In pure homage to United’s wonderful Hemispheres feature (I’ve been a reader for years), I wanted to reimagine what they would say if they were to paint a picture of 3 days on the Art Coast of Michigan. So, here goes!

Day 1

You arrive into the area by land, sea or air. Land: a 2.5 hour drive from Chicago or 3 hours from Detroit. Sea: a romantic high speed ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon, 50 minutes to Saugatuck. Air: you arrive in style at the Grand Rapids airport before being whisked away to RWP.

Driving up the Blue Star Highway from the south to Randolph Street, you first pass by several interesting local businesses, including the Saugatuck Antique Pavilion– which has an impressive amount of mid-century modern artifacts, the next-door Saugatuck Brewing Company– which hosted the Stanley Cup for a visit last Fall, the Douglas Dunes Resort, and the Farmhouse Deli & Pantry— purveyor of gourmet sides and deliciously prepared meals.

 

You make mental notes to make time for each, but the one stop you will make is Demond’s “SuperValu” (sic) on the corner of Blue Star and Center Street– for weekend provisions. This is not Dean and Deluca, folks, so manage your expectations.

Your shopping list:

• Fresh Blueberries (this time of year they’ll be from Mexico, but do taste like blueberries)
• Ground Starbucks French/Italian Roast
• Bacon
• Heavy cream
• Quart of Milk (pancakes)
• Pancake Mix
• Michigan Pure Maple syrup
• Port wine (and any other wines/ spirits)

The kind people at Demond’s offer to load your groceries, but you politely decline joking to yourself that this may be your only workout this relaxing weekend. You slip out of back of the parking lot, past the colorful local diner/bowling alley (appropriately named ‘Alley’s) and come out onto Center Street.

Heading east down Center Street- the heart and true main street of Douglas- you are struck by the quaint quintessential American small town feeling. Bright Shops, restaurants, galleries and the one post office (where is Sam Drucker?) are bustling with activity and you again make mental notes to return later (and you will!).

You pass the local favorite Everyday People Cafe (aka EDPC, your dining destination for that evening) as you continue heading east to Water Street. There you have your first glimpse of water — Lake Kalamazoo (or the Kalamazoo river or Wade’s Bayou, depending on with whom you speak).

 

Your heart skips a beat at all the sights you’ve just seen as you turn right onto Water Street to Randolph. You now realize you took the long way around and you’re happy you did because now you have a great perspective on your new hometown-for-the-weekend.

Turning right onto Randolph, you see the second little house on your left which you recognize as RWP!

Pulling into the drive you survey the lush grounds and unload the groceries. Once into the house, you and your housemates debate who gets which stateroom– the Whaleback on the first floor, or the Lookout on the second. Both have their distinct advantages, but both have the same hotel-quality mattresses (you know, the kind that guests ask the concierge where they can buy them).

 

 

Once groceries are put away and luggage stowed, you and your party make adult refreshments in “to-go” cups, and prepare for an on-foot tour of the neighborhood. Heading out the front door, you turn right to again face the water and overlook it as you walk along the hill of Water Street to Bayou. There you head down the road to the dock, where you may or may not decide to rent kayaks to do a quick tour by water, depending on your arrival time and fortitude.

Once your water interlude has finished, you again walk up Bayou which becomes Center Street (the same street you earlier drove down). This time you do stop in at Everyday People Cafe (EDPC)– to put your names in for dinner later.

 

 

You read this blog, so you’re well advised to do this because you know that Friday night is the night here — the one at which all the locals congregate as though they are a pack of lions and this is the only watering hole for miles. Just kidding. Kind of. But you like that kind of energy and bustle, because if you didn’t, you would march right across the street to try equally good but much more subdued, but nontheless popular Wild Dog Grille to put your name in.

Continuing on that side of the street you amble your way to the Button Gallery— which is hosting a Spring Exhibit 5/7/16 – 6/1/16 featuring Kathleen Kalinowski Fine Art spring landscapes (one of which is featured at the top of this blog).

