Michigan Motorcycling: Paw Paw Area
English: Walker Tavern (Michigan) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This weekend marked my first motorcycle trip. Over all things went well!
Day One:
From the Detroit area, we took Michigan Avenue all the way to Coldwater. On a short historical note, Michigan Ave. is historically known as the Sauk Trail. Michigan Native Americans used this trail as a trade route around the area. After Le Griffon sank somewhere in Lake Michigan in search of the northwest passage to Asia, La Salle used this trail to return to Fort Detroit. Later, during the Michigan settlement boom in the 1820s, the Sauk trail became known as the Detroit-Chicago road. Thousands of stagecoaches used this trail to transport settlers across the Michigan territory. Stagecoach travel was rough and uncomfortable to say the least. About every 10 miles, a tavern popped up to welcome weary travelers. If you look at Michigan Ave. on a map, you’ll see that most of the towns are about 10 miles apart. Walker Tavern, at the corner of Michigan Ave and M-50, remains and pays homage to the settlement days of Michigan. (Walker Tavern is a really neat place that I have an entry I’d like to post on here with more information later!). Between Clinton and US127 are the Irish Hills. As the name suggests, many Irish immigrants moved to this area because of the green rolling hills that reminded them of home. As stagecoaches gave way to cars, Michigan Avenue in the Irish Hills grew. Several amusement parks opened and the area became a nice little getaway from city life. Now, except for Hayes State Park and a few restaurants, many of the amusement parks and attractions closed in the Hills. None the less, it’s a fun place to ride and close to Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Once we got to Coldwater, we took 86 west, to 66 north, to 60 west, to 131 north, and finally some road just outside of Schoolcraft west to get to my boyfriend’s mom’s house. If people didn’t drive so slow out of the Detroit area, we probably would’ve done it in 3.5 hours (even with gas and break stops), but we got to Lawton in about four hours.
Day Two:
We hoped to take the bikes over to South Haven the next day, but it rained most of the morning and into the afternoon. Once the rain cleared up we just decided to head over to Paw Paw and go to St. Julian’s or Warner Vineyard. Disappointed by the fact that St. Julian’s no longer offers free samples, we walked around the shop area. Then I spotted a post card for 15% off your order at Paw Paw Brewery. The place has only been open about a year, but it’s gained a following since I saw their little stand at the Paw Paw Wine and Harvest Festival last year. PPB was small, but they had a nice size beer garden and live music on the weekends. I had their wheat beer, and it was light and refreshing. My boyfriend enjoyed the oatmeal stout. Pints of beer were like $3.75. For a delicious, craft brewed beer that’s not a bad price.
From Paw Paw we headed north on 40 to Allegan. Allegan is a cool little town on the Kalamazoo River and the town did a great job with the Riverfront Park and Business area. The weird thing was that on a Saturday night, minus the few bikers split between adjacent bars, the town was pretty much empty. The local coffee shop owner explained that Allegan is a “weekday town”–meaning most people are there during the week. Sure makes sense when you see that the town’s farmers market takes place on a Thursday morning… At any rate, it was a cool little find and a non-people saturated place worth checking out.
From Allegan we went down 89 to Otsego for dinner. A guy back in Allegan suggested a Mexican place called Los Amigos, and their food was great! The chips probably weren’t homemade, but they definitely weren’t over-salted store tortilla chips and the salsa was fresh and light with a nice spicy finish. My boyfriend ordered tamales and I order a chorizo quesadilla. Both tasted great and the prices were reasonable. Who knew you would find a great Mexican restaurant in the middle of Western Michigan? From Otsego we went back to Allegan, then headed back to Lawton for the night.
Day Three:
At a sweltering 99 degrees, we headed back home the way we came. As we crossed the state, it got cooler, which helped make the other half of the ride home bearable.
Over all it was a nice little trip in the area. I wish I had stopped to take more photos, but that’s the first lesson from my first trip. I hope next time we get out to South Haven and can take the bikes along Lake Michigan!
And I promise more photos next time!
Great Lakes Gardening: Hot Peppers!
