Category Archives: 2) Frequent Destinations

August 12, 2010 · 4:11 pm

Renting a cottage in northern Michigan – so far so good

It’s always a leap of faith to rent a vacation cottage sight unseen – although the Internet has helped a lot by offering at least some photos. But even if the rooms look clean and somewhat spacious – will they be when you arrive.?And will you have rowdy neighbors throwing a wild and crazy party in their ramshackle trailer? As in life, there are no guarantees on vacation.

But so far I’ve been impressed by the staff at Visit Up North.com who  helped me book our cottage. I’ve called ahead and made sure about a few things that weren’t spelled out in the contract – yes there are linens for the sofabed, no there are no laundry facilities (but I was given the name of a good laundromat nearby.) Some good signs:   the staff are personable and seem to  know the area well. Now the proof is in the pudding.

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August 10, 2010 · 8:49 pm

Edible Iowa in Dubuque County

No, you don’t have to actually EAT Iowa but eating in Iowa is getting better everyday and Edible Iowa River Valley magazine often offers proof of this. Here’s some tips from the latest issue:

– In Dyersville, it recommends Joe’s Place for good ol American food (burgers, fries,wraps) AND a fresh Thai buffet “rumored to be excellent.” who’d a thunk it? Next up, visit Groovy Grounds, the hipster coffee joint in town.  good pastries too.  and then there’s The English Pub which word tell has a killer Bloody Mary.

– Also in Eastern Iowa’s Dubuque County: Park Farm Winery in Bankston, likened to Tuscany w/gorgeous building and grounds.

– In Dubuque, Breitbach’s Farmers Market Food Store is the place to go and I’m guessing it’s somehow related to the famous restaurant in nearby Balltown that has twice burned down and been rebuilt recently. Good restaurants there: L. May and Pepper Sprout (fanciest) and Manna Java for pizza.

All duly noted for my next visit to my favorite part of Iowa.

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August 9, 2010 · 6:52 pm

Traverse City: here we come

We leave Friday for Up North and I found a good website with info on things going on in and Around Traverse City …www.mynorth.com. Here are a few that popped out at me:

Leelanau County’s own celeb chef gives us simple, Italian-inspired recipes.—The Cottage Book Shop (Spend An Evening With Mario Batali on the front lawn of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons on August 14, 2010 from 5pm to 10 pm. Part of the Traverse City National Writers Series.)

http://www.mynorth.com/My-North/August-2010/Four-Northern-Michigan-Restaurants-with-Waterfront-Views/ (includes Glen Arbor restaurant Blu that my friend P recommends.)

Downtown Art Fair in Traverse City August 14, 2010 from 10am to 5pm – Downtown Traverse City annual juried art fair features over 90 Midwest and national artists. Open to the public free of charge. Organized by Downtown Traverse City | Type: art

Suttons Bay artist Neil Walling looks for the unexpected in the Leelanau landscape. The inspiration he finds there is the subject of a new group of oil paintings on display starting Aug. 13 at Center Gallery/Lake Street Studios, 6023 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. Walling’s self-assigned challenge is to study many of the familiar Leelanau County scenes in search of something fresh to depict. “There are a great many scenes in the county, but I always look for something unexpected or overlooked by the casual observer,” he said. “Fish Town is a good example. It has been painted by many fine artists, so my goal is to see it from a new perspective.” A public reception opens the exhibition Aug. 13, 6 p.m. The show runs through Aug. 19. For more information, please call 231/334-3179.

Cherry Bowl – drive-in movies!:   only 18 miles southwest of Traverse City on US31 South, 7 miles from the Lake Michigan shore line and Sleeping Bear Dune National Park, and a stone’s throw from the Platte River.

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August 8, 2010 · 7:19 pm

Conrad Iowa?

A recent story in Midwest Living on hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the midwest mentioned the Cozy Inn, an old favorite in Salina, but also That Place, in Conrad, Iowa which is allegedly near Des Moines. I had not heard of Conrad or The Place or its great pie so mention here so I can remember to try to find and try.

What: That Place
Where: Off Highway 14 outside Conrad, about 10 miles north of Marshalltown

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August 7, 2010 · 11:03 pm

On the Raccoon River Valley Trail – Redfield to Panora Iowa

Biking was hot and slow on the trail today from Redfield to Panora, Ia. (farm country about 45 minutes west of Des Moines), with the weather warmer and more humid than expected (92 degrees; who knows what percent humidity) but as always the ride  had its moments – we spotted three large raccoons (we think they were raccoons) crossing the trail, numerous exotic black and blue butterflies, a cyclist on a recombinant bike carrying a violin. (Yes, that was a violin.)

And there’s always ice cream. We used to go to PJs, a popular spot right on the edge of the trail when you arrive in Panora but one time it was closed so we asked around and found out about the 44 Drive In, west of town, past the small brick shops downtown. It’s nothing fancy – which is part of its charm. Just an old white and red trailer with a worn sign that smells a bit like onion rings and burgers, which we’ve never had. But the place is always busy. The malts are good and a small twist cone does the trick when you’re looking for a little kick.

