A Michigan Summer (in a weekend)

This past weekend was probably my favorite weekend so far this summer. (I have a feeling my upcoming trip to Cape Cod will take the prize for best weekend overall.)

I flew back to Grand Rapids Friday night, and despite some annoying flight delays (believe me when I say I won't be flying Southwest again anytime soon) the weekend was absolutely perfect.

Saturday I drove over to the east side of the state to see my younger sister, Madalyn, who is in her final semester at the University of Michigan. She recently moved from a co-op to a small house with a few of her friends, which is really cute for a college house (minus the creepy basement/bedroom) and a HUGE upgrade from her previous living situation.

Todd met us and we headed downtown through the hustle and bustle of Art Fair to have lunch at Grizzly Peek Brewing Company. None of us had been there before but it's definitely a prime lunch spot. Their sandwiches were amazing - I had a Gouda and turkey sandwich and a Victor's Gold beer which was delicious.

After lunch, Tudd and I headed back to his house in Chelsea to spend the rest of the day on the lake. I mentioned North Lake in my post on my favorite Michigan things, and after this weekend, I think it deserves a spot higher on the list. Unfortunately, the weather was a little too cool and overcast to allow for swimming or wakeboarding, but that didn't stop Todd, his parents and I from enjoying the entire afternoon and most of the evening floating around. It was incredibly relaxing to just enjoy the sun, the lake, the good company, and, of course, the wine.

Since it was Tudd's last night in Michigan, we went to The Common Grill in downtown Chelsea for dinner. Their cocktails were amazing. Seriously. The lemon drop martini might be my new favorite drink. And in typical Tudd-ish fashion, Tudd forgot his ID. But the food was great too and the desserts just topped that.

After dinner we decided to head back out on the lake for a little night time boating. Having always lived in pretty densely populated areas, really seeing the stars is not a luxury I've often enjoyed. Now this wasn't the most amazing starry sky I have ever seen, but the sky was perfectly clear and the water was perfectly flat so the entire sky was reflected in the water.

I wish I had a picture that did the lake justice at night.

Sunday I met Megan, Marissa, Kevin, Jim, Diane, and Lydia for brunch at Sundance in downtown Grand Rapids. I highly recommend this place. So worth the wait. The food was phenomenal and the drinks were like meal on their own. The pomegranate mimosa came with its own side of strawberry silver dollar pancakes and the BLT Bloody Mary was topped with tomato, lettuce and bacon and served with a side of toast with mayo (not butter) so you could make your own BLT sandwich.

(Tell me that's not the best thing you've ever seen?)

After brunch we met up with Sarah and headed to the Downtown Market. This place is pretty new and I was pretty impressed with it. It is all indoors and features tons of little shops serving delicious food. I tried some of the mint chip ice cream and it was arguably the best mint chip ice cream I've ever had - it tasted like fresh picked mint from the garden, not the fake sugary mint flavor you usually get in ice cream.

Sunday continued with even more delicious food when I met my entire family for dinner at PF Changs. I know PF Changs is super commercialized and not authentic but that doesn't make it not delicious.

I spent the rest of the night swimming around in my aunt's pool and catching up with her.

Monday was spent lounging around my house before hopping a plane back to Boston... and taking selfies with Babcia.

(She's so pretty.)

(Sky high sunsets)

(Back to Beantown)

Thought Catalog Post: 17 Reasons Why Attractive Girls Do The Things They Do

The other day, my friend Marissa sent me a link to a Thought Catalog article with the comment "I feel like the title of this should really be called 'I'm not sexist, but...'"

Marissa's revised title could not have been more on point. I try not to hate on other people's beliefs, but the fact that the author of this post truly believes that the said characteristics make a woman attractive is appalling. It makes me want to throw up. It makes me want to punch someone in the face. It makes me question the way some men think.

So I decided to counter his post with one of my own. (Thanks Mar for the proof-read.) And, Thought Catalog published it!

If you have a second, take a read:

17 Reasons Why Attractive Girls Do The Things They Do

Michigan Lovin'

With my trip Michigan only 10 days away *happy dance* I thought it would be a great time to share some of my favorite things about the Mitten State. I am by no means an expert on state (I mean, I’ve never even been to the UP… and I may have thought that it was a part of Canada until I actually moved to Michigan and was quickly told otherwise…).

