Old or New – Michigan Attractions are Unique

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Terry & Bonnie

Old or New – Michigan Attractions are Unique

We all like to take a stroll down memory lane.

This video shows Michigan back before our childhood days. It was filmed

in 1949 as part of James A. Fitzpatrick’s Travel Talks. Take a look at our

bathing beauties, the “Bear Man” and our stunning Michigan scenery.

The areas shown have grown and changed but the appeal of

Michigan is still being promoted to tourists today. And they come by

the thousands to see our unique treasures, such as Sleeping Bear Dunes

on Lake Michigan. This area is now a National Park and dune buggies

are prohibited on the fragile dune landscape.

Mackinaw Island has attracted people since early times, the original

residents here in Michigan; the Ojibiwa, the French, the English, and

tourists have been coming here since Victorian times.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMR7veI78f8]

Thanks for visiting with us in Michigan along this vintage highway

to the past. We hope you decide to visit us in person real soon.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities,plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

Discover West Michigan ~ A Small Museum Tour

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Tri-River Small Museum Tour Runs from May 2 to Sept 14, 2009

This venue would be perfect for a touring car club or just curious people

getting to know their area. We have lived in West Michigan for over

35 years and we have not visited any of these small museums. I’ll bet

they hold a lot of local history, which is often fascinating.

The Tri-River Small Museum Tour starts on May 2nd, 2009 and runs until

September 14, 2009.

This tour is a network of small museums, connected by their proximity

to the Grand, Thornapple, and Flat Rivers. There are 18 stops on

this tour and it includes a chance to win a cash prize on Sept 15, 2009.

Punch cards can be obtained from the first museum visited. Cash prizes of

$200, $100, and $50 will be given out for the most museums visited. In

case of a tie, there will be a drawing to determine the winners.

Averill Historic Museum Barns in Ada, Michigan

A partial list of the Tri-Rivers Historical Museums:

Ada Averill Museum – Ada Michigan

Alton Historic Church Museum – 2780 Lincoln Lake Lowell, Michigan

Belding Historic Museum – Belding, Michigan

Bowne Township Museum – 84th & Alden Nash Alto, Michigan

Freeport Museum – Masonic Temple 127 Warren St Freeport, MI

Oakfield Pioneer Heritage Museum – 11009 Podunk Ave Greenville, MI

Pine Forest Museum – 402 East Home St Edmore, Michigan

A complete list can be picked up at any of these museums, local

government offices, and many local area businesses.

Many museums will be offering special events during the tour dates.

Take an interest in our local history, most of these museums operate on

donations and volunteer efforts to stay open.

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

photo of Averill Museum Barns by Bonnie Westbrook

Meijer Gardens ~ Summer Concert Series 2009

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announces

2009 Summer Concert Series

Meijer Gardens has a wonderful Outdoor Amphitheater that will host

12 Concerts and a few musical legends in entertainment this summer.

Among those featured that you might know are our own Michigander,

Jeff Daniels, and Lyle Lovett, The Doobie Brothers, and Bonnie Raitt.

I must admit, some of the newer bands are not familiar to me but they

have great web sites!

The 12 Concerts are as follows:

Derek Trucks Band will open the Concert Series on Wednesday, June 10th.

The Avett Brothers will be featured on Thursday, June 18th.

Indigo Girls will bring their Grammy award winning songwriting to the stage

on Wednesday, June 24th.

The Wallflowers will play The Gardens on Monday June 29th.

Neko Case will be performing her trademark vocals on Thursday, July 16th.

Lyle Lovett – Live in Concert on Sunday, July 19th.

Keb’Mo’ will be performing his own brand of blues on Thursday July 23th.

Doobie Brothers, one of America’s most loved rock bands will rockin’ the

house on Wednesday, July 29th.

Jeff Daniels, movie actor, will be singing on Monday, August 3rd.

Earl Scruggs, Bluegrass legend, will be here on Thursday August 13th.

George Thorogood & The Destroyers & Jonny Lang, perform on

Wednesday, August 19th.

Bon Taj Roulet: Bonnie Raitt & Taj Mahal Alone & Together finish

off the concert series on Sunday, August 23rd.

Meijer Gardens Ticket Information Pre-Sale Tickets are available for

Gardens Members – a definite perk of membership.

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Whitecaps Exhibition Game April 8th ~ Free Outing for Spring Break

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Yes, you read it correctly. The West Michigan Whitecaps are playing

the Grand Valley State Lakers and it is a free exhibition game!

The action starts at 6:00pm, gates open at 5:00pm. Admission and

parking are free for Whitecaps fans. Our own home grown baseball

stimulus package.

The big season opener is April 9th at Fifth Third Ballpark, when the

Whitecaps will play the South Bend Silver Hawks. Tickets can be

purchased here.

If the weather cooperates, we are planning on the exhibition game.

They have some new treats at the refreshment stands, and a trip to

the White Caps is always a fun time.

So if you have Wednesday evening April 8th open……….…..

see ya at the ball game!!

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

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

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

Grand Rapids MI ~ Autumn Curtain Call

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Michigan Color Tour

Michigan autumn is an very colorful time of our year.

The lush greens of summer make way for the crisp, clear

firestorm of autumn color here in Grand Rapids Michigan.

The yellows gleam in the sunlight and trees with their autumn

foliage beckon to us…..see me, see how gorgeous I am.

I have to agree, they call out to have their photo taken before

they undress for winter. Here are trees from our own

neighborhood in all their fall finery.

A gorgeous sugar maple tree in full flame

I love the movement of these fall grasses

This is a common sight this week, a lawn coated with leaves

Mature Oak Tree

This majestic oak tree will be the last tree to lose its leaves

A beautiful crabapple tree with a lot of fall color

A fabulous Japanese Maple Tree with its crimson leaves scattered in a drive

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Copyright 2008 All rights reserved

photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids Real Estate

Grand Rapids Real Estate Information

Tag Archives: west michigan tourist attractions

Old or New – Michigan Attractions are Unique