Green and red cubanelle peppers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The same co-worker that gave me the heirloom tomato plants also grows hot peppers… and I’m not talking your typical jalapeno. When I looked at the plants left on my desk the other morning, the only pepper plant I recognized was Habanero. He gave me two black Cuban peppers, a chiltepin pepper, and a bhut jolokia. Below are each pepper’s Scoville Units:
- Chiltepin–50,000-100,000
- Habenero–200,000-300,000
- Black Cuban–300,000-500,000
- Bhutu Jolokia-1,000,000
A regular jalapeno pepper is 2,500-5,000, so these peppers are crazy hot! I plan to make a ton of salsa and hot pickles with these! I’m glad I also planted my cilantro in a bigger pot, because I expect between these and the tomato plants, I’ll have more salsa than I know what to do with! I’ll make sure to share those recipes when I make them. My salsa recipe is pretty amazing. A guy that I used to work with gave me his wife’s authentic Mexican Salsa recipe and it’s by far the BEST I’ve tried making so far.
Speaking of tomatoes, WOW! They are getting pretty big! The stem of my Fourth of July, Principal Borghese, and Mortgage Lifter tomatoes are about the size of a dime and producing flower buds! The only one that’s taking it’s sweet time is the Black Krim. The spinach is growing like crazy as well, and the strawberries are budding some new leaves too! The broccoli and brussels sprouts are also doing a lot better now that they have more space to grow.
With all these plants, I’ll need to learn how to can or something! I think I’ll have more veggies and fruits than I can eat.
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Great Lakes Grilling: Whitefish
I’m pretty lucky. I love whitefish. My brother loves to fish and he lives in the Sault Ste. Marie area. When he has more fish than he can eat, I get it… for free!
Over Christmas, he came down for a visit and brought me a ton of fish. It’s been in my freezer since then. A few days ago I spotted the fillets in my freezer and decided to make them. I have two favorite recipes I’d like to share with you that are delicious for whitefish or really any other type of swimmer you pick up at the store.
Cedar Plank Whitefish
This is what I made for dinner tonight, and it was really good. I will admit though my fish was a bit dry from over cooking, but I can adjust for next time. For a dinner for two, get two big fillets of whitefish. Two fillets will usually be about one pound.
1 pound of whitefish
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic (fresh is better but I used garlic powder)
Dill (I used fresh fill from my garden!)
Cedar plank big enough for fillets
Soak plank for AT LEAST an hour. Soaking it will make sure the plank doesn’t catch fire… too much. Make sure the fish is dry. On one side, spray with olive oil and dashes of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Repeat this process on opposite side. Then put the fillets on the plank. Then place the dill on top. Get the grill nice and hot, then shut OFF the burner where your fish will be (or move coals to the opposite side). You’ll want to use indirect heat to cook the fish otherwise your plank will catch fire, which is bad. Cook until fish is firm (about 15 minutes). Remove from plank and enjoy!
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Panko Breaded Whitefish
This is my favorite way to make whitefish, and my boyfriend loves it! Just thinking about it makes me wish I had done my fish tonight this way! Oh well… Again two fillets will offer a nice meal for two and is about one pound of fish.
1 pound whitefish
1 box panko bread crumbs
1 cup flour
2 eggs
Oil (Your choice which ever you like. I use vegetable oil)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cut fillets in half, which will yield about four cuts. Set up a panko breading station. In the first bowl, put the flour, salt, and pepper. In the second bowl beat eggs and add a touch of water (this is your egg wash). The third bowl will have the panko, garlic and onion powder. Take one fillet, coat it in the flour mix, then shake off. Next, place it in the egg wash. Finally coat the fillet in the panko breading. Repeat until all of your fish are done. DO NOT try to do this while you cook the fish. It’s better to prepare ahead so you can keep an eye on them in the pan.
Healthy option: Now you can either place the fillets on a baking sheet in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes until they are golden brown. Flip half way through also for even cooking.
Unhealthy Option (But still not super bad for you): Coat the bottom of a fry pan with oil. Heat the pan until the oil ripples a bit on medium heat, then place two fillets in at a time. Anymore then that will drop the oil temperature will drop and your fish won’t cook right. Cook on the first side for about 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook for 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, pull the fish out of the pan and put on a plate with paper towel. This helps soak up the oil and makes the fish crispy!
The ingredients, aside from the fish, are totally interchangeable. Want something spicier for the grilled fish? Try coating the fish with a blackened seasoning from the grocery store. Incorporate flavors you like, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Try one of these just as something new! They are definitely a change from the same old chicken or beef dishes you eat all the time! Post some comments below telling me what you think!
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Who Knew Gardening Was So Exciting?
Gardening this weekend turnout more exciting than I thought! I finally planted all of my starter plants in the homemade raised bed!
