Check Out the Sugar Shack

The sap is running. No, not the village idiot that has cabin fever and runs through the woods in nothing but his flannel pajamas. The sap from Maple trees, of course. Sap will run for approximately 15 hours after it thaws, then it waits for the next cycle to run again. The folks at the Sugar Shack in Maple City offer free tours and tasting. They eagerly anticipate this annual ritual so they can process gallon after gallon of the sweet stuff.

The sugar house is set in the rolling, wooded hills south of Glen Lake. The farm consists of pumping stations, miles of tubing, and the sugar house with its country store at the front. Miles of tubing and a huge stainless steel evaporator help to boil 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup. If you think you have had real maple syrup, check the label on the grocery store syrup. Chances are there isn't even a drop of real maple in its contents.

If you go: The Sugar Shack is located 15 miles west of Traverse City. From M-72 turn north on Fritz Road and in a quarter mile turn west on Baatz Road where the farm is 1.5 miles on the left. During syrup season and summer the store is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and until noon on Saturday. Tours and tasting are free.

Cast Your Vote for the Best Restroom of 2006

All Season's Bistro in Lansing is one of the five finalists for the 2006 America's Best Restroom award. Check out the link to view and vote for All Season's Bistro. You can view a short description of the bathroom as well as some pictures. This bathroom looks a lot nicer than most restaurants. The majority of people will not return to a restaurant if they believe the bathroom to be less than satisfactory. What I can not believe is the number of really nice restaurants with great food that have horrid bathrooms. Whether it's the primitive nature of them (i.e. exposed plumbing, cracked fixtures, or the bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling) or the extreme filth level, it is surprising to see the neglect that restaurants show to their bathrooms.

While on the subject of the best restroom, where have you found the worst public restroom?

The worst one I have had to use (due to lack of options and necessity) was on I-75 south of Mackinaw City. It was this little hole-in-the-wall gas station off the same exit as Sea Shell City (I believe it is anyway). I walked in to the bathroom (I use the term loosely) and stumbled because the bathroom floor was actually about 4 inches lower than the floor of the gas station.

The walls were bare cinder block and the floor was rough concrete (just a step above a dirt floor). The exposed plumbing, dirty fixtures, and good old hanging light bulb only added to the primitive ambiance. I scrubbed my hands quite thoroughly (at least they had a sink) and thought that if ever I was up this way again and in the same situation I would stop and visit the woods instead.

Winter Enthusiasts Rejoice - Winter is Back!

Except for us in southern lower Michigan, it looks like winter is hitting Michigan once again. A foot of snow is predicted all across northern lower Michigan. Grab your skis, load up the snowmobile, and make sure you have 4-wheel drive if you are heading up for some outdoor winter fun. If you are heading up to the Upper Peninsula, you might want to check out the Mackinac Bridge webcam and current Bridge Conditions. They are currently experiencing such high winds that the Mackinac Bridge Authority is asking you to use caution and reduce your speed to a maximum of 20 miles per hour.

The current bridge cam images allow you to barely see the highway when on a normal day you can see the towers of the bridge. Looks like travelling will be interesting. This is good news for the winter tourism industry though.

Incredible Pictures of Northern Michigan Beach in the Winter

The Traverse City Record Eagle ran an interesting piece today on Michigan's beaches in winter. The story and photos concentrate on the Frankfort area just south of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The icy photo of Point Betsie Lighthouse is simply surreal. The Record Eagle was nice enough to include the story exactly as it appears in the newspaper as a PDF. This is great for those of us who do not have a subscription to this fine northern Michigan newspaper. Enjoy!

Link to the PDF that you can download - A Day at the Beach

Link to the online story - Photo Essay: A Day at the Beach

Great Wolf Lodge Deal - $149 Per Night

Just wanted to let you in on a deal that Great Wolf Lodge has going on now through March 23, 2006. If you are interested in staying at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City for a great rate of $149 per night all you need to do is use the promotional code GREAT6A online or when you call to make a reservation. This is almost 50% off of the regular price of a one night stay for the lowest priced rooms.

Mountain Biking Association Gives Michigan Trails a B+

Michigan received a B+ on it's 264 miles of mountain biking trails. That was good enough to only rank behind Virginia, West Virginia, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Southern Michigan is home to many great trails at Island Lake, Fort Custer, Pinckney, Brighton, and Highland recreation areas. For more information on mountain biking trails in Michigan check out the Michigan DNR website trail search.

Mountain Biking Association Gives Michigan Trails High Marks