During your stay, you’ll probably want to explore wineries, restaurants, shops and casinos in and around nearby Traverse City. However, if you choose, you really can spend your entire vacation, whether a weekend or a week, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and not run out of things to do.

The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is located at 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd., Acme, Michigan. Visit the web site to make reservations or for further information.

Disclosure: My stay at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa was hosted by Traverse City Tourism and the resort, but any opinions expressed in this post are my own. The photos with the resort logo were provided by the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.

De Boer Bakkerij, a Holland, Mich. Icon

Connie Food & Drink, Michigan July 3, 2014July 8, 2014Bakery in Holland MI, Bakery in Holland Michigan, de Boer Bakery, de Boer's, de Boer's Bakery, Holland MI, Holland MI restaurants, Restaurants 0 Comment

It’s mid-morning on a weekday, and the parking lot is full. This is the place to come in Holland, Michigan, for breakfast or to pick up fresh baked goods. De Boer Bakkerij has been around since 1956 when the family immigrated from Kollum, Nederland. Now in the fourth generation, the family still bakes traditional Dutch pastries, breads and cookies, like melt-in-your-mouth kraklingen.

In 2008 de Boer’s added a restaurant, open for breakfast and lunch. Restaurant favorites are marked on the extensive menu with a windmill. I chose the Blue Raspberry Bliss Cakes, mascarpone cheese filling sandwiched between two pancakes (called klompen cakes here), with blueberries, raspberries and house-made granola. The dish, which seemed more like a dessert, was so plentiful I took half to go and enjoyed it again for breakfast the next day.

Several versions of Eggs Benedict head the savory side of the breakfast menu, like Crab Cakes Benedict, Lox Benedict, and Rembrandt’s Way, a healthier version of the dish with spinach, tomato and less hollandaise sauce.

I haven’t been to de Boer’s for lunch, but a peek at the menu shows they offer a nice selection of soups, salads and sandwiches with added touches that elevate them from ordinary. For instance, a grilled cheese sandwich made with four cheeses and served on challah bread becomes the Ultimate Grilled Cheese. Chicken salad is perked up with mango chutney and toasted almonds.

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Don’t plan on ordering a lunch dish on the weekend, though. Lunch items are available Monday through Friday. Only breakfast dishes are served on Saturday and Sunday. Although under the same roof, the bakery is closed on Sunday. However, you can purchase any items left from Saturday. No matter which day of the week you dine at de Boer’s, you’ll be tempted to pick up item or two from the iconic bakery on your way out to savor later.

De Boer Bakkerij and Restaurant is located at 360 Douglas Ave., Holland, Michigan. Check the web site for hours or to browse the menu.