I like towns with nooks and crannies and interesting things to see in odd places. Check out these pretty butterfly murals on the back of a shop in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
The colors are extraordinary and were a welcome pop of joy on the gloomy day we spent exploring the town. I’m telling you, the best way to experience a place is to park the car and take a walk.
It’s great exercise and the best way to find all those nooks and crannies.
Scout is in the midst of training me for a new bedtime routine. We are about five days in and I honestly am not sure this is going to work for me.
Here’s how it goes:
I get ready for bed and then he disappears. Then I spend the next fifteen to thirty minutes ransacking the house and shining a flashlight in hard to reach places while shaking a bag of treats.
He’s such a dark black that he’s invisible on a sunny day so hiding in plain view is his super power.
Eventually I start to question whether he accidentally slipped outside – even when I know for sure the door hasn’t been opened. Just when I’m about to collapse into full blown panic, he presents himself and looks at me as though he wonders if I am having a mental breakdown.
He seems quite pleased with himself and I can’t help but wonder how much longer this will go on. Of course, it will go on for as long as he says it will so I need to toughen up!
The weather was ideal for most of our Michigan adventure until it was not and then it rained absolute buckets. We mainly saw Traverse City from beneath an umbrella for a solid day.
However, we made the best of things, hitting some thrift stores and book stores in search of hidden treasure. By evening, the rain had moved through the area allowing us opportunity for some fresh air and a stroll along the Grand Traverse Bay near the yacht club.
The sky was moody and the air cool creating an interesting ambiance for our last evening on the waterfront. We moved inland and toward home the next day.
I say it often but will say it again.
Whether it’s a vacation you’ve planned for years, an impromptu weekend or your daily life, things will not always go as planned. Things will not always work out as you wish. Instead of fighting it, you will be happier to learn to go with the flow.
If it rains and you planned outdoor fun, find a cute umbrella or move the party inside. If a hurricane messes with your southern adventure, change directions and head north instead. Relationships, jobs and the like won’t always work out as you wish. That doesn’t mean all is lost. It means you have an opportunity to do something better or at least something different.
Sometimes life is better when you go off script. Give it a whirl and see what you think of embracing a plan b.
It’s a landmark on Main Street in Frankenmuth, Michigan. In a town called Little Bavaria, this place is pure kitsch and lots of fun. Check out the sign!
They’ve been around for more than fifty years, selling all manner of cheeses from around the world – 270 cheeses to be exact. I guess that’s how they afford this fantastic sign with the mouse!
Who knew there were so many kinds of cheese out there? There are even specialty cheeses in chocolate, peanut butter and berry varieties. Have you ever eaten peanut butter cheese? I’m not that adventurous.
This third generation family owned business has been around since 1968. They also sell things that you might need to go with your cheese like sausages, crackers, wine and candies. It’s a one stop shop!
Learn more at their website.
It was cold and dark on the early September night that we found ourselves craving hot chocolate and baked goods. So we steered into a Dunkin Donuts for something good to enjoy on our last night of vacation.
As the door swung closed behind us, the young man behind the counter asked if we had come for the Dunkin’s.
They were closed.
Evidently people didn’t show up for their evening shift and the place had closed hours earlier. But it was our lucky day. The young man, Cody, had a box full of donuts we could choose from for free and he could make coffee.
We were each overjoyed to pick out a donut as he told us that we should never believe anyone that says you have to pay for good customer service or that you don’t deserve it at all. He made coffee, made sure I knew the Diet Coke I was buying was cheaper if j purchased two and even fetched napkins for us from across the room.
Turns out, our new friend Cody has the soul of a philosopher and the wisdom of someone twice his age. He should be an inspirational speaker or a corporate trainer.
He was so serious when he asked if we had ever heard of the CITE Virus. “There’s a terrible virus in the world of retail. It’s called the CITE Virus: the Customer Is The Enemy,” he said. “You come in and you’re having a bad day so you ruin my day. I don’t even know you but you’ve ruined my day. Then I ruin some other stranger’s day. Instead of teaching us how to cope with negative people, they encourage us to just move everyone through as quickly as possible. Never mind if we do it well or badly,” he said.
“I’m paid to stand here whether I’m doing anything or not. Why wouldn’t I want to spend that time helping people?”
It was the most refreshing thing I had heard in a long time.
He also talked about why you shouldn’t judge others for what they don’t know. “Not everyone is on the same journey you’re on. You can’t judge them for not knowing what they don’t know. All you can do is try to bring them along in all the ways you can.”
I believe this is when I began thinking of him as a philosopher.
I would have stayed and chatted with Cody for hours because he was fascinating. He was also proud of his town and glad to share tips for things to do.
Here’s a final thought from Cody. “We wake up each day knowing the world is full of idiots and yet we’re surprised when we encounter one. Don’t let them ruin your day. Just let them roll off you like water.”
The world is full of idiots. Let them roll off like water. Indeed.
The world needs more people like Cody and we certainly need more people like him in the workforce. It was all I could to not ask if he wanted to be a banker in southern Ohio!
On the walk to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island we encountered the most charming church you could hope to see in a quaint island community.
The official name is Union Congregational Church but everyone calls it the Little Stone Church, a fitting name if I’ve ever heard one.
The faithful were beginning to gather in their Sunday best as we walked by and I made a mental note to stop after our visit to the hotel.
We were in luck! Not only was the service over, the doors were open and the pastor was inside. I got to admire this pretty 1904 church made of local fieldstone.
The minister said that his congregation consists of only a few local residents and that many attendees are visitors each week.
Since winters are harsh and most people leave the island before the weather takes hold, they hold services beginning in May through early October.
The stained glass and woodwork are gorgeous and the light in here is calming. We didn’t linger here but I enjoyed each breath I drew in this beautiful old church.
If you visit Mackinac, it’s just down the hill from the hotel. They welcome guests!