Watermark Country Club ~ Cascade Michigan ~ Pool Time!

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Watermark Country Club in Cascade Township has a wonderful pool facility.

We are not members but being members of the golf course we are allowed

to use the facility several times a year at a small charge.

Yesterday was POOL DAY!! Our grandson, Jeffy is up from Indianapolis for

his yearly “Grandparents Camp Week” with us. The pool is one of his favorite

places to go.

It was in the eighties and humid—perfect pool weather, even though the

clouds looked menacing. We had tried on Monday but got rained out before

we could get wet. The pool staff keeps a sharp eye on the weather and closes

the pool if a storm threatens. Watermark has lunch available poolside and

we had hamburgers and a hotdog to keep our energy up for the big day.

We took a couple of pictures, so you can see what a great place it is.

This is a shot of both pools, the adult pool with slide tower in back, and

the kid’s pool in front. There is a putting range behind the storage

building in the background for the kids to use.

The kids pool is THE MOST popular area – a small slide, 2 water shooting

animals to ride,and the dumping pails tower in the center make this fun

for big and little children.

The pool house has a men’s and women’s locker room with showers,

toilets and changing stations. An additional restroom is located close

to the pool. Grilled burgers and other lunch favorites are available until

the pool closes at 8 pm.

The sand box is a draw for big and little children. A small play structure, a

large play fort with slide, and a swing set are all set in this huge sand box.

Jeffy is on the right heading for the water spigot, he is excavating a water

trench with buckets and shovels.

That’s me taking a few swings at the driving range – just over the fence

from the pool.

The Watermark Residences

The Grille at Watermark

Watermark Country Club

If you would like further information about Forest Hills Homes, please

contact me directly: 1-888-240-1968

Terry@TerryWestbrook.com

Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate – Westbrook Realty

Photos of Watermark pool area by Bonnie Westbrook

Lowell Michigan ~ Video Tour ~ Flat River Community

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

We have created a photo tour of Lowell, Michigan.

Lowell is a small community on the Flat River, about 25

miles from Grand Rapids. Since Lowell is right next door

to us, we find ourselves visiting often.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-eOmq5X-0s&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

White Caps Baseball Signals Spring in West Michigan

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

The West Michigan White Caps start their summer season with their

opening day on Thursday, April 9th. It isn’t that far away and would

be a great outing for Spring Break Week. They have many promotions

and specials going on, so don’t delay, if baseball is your passion, get

your tickets now.

The match is with South Bend Silver Hawks and there will be a post

game fireworks show sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. Altogas

sponsors Thrifty Thursdays throughout the season, which means

$2 beers, $2 Pepsi products, and 2 hot dogs for, yep, you guessed it

$2.

Big changes at the Fifth Third Ball Park this year:

New food items on the menu = monster burgers, frozen bananas,

Chicago-style dogs and more……+++

Fifth Third Ball Park has gone Smoke Free!! No smoking within the

facility but there will be designated areas outside the 3 entrances

to accommodate smokers.

Personal note:

I love baseball. I started with Little League and didn’t stop until my

better sense decided to limit my exposure to hurtful things. I played

on 3 separate leagues in my heyday. The White Cap games are

always a flashback to my playing days.

I sure do enjoy a good ball game.

White Caps Opening Day Directions to Ball Park

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Fireworks photo by Terry Westbrook

Cannonsburg Michigan ~ Big Attractions in a Small Place

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Cannonsburg Michigan is a small community northwest of Grand

Rapids. It is included in the Forest Hills School District and has had

growth in residential housing in the last ten years. There are many

elite homes built in this area because of the natural scenery,

prestigious public school system, and proximity to downtown Grand

Rapids. The small village of Cannonsburg has a long history, as

evidenced by the historic buildings which comprise the commercial

hub of the village today.

First, and our personal favorite, is The HoneyCreek Inn, pictured

above. We have been enjoying the casual atmosphere and the

wonderful food at the Honeycreek Inn for over 30 years. It bills itself

as "This Pub under Polish-Irish Management – Be Patient." Whatever

nationality your roots are planted in, this is a great place to eat! The

bar has select brews on tap and "The Daily Special" is always worth

trying.

The Grist Mill, pictured above, is a recent addition to

Cannonsburg, although the original building is one of the original

businesses, as noted by its name. The Grist Mill has a fabulous Deli &

Bakery, a lunch room where you can order a meal, a quick stop

grocery, and gas pumps on the side. Everything today’s

Cannonsburg neighbors might need. It is always busy and you can’t

get a better quick lunch anywhere.

