Author: alohawild

We rose in Hotel Saugatuck and waited for our breakfast together, enjoying the room and each other’s company. This is my first rain fall style shower, and I think I like it more traditional. The fireplace was excellent, and I will have to rethink mine at home. This was really nice with the automatic start. The towels and sheets are wonderful, and I took pictures of the labels: The Turkish Towel Company looks wonderful.

Enjoying the slow start, we enjoyed our breakfast, with Deborah opting for an omelet and me for French toast with sausages. With breakfast inside of us, we finished dressing and getting ready. We packed and looked around at a most excellent room, realizing how much we enjoyed our stay at Hotel Saugatuck, except for the three trips up and down the stairs.

We drove to the Lake Michigan Beach once we understood the Nav to get there. You park further in the park following the signs. The stairs were wooden and well-maintained, but I held on most of the time with both hands. The sand was thick, and the water clearer than our Pacific Ocean waters. The view was stunning, and that amount of fresh water is just hard to imagine. We walked up and down the beach, and I found a shell. I always want my shoes (or feet if warm water — it is not), and my shoes got a bit more water than I hoped, but they dried out. These have been in the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Lake Michigan now.

 

 

We headed back to mid-Michigan and stopped at a rest area and ate our leftovers, mostly Deborah’s sandwich halves. The Debris Poor Boy was incredible, even a day old (kept mostly in our fridge at the hotel). We then got on our way again and made good time to East Lansing. We arrived just as our room was available at The Graduate near MSU. There we unloaded and spent some time together in our room. With plenty of time, we headed to The Stateroom at The Kellogg Center.

I had not been there before, and we parked on, we later discovered, the wrong level in the parking garage and missed the easy access to the hotel. We ended up walking in the rain and passing through a wedding party to get to the restaurant. This is the best place I have been in Lansing; it is, though the look and menu have changed, full of memories for Deborah. We had a table for two by the window and watched a gully washer as the wedding party, somewhat dampened, moved on.

I ordered the Osso Bucco, braised lamb shank. Deborah had some excellent lemon herb chicken. We had one drink as we had Liam’s play, he is playing the lead in Hamlet for the student group, and knew it would be three hours and sometimes warm in the theater. Dinner was terrific and the staff excellent. I would recommend The State Room.

Navigation took us on a tour of MSU at night, and we finally parked at the resident hall with the theater in its basement, and there we found seats. I remember Hamlet as it was the first Shakespeare play I read and found interesting. Romeo and Juliet were the first seen in my high school class book, but Hamlet was complex, and the themes of ghosts, revenge, and madness were much more appealing to me — still are. Also, there was a newish version of the film on PBS back when I first read Hamlet, and I found that interesting too. While I think it’s not the best assembled story, I think Henry V is the best composed of his plays; I still remember the words when Liam spoke them.

Liam stole the show with his madness and anger as Hamlet, plus his clear speaking and breaking words by action, which really worked. He was painful to watch but also hypnotic; you could not turn away even when he was clearly mad or plotting. His death on the stage makes you feel that something was lost the day Hamlet fell, but also, there was no way to stop this ending. All the characters never pull back and all fall. I thought Liam was actually Hamlet when I watched.

(Liam in white undershirt)

My favorite is a toss-up between Tempest, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I suspect the list is the same for many. Pleasure, Murders and Magic, and Dreams, yes, the usual choices.

We congratulated Liam after the play, and then we returned the car to the Valet at The Graduate, and soon we were resting and then sleeping. No ghosts appeared to usurp the night.

Thanks for reading. Sorry, this is late. It was a busy Sunday, but that story will be written tomorrow!

 

 

Today we rose around 7 something and relaxed and enjoyed the time together. We had the fireplace running until it got too toasty and made coffee in the Keurig. The Hotel Saugatuck is lovely, offering a selection of coffees for the Keurig in our room, and I have also purchased Trader Joe’s capsules. We had plenty of coffee. Breakfast is served a bit late, 9:15 or so, and despite all the time, we managed to be a few minutes late for our wine tour guide, Jason, with Bottle Run. My colon, revised by colon cancer repairs, decided to surprise me a bit. But all was good, and Jason was fine waiting. It was Deborah and me for his run today.

