Travel

I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington in the Wallingford neighborhood.  My parents still live in the beautiful, eclectic, 1900s house I grew up in.  My husband, son and I live about 2.5 hours away in Wenatchee, Washington so it is always fun to go visit the Otto grandparents and have fun ...
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It's deer hunting season here in Michigan, which means it’s the perfect time to plan a girls’ weekend getaway while the guys are out in the woods. These five Michigan towns are great places to relax and hang out with your girlfriends, and they each have something unique to offer. Petoskey This N...
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The first snow fell last week in Northern Michigan, which means the winter season is already on its way. But don't let a little cold weather and ice keep you from visiting Michigan this winter. There are so many adventures to be had here, and the winter season can be just as beautiful and amazing as...
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The beautiful waters and woods of Northern Michigan inspire people on a daily basis, just as they did Ernest Hemingway who spent the first 22 summers of his life in the region. Considered by many to be American literature’s most influential writer, Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1...
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Hello, friends and welcome back! Halloween is only a few weeks away and I'm getting excited. It's honestly one of my favorite holidays, ever. I love the crisp, cool air and the how creepy things become around this time of year. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer and I lo...
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There is no place I would rather be on a sunny summer day than the shores of Lake Michigan. The water is always cool and clear, the white sand beaches soft and warm. But summer isn’t the only time of year I enjoy visiting The Big Lake. The view changes as the lake changes with the seasons, showing...
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One of the best ways to enjoy the fall season in Michigan is to visit a local farm market or orchard where you can fill up your basket with fresh picked apples, straight-from-the-tree cider and homemade donuts that are still warm. So put on your sweater, grab a pumpkin spice latte and take a drive t...
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Like anywhere else, Michigan has its own set of colloquialisms. If you want to understand the Michigan vernacular, start with this list of vocabulary words. Don't worry, there won't be a test! The Mitten - A nickname for Michigan, because the lower peninsula is shaped like a mitten. Michigander ...
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Michigan is one of the top producers of craft beer in the country. With over 200 breweries, that number has doubled since 2010. It's consistently ranked as one of the top four beer states in the nation. Many of the breweries incorporate Michigan's abundant fruit crops into their brews, leading to i...
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Labor Day is the unofficial start of winter in Michigan. If you’re not from Michigan, you’re double checking your calendar and thinking that you're pretty sure winter doesn’t start until December 22nd. You wonder what about fall? Fall is glorious here. Our landscape turns shades of red, oran...
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