The Bottle Shop is a beer, wine, and liquor emporium that serves the

Cannonsburg area. This building was the original general store for

generations. If you have a hankering for some liquid refreshment,

this is the spot to go in Cannonsburg.

This building houses The Cannonsburg Historical Museum.

Cannonsburg was founded in 1842, that is 167 years of local history.

We will have to make a special trip to see the local history preserved

here.

The last big attraction in Cannonsburg is the first for many in our

area – Cannonsburg Ski Area. This is one of the only local ski areas,

the other being Pando, which is smaller. Their website has a

Webcam, with real time pictures of the conditions.

As you can see, a nice sunny day in February, the slopes are far

from empty. The Cannonsburg Ski Area has a large open air concert

area that is used in the summer for Grand Rapids Symphony

Presentations, such as the July 4th Pops Concert which is a local

favorite. Our small tour is over, but towns like Cannonsburg are a

vital part of our Greater Grand Rapids Area.

We have many small towns and villages that have big attractions for

for the West Michigan travelers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

There has been no remuneration or compensation of any kind for our endorsement of restaurants & other businesses featured in this blog.

Grand Rapids Beer Joints Hoppin' in Feb

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Winter Beer Festival

Sat. Feb 28, 2009 Noon – 5PM

White Caps Ball Park Comstock Park MI

Have you ever dreamed of drinking craft beers fresh from the brewers casks?

Would you enjoy tasting new brews and rubbing elbows with other beer

enthusiasts? Well, set your calendars for Feb 28th in Grand Rapids, MI

Tickets are $ 35.00 which includes 12 drink tickets. Tickets are available at the following locations:

Whitecaps box office in Comstock Park
Rochester Mills Beer Co. in Rochester
Olde Peninsula Brewpub in Kalamazoo
Dragonmead Microbrewery in Warren
Old Hat Brewery in Lawton
Original Gravity Brewing in Milan
New Holland Brewing in Holland
The Livery in Benton Harbor
Walldorff Brewpub in Hastings
Kuhnhenn Brewing in Warren
Liberty Street Brewing in Plymouth
Sherwood Brewing in Shelby Township
Grizzly Peak in Ann Arbor
Schmohz Brewing in Grand Rapids
Siciliano’s Market in Grand Rapids
Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti
Arbor Brewing in Ann Arbor
Old Chicago Restaurant in Grand Rapids
Pauly’s Party Store in Lowell
Billy’s Lounge in Grand Rapids
Meanwhile Bar in Grand Rapids
Atwater Block Brewery in Detroit
HopCat in Grand Rapids

Here’s a few links to wet your whistle…..

Michigan Brewer’s Guild

Beer Advocates

Grilling with Beer

Dress for the weather, this is an outside event.

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

January Series 2009 by Calvin ~ Free Lectures

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Calvin College is presenting their 22nd January Series – a liberal education

for the local community. Featuring world class speakers on topical subjects to

enlighten and educate our community. This effort is underwritten by local

businesses and charities. The 2009 line up of speakers can be seen here.

This year they are promoting new remote locations for viewing, which are

here in Western Michigan, but also locations all over the country and in

Canada.

Calvin College also offers The Archives online. You can listen to speakers

for the past 11 years in the comfort of your home.

It is not too late to catch a lecture. There are 7 speakers left on this year’s

agenda, including Christine Brennan, female sports columnist for USA

Today and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most

Influential People.

These are two speakers we plan on hearing in person.

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Reading at the Zoo Saturday, January 10th ?

Posted on January 8, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

As bizarre as this sounds, that is exactly what is being promoted

by the Kent District Library’s One Book One County Reading

Program for Saturday, January 10th.

The book that will be chosen for this year’s program will be unveiled

at the John Ball Park Zoo’s Aquarium building at 11:00 am.

Besides announcing the new book for this year, the zoo staff will

give tours and presentations, and the zoo will be free from

11:00 until 2:00 pm for visitors.

Winter isn’t the usual time you think about going to the zoo, but

lots of animals are more active in the winter months, such as

the tigers, who have warm coats and like cooler weather.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Forest Hills Fine Arts Center – A Fun Evening With Bandtasia

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

We are very fortunate to live in a community with a fabulous public school

system. One of its more popular assets is the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center.

This venue hosts Broadway Shows, a Gallery for local artists, High School

Musicals, Grand Rapids Symphony, Grand Rapids Ballet Events, and other

local school shows.