My boyfriend couldn’t, and probably still doesn’t, understand my excitement for this move. It’s huge! It means that the plants are hearty enough to live outdoors unconstrained by planter pots, soaking int tons of sunshine, and absorbing fresh air which means they are going to get bigger and start producing fruit. To me, this is a huge success. We started 80% of the plants featured in the bed photos below (my co-worker gave us the tomatoes, which he started as seeds, and we bought the dill and basil). We planted the seeds and cared for them until the weather picked up. We watered them everyday and fertilized them. The plants are where they are today because of us. I’m proud of that. The raised bed looks amazing and a few shelf adjustments in the greenhouse accommodated the size of the tomatoes better. All is well, and hopefully it will stay that way.
Last night I noticed the principle borghese tomato plant started budding flowers. The other tomatoes plants are doing well too, and I already ate two strawberries from my strawberry plant. Also the spinach is growing well in its new, bigger pot. I’m excited for the next few weeks to watch the plants grow and produce. I just wish my sweet peppers would grow a little faster…
Who knew gardening could be so exciting!
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More Great Lakes Gardening Entries Here!
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NEW TOPIC ANNOUNCEMENT! Michigan Motorcycling
Motorcycle (Photo credit: ZaCky ॐ)
I had another post planned for today, but I wanted to share the new topic I’m going to write about on my blog. I have to say, I’m pretty damn excited about this too.
I bought a motorcycle today. I had a motorcycle before about five years ago, but I sold it to get into scuba diving. Over the past year, I saved up pennies here and there and stashed away cash to buy another one. I was kind of on the fence, but my boyfriend just bought his motorcycle Sunday, and I thought why not! Life is about the experiences that you make. Even when I rode my motorcycle to work, it was an experience… and a pretty awesome way to start the day.
I first got into motorcycling from my dad. When I was little, he had a Harley Ultra Glide and it was awesome. However, he sold it. When I graduated high school, I spent $25 and took the motorcycle safety class at the local community college. A month later I had my very first motorcycle! A 1982 Honda FT500. It was awesome! I had it for two years. I sold it to get into scuba diving and parts were ridiculously hard to find because it was old and only made for two years.
I love traveling around Michigan and the only way to make it better is by motorcycle, so look for entries on my motorcycle adventures soon!
Now I leave you with my favorite quote by Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:
“You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you’re always in a compartment…On a motorcycle the frame is gone…You’re in the scene, not just watching anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming….”
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Great Lakes Gardening: Growing My Patience
After a month of chilly weather and a few snow flakes, it looks like Michigan is in for another warm up this week. This time I hope it sticks around because I’m ready to put the last touches on my garden soon. I’m getting antsy! I want to see those plants come to life with beautiful vegetables and fruit for my consumption!
So far gardening has taught me to have a lot of patience. Starting with seeds probably didn’t help either and was probably a bit ambitious for a first time garden. As a result, this process has also made me think about how much work goes into the food we buy at the market weekly. Granted, farmers have machinery and tools to help because they must produce a larger harvest, but still most of us generally don’t think about how long it takes to grow our favorite veggies. They are just there in the store ready for us, and that’s really what we expect. Generally, we just expect almost everything to be readily available at a moments notice. Gardening seems to offer several wonderful lessons in patience and to really appreciate how much work goes into what we eat daily.
Last week I scored a deal for top soil at Aco Hardware. They were offering Miracle Grow Potting Mix (usually about $5 a bag) for .89 cents! That’s right–over half off! Aco had the bags on sale for $2.89 with a $2 rebate per bag. I ended up buying 15 bags for the raised beds and pots. From what I’ve read, this soil rocks! I’m excited to see if it performs as well as I’ve read and seen on Miracle Grow’s commercials.
Has anyone used the Miracle Grow Potting Mix? What were your results?
Here are some fresh shots from the greenhouse. Enjoy!
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Detroit’s River Walk
Detroit skyline (Photo credit: Bernt Rostad)
I remember a few years ago when basically there was nothing on Detroit’s Riverfront. Many people I knew also avoided the area because the felt it was pretty unsafe. I definitely wouldn’t say that now though. Detroit has done a great job creating a beautiful river walk.
Last October, my boyfriend and I walked from the Renaissance Center North to the marina. From the fountains to the works of art provided by the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit really turned this area around. If you have children, there is a carousel and small theater area were groups can hold parties or events. Tons of people were out enjoying the day in the heart of downtown Detroit.