But, there are some truly amazing things about the state that I definitely miss now that I don’t get to enjoy them regularly.

Grand Haven, MI

I am an ocean girl through and through. I’ve been at the beach soaking in that salty air for as long as I can remember. Michigan, while located in the middle of the country, has this awesome thing called Lake Michigan. It’s not the ocean – but it hosts some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. And while the water isn’t salty, it is a gorgeous sparkling blue that stretches beyond the horizon. Two of my best friends, Megan and Mary (#mclub ftw!), grew up in Grand Haven, and lucky for me their mom’s have let us take over their houses each summer so we can enjoy long beach weekends.

The town of Grand Haven is also pretty awesome. The lighthouse, boardwalk, the musical fountain, the ice cream stand’s, Butch’s Beach Burrito, and Pronto Pups are all musts whenever I’m in Grand Haven. For a week in August each year the Coast Guard Festival goes on, which equals parades, celebrations, crowd beaches, and tons of day drinking.

Port Austin, MI

I have only been to Port Austin twice. But oh my gosh is it beautiful. My friend, Diane, has a cottage right on Lake Huron. The cottage is fairly isolated, surrounded by woods and beaches. The water is crystal clear and goes on forever. The beach is great for exploring – frog ponds, caves, old docks, etc. The cottage also couldn’t be more perfectly set up for a big group of people to come relax for the weekend.

You can also drive into town and rent canoes. You can then lazily paddle (or float) down a river that lets out into Lake Huron.

Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)

I know I’m biased as a Spartan – but it’s really impossible to deny the fact that MSU’s campus is spectacular. The Beal Botanical Gardens, Beaumont Tower, the Red Cedar, Spartan Stadium, and the statue of Sparty are all beautiful and iconic to anyone who has ever set foot on campus.

But, MSU also has some of my best memories. Tailgating in people’s front yards, early morning practices inside Dem Hall, late night runs to Gumby’s and Conrad’s, Thursday’s with pitchers of beer at Rama, Snowpacolypse adventures around campus, buckets at Crunchy's, entire Sunday’s spent in the caf – these are some of my favorite memories.

North Lake (Chelsea, MI)

I once heard that you can’t drive more than 10 miles in Michigan without encountering a lake. I don’t know if that’s true or not but it definitely feels like it. North Lake is one of these lakes. It’s really no different than all the other lakes but it’s my favorite. My best friend, Todd, lives on North Lake and the past few summers I’ve spent weekends out on his boat with some of my closest friends. That is probably why I like North Lake – I associate it with summer time, great times, and fantastic people.

Detroit, MI

I know Detroit has a bad rep but the city really does offer some awesome things. Last year, I lived only 30 minutes from the heart of Detroit and got to take advantage of some of those things. In addition to few Red Wings and Tigers games, Megan, Marc and I once had a “Detroit Day.” It was a good day, although, a little sad when you see how beautiful things really were 50 years ago.

We visited Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River with all sorts of hidden treasures – unfortunately many of them are shut down. But it once held a casino, a gorgeous fountain, a conservatory, large open park spaces, and the Detroit Boat Club, the oldest boat club in the United States. I’ve been inside the Detroit Boat Club once and the building is eerily beautiful. It was once a gorgeous building with ballrooms and beautiful sitting areas, but none of it has been kept up and it is quite frankly falling apart.

Detroit also boasts some great food. Greek Town is particularly famous and if you’re going to Greek Town you have to get saganaki a.k.a. flaming cheese. My other favorite is the Detroit Beer Company, a sister restaurant of the Royal Oak Brewery (my favorite restaurant in RO). They’re beer is delicious and the country grilled cheese combines everything good in the world.

Grand Rapids, MI

I couldn’t not include Grand Rapids on this list. It is where my family lives after all! And after my initial period of hating the city, I learned it does have some pretty cool things. Downtown Grand Rapids is actually pretty neat – lots of fun bars and restaurants, a giant tire swing, Rosa Parks Circle, and the good ole Grand River flowing right through town.  

(P.S. I can't take credit for most of these pictures. :))