Christmas 2012 Trip To Bronners

A trip to Bronners in December is special, especially as the sun sets and all the Christmas lights turn on. We had planned to get to Bronners to surprise James with a Titanic Christmas bulb which we saw in an ad. James also got a Statue of Liberty bulb and a free bulb for spending over $25.

Meanwhile Mary got to visit a cupcake bakery that she had seen on Cupcake Wars (a reality series on cable). Seems this bakery in Frankenmuth came in first place so we bought some cupcakes while we were there and ate them on the way home.

As the sun began to set the Christmas lights came on in the city and it was a gorgeous spectacle. We drove through the town and across the covered bridge then headed home for the evening.
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Edited: December 22nd, 2012

Greenfield Village 2012

We used to go to Greenfield Village often, then the Titanic exhibit came to the Henry Ford Museum so we have to stop at the museum on the way to and from the village.

James had a great time this Saturday visiting Greenfield Village and actually found some Halloween items in the gift shop for his Halloween party. There were not many people in the village this day, probably due to the 90 degree (we had low voltage at our house all weekend so the AC was off and we were used to the heat) weather, but it was still fun as always. The bandstand was roped off with a bucket of paint on it so I think the next time we visit we will see a freshly painted bandstand. James saw a couple turtles who skuttled into the water as soon as we got close, but we did manage to get a pic of one of the little guys sunning themselves on a rock.
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Edited: August 27th, 2012

Chicago to Detroit Garage Sale

We only made it to the Irish Hills because of the bad weather but we still had much fun on the US 12 garage sale, an annual event that we attend. Many times this event takes place the same week as the Magic Festival but this year it was the week later so we made two treks to the Western side of the state in back to back weekends.

James enjoys this event as well and gets a chance to spend time on real farms that allow people to sell their items on their farmland along US 12 (aka Michigan Avenue). He also does a little shopping and picks up many little trinkets on the trip.

We also continue our tradition of eating the best barbecue around at the Top of the Hill restaurant on US 12 in the Irish Hills.
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Edited: August 18th, 2012

Keeping Cool In The Summer of 2012

For about the last two weeks we have had a heatwave across the midwest and USA, so James had to find a variety of ways to stay cool this summer. The following pictures were taken (in no particular order) at the Colon Park, Colon Moving Dock, Eric’s Graduation Party (our neighbor down the street), Trenton Festival (after a visit to Aunt Peg in wyandotte hospital), and of course James own back yard and basement.

During the heatwave of 2012 we were very fortunate not to lose power or air conditioning capabilities (although I am a bit terrified of the huge electric bill we will get running the AC so hard). (more…)

Edited: July 15th, 2012

Soo Lock Tour 2012

James and Mom got to go on a two hour tour of the Soo Locks. This was James first time going through the locks and also the first time he got to go to Canada (that he remembered, we took him a couple times to Kingsville and Windsor while he was in a stroller). James has been wanting to go to Canada since studying about it at school and online. Going on the boat tour not only did he get to understand the workings of the Soo Locks, but also the boat took him to Canada without the headache of going through customs. After the boat tour we went by the other museums and finished off the day shopping in the tourist trap area.
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Edited: June 5th, 2012

Frankenmuth & Bronners 2012

James visited Bronners then went shopping on the streets of Frankenmuth. James picked up a few Mario brother characters, a hard hat with a light in it that says Frankenmuth on the side, and an Easter bunny from Bronners (yes, he went to the Christmas shop and bought something for Easter). James had lots of fun and the place was strangely quiet for such a pretty day. We had most of the place to ourselves and had no problems getting seated for a chicken dinner at the Barvarian Inn.

Highlights include James feeding a horse named Gus, flinging about 100 pennies into various fountains, and the many photo ops where you stick your head through a hole (in one James could not reach the boy fairy hole with his head so he stuck his head through the next hole which was the girl fairy). The picture is very funny looking and we all had a little laugh at the fairy pic. You can see that pic and about 100 more by clicking the ‘read more’ button below.
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Edited: June 3rd, 2012

Marys Birthday and Bronners 2010

Mary had a very interesting and different birthday. She has lost much weight and all her souvenir shirts from past Mackinaw visits no longer fit her, so while we were there we tried to replace most of them. You can see the new souvenir shirts displayed by Mary that she got for her birthday.

When her birthday actually came, James helped decorate the house with balloons (not one did he blow up). We took Mary to her favorite outlet mall in Birch Run, then took a quick trip to Bronners Christmas store in Frankenmuth. It began to rain so we headed back and Mary had one of her favorite meals of all time, barbecued ribs and chicken from the Boneyard restaurant.

Thanks to all who sent cards, gifts, and well wishes.
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Edited: September 6th, 2010

St Ignace Deer Ranch 2010

On our way back from Mackinaw Island we realized that outdoor activities were really going to be curtailed due to the oncoming storms so we grabbed a quick bite to eat, hopped in the car, skipped past the high wind escort on the bridge, and got James to the deer ranch. James certainly remembered it from past years because when he went in he did not say hi to the teller but instead said “crackers please”.

The cost for going through the deer ranch is $5 per person plus carrots and crackers (we got a dollars worth which was plenty) so for a relatively low cost James had a lot of fun. About the time he finished, the first drops of rain were hitting St. Ignace so we got out of there just in time.
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Edited: September 4th, 2010

Mackinaw Island City 2010

One of the best main streets in all of the United States. Complete with the famouse fudge shops, haunted houses, magic shops, carriage tours, and tons of souvenir shops. James insisted on another ice cream cone so he could keep up his energy, Mom went browsing for new clothes, and Dad checked out the haunted house and magic shops on main street.

Something new we found was a Haunted Mackinaw Island Tour, which we did not go on but we put on the schedule for next year. James did very well this day and was rewarded with a couple toys, a megaphone that changes your voice (It reminded me of one his Grandpa had in Michigan), and a mouse game where you “bop” the mouse with a rubber mallet and the computer tells you how well you did.
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Edited: September 4th, 2010

Macinaw Island State Park 2010

Each year we travel through the State Park and always find something new along with old reliable sites (like the arch rock). This year there were several first’s. James went for the first time without a wagon so he had to do all the walking by himself. Another first was going up a stairway we found in the woods that took you to the highest elevation point on the island, the pictures really don’t do it justice.

We stopped at the little rest area which is North of the Grand Hotel as we were exiting the State Park. James always gets an ice cream and Mary has a chance to check out some of the souvenir shops there. In the center is the collection of horse drawn vehicles including the hearse (which they still use when someone dies).

The key to a successful day at Mackinaw Island is to get there early, before the crowds. This year we did very well at avoiding the crowds and the weather held off for us till we were finished. The boat ride home is when the weather made a turn for the worse but our day was already complete by then.
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Edited: September 4th, 2010