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August 6, 2010 · 10:38 pm

A little Lollapalooza in Des Moines

Des Moines is getting some mighty nice spillover from the massive Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, where my 18-year-old son is no doubt having the time of his life, along with his half-sister.  Two bands that are playing to thousands of people in the Windy City this weekend will play on much smaller more intimate stages in Des Moines soon after. The Black Keys play at the funky old Val Air Ballroom here on Sunday and even more surprisingly, Phoenix plays at People’s Court, a smaller venue in downtown Des Moines, on Tuesday (we’ll be there…and maybe at the Black Keys too – I’m a fan of the theme song they wrote for the new HBO show “Hung,” which also is set in my hometown of Detroit.)

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August 5, 2010 · 6:06 pm

takemewithyou: Big Sur

My sister and her family may be heading south after her son’s baseball tournament in Monterey so here’s some ideas for Big Sur:

– Don’t miss a walk around Point Lobos reserve, on the ocean with its strange brown-rust-and-green seaside vegetation and rocky cliffs where otters and seals bleat as waves crash onto the rocks.

– We always enjoy eating at the rustic Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn. We found Cafe Kiva at Nepenthe Restaurant overpriced ($4 for a lemonade back in 2001) but what a view!

– At Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park our then-young kids loved crawling and stepping into the huge redwoods. Nearby is Pfeiffer Beach – another favorite on the ocean.

– The drive from Big Sur to San Luis Obispo took about three hours and is, of course, stunning. We really liked San Luis – a college town (cal poly) with a great midweek farmers market on its long straight main street (all the shops were open that night too). Also home to the wonderfully kitschy Madonna Inn – at least visit and tour the goopy public rooms and eat some pie in the coffee shop.

– Hearst Castle, again of course. We spent about three hours there with the kids, taking the tour and I’m not sure what else. gawking. dawdling.

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August 5, 2010 · 1:14 am

Takemewithyou: Monterey, California

My nephew Hank’s baseball team from Oak Park, Illinois is representing the Midwest in a national tournament in Monterey. Go Hank! Go Oak Park Eagles! So here are some travel suggestions for that lovely city for him and his biggest fans – his parents and siblings:

– The aquarium. Enough said.

– We stayed at the Butterfly Grove Inn in Pacific Grove, just west of Monterey – just behind it is a monarch butterfly sanctuary  in a grove of sky-high eucalyptus trees. It’s a fixed up old motor lodge, pale pink with a old fashioned pool. http://www.butterflygroveinn.com/

– We ate at the Old Monterey Cafe for lunch downtown – good omelets, hash browns;

The Monterey Fish House for dinner – very popular local place with wonderful fresh seafood. It’s at 2114 Del Monte Ave;(831) 373-4647

Tomorrow I’ll add suggestions for Big Sur.

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August 3, 2010 · 11:15 pm

More on Decorah, Iowa

Just for the record, we tried a few other restaurants along Water Street in Decorah – good sandwiches (although not the swiftest service) at Ede’s Gourmet and the Angry Pickle Deli (although I didn’t get an pickle, angry or not); and potent wake-me-up coffee and light not-too-sweet lemon poppy muffin tops at Java John’s, a welcoming,  bright and cheerful coffee house (vs. a dark, smokey,  grumpy, surly or hipper-than-thou coffee house, I’ve been to them all.)

Would have tried the sophisticated Rubaiyat:Food for Thought restaurant again (I had a great hamburger at the bar there last year) if it had been open Sunday night. We also dropped by the lovely Hotel Winneshiek which seems to be holding its own. (I always worry about these beautifully restored luxury boutique hotels in small towns after watching the exceptional Hotel Pattee in Perry, Ia. struggle.)

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August 3, 2010 · 1:57 am

Canoeing on the Upper Iowa River

Just back from northeast Iowa where my daughter, a friend and her teen-age son, rented a small cabin and two canoes at Chimney Rock Campgrounds near Cresco and Bluffton, Ia.  We requested a two-hour canoe ride but it was a lot less – largely I think because the river was so full and the current fast. We barely had to paddle – just steer every once in a while to keep from banging into a low-hanging tree along the shore. We stopped at a sandbar/rock-bar and body-surfed a patch of the river, allowing ourselves to get caught up and swept by the current which was fun albeit a tad scary since we had to land and stand against the same said current but no problems – two of us were/are lifeguards (I’m a little rusty but my friends 17-year-old son is a newbie.) The water was refreshing, not too cold. Paddling past the high stone bluffs rimmed with lush green trees was lovely.

Decorah is definitely in the running for Iowa’s pretty small-town college town – full of Queen Anne homes and interesting shops and restaurants along Water Street (the main street – not “Main Street” one street to the west). It was quiet on a Sunday night – except inside Mabe’s Pizza where half the town seemed to be eating – big families, little families, young kids, older folks. Nothing fancy but decent pizza with an interesting thin crust that bordered on a cracker in parts (and the 17-year-old teen in our group ate a cheeseburger served with a dollop of peanut butter. Sounds disgusting but he said it wasn’t bad. My daughter and I had the minipizzas and two drinks – $14 for dinner. not bad.

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