We are new volunteers at the Fine Arts Center and have learned a

lot about its background and what keeps it running.

: Forest Hills Fine Arts Center Ada MI

A list of over 300 volunteers are unpaid staff that help host all the shows.

Even though this wonderful building is part of the Forest Hills Public School

System, it is expected to operate at a profit. The only way to do this is

keep a small staff and have community volunteers man the events. This

keeps the cost of shows at a level where it is affordable and gives us a

wonderful building to host our local artistic events.

This is the Fine Arts Centers Fifth Season Subscription Series:

Clint Black Sept 21

Michael McDonald October 24

Three Dog Night November 7

Movin’ Out December 7

Golden Dragon Acrobats February 3

Phoebe Snow March 1

We just went to our first volunteer event a few weeks ago, Forest Hills

Central High School’s Bandtasia. Forest Hills Central’s marching

band puts on this show for the local community to strut their stuff. We

thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

We made a short video of some highlights, if you would like to take a look

at our excellent community arts resource- The Fine Arts Center:

Grand Rapids – Ada Real Estate – Five Star Real Estate

photo of Forest Hills Fine Arts Center by Bonnie Westbrook

Robinette's Farm Market is a Fall Destination in Grand Rapids MI

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Robinette’s Farm Market is a favorite Grand Rapids destination for families,

shoppers, sippers, pie aficionados, hay ride enthusiasts, and just plain folks.

We like to sample the wonderful home baked fruit pies, donuts,

bear claws, and other bakery goods. And of course, the fresh apple cider.

In fact, on weekends in season, you can see the old fashioned apple press

at work.

Located at the East Beltline at Four Mile Road in northeast Grand Rapids

Township, Robinette’s is a farm market that has diversified to anticipate

their customers needs.

Their newest venture in the big red barn is Robinette Cellars,a wine tasting

cellar, which they have added to their repertoire. They feature Michigan wines

and Cider, the typical red and white table wines, a hard cider, and cherry wine.

For the more adventurous, they also offer a sweet Pear Wine, Mirtillo Wine

made from Michigan blueberries, Cyser, a blend of apple & honey wine,

flavored with dates and raisins. MMMmmmm, that sounds good, not sure

I got to taste that one.

Robinette’s offers old fashioned hayrides on their wagons in the fall, they

have lots of pumpkins for holiday decorations, and of course, the apples,

cider, and all things made from them.

We stopped a few weeks ago and took a short video so you could see the

activity on a beautiful fall day. If you haven’t been to Robinette’s Farm

Market for awhile, you might consider a trip for lunch or a weekend drive.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8NU5KQc8hs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00]

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

No remuneration or compensation was given for this recommendation of

Robinettes’ Farm Market.

"Time to smell the roses" at Meijer Gardens Rose Show

Posted on September 9, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Care to smell the Roses? The public is invited to the Grand Valley Rose

Society’s Fall Show & Judging at the Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture

Park – August 30-31, 2008.

The Show will be open from 1-5 pm both Saturday and Sunday on the

lower level of the Frederick Meijer Gardens building. There is no charge

for admission to the Rose Show but admission to

Frederick Meijers Gardens & Sculpture Park is still required.

Greetings Rose in bloom

A class in Fragrance will be offered at 11 am – 5 pm on Saturday.

Visitors may take part by voting for “Most Fragrant Rose” during

that time period.

If you have a prize rose that you would like others to see, entries

are accepted 7-10 am Saturday. August 30th. There are 56 categories,

including 5 just for novice exhibitors.

This is the opportunity you have been waiting for – ” to smell the roses ”

photo of Greetings Rose by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids Real Estate

Grand Rapids Real Estate Information

Category Archives: Grand Rapids Michigan Attractions

Watermark Country Club ~ Cascade Michigan ~ Pool Time!

Lowell Michigan ~ Video Tour ~ Flat River Community

White Caps Baseball Signals Spring in West Michigan

Cannonsburg Michigan ~ Big Attractions in a Small Place

Grand Rapids Beer Joints Hoppin' in Feb

Winter Beer Festival

Sat. Feb 28, 2009 Noon – 5PM

White Caps Ball Park Comstock Park MI

January Series 2009 by Calvin ~ Free Lectures

Reading at the Zoo Saturday, January 10th ?

Forest Hills Fine Arts Center – A Fun Evening With Bandtasia

Robinette's Farm Market is a Fall Destination in Grand Rapids MI

"Time to smell the roses" at Meijer Gardens Rose Show