We would do four vineyards today, maybe one too many, as I was totally sloshed by the time we were done. I do not spit out wine, but there were a few glasses we did not finish. Deborah stopped finishing the wine about halfway. I had ordered a glass of wine with lunch; in hindsight, maybe a bad choice. Still, the wines were terrific, and Michigan did even give Oregon a run on some Pinot Noirs, I thought!

Jason, an excellent leader and driver in a comfortable suburban, took us first to one of the area’s first vineyards, and Dianna led us through seven tastes of their wines at Fenn Valley Vineyard. I had no wines that I would not drink from them. Their sparkling Premier Cuvée was a great start. I tried the True Chardonnay (no oak) and thought it an excellent wine, reminiscent of California wines. I had their reds and was surprised that Michigan could produce such high-quality reds, with their Zweigelt being particularly wonderful and their Cabernet Franc a soft, approachable red. Dianna let us know that they do not always get a Late Harvest Riesling, and last year’s drier fall produced what we all agreed was a great wine. The Traminette was a perfect summer day wine, and the Moscata was a sweet white wine that was perfect for a summer evening. I had their port, which, while good and served with chocolate, was just OK. Deborah loved one of the ciders and got some to go.

Modalef was a few minutes away and is one of Jason’s favorites. This is a leading-edge place trying to make wines as good as anywhere, and I think it is being quite successful. Their notes were provided in two different sets, one with a traditional write-up and the other more of a story: “The First leaf has fallen in the cool breeze, yet summer sings offering up her lushing blooms,” for 2024 Gamay Noir, which was an excellent wine with almost no tannins. Kieth led us through five of their wines, which was a dream, though Deborah is not a fan of heavier reds. Kieth told stories about himself and the wines and was great behind the bar. Deborah bought a bottle of the 2024 Pet Nat, and I thought their 2022 Pinot Noir La Esperanza was a model of a near-perfect version. But their 2022 Pinot Noir La Garcia was subtle and engaging, and the better wine. Kieth was proud to have an Oregonian praise their wine. I was surprised that Michigan, with its snow and Arctic blasts, could make such an excellent wine. Deborah reminds me that Michigan is not as cold as it was during my last winter there in college.

Veritas Estate was next, and Jason brought us lunch there, too. We picked out a sandwich and chips with a pasta salad a few days ago and emailed him our selection. Sherry, the owner and wine maker, was the guide for five more tastings (and a glass I bought) before lunch. The whites were less sweet and had stronger flavors. There were more subtleties in these whites and less sugar, but I thought them less likely to be loved. The 2023 Barrel Aged Chardonnay was good, with a nice balance between oak and fruit. However, Deborah skipped these; the 2022 Merlot could be confused with any good California Merlot. I was surprised that Michigan could make a Merlot. I loved the 2022 Tannat, so I ordered a bottle and a glass for lunch. I hope it makes it through the flight.

Sherry and I discussed Artificial Intelligence over lunch, as she was utilizing a neural network to analyze some of her data. Another group daughter found a chicken hatching an egg and soon was holding a fresh egg, and reluctantly surrendered it to Sherry. A beautiful cat was also sort of ignoring us, like cats do.

Jason packed up lunch for us and added more wine to our collection in his vehicle. We drove longer this time to the Michigan Wine Company. We had a table in the vines, where we even picked a small bunch of grapes. They bring you wine in small stemless glasses. The 2024 Noir-Yay!, a sparkling red, was terrific. Other sparkling wines were one-dimensional in flavor, but this one had a bright red finish that made it stand out. There, the whites, I am afraid, were uninteresting, but we were on our fourth vineyard, I was sloshed, and we likely did not fairly judge them. So I would suggest, dear readers, you ignore my rating of the Michigan Wine Company and try it. The 2022 Petite Foch should have stood out for me, but was eclipsed by Veritas Estate’s heavy yet excellent reds. Deborah loved the Plum Cider and got some to take home. It was excellent. Recommended and in short supply, we were told.

