MEET IN MT. PLEASANT

Meet in Mt. Pleasant and experience adventure by choice or by chance. Explore over 1,000 acres of parkland and 18 nature preserves, or kayak the Chippewa River, the jewel of central Michigan. Hike 8 miles of trails at Deerfield Nature Park, voted most beautiful place in Isabella County by Pure Michigan, or climb the elusive “mountain” of Mt. Pleasant as you reach the summit of Bundy Hill Preserve.

Try your luck at one of the largest gaming floors in the Midwest at the Soaring Eagle Casino, where you can experience world-class entertainment at their year-round shows. Hit the links at 11 golf courses within a half-hour drive of each other, or head over to D1 athletic school Central Michigan University and join in on their rally cry, “Fire Up Chips!”

Venture to historic downtown Mt. Pleasant and refuel from a full day’s worth of adventure at one of many dining hot spots. Stop at The Brass Café for a big-city atmosphere with small-town appeal. Or head to Mountain Town Station for locally brewed beer and award-winning ribs. Learn more and plan your visit to the Mt. Pleasant area by visiting meetmtp.com.

Fried Fame

A renovation and expansion of the Sanders Cafe and Museum completed in 2022 offers travelers a new way to walk through a bit of fast-food history and learn about the place where Kentucky Fried Chicken got its start. In 1930, Harland Sanders (aka The Colonel) opened his first restaurant — a single table with six chairs inside a gas station — that later expanded into a much larger restaurant and adjacent motel.

After franchising sales of his famous pressure-fried chicken cooked with 11 secret herbs and spices, Sanders’ business quickly exploded into the global phenomenon that is today known simply as KFC.

The original location in Corbin, Kentucky, still operates as a functioning KFC restaurant, the difference is that you can enjoy your meal inside a large museum filled with a huge collection of memorabilia. See furniture from the original cafe, a model motel room and more.

Also on view is a reconstruction of the original Kentucky Fried Chicken kitchen, featuring a three-handed clock Sanders devised for precise timing of the chicken’s preparation. An Herb and Spice Room has vials of nearly 200 seasonings, allowing visitors to guess which are the secret 11.

The museum also displays a timeline of the business’ growth over the decades, but the real crowd pleasers here are the kitschy artifacts on display, like Colonel Sanders bobblehead dolls and a Pez dispenser featuring the famous founder’s image.

There’s a wall detailing the “History of the Bucket” and a video loop of KFC commercials from over the years, as well as a tutorial of Sanders showing the proper preparation of fried chicken. Don’t leave without getting a photo of yourself standing beside the statue of The Colonel in his iconic white suit. 688 U.S. Highway 25 W., Corbin, Kentucky 40701, 606/528-2163, sanderscafe.com — RICH WARREN