The journey began by driving up M31 and was in awe at the multitude of sprawling cherry orchards, vineyards and sunflower fields as we drove the winding road. We couldn't drive 100 yards without passing a produce stand, so we decided to pullover to stock up on sweet corn and blueberries. Few things beat sweet, succulent corn on the cob and as for blueberries, all I need to say is this. I also spotted a group of bicyclists sitting in a circle, sharing a fresh cherry pie. Now how Michigan is that?
Funny how the heads of the sunflowers always turn to
face the sun. / Samantha Franz
Being a sucker for a good farmers market, it was hard to resist the lure of the Elk Rapids one and purchased what had to be some of the largest bell peppers I have ever seen.
How do you not buy at least one of
these babies? / Samantha Franz
Along the way, we stopped in Charlevoix, a pretty town along Lake Michigan that was apparently home to the world's largest cherry pie, a massive structure that greeted us upon entering Charlevoix Township. Though the pie inside the pan was fake, a recipe card on the side showed how the original pie was made with gargantuan quantities of ingredients.
A helicopter? Really? / Samantha Franz
Turns out we made to Charlevoix just in time for their annual Venetian Festival, a celebration of the arts. Well, when we got there early Friday afternoon, there was definitely more food than festival going on. There were only a few artists hawking their wares, but there was a small army of food trucks, filling the air with the familiar smells of hot dogs and fried dough. While there wasn't too much to do at the festival, I did get to watch the town drawbridge go up for some boats passing by, which was pretty neat.
The drawbridge./Samantha Franz
After departing Charlevoix, we continued onto M119, where we drove through the tree tunnel scenic drive. While the drive is only just over seven miles, it feels much longer due to the way the road constantly twists and turns like a child's crazy straw.
See what I mean? / Samantha Franz
When we finally reached the Legs Inn, our stomachs were rumbling and I was ecstatic to feast on a delicious Polish lunch that I had heard so much about. You can check out the link for a complete history, but I thought it was pretty neat how a Polish immigrant brought the flavors of his home country to Michigan and whose restaurant was later named a Michigan Historical landmark.
Legs Inn / Samantha Franz
Our waiter, a Polish student named Bruno working overseas for the summer, recommended his favorite Polish beer, the pilsener by Okocim Palone. As I heard him explain to another couple, bars in his hometown do not serve it on tap, so he has to travel abroad cross the country in order to find it. I am not a big beer drinker, but in the hot afternoon sun, it was delicious, with a crisp, cool flavor. While we waited for our Old World Sampler to share, I walked around the garden to take advantage of some great photo ops.
Garden at Legs Inn / Samantha Franz
The food? Amazing. The platter had three pierogis (cheese and potato, ground sirloin and sauerkraut and mushroom), Kabanosy (sausage) and Bigos (a hunter's stew). To me, you know you have had a soul satisfying meal when you have a nice, hearty full feeling without being stuffed. And this definitely delivered.
As pretty as the tree tunnel scenic drive was, we decided to take in some new sights and hop on M131 instead to catch back up with M31. It was a nice detour away from the heavy summer traffic and we were treated to some quaint, natural scenery.
After driving for several hours back, we finally made our way back to Cadillac and rather than look for a place to eat, we decided to take advantage of the cottage kitchen and cook. So, we did what any self-respecting Michigander would do: we went to Meijer. Purchased a rotisserie chicken, two potatoes to bake and a large mixed green salad, all for just over nine dollars. You just can't beat it. As we recapped my first Project Michigan trip over dinner, we clinked our wine glasses in success. It was a great first trip and I cannot wait to continue my journey across the fine state of Michigan.
Amen to that. / Samantha Franz
No comments:
Post a Comment