Jason got us back to the hotel and even carried the wine for us to our room on the second floor. Deborah was concerned about my balance. I was fine, but the world kept moving! We enjoyed Jason’s company and his stories about himself and the local wine scene. Highly recommended: Bottle Run. He does a winter snow sledge trip that I would suggest to folks here in the winter.

With Jason on his way, I did spinner in the bed, and woke a few hours later with a slight headache (painkillers were taken). We recovered and we found dinner at The Southerner, which was busy, and I had grits and shrimp (but not as good as I think I made in NOLA, but still good). Deborah had a braised beef sandwich. It was all good. Fried chicken looked like the house specialty.

Sleep was hard to find after the lovely day, and some coffee at dinner for me. I woke a few times, but managed to rest.

I am writing this late on Friday, after a busy day filled with a lot of wine tasting. Sorry, this will be a short blog.

I rose about 7 and made coffee and started soon with a shower, dressing, and all of that. I put each thing I used away, and soon the packing started. It just flowed naturally as I dressed and packed my suitcase, gym bag, or bag of dirty clothing. All of that will be unceremoniously shoved into my suitcase at the end of the trip, Monday night. I soon had everything ready, carrying my clean shirts and pants still on hangers to be put in Air Nissan Rogue. Two trips and I was done. The front desk was manned, and we just checked me out of the hotel then.

I found my usual place by the window, remembering my first view of the snow on my first trip in December. I will be back again in December. I had the usual industrial breakfast, and there were bananas still; they are usually gone by 8ish. I then wrote the blog and text back and forth with Deborah, who was working until about noon.

I finished the blog, left the hotel, and found the Meijer gas station to refuel the Rogue. As usual, I had to exit the vehicle and walk around it to locate the gas access door. It sounds silly, but I never remember, except for my EV as it is logical (passenger side, so the cable doesn’t get in the way of the driver). Oregonians have full service (though optional now), and since I drive an EV, I found it to be an unfamiliar process. There were directions on the pump that had me start with the credit card, and then the screen directed me.

With that task done, I washed the windshield as there were bug and bird hits. It was not a great job, again out of practice as I just use car washes now on the EV, but passable. I was parked and working on my laptop when Deborah called, and soon I had Panera orders picked up and headed to her house. Donovan was there, and we ate lunch together. Deborah did her packing, and I petted the dogs and read some items online. I am considering returning to Roll20 to run some games.

With Deborah packed, we headed out and soon did just short of three hours of driving to get to Saugatuck. The drive was punctuated with moments of construction holdups that added about twenty minutes to the total trip. It was the most I have driven in a while. The Nissan did well.

We are staying at Hotel Saugatuck, and while expensive, it is a fantastic room, and we even got a little snack later at night. We are loving it. Recommended.

We got some directions and waited a bit at The Butler for a table. The food was excellent and we enjoyed watching the sunset while having dinner.

We returned to the room, turned on the gas fireplace, and had a nice sleep.

Thanks for reading.

It is Thursday as I write this, and I have checked out of my hotel in the Detroit area. I’ve been taking care of other details, which has delayed writing this blog. Time on travel days always seems to spin fast.

On Wednesday, I woke with my eye crusted shut. Ick! Taking Deborah’s advice, I scheduled an appointment at 5:10 with the CVS Minute Clinic, a few minutes away, for a check for pink eye and to examine my ear, which is also bothering me. And while I can tell you many stories about UnitedHealthcare, it is still surprising when it is taken everywhere in the USA. I am moving to ObamaCare in November, and I will have to change to a more local choice. I will miss UnitedHealthcare, I think.

