Tales from the Road

A few months ago, Jackie and I ventured to Traverse City for the Iceman bike race. After a day of bike riding, Traverse City was the perfect place to relax and explore. To our surprise, the town was bustling this time of year. We stayed at the iconic Park Place Hotel. The original building was built in 1873. The current 10-story hotel was built in 1930 and has been renovated over the years, but retains its original charm. Our eighth fl oor, corner room with large windows, gave us a great view of the lake and downtown. The Beacon Lounge located on the 10th fl oor, offers live entertainment and a wonderful night view of the city.

After considering several restaurant choices, we chose the historic Sleder’s Family Tavern. Sleder’s is the oldest continually operated restaurant in the state of Michigan. The tavern opened in 1882 and is packed with old photographs and large taxidermy mounts. A popular right of passage at the tavern is to “Kiss the Moose,” the large moose head hanging towards the back of the restaurant. The Sleder Burger did not disappoint - a ½-pound ground chuck burger was served with fries and homemade coleslaw. We headed back to Front Street (the main street through town) and watched a popular, fi rst-run movie at the State Theatre- “Ticket to Paradise, a romantic comedy, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. I recalled seeing “Yours Mine and Ours” with Lucille Ball at the theatre back in 1968. The theatre has been restored to its original glory and is part of the Traverse City Film Festival. The tickets and snacks were surprisingly reasonably priced. A sign in the lobby proudly proclaims: “Voted the #1 Theatre in America!” I’ll give a nod to that!

Downtown still has the fun look and feel as it did back when we were kids, although most of the stores have changed. The town is full of great restaurants, cool stores and microbreweries. Outdoor clothing and gear stores are plentiful. Cherry Republic is a fun experience and we enjoyed some free samples. We noticed many bellying up to the bar to sample their unique spirits. Traverse City is also blessed with great bookstores. Horizon Books and Brilliant Books on Front Street are well worth a stop. For used and rare books, check out Landmark Books in The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. We enjoyed breakfast down the way from our hotel at the Omelette Shoppe on Cass Street. A brightly colored breakfast spot that has been around for years and never disappoints. They have another location east of downtown and one in Grand Rapids.

Next door is My Secret Stash with two fl oors, chock-full of funky gift items and a large selection of Michigan inspired art and home accessories.

One of our favorite spots in TC is The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, located on the historic Traverse City State Hospital Grounds. The hospital once housed over 3000 residents. Dozens of buildings sat empty for years until a local developer restored the grounds and several of the buildings- repurposing them into condos, restaurants, bakeries and other unique retail stores. Tattoria Stellla’s Restaurant, the Left Foot Charley Winery, Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery, Earthen Ales Brewery and The Underground Cheese Company are just a few of the popular eating and drinking establishments. On the premises, is The Grand Traverse Commons Recreation and Natural Area - 140-acre park with miles of unpaved trails around wooded hillsides, streams, meadows, and wetlands. We always do a short hike after a visit to the bakery and enjoy seeing the latest graffi ti adorning the covered old water cistern at the top of the hill. The Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails (TART) is one of the best urban trail systems in the state with eight, multi-use trails and a crosstown bike trail that we have ridden on previous trips. If you have not been to Traverse City lately, it is well worth the four-hour trek. You will be thrilled with all that the town has to offer.

~ traverse city, mich. ~

By Steve Ellis

“A Kalamazoo Direct To You”

From 1900-1952, the Kalamazoo Stove Company manufactured several million stoves and furnaces. The company’s peak year was in 1937, when they built over 100, 000 stoves. Pictured is a 1933 catalog cover, left, along with several full color photographs of their gorgeous stoves.