DAY FOUR Trip to Michigan: April 9, 2015

This was my last full day in Michigan.  Shortly after breakfast we headed to Kalamazoo.  Our ultimate goal was Sweetwater Donuts. which is their favorite place to get donuts.  We purchased a dozen and sat at the counter to each have one.  Tyler had requested a HUGE donut.

I think after that we went to COSTCO.  I had agreed to buy a one year membership for Megans birthday gift.  We took care of that and then looked around.  Its a lot like BJ's.....most items come in large amounts, so it  wouldn't work well for me.

Then we headed to downtown Kalamazoo.  We passed by WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY on the way, and we saw the medical school which is basically off campus.

Once we got to the Main Street area, we went to POP CITY POPCORN.  Here are the kids, and Cassy's friend in Pop City.

and Megan made a purchase.  Then we went to a shop/studio, which was very interesting.  We also went to a huge antiques shop, with many venders.

Our last stop was to pick up cupcakes for Megans best friends sons birthday at FOOD DANCE

The kids wanted to go to YOPLA, their favorite frozen yogurt place, but we were not really hungry, so we skipped it.

The kids and I played a few card games and I packed up for my trip home.

DAY THREE Trip to Michigan: WEDNESDAY, April 8th, 2015

We headed towards Holland Michigan early in the day.  Our first stop was at a Visitors Center where we got information about what to see and do.  Our first stop of the day was at Nelis Dutch Village.   Most of the village was closed. but the shops were open.

We spent a lot of time in a large antique shop and a couple of other shops.  

After the village, it was lunch time so we drove back to Main Street in Holland and had lunch at the WINDMILL DINER on Main Street.  It was very good.  

After lunch we attempted to find a geocache but were not successful.  Then we headed to HOLLAND STATE PARK home of Big Red:

  We walked out on the pier.  And then we went to tunnel park.  

went out of our way a bit to go to CRANE'S PIE PANTRY in Fennville, which I think was the highlight of the day!  This old cabin is at the entrance.

The place is full of vintage and antique memorabilia. The pie was great!   

We arrived back in Plainville late in the afternoon.  

Megan made pulled pork for supper.   The kids and I played a few card games that evening.

DAY TWO: Trip to Michigan TUESDAY APRIL 7, 2015

This was basically our GEOCACHING DAY!

We headed out in the morning.  Our first stop was at a Plainwell Cemetery where we found two geocaches pretty quickly.  The first one was near BABYLAND, I think Cassy found this one first.

The second one was a short ways away.  

The third one was in or on a bridge (I think over the Kalamazoo River) but we were not successful.  We then went to THURL COOK PARK and after a walk in the woods, Tyler found this one.  AFTER finding the cache, we found the trail.  We found a geocache behind a PULLMAN CAR RESTAURANT (that is now closed) 

Then we went to a large antique shop right next door to the pullman car.  Both Megan and I made a few purchases.  

Tyler found THE MILLERS WIFE.  The hint said crawling might be necessary, but I think because the trees and bushes are bare, that was not necessary.  The geocache I liked best was in an old cemetery. IVES CORNERS: 

All in all we found seven out of eight geocaches that we looked for and that is pretty good!

We found several geocaches in and around Plainwell, and then went to Kalamazoo to TEN TEN CHINESE BUFFET.  It was great!!!!We also went into an antique "mall" right next door to the old Pullman Car restaurant (closed).

We had lunch at TEN TEN, which is a Chinese Buffet that also has a Mongolian Grill.  It was the best grill I ever had.  The chef seasoned the chosen ingredients very well.

Leftovers for supper.  I made myself a ham sandwich!

DAY ONE: Trip to Michigan: MONDAY April 6. 2015

Mary Ann drove me to the airport for my ten a.m. flight to Grand Rapids.  The layover was in Detroit and I had plenty of time for a nice lunch (spinach salad) at one of the airport restaurants.  The Detroit airport has this colorful, lighted tunnel:

Megan and the kids met me at the airport in Grand Rapids right around three p.m.  We headed towards Plainwell, where we stopped and had ice cream at PLAINWELL ICE CREAM, (their ice cream is almost as good as Lake Effect).

and looked around town a bit.  We also stopped at a DOLLAR TREE where I bought a pair of sunglasses and we picked up a few snack items.

The kids and I played several card games that evening.    Megan made stuffed shells and salad for supper,  both were very good.  I gave the kids the DAY AFTER EASTER BAGS that I had put together for them and brought with me.

I was really exhausted and I slept GREAT on the king sized air mattress!

Easter 2015

My sister and her husband decided to prepare a turkey dinner and invited me and our cousin Becky to their house.  I was in charge of deserts.

I picked Becky up and we headed to Peg and Davids house.    Becky gave me a lovely glass hummingbird as an Easter gift.  When we got to  Peg and Davids house, two of David's children (Scott and Catherine) were there already.   Peggy gave Becky and I bags of Easter candy.

I helped Peggy get things set up and we served ourselves buffet style:  turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, two vegetables, and fruit salad.  David's stuffing was very very good.  For desert we had sponge candy, muffins, pumpkin pie with real whipped cream and a strawberry/angel food cake/ jello desert that I prepared.

When I dropped Becky off, I stopped to take a picture of a sign she made and put up.

Geocaching and Donuts Adventure: 4/2/15

It was the first really nice weather day this year...with a high of 62 predicted, so Chickie and I decided we HAD to go geocaching.  I met up with her at Mel's Auto Repair on West Avenue, where she was leaving her car for an inspection.

Our first geocache was CRACKER JACKS, which was at Outwater Park. I had looked for this one a few years ago without success, so it was good to go back and find it.  Our second geocache was in a parking lot next to the Erie Canal.  After we found that one, we explored the area a  bit. I thing we found an area that I used to hang out in when I was a teen.  Kind of a tunnel/walkway on Gooding Street.  It looked a bit different from what I remember.

#3 was in what used to be called Willow Park.  While signing the log, some local geocachers (dickie  donuts, Neurotic Terror and Timbits were walking by and they called out to us and we had a nice chat.

#4 was a DNF, in a small park at the intersection of Willow and Locust Streets.  We looked for about twenty minutes without any success.

I asked Chick if she wanted to go out to lunch and she did.  I suggested Bill Gray's in Williamsville.  We both had cheeseburgers.  They were very good!  Then we went to Paula's Donuts.  Chickie bought a dozen donuts and we sat and each had one.  My cream filled peanut donut was as delicious (and as messy) as it always is.  Chick loved her white cream filled, chocolate frosted donut.

We headed back to Lockport, taking a back road part of the way.  I dropped Chick off at Mel's and headed for home.

GEM, FOSSIL and MINERAL SHOW Adventure (Hamburg, NY)

Mary Ann and I were planning to go to a Maple Syrup event, but it was damp and dark and rainy this morning, so we quickly changed our plans and decided to drive to Hamburg, New York for the annual Gem-Mineral-Fossil Show.

I think they may use this sign every year, which is why it looks so worn out.   The mural below is in the second building where the food vendor was located.  

 

We arrived at the Erie County Fairgrounds around 12:15 or so, and had a very hard time finding a place to park.  After paying our admission fee, we decided to have lunch.  I had a fried bologna sandwich with macaroni salad....it was very good!

Then we took our time (I think close to three hours) going through the two buildings and checking out the displays and vendors. I bought several small items for my grandkids and nephews and a couple of colorful stones for myself as well as two tiny bottles filled with tiny pieces of turquoise.  I think Megan would have liked the wide assortment of beads available.

  These emeralds from Afghanistan were priced at $1,000 each.  

On the way back home, we stopped at Paula's Donuts.