Seeking All Things Organic and Caffeinated

On Saturday after arriving in Granger, IN on Tuesday, John chauffeured us in his luxury chariot up into Michigan.  This really isn't quite the big deal one might think as they live less than a mile from the Michigan line, but the small towns along Lake Michigan always hold an appeal.  This day our point of destination was one of our favorites - Saugatuck.

Knowing his wife's interest in all things organic, our first stop was specifically for Michelle, and this amazing farm is less than 20 miles from their home.

All of the produce was freshly picked and cleaned and made one want to take some of all of it.  We did see a few that were new to us and would require instructions.

Kohlrobi was a new veggie for us, but sounds interesting if not a bit more labor intensive than I prefer.

I had never heard of Rainbow Carrots either, but they evidently grow rows and rows of this variety.

These Ground Cherries were another first for me.  They are said to be sweet, tropical-tasting gold berries wrapped in paper husks and are the quintessential summer snack, not to mention an instant conversation piece.

Obviously their three different types of Kale are a big hit for shoppers because they take up long rows out in the garden.

While looking around, I noticed this sweet lady just shopping up a storm so I engaged her in conversation.  She and her family live in Chicago but also have a home on Lake Michigan near by.  She said they spend their weekends in the country and this shopping trip is an every Saturday morning thing for her.  She and Michelle not only love the same foods but share a favorite cookbook, so I had to take a picture of the new best friends.

Our next destination was Three Oaks.  It is a very small little village only five miles east of Lake Michigan.  It has cute shops and interesting stores in a one-block span.  One thing we weren't prepared for though in this sleepy little town was an Amtrak train that literally blew right through the middle.  I use the term "blew" very loosely here.  May this southern gal just simply say "My goodness gracious!"

Froehillch's is one of those stores you only find in small towns because it has been there forever, and contains every thing you can imagine.  The original Froehlichs  came from Bavaria, and settled in the mid-west in the 1920's.  This particular store isn't quite that old as it got it's beginning in 1992, but has an interesting history. (For more info click HERE.)

It is so typical of small town stores where they are a one-stop-shop.  They have their own Froehlich's farm so all their food is farm-to-table.  From a bar, restaurant, to clothing, homegoods, over-night retreat accommodations, and even a room that contains only "adult" themed items, let it be known, we missed nothing.  Michelle didn't however, sample the coffee for some reason.  Big mistake!

From here we continued to Saugatuck.  It is not directly on Lake Michigan but is nestled into a cove of the lake.  This is one of our favorite towns because of the atmosphere, neat shops, art galleries, and places to eat.  There was a big event planned for that night, so there were tons of people in town.  Apparently, those who didn't drive arrived in their luxurious yacht.

One of the main objectives where ever we go, is to find a good coffee spot.  By this time of the day, it was overdue.

  After skillfully maneuvering through the horde of fellow Saturday tourists, we found the cutest little place with outdoor seating that caters to coffee connoisseurs.  By the way, Michelle fits into this category. Who doesn't love to people watch while sipping a cold brew on a hot day.

After walking and looking, touching, and enjoying, it was time for nourishment other than coffee.

If you happen to be in Saugatuck and are hungry, let me recommend Wick's Park Bar & Grille.

On the way home, we decided to take the scenic coastal Blue Star Memorial Hwy that takes you to other little towns on the Lake.  One of those is another place Dick and I go frequently, South Haven.  We love to walk the streets and down to the lighthouse and pier.  This day, however was not ideal and we didn't even stop. The usually lovely quiet little town was a teaming mass of humanity.  There was not one vacant spot on the normally empty, beautiful beach.  Let's just say that that many uncovered bodies is not a pretty sight.

We did find a spot overlooking the glistening waters of Lake Michigan so I could take these pictures.

While in the Mid-West, and perhaps especially Eastern Michigan, you don't want to pass up a nice organic farm growing beautiful things to eat.

Dick and John were beyond excited about another such stop, but what can I say, they are good men!

To end this delightful day, what better way than with a stop in New Buffalo for some locally made Oink's ice cream.

This place is all about pigs - not real ones, but a collection in every size, shape and description, in every available spot that isn't already occupied by ice cream, servers and customers.

Oh my, that was the best ice cream I've ever eaten.  Let me recommend a huge serving of the Mackinac Fudge.  Again, "My goodness gracious!"

This wraps up our Saturday road trip but not our fun by any means.  More to come.

 

2nd Installment of 2020 Fall Road Trip

The first day of our trip, Monday, took us across and down the state of Ohio to the small town of Marietta, GA.  Dick had read a book about the settlement of this area, and was interested in seeing it for himself.

Marietta sits right on the Ohio River and we were able to sit out on the river bank by our hotel and watch several tugboats and a long line of barges being moved down stream.

There was a lovely walking/bike trail along the river that we enjoyed since it had been a long day of travel.

We chose to stay in the historic and romantic Lafayette Hotel built in 1918.  It is a grand riverboat era hotel as evidenced by the furnishings from the lobby to the guest rooms.

When was the last time you saw one of these?  They actually have the three original small phone booths with varying eras of phone designs in the hall way.

We enjoyed walking the streets and met the nicest local ladies who gave us personal recommendations for dinner.

They highly recommended this new establishment, 740 Social and we were not disappointed.

Outside eating was a bit rustic and spooky, but the food was delicious and the weather could not be beat.

Marietta, OH is a lovely, small picturesque college town we were so glad we included this as our first night on the road.

The next day we traveled through both Virginia and West Virginia, Kentucky, and 

Tennessee, where we went through some of the most beautiful country side and saw the prettiest colors of the entire trip.

We went on the look-out when we realized we were in Hatfield & McCoy country.  Thankfully, we did not encounter any feuds.

Source

Our plans were to stop in Jonesborough, TN, which is the oldest town in the state; however, we got there later than we had hoped and there was no room in the Inn.  After riding through this pretty and quaint historic town, we headed on south toward Black Mountain, North Carolina, where we spent a couple nights.

On Tuesday, we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There were too many amazing vistas to share, but these are a few of our favorites.

A waterless water fall.

On the way back to the hotel in Black Mountain, we drove by Ridgecrest Conference Center where we attended several Music Week Conferences through the years.

Our first trip there was in 1967 with a church group.

Perhaps the most memorable was the time we took John as a baby in 1970.

Another memorable trip was when we camped in Black Mountain and took the kids to Grandfather Mountain.

There were so many wonderful memories here and we hate that the center will be sold.

On Wednesday morning we went to the Cove, the Billy Graham Conference Center.  It is truly holy ground.

From here we drove to Lancaster, South Carolina where we spent two wonderful nights with some of our longest couple friends, Bill and Velta Morris.  One thing about special friends is that we picked up where we left off 5 years ago and simply enjoyed each other's company.  Velta is the queen of hospitality and we felt like family around her beautiful Fall table.

She accompanied Dick which brought back so many memories from his seminary days when he was Minister of Music at their church in Kentwood, Louisiana.  It was in their apartment that Dick proposed to me in 1965.

From here we drove to Myrtle Beach, SC on Saturday morning and that's for another day.