The Riverfront Conservatory hosts events in this area and their site already notes that they are fully booked for events this summer! On June 22-24, the Riverfront Conservatory holds a festival with tons of vendors and artists, and even some tall ships for visitors to see! I’m putting this on my calendar today!
If you live in the Metro Detroit area and are looking for a family event or just something to do, check out the Riverfront website! I’m sure they’ll have something going on.
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Great Lakes Grilling Sauce!
Westborn Market, 21755 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Thaw meat thoroughly then place in large pot. Add beer so that it covers meat; this could take one or two cans/bottles depending on how much meat you have and how large the cuts are. Roughly chop garlic and onion then add to pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. In about 30-45 minutes, the meat will be thoroughly cooked. Take out of pot and let rest. While meat rests, start your grill so it gets nice and hot. Once the grill is nice and hot, season both sides of meat with salt and pepper then place on the grill. Brush Great Lakes Grilling Sauce on side facing up and let cook for about 5-8 minutes. Flip over, then sauce the other side. Grill another 5-8 minutes.
Let meat rest for 5-8 minutes to redistribute juices then enjoy!You can substitute and add as you taste desires! Want more spice? Cut up a jalapeño and add it to the beer boil. Don’t like pork or beef? Try chicken or even tofu! It’s a simple, easy recipe to try on your grill this summer.Great Lakes Grilling Sauce is perfect for BBQs or just as a general dipping sauce. It’s sweet yet spicy and has a slightly smokey taste extenuated by grilling. I really enjoyed the sauce and will happily buy it again.
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Great Lakes Gardening: Potting Phase
I hoped that I could wait a little while, but I couldn’t. Upon closer inspection of my tomatoes, I noticed they began to grow right through the peat pot and my herbs looked exhausted. I was hoping to wait until May so I could actually plant my plants in the ground or raised beds outside. All of that warm weather we had a month ago tricked me and pushed me to get things started hoping it would stay warm. Clearly it hasn’t here in Michigan, and I think I even read that we might get a wee-bit of snow sometime Sunday night. *Sigh*
I bought a few cheap, small pots from Big Lots (we shop there a lot in case you didn’t notice). However, pots are expensive. We are HUGE Fire Ball candy eaters at work, and my co-worker buys them in the over-sized Costco containers. I cut one of these in half and poked some drainage holes in the bottom and two small pots from it (See photo below). I’ve also been saving milk jugs so I can use the bottom half of those as well. I wanted to maybe try two liters, but here in Michigan we get .10 cents back. Hey, ten cents is ten cents… I’d also like to try five gallon buckets as pot substitutes Anyone have suggestions with other types of devices that you can turn into pots?
All of the plants are doing really well. I just hope Miss Mother Nature plans on letting things warm up a bit here soon so I can stop bringing all these plants in at night.
Want to learn more about my gardening experiment? Visit the Great Lakes Gardening Section of my site!
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Point Iroquois Lighthouse–Brimley
Just outside Brimley stands Point Iroquois Lighthouse. If you’re heading from Sault Ste. Marie down Lake Shore Drive west, it’s a great place to stop before you head to Paradise, Whitefish Point, or Tahquamenon Falls.
Point Iroquois was built as the mid-point between Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary’s River to aid with navigation. In 1853 when the US Congress approved funds to build the Soo Locks, $5,000 of that money went to the construction of Point Iroquois Lighthouse. The first structure was made from stones and wood around the construction area. The 45 foot tall tower with a fourth order lens was able to shine nearly 10 nautical miles.
After the Civil War, the US Lighthouse Inspectors deemed the structure unsound. As a result, the government demolished the structure and built another lighthouse in the same spot in 1870. Through the years, barns, other living quarters for assistants, and technical upgrades were added to the lighthouse to keep up with industry standards. In 1962, a new buoy replaced Point Iroquois. Later in 1975, the National Registry of Historic Places added the lighthouse to the historic registry list.
Point Iroquois welcomes visitors from 10am-5pm from Memorial Day through October 15. Inside the living quarters part they have a museum explaining the history of the lighthouse, some artifacts from various lightkeepers that resided there, and exhibits on maritime history. Additionally, visitors can climb the stairs in the the light part to the very top where people can look out on Lake Superior. It’s a great spot to visit when the fall colors are in full bloom! Plus it’s free! Donations are welcome though to keep the facility open and operating for future visitors.
Several paths lead from the lighthouse to the Lake Superior shoreline for leisurely walks. I’ve spent many evening sitting on the beach watching the sunset, just skipping rocks in the water, and watching the freighters go by.
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