Aside: My Republican friends have told me that with the cuts, my price tag for medical coverage will skyrocket in Oregon, and I may not be able to afford coverage. They suggest that the cut funds were used to reduce costs and cover the expenses of illegal aliens. Now, without funds from the Federal government, Oregon will have to charge me a huge amount to cover the illegal aliens and other folks that should not be covered, and pay nothing in taxes. And while I could argue against that this is nonsense, I will discover this in November when I can finally apply for my own medical coverage. I am currently covered for the rest of the year by COBRA from Nike, Inc. I am leaning towards the Providence Bronze level for coverage for 2026 and purchasing my own dental coverage from Delta Dental and eye coverage. Dental and eye care are not provided in ObamaCare.

I had breakfast at the hotel and later found lunch — a fantastic Five Guys small cheeseburger with everything (raw onions) and fries that were sinfully perfectly salted and greasy. I thanked the team at Five Guys; the burger was excellent, and everything on it created a heavenly mouthfeel with the perfect mix of hot and cold and mushy and crunchy. Again, it’s hard not to wonder why we can’t replicate that in Oregon. Midwestern practicality and make-it-the-way-you-want-it for a customer thinking gives the Detroit area a special glow I sometimes miss in the over-caffeinated Pacific Northwest or the burning-fast NYC area. Deborah reminds me that it is really lovely here, but I enjoy the rains, the gray, and the waste-no-words interactions in the PNW too.

Deborah was busy at work and then had other issues to deal with, and so we knew we would reconnect late. I read and looked at details for my upcoming trip to NOLA and other bits of the US South. I read more and watched more YouTube, and found ANONYMOUSnews8 informative. But it is an acquired taste, and one has to take what one can from it.

I travel in slow traffic to CVS and wait there. The check-in station is frozen and not working, but the online services are operational. I met with the provider and soon had a prescription for an antibiotic gel for my eye and drops for my ear. All familiar. However, the order is lost due to a typo between the Minute Clinic and CVS Prescriptions. It takes another hour, and I walk to the huge wine and liquor gas station nearby just to see it (I have wondered about it when we drive by it), having already covered all of the CVS Pharmacy rows. I return, and they find the filled prescription. I met Deborah at the hotel later for dinner.

We travel in her now working Mini to the RH House for salmon for dinner and some excellent drinks. She heads home to pack and to rest for one more working day this week.

I assembled a few things and then read and fell asleep.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

My eyes and ears are still having trouble, and I woke up too early, but I managed to roll over and sleep until around 7. I rose, there were no cups, and I did not make coffee in my room. This drove me to shower and dress promptly, and then I wrote the blog in the lobby, where the complimentary breakfast is served with coffee.  There, I assembled my thoughts, even some preliminary travel plans, and composed a summary of Monday. Keith, part of the hotel staff, was running breakfast; I met him last Christmas, and we were both happy to see each other.

I had everything done by ten.

I took my hat, coat, and laptop to the Rental and soon discovered, while on the highways flying at 70mph+ (110kph+) speeds, that the sluggishness and poor steering faded and, rechristened, Air Nissan Rogue flew at Michigan travel speeds. Like many turbocharged lower cc engines, the thing was built for fast driving.

I reached the outskirts of Flint on Highway 75 and then went south on 69 to Lansing. The indirect route involves flying at speed for most of the way, often exceeding 80mph (130kph), and thus beating the more direct route, taking two hours, with a travel time of 90 minutes! Midwestern practicality again, who cares how you get there if it’s faster.

I arrived too early, but soon Leta arrived at Panera at the Lansing Mall (a ruin of its 1980s high-flying days when ‘greed was good’). We had lunch together and talked about life and Leta’s interview on Channel 10 local TV (here, while available) about her fundraising at 97 for this year’s Crop Hunger Walk. This event is sponsored by Grace United Methodist Church, Leta’s church, where I married Susie, her daughter. We also talked, sadly, that it was another year without Susie. Susie passed away on October 13, 2023.

I waited with Leta until the Lutherian Ladies appeared. A group of ladies who meet at Panera and have adopted Leta as an honorary Lutheran. I headed across Lansing to Haslett to see Mom Wild. She was waiting for me and wanted lunch, but first we did a quick tour of Haslett, Meridian, and East Lansing. We did not make it to the Michigan Capitol as Michigan Avenue is still being rebuilt, but we could see the familiar dome.

