Saugatuck

Kelly came out to visit and we went to Saugatuck for the weekend. It was nice to get out of the tiny, sleepy town of Big Rapids, and out from the confines of my little yellow room. It's a very nice room, but a change of scenery was most welcome!

Saugatuck is right between the shore of Lake Michigan, and Kalamazoo Lake... and is a vacationy community in the summertime. Along with its neighbor town, Douglas, it is much like New Hope and Lambertville in NJ... artsy, touristy, and gay-friendly. Galleries and interesting shops, along with several good restaurants. Unlike New Hope, though, it has a kind of retro feel... with several hotels that are old "motor lodges" that have been rehabbed.

We stayed at one such place, the Roxie Hotel, which is run by women for women. (in the pic). The rooms were small, but well appointed, and in the back there is a great hot tub and campfire pit and pleasant gardens. The innkeeper, Tara, was delightful, and I recommend this place if you happen to be visiting.

This has been a vacation spot for a long time, I think. Witness remnants of vintage vacationers in the giant barrel (once a food stand of some sort?) and riverboat.

I had the best meal I've had in a LONG time at a place called Everyday People's Cafe in Douglas. (Beet salad, mussels, butternut squash dumplings, curried beef). It was so good, we went back there for breakfast the next day and breakfast was excellent too (perhaps the best corned beef hash I've ever had). YUM! It was a total treat.