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Go See Do Explore

Travel by Any Means Necessary

Last Minute Island Getaway

As I’m sure you know by now, we had to cancel our spring break trip due to the pandemic. So, after three months of being stuck at home, when the Governor of Michigan announced the end of Stay at Home, I quickly booked a last-minute trip to Mackinac Island! We had talked about staying on the island in the spring before it gets busy, but because of coronavirus the hotels opened a few months later than planned. We ended up staying at the Chippewa just days after they opened for the season.

We have wanted to stay at the Chippewa for years now. Its right on the water and is home to the Pink Pony, our favorite restaurant on the island. If you take Star Line Ferry to the island, The Chippewa is just around the corner from the dock. Because of the last minute nature of our booking, the waterfront rooms were all booked up, but our main street view room was great, very clean, and much more modern than I expected from the pictures on the website.

Enjoying a drink at the Pink Pony

This was my first time staying on the island, unless you count my 8th grade class trip, and since we weren’t allowed out of our rooms after dinner, I don’t think we got the full island experience. The best thing about staying on the island is that you get the place to yourself after the day visitors leave on the last ferry of the day. And since the two biggest resorts on the island (The Grand Hotel and Mission Point) weren’t open for the season yet, it was even quieter in the evenings. You can see the deserted Main Street in the top photo.

If you have never experienced evening on Mackinac Island, I highly recommend spending the money to stay on the island. Even if its just for one night, having the island to yourself after the day guests leave is totally worth it. And I highly recommend the Chippewa as well. It is one of the less expensive options and you can have breakfast on the water at the Pink Pony. It doesn’t get better than that!

Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, click here. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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In Defense of Paper Guide Books

My Growing Travel Bookshelf

In the age of the internet containing the answer to every question you could ever think to ask, I have been turning back to good old fashioned paper guidebooks. While being stuck at home, I have been searching Amazon for cheap, used travel guides to inspire me and fuel my wanderlust. Books like 100 Countries 5,000 Ideas, Food Journeys of a Lifetime, 50 States 500 State Parks, and Complete National Parks of the United States have me reading up on places I had never before considered visiting and adding to my travel bucket list.

Libraries can be great places to check out travel books for free

Do you ever begin researching a destination on the internet and get overwhelmed with conflicting information? Whereas anyone can leave a TripAdvisor review or write a blog post, guidebooks are typically written by experts, whether they are locals or frequent visitors. They recommend places where they have had consistently good experiences and can suggest off-the-beaten-path locations to get you away from the crowds. I love Pinterest with its eye-catching pictures, but I can’t be the only one to pin something and then go back later and not be able to find it. When you have a book sitting on the shelf, you know exactly where it is.

In 2019, print books made up 93% of publisher’s revenue meaning that physical books are still popular. A screen doesn’t give the same feeling as holding a book and turning its pages. I do have a few travel guides in ebook form but they are harder to reference and in general more difficult to use.  When you’re on your trip you don’t have to rely on the internet to be able to access information about your location, just toss the guidebook in your bag and be on your way.

From the picture at the top of this post, you can tell that one of the reasons I enjoy guidebooks is because you can show them off. Just like I enjoy decorating my house with my travel photos, the travel bookshelf in my living room gives a little insight into the places I love. Yes, some of these large books full of full-color photos can be pricey. You can often get great deals on used books on Amazon if you aren’t in a hurry. My love of travel books may cause me to have to buy another bookshelf, though.

Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, click here. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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Flint Institute of Arts

The Flint Institute of Arts is a small art museum located in Flint, Michigan. What drew me to the museum is actually their art school. After my glass blowing experience at the Corning Museum of Glass, I was bound and determined to find a place nearby to learn more about glass art.

The art school at the Flint Institute of Arts is surprisingly affordable. With classes for kids, teens, and adults, the FIA teachers everything from painting and bookmaking to photography and even glassblowing. They offer one-day workshops to get your feet wet in flameworking to make glass beads. What had me most excited was the 6-week glass blowing class.

Before signing up, we took a trip to the museum to check it out. For a small museum, they have a pretty large glass gallery which of course features a few Chihuly works. The museum houses the Glass Glass Collection featuring collected by Sherwin and Shirley Glass. Their collection includes the work of 88 diverse, international glass artists.

Of course COVID-19 swept in and postponed my dreams of becoming a glassblower. But, just because I can’t take classes right now it doesn’t mean that I won’t ever. Hopefully they will be able to open for classes this summer. I will definitely be sure to share my progress in learning the glass arts!

Thanks for stopping by! If you are interested in learning more about the Flint Institue of Arts Art School, visit flintarts.org. To read about some of our previous trips, click here. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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