You did it. You bought that gorgeous water landscape that caught your eye. And to celebrate you’re going to start with a glass of Champagne (Prosecco) at EDPC (Wild Dog). Because you’re so close to RWP, you stop back home to drop off your painting and freshen up knowing that it’s only a two block walk back to the restaurant. You congratulate yourself that no one has to be a designated driver tonight- even if everyone is only having 2 drinks- because you’re all walking!

Arriving a bit early to EDPC, it’s as bustling as you were told, but the crowd is festive and fun.  After checking in with the host, you and your party decide to head to the rear Patio Wine Garden to grab that glass of Champagne (/IPA) you promised yourself.  Opening the doors, the scent of neighboring lilac trees perfume the air– there is no mistaking what season it is.  Your senses continue to awaken with the sound of live Jazz from the trio in the corner of the patio– a Miles Davis rendition of “My Favorite Things.”  Indeed.

Just as you’re finishing your cocktail, the hostess comes — almost on cue– to escort you to your table. You’re seated in the front– original dining room in a quaint booth with crisp white butcher block paper over white linens.

Everything on the menu looks fantastic, and here’s what you order:

• Drunken Shrimp Sambuca– seared shrimp in a shallot-garlic-sumbuca cream sauce wrapped in puff pastry;
• You then have your individual side salad– delicious fresh greens and carrots.  You order the sweet Balsamic AND creamy Gorgonzola on the side and mix them to your preference.  Delicious, particularly with the accompanied buttered seasoned rolls.
• For your main dish, it’s a tough choice but you ultimately choose the seared tuna with wasabi pea crust.

Having had that gourmet dining experience, you all have one last evening walk down Center Street before retiring to RWP for a relaxing conversation over a glass of Port on the rear patio chairs and glider.  Fireflies start to illuminate the garden as you all recap the events of the day!

Day 2

As you awaken to the morning sun pouring in and Robins (Michigan’s state bird) sing-songing their morning greetings, you are up before everyone else, so you opt to walk a few blocks again down Center Street to the local coffee shop– Respite.  Aptly named, as the coffee is a delicious respite to the norm.

Returning to RWP, your compadres already started breakfast.  Bacon is in the oven (on the broiler pan wrapped in foil, baking at 400 degF), and the griddle is out ready for the pancake batter. Plunk! Plunk!  The fresh blueberries are dropped into the batter just after it is poured on the griddle (a line cook taught me that once– allows for the perfect berry pop, but also to make plain ones for those who don’t like berries).

All efforts thanks to the chefs (and the well stocked kitchen).

After breakfast you all head directly over to the Eighth Street Farmer’s Market in Holland, Mi (only 20 minutes away).  Music, food (seriously?!), and amazing flowers, herbs, and plants (you’ve never seen a Japanese Maple this gorgeous for the fifth of the cost of what you would pay in a nursery in your home town).

 

*** Ray’s Tamale King is your lunch and you wait in a long line for it, but it is totally worth it.  ****

After a long morning of experiencing the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Farmer’s Market, you make your way back to RWP.  Your housemates take a “disco nap”, but you are energized and decide to get a workout in at the BlueStar Community Gym.  Although it looks kinda like a Chipotle from the outside 😉 , you are actually impressed with the cleanliness and modern equipment– endorphins!

Rejoining your crew at RWP, you all freshen up and get ready for JD Souther at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (you are a fan of Yacht Rock and educate everyone that JD wrote and co-wrote songs for the Eagles, including “Best of My Love”, “New Kid in Town”, “HeartAche Tonight”). You grab a quick burger at Wilde Dog Grille (EDPC ) before the show!

Day 3

Today is a beach day, so after a self-imposed continental breakfast at RWP, you grab folding chairs in the front closet of RWP, and stop at Farmhouse Deli and Pantry to grab a picnic lunch.

A day at Oval beach is the perfect end to a perfect weekend.

As you return to RWP to clean up and pack, you sign the guestbook as you concurrently look at your calendar to plan your next stay!

 

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