Contact Us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. 

888-800-1236

Gourmet Michigan products in unique gift baskets. Great tasting jams, dried cherries, Sanders chocolates, caramel corn, Michigan fudge, and much more.

All Things Michigan

Michigan travels, events, photos, and more

To those who think being neighborly is dead

Andrew Norton

We have a wonderful older gentleman in our neighborhood who happily uses his tractor and attached snowblower to plow out all of the surrounding homes. It's a trick after each significant snowfall to finish using my Yooper Scooper on my driveway before he helps. It's not that I don't want his help, I just like to challenge myself to see how quick I can clear my driveway :). Anyway, he helps everyone young and old get their drives cleared. You don't even have to ask him, although he has said if he doesn't make it down to yours and you need his help to just stop on by or give him a call. There must be about a dozen driveways of varying lengths that he spends the entire morning plowing out after each snowstorm.

I know what you might be thinking. How much does he charge? Well, he won't take money, but he has yet to turn down a handful of fresh-baked cookies. I've helped neighbors get their cars unstuck or shovel a driveway during the years that we have lived here and it hasn't cost me much except a little time.

Before you complain about how unfriendly your neighbors are, think about this. What have I done to extend friendship and to be neighborly? Just think how much better our communities would be if we all asked ourselves this question and then acted upon it.

Have faith, dear readers, for this world isn't as selfish and cold as the news reports would make it out to be.

Detroit Newsreel from 1917

Andrew Norton

This 1917 newsreel mainly features footage from Detroit, but there is a bit of footage from the Traverse City area showcasing their blossom parade. A motorcycle climbing challenge in Lansing also makes its way into the footage. Also in this newsreel:

  • Charitable organization hosts a picnic for hundreds of kids
  • Detroit traffic cop chases down a speeder & hops on the running boards
  • The scofflaws are sent to the House of Correction Farm to atone for their nefarious act of speeding.
  • Scenes from a polo match featuring the Gold Hats of Detroit
  • Trap shooting at St. Thomas
  • The newsreel was silent, of course, so I took it upon myself to add some wonderful selections from Django Rheinhardt - quite arguably a guitarist well before his time.

    Detroit Newsreel 1917 from Andrew on Vimeo.

Happy 92nd Birthday to Ernie Harwell

Andrew Norton

Happy birthday, Mr. Harwell! I know he has good days and bad days so here's to hoping that today is one of the good days. In honor of Mr. Harwell's 92nd birthday, here is the audio from his 1981 Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech (also known as 'Baseball Is') -

Here is the video from the Ernie Harwell tribute at Comerica Park on September 16, 2009 -

Happy Birthday, and God Bless!

Campus Martius Park circa 1899 stunning panoramic photo

Andrew Norton

To see this panoramic photo of downtown Detroit in all of its glory you really should view the high resolution version [it is 34mb]. The old Detroit City Hall is featured prominently in the center of this photo. To the right of that is the grand old Majestic Building which was completed in 1896 and stood until its demolition in 1962. Incidently, the Majestic was designed by Daniel H. Burnham who was one of the creative forces behind the World's Columbian Exposition of 1892 in Chicago.

On the left-hand side of the photo is the Bagley Memorial Fountain which was moved to Cadillac Square in 2007. Just beyond the fountain is Detroit's first skyscraper, The Hammond Building.

In the forefront on the right side you will see the Michigan Soldier's and Sailor's Monument. The white building in the background behind the monument is the Detroit Opera House.

There are so many wonderful things to see in this photo. I love zooming in on the high resolution version and looking at all of the people, streetcars, and old signage. It's a visual cornucopia of Detroit's beautiful architectural history.

Please use the comments to point out any of the other structures in this photo that I have missed noting. Also, for tons of great pictures and history of other notable Detroit buildings you have to visit BuildingsOfDetroit.com.

Video of 1924 concept snow vehicle using Fordson tractor

Andrew Norton

My dad sent me this in an email last week, but I have to give credit to SeekingMichigan.org for posting this excellent footage at Vimeo. If you want to find all kinds of unique historic information and other assorted goodies about Michigan, check it out. This 1924 video showcases the Armstead Snow Motors concept vehicle utilizing both a Fordson tractor and a Chevrolet automobile. I like the rugged utility of the Fordson tractor mashup. I could have a lot of fun with one of those. I can't believe they never went into mass production. You would have thought the military could have made use of them in the winter campaign of 1944-45 in World War II, but perhaps politics and pettiness kept that from happening.

Armstead Snow Motors from Seeking Michigan on Vimeo.

Photo Credit: