This photo explains why I am all about less stuff and more life. There is not enough time on this earth to be with those you love and see all the things you want to see.
Why do we waste the most precious currency of time doing anything else?
I once was the person who acquired a lot of "stuff" only because I there were many other aspects of my life I let spiral out of control. It was a result. A result of a void in my life I was not nurturing and taking care of properly. I would get my "fix" of a little glimpse of happy by buying a new shirt or 75 lip glosses I didn't need. "Stuff" was my drug of choice.
After a lot of work, a few sad and heartbreaking happenings, I got my shit together and quit being an addict. It was liberating and it was and is scary because I knew how to deal with chaos. I would accumulate stuff and now I am learning a new way. Learning how to find contentment, embrace less worry, deal with the unknown and fill my life with people and moments, not things.
Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.
My conversation today is with Jonathan “Toby” Reed, Owner of MOCU Health.
For all of my listeners, I want to share things I love with you. I am very particular about food and products and really try to align myself and my brand with other like minded brands. I am excited to share with you my podcast with the owner of one things and brands I love, MOCU Health. Toby has an unbelievable story of how he got into the business and why he has so much passion for healthy food and drinks. He is very passionate about meeting people where they are on their wellness journey and creating accessible and affordable products for all consumers. I use his products every day and truly believe and love his company.
Connect with Toby: jtreed@mocuhealth.com and visit his website MOCUHealth to explore all the great products!
Nosh Three. Part One of Week/Adventure in Review.
Yes, this is Part One. I know, I know, Part One? There was just so much great experiences on my adventure with my Mom, I had to split it up. I hope you enjoy the ride with me as I re-live our trip to Michigan in September. If you have never been, maybe this will get you excited to go!
Of course, we started the trip with a great flight from Des Moines and Daelmans Stroopwafels. I think this might be why I like to fly United in the morning. There is nothing better than a cup of coffee and the gooey caramel deliciousness to start an adventure!
We wanted to fly into Traverse City, Michigan to enjoy the drive to Mackinac Island to be able to see the countryside to the Upper Peninsula. 2 quick 1 hour flights and we landed in Traverse City. During flights, I was reading my daily National Food Holiday email and it was National Cheeseburger Day, so of course I couldn't get cheeseburgers off my mind.
Before we headed out of town (because we would end our trip in Traverse City), we had to get a cheeseburger. Downtown Traverse City has a bunch of restaurants and shops (more on that in Part 2) and we chose The Franklin because of their rooftop dining and the modern tavern menu. It was the perfect fuel to start the adventure.
I very much enjoyed the atmosphere at The Franklin as well. This restroom sign was adorable.
Well fed and ready for some cruising, we headed out of Traverse City and took Highway 31 that travels all along the coast of Lake Michigan. We were "heading up north" as the locals call it. The leaves had just started turning and I was amazed by the beautiful countryside. Michigan is truly beautiful.
About midway through the 3 hour drive, there was a sign for the World's Largest Cherry Pie in Charlevoix, Michigan. This was a must stop. I was shocked this really happened. I expected just a statue but I had no idea a real pie was made that was over 14,000 pounds with 5,000 of it being cherries. I would be in cherry heaven!
They had to build a special oven to bake the pie. Charlevoix takes their cherry pie very seriously. Since we missed cherry season in Michigan (which I will go back, don't you worry) We had to get a photo with the replica of the pie right outside of the city.
We got into Mackinac City later in the evening, just in time for dinner and sleep. I was not familiar with the difference between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. We found a hotel in the city to sleep and rest for the ferry trip to Mackinac Island the next day.
We got up bright and early the next day to make sure we got an early ferry. The ferry leaves at all times of the day, the first being 7:30 am. We got there around 8 for the 8:30 ferry and the line was already long. It was like being at Disneyland! We got our tickets with Shepler's Ferry and the process is flawless for the round trip. We park our car, they grab our luggage and since we were staying at The Grand Hotel, they would have our luggage at the hotel waiting for us. So smooth! All we had to do was board.
They took us under the Mackinac Bridge that spans the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. It is also known as the Big Mac and is 5 miles long.
We sat on the top deck of the ferry so we could experience the trip outside. It was a little chilly that day, I had to wear my headband as ear muffs. The brisk fall air gave us pretty rosy cheeks.
We arrived to the island about 30 minutes later, walked up the dock into the city and this was our first site of Mackinac Island. It is all true! No motorized vehicles. Your taxi is a horse and carriage or a bike. Bikes were everywhere, so were the horses (and the smell of horses, ha!).
One things I really wanted to do was bike around the island. It is 8 miles around the island and we were dressed in our gear and ready to bike. One thing we should have probably done was ride a bike a few times before we were set for an 8 mile trek.