Olive Garden for the lunch specials, just getting in under the 3 end-of-lunch time. Mom had the scampi with pasta, and I had a second lunch: salad, soup, and breadsticks. For me, one bowl of veggie minestrone and some salad. Mom ate the shrimp, pasta, breadsticks, and a lot of salad.

Next, we stopped by the tobacco place and got mom her favorite vapes, a compromise that is acceptable to the facility, if used outside. On returning to Haslett Pointe, we sat in the rocking chairs and chatted, and Mom used her vapes. We also had a great waiter, and she packed a new salad, new breadsticks, and a dessert to go for us (with me just buying the dessert). All of this is stored in Mom Wild’s fridge.

A hello means a goodbye, and Mom Wild was ready for that. It was a good moment, as I promised to be back for Christmas, and Mom Wild was happy with vapes and dessert. The staff was already getting her dinner ready. I waved from Air Nissan Rogue, which was perfectly sized to carry Mom Wild’s walker and for her to get in and out of.

I took a messy, construction-filled trip back from Haslett to the end of Lansing and into Delta Township, near the highway that would take me back to Flint and then Detroit, where I’d have a chance to try the Texas Roadhouse again. Jesse and Linda, my sister and her husband, met me there minutes after I arrived. It was loud, there were no peanut shells on the floor like in the old days (now in a sealed bag, ignored in a bucket), and the space for dancing was small. The staff danced a few times, but it was a minor distraction, not the big deal it once was. The menu was very complex, trying to hide that a Texas Steak Combo started at $35. Linda had the kabobs, and I followed. I was buying Jesse his birthday steak, and he had an excellent sirloin. My bits of steak were removed from the metal implement (likely a safety thing) and were tiny bits. I was expecting big chunks of sirloin, but it turned out to be more like a stir-fry on a stick. The veggies were undercooked, too, and huge. This makes you think the steak bits are wrongly sized. Hmmm. I would say this chain has aged poorly (there is a pun in there, I think); I will return to the Longhorn Chain instead, as it, while everywhere, serves a quieter and better steak (but for a higher price). There was one just a few miles away. Next time!

We talked about travel and plans. Jesse and Linda are going fishing for salmon this week for Jesse’s 57th birthday (I think it is 57). The house in Oregon may be open around the 28th of March, as I plan to hit Europe with Deborah for her Spring Break (Deborah is a teacher). They might take up some house watching for me. We said our goodbyes.

I grabbed the bag of peanuts and ate some in the car as I headed back to the Greater Detroit area. I drove fast here and there, and the Air Nissan Rogue handled well even at 80+ speeds, almost as good as my EV, almost.

I discovered from Dondrea that the Church Council meeting is next week. Z was looking for help with Physics homework, but I missed Z because they had soccer practice. We might have done a Zoom for help.

Richard sent me an update on Ostia, a board game I like, and mentioned that an updated reprint is being offered for $79. I have the premium version, but I’m unsure if I need a revision that will not be as good. Richard suggests that if I like the game, I should get the revision. We have found that second editions often are much better than the original. Tempting.

I stumbled upon a new Nero Wolfe story on YouTube and decided to give it a try. It reset the detective in today, but I was disappointed that the story, while fascinating, did not properly honor the original. The story is read with just a digital version of Wolfe’s office shown. In this version, Wolfe discussed a case while eating (never!) and used ‘Excellent’ and not ‘Satisfactory’ like a bad take on Mr Burns. Fritz would never throw a cup of coffee, but might take the used cup away immediately to the trash. I will not be back. But the story was modern and excellent, with some parts well done and fitting for Nero. Maybe.

After that, I read British Murder and found my mind drifting, and soon realized my eyes were shut and I was inventing an alternative story. I turned off the lights with the shades lowered this time. I did not wake until the morning.

Thanks for reading.