Michigan

michigan road trip uh06eusrt

I got to cross off Michigan on the list of states I haven't been to. We arrived in Grand Rapids just in time to catch George's movie on the bridge. It was an awesome event, but I was too tired to last more than a few minutes into the movie, "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg."

On Friday, we were able to check out the city in the daylight. We had a hearty breakfast, then checked out East Grand Rapids (which is where "American Pie" is based, but it's called East Great Falls in the movie). Then it was off to see Lake Michigan in the town of Grand Haven (which is where "American Pie 2" is based, but it's called something else in the movie).

We stopped at the Michigan Rag Co. in Grand Haven to get a look at the Maroöshka prints. George has been collecting them for some time and was excited to meet the guy that's continuing to make the prints in the same way they've been made since the 1960s. I picked up a good-sized print (50% off!) before we headed for the pier.

Since we've established a no-chain rule, we've been eating at small local places, and our Grand Rapids meals have probably been the best of the trip so far.

One place we ate was in the side of a liquor store. Chef Rainbow's Hole in the Wall served everything from veggie burritos to burgers to pasta, and insisted on delivering our meal -- which tasted very good.

The other food-related tidbit worth noting is that hot dogs in Michigan don't come with relish; instead they are topped with shredded pickles. I haven't seen that anywhere else, which is too bad because it's way better.

After a full day of GR sights, including the DAAC, Nest, UICA and Civic Studio, we had to cram in a few more in the morning before driving east. We saw the Calder sculpture, which is now part of the city's logo, and the giant tire swing downtown.

By any measure, our short visit to Grand Rapids was a success.

More of my photos from Michigan, and here are Mike's