It had been awhile since Mom or I had gotten on a bike. I think maybe for me it was around 4 years and probably a little longer for mom. It was a bit of a learning curve. I did like the added touch of the pink flower to help me identify my bike. There are sooo many! We took it very slow for the first couple miles so we could get use to a new but familiar activity again.
We stopped along the way to take it all in. The water is so beautiful. I never knew! When I think of lake water, I think of man made lakes. You cannot see the bottom and they are all sorts of weird shades of green and brown, not this beautiful crystal clear blue blanket.
There were many stops along the 8 miles, each one providing a different view of the island of both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
After we got the hang of it, 8 miles didn't seem so bad.
Maybe ask my mom what she thought....it might be a different answer.
Our next stop was Arch Rock. It is a geological formation of limestone made from glaciers on the Lake Huron side. It its a U.S. Historical Landmark and is in the Mackinac National State Park.
To get to the Arch, there is the Spring Trail which is 207 steps/stairs to climb to see the Arch. It is the perfect way to break up the ride and give your backside a little rest from the seat.
There is a deck where you can go and stand out over the by the Arch and see down the whole side of the cliff. This photo of the water is amazing with the white peaks from the waves and the magnificent shades of blue. I couldn't believe this was Michigan.
As we continued the journey around the island, we passed by Fort Mackinac. It sits on top of the island. During the American Revolutionary War, the British built the fort to control the Straits of Mackinac between Lake Michigan and Huron to continue the fur trade.
As we ended our ride, we came back through town on the other end. There are people who live on the island all year round, about 500 people. The streets and homes are adorable. We drove by the schools which were fully occupied bike racks and kids. It reminded me of the small town school I went to, St. Mary's Regional School.
As we closed in to the finish line and travelled down the main street, it went like this: bike shop, restaurant, fudge shoppe annndddd....repeat. Needless to say we had worked up an appetite with our tour of the island. It was hard to decide where to go, there are many options from burgers, steaks, fish and pasta. We dropped our bikes off and started walking. This is another great part of the island, you can walk everywhere.
Our walk lead us to the window of Millie's on Main. The decor was cute and it was deemed Mackinac's homestyle pub. I was ready for some food (and drinks) native to Michigan.
The menu had many different items I wanted to try, so I ordered a delicious Cheboygan Brewing Co. Blueberry Cream Ale to contemplate my order and so began my love for fruit flavored beers and ciders. It was creamy and full of blueberry flavor but not too sweet. The perfect mix of beer flavors.
One of the appetizers caught my eye of something I had never tried before, Perogies. Why yes I would like to try Grandma's homemade dough filled with potatoes cheese and onions, topped with bacon, cheese and sour cream. How have I never had these before? This was the perfect refueling appetizer and was just the perfect portion size.
After lunch, we couldn't pass one more ice cream or fudge shop. I had to give in. There is this term known as fudgies, of tourist who go up north and visit cities in the UP (Upper Peninsula) where there are tons of fudge and ice cream shops. I was not going to become one, but I declare it now, I am proud to be a fudgie! And oh buddy, did I ever live up to my nickname. The first time we stopped, we loaded up with ice cream: Blue Moon (which is a must if you visit Michigan), Blueberry Cobbler and Cherry Chocolate. It was hard to choose my favorite, but Blue Moon won because it reminded me of the color of the lake. It is creamy, fruity, citrusy and spicy. We may have also grabbed some popcorn and sweet treats and fudge. More on than in Part 2! Next week the adventure continues.....
Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week.
Believe it or not, besides our bike ride, I did work on my fitness. I had to after Grandma's Perogies, Blueberry Cream Ale and Blue Moon ice cream. You can catch the first Mom and Daughter Michigan Adventure Workout Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.
Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.
I left one menu out from my dining experience from Millie's on Main, which was my main entree, the Yooper Beef Pastie. Alright friends, I will fess up, I ordered a paste - tea. You heard me correctly, the tassel type things women use in dancing. That is not the correct pronunciation of this food. It is called a past - tea. My waitress quickly corrected me as I ordered this "up north" fare.
This hearty UP favorite, was AHHH-mazing. Comfort food, totally my style. No weird veggies floating around or bizarre things hidden in a casserole. It is what I would call a "comfort food calzone." Homemade dough of perfect thickness enveloping beef, rutabagas, potatoes and carrots, all covered in a beautiful brown gravy. When I visit up north again, this will be a recurrent order and I will now know the proper way to say it. Thank goodness it is easy to eat and that I did. All gone!
So excited to share Part 2 with you next week!
~AE
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