BLossomFeatured

Michigan Wine Trails #puremichigan

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For a number of years I have always looked forward to our May weekend getaway to Old Mission, just north of Traverse City. Although it is often a little chilly, I still feel like this experience signals the start of summer for us. Blossom Days offers wine lovers the chance to taste barrel room selections and the best of the vineyard.

 

The eight wineries of Old Mission:

 

2 Lads Winery // 16985 Smokey Hollow Road

2 Lads does a great job with Michigan reds and offers one of the best views on the peninsula. The modern architecture offers an incredible tasting room experience.

 

Black Star Farms // 360 McKinley Rd. East
Black Star Farms original location is on the Leelanau peninsula and they added this location a few years ago. The tasting room is in a quaint farmhouse style and they offer one of the largest selection of wines featuring both dry and sweet. We purchased a Pinto Grigio – perfectly crisp with citrus notes.

 

Bowers Harbor Vineyards // 2896 Bowers Harbor Road

Bowers tasting room is nestled within the vines and they have a beautiful arbor to welcoming you to the experience. They had an incredible presentation on their process and approach to Chardonnay and their focus on aging in the traditional French method is admirable. They also have a fantastic vineyard dog and let’s face it, dogs make every brand better!

 

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery // 3309 Blue Water Road

Brys offers estate grown wines and focuses on a European style approach to wine making. They have a beautiful tasting room and offered the best food and wine pairing (an incredible asparagus risotto salad). They have an outdoor space with adirondack chairs facing the vineyard and some of our favorite memories are spent sipping wine and watching Maggie.

 

Chateau Chantal // 15900 Rue de Vin

We have stayed at this bed and breakfast and their wine making has improved over the years. Perhaps one of the best views, seeing both bays, they offer a tranquil patio and we got their Chardonnay – a beautiful blend of buttery oak flavor.

Chateau Grand Traverse // 12239 Center Road

They are celebrating 40 years on Old Mission and have gamay noir that is not to be missed.

Hawthorne Vineyards // 1000 Camino Maria Dr.

The newest addition to the Old Mission Family, the tasting room sits high upon a hill and looks across to Leelanau.

Peninsula Cellars // 11480 Center Rd.

Located in an old school house, Peninsula is often our first stop on the Old Mission Trail. They have a great tasting experience.

We love the Old Mission and can’t wait to get back next May!

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#traveltuesdays – fish & flowers

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Sitting in the Detroit river between Canada and the skyscrapers of downtown Detroit, Belle Isle provides a respite from an urban landscape. Initially designed by famed urban park planner Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1880s, the island features a beachfront, boathouse, acres of open land, beautiful fountains, botanical garden and aquarium. Although only portion of Olmsted’s plans were implemented, Belle Isle is a truly remarkable. A few weeks ago a friend of mine and Maggie decided to visit the aquarium and botanical garden to take some photos and explore. The aquarium has recently been restored along with other portions of the park. For years this island was abused, neglected and even housed the lawn furniture of the former mayor. And although Detroit has a long way to go, the bankruptcy has brought some positive change and has transferred ownership of the park from the city to the state park system. For now, it will be protected as a place for people to enjoy and will be invested in as a gem of Detroit. On a sunny Sunday morning, I got to see how Detroit is being brought back to a new life, one fish and flower at a time.

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Arizona: Part Three

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We saw everything from cacti, cupcakes to cowboys in Scottsdale, AZ. The desert landscape has a storied beauty in it’s dichotomy of hostile needles and gentle flowers. Outside of the city, hills are covered with the rare and surprisingly tall saguaro cactus. Native to the Sonoran desert and the state symbol of Arizona, the saguaro can grow to 40 feet tall, has flowers, fruit and often lives to over a 150 years old. They are magnificent and their presence makes an Arizona sunset something to be remembered.

 

Scottsdale offers a beautiful desert experience partnered with the very best shopping, art, dining and even architecture. We were surprised to see a Sprinkles Cupcake, but made sure to stop and get a red velvet. Maybe not native to Arizona, but perfectly decadent for a vacation.

 

Throughout old Scottsdale there are numerous Remington sculptures. One of my favorite professors from Spring Arbor University has a couple works by Remington and he always talked about how he was able to capture the spirit of the American West. Although he was from New England, as a young man he took many trips west and observed the land before it was tamed. He understood the untouched wilderness and captured the men and women who settled the land. His drawings, sculptures and paintings are a perfect representation of the American west.

 

Life size bronzed horses, cowboys and cacti are on almost every street. On Thursday nights, the galleries stay open late, musicians play on the streets and you can grab a beer in a saloon or a meal from a James Beard award winning chef. It was heaven. I know we will be back. Arizona offers warmth, hospitality, culture and a nature experience second to none.

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America’s best roadtrips: route 66

Today, a co-worker and I were talking about an upcoming trip of mine and he mentioned he would like to use one of my guides. We started opening up some files (San Francisco, Scottsdale, Alabama and Route 66). Our cross-country roadtrip in 2008 is one of my favorite family memories. The sunsets we witnessed driving along route 66 were breathtaking. Some of the highlights include the tourist traps (world’s largest – just about everything…), random art installations (cadillac ranch) and mountain vistas that help you see the fingerprint of God.

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We are headed to Arizona in less than a week and a couple of things I can’t wait for:
1. The view looking over the grand canyon. I think I am going to cry, again.
2. A hug from my mom. I dream about the safety of her hugs. I really have missed her since Christmas and I hope Maggie will love my hugs as much as I love my moms.
3. Seeing my dad look at Maggie with love that only a grandpa can give.
4. Doug and I enjoying a beautiful Arizona sunset together, building more memories and experiencing another adventure as a family.

Boston Bucket LIst

Boston Bucket List

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So Boston has always been a place that I wanted to visit and now that I have a local client, I plan on getting to know the city a little better. So I put together my Boston Bucket List. As I explore the list, I will write new posts and perhaps add a few other items to the list.

1. Visit Harvard (Cambridge, Mass)

2. Stand in the first feet of baseball – the original site of the World Series. Located on the campus of NorthEastern University in downtown Boston, the original site is commemorated by a statue of Cy Young. It is a pretty special experience to stand on the sacred ground of Baseball’s beginnings. I have been in love with this sport for as long as I can remember. It is apart of our nation’s history and is in the fabric of our country, so to have the opportunity to see where it all began is a moment I will not soon forget.

3. Watch a game at Fenway Park

4. Visit MIT (a tour of the innovation lab would be pretty fantastic)

5. Walk inside the world’s largest glass globe – The Mapparium in the Mary Eddy Baker Library

6. Attend a concert (Some of the best musicians are in Boston, from the New England Conservatory to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops). I want to grab a concert and experience this impressive music culture.

7. Walk the Freedom Trail (although I have taken a detour going back to the airport and had the cabby give me his tour of the Freedom Trail, with my love of history I want to check this one out with some time and enjoy walking in the steps of our nation’s patriots.)

I am sure there are many more places that should make the list. Do you have a Boston favorite that I need to add?