A Record of a Lifetime of Wanderlust
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Glen Haven, Michigan David Henry Day first came to Glen Haven in 1878, initially serving as a company agent for a company town. Three years later, he purchased the entire town of Glen Haven, including land, buildings, and steamships. For just about 50 years, D.H. Day ran the town of…
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Maple City, Michigan In my lifetime, I remember many farms like the ones preserved in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. The farms passed from generation to generation, and farmers made their living on the same lands as their ancestors. If these people from 100 years ago were to step…
Manistee, Michigan The conversation we recently had as a family One of the boys asked, “Where are we staying tonight?” Adrienne “The Dollar General.” Another boy, “What, you can’t stay at a Dollar General?” Adrienne, “Yes, you can, that is where we are staying tonight.” Sure enough, we spent two nights in an Airbnb at…
Holland, Michigan We first became aware of the Holland Harbor Lighthouse, affectionately known by the locals as “Big Red,” with photos at our Airbnb. There are hundreds of lighthouses on the Great Lakes, but this one definitely stands out for a few reasons. The most obvious reason is its striking red color. The color right…
Holland, Michigan When preparing to write about Nelis Dutch Village, I asked AI what makes a good theme park. Google AI shared that “A good theme park offers a high-quality, immersive experience through a strong, consistent theme, a variety of attractions for all ages, and excellent customer service.” For the remainder of this post, I…
Holland, Michigan Stroopwafels are a Dutch staple, and at the Nelis Dutch Village, all kids ages 3-15 received a free ticket on entry to make their own stroopwafel. Stroopwafels are made by taking a small dough ball and pressing it on a thin waffle iron. The waffle iron is pressed down until you have a thin…
Holland, Michigan At Nelis’ Dutch Village, the theme park offers a variety of activities related to the Netherlands. One essentially Dutch item featured in the park is wooden clogs, also known as wooden shoes. The Netherlands is a low-lying country, with most of the land being at or below sea level. The farms had many…
Memphis, Tennessee Marc Cohn’s hit song “Walking in Memphis” had a few lyrics that resonated with me when I was writing about Memphis, and I realized that a significant reflection on the city was missing, which is why I added this post. “Saw the ghost of Elvis, On Union Avenue, Followed him up to the…
Memphis, Tennessee “Early evening, April four, A shot rings out in the Memphis sky, Free at last, they took your life, They could not take your pride” These lyrics by U2 came to mind when I was standing in Martin Luther King Jr.’s room at the Lorraine Hotel. The view is sobering, especially looking out…
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tennessee At the National Civil Rights Museum, they have a bus similar to the one that Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man, which led to the Montgomery Alabama Bus Boycott. The exhibit highlights how the boycott operated and ultimately achieved success. While contemplating the exhibit…