Biggby Coffee

This is a Michigan Made gem that I must have been forcing myself not to notice for the past couple of years.  With my job I spend a lot of time in coffee shops working from my computer.  I have to say I have been a culprit of spending many afternoons in large, national chain coffee shops.  With the help of a coupon, Ted and I found ourselves in a Biggby Coffee.  We loved the coffee, people, and atmosphere and to top everything off it is a Michigan based company.  Yes I have officially switched my office on the road to my local Biggby Coffee and I am very excited about the change.

The Fly Trap

Another restaurant I keep hearing rave reviews about is the The Fly Trap in downtown Ferndale.  We decided to venture out for dinner at The Fly Trap on what I think was the coldest night of the winter.  The diner is so small and cozy, we quickly warmed up and had a wonderful meal.  Ted loves that they make everything by hand and raved about the hot sauce (I am more for mild flavors so I didn't touch those.)  The restaurant has been featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives- you can check it out here.  It is a fun change of pace from busy, chain restaurants and sure has a creative menu to choose from.

Each table has silly salt and pepper shakers.  We were lucky enough to land the table with this one!

Kona Grill

Last weekend we went out to Kona Grill in Troy for a birthday celebration. I keep hearing that this is the best place to get sushi and I have to agree, it was pretty fantastic.  We went during happy hour on a Saturday and the majority of their rolls were discounted along with some fun inexpensive drink options. 

Between the five of us we ordered this gigantic plate of sushi.  I was so excited to take a picture of it to share with all of you (it really was a work of art), but in our excitement to try everything we ordered we didn't remember to take a picture of the plate until it looked like this . . . oops!

Detroit Historical Museum

A visit to the Detroit Historical Museum has been on my to do list for over a year now.  For some reason it has taken us this long to get down there, but we finally did.  We spent a leisurely afternoon at the museum learning all about this city's fabulous history- what an exciting past Detroit has had (makes me excited to see what the future holds!)  My favorite part had to be the streets of old Detroit, it was so interesting to be transformed back in time and see what use to be.  Lots of great information and just the right size to explore in an afternoon.

John K. King Books

With life getting busier we haven't found much time to explore Detroit like we use to.  I was pleasantly surprised last week when we decided on a whim to spend the afternoon and evening visiting some Detroit destinations that were new to us.  Our coolest stop had to be John K. King Rare and Used Books.  The shop located on Lafayette street is Michigan's largest used bookstore.  It is outrageously huge and it felt like they had to have every book ever published!  It is a great place to spend a slow afternoon, but make sure you bundle up, the store is chilly.

North American International Auto Show

This week I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the Auto Show in Detroit.  I have to start off by saying, I have never been big into cars and really don't understand anything much about them.  But, I do love going to the Auto Show.  The excitement in the city, the people, the lights . . . I pretty much love it all.  The Auto Show opens to the public this weekend and I highly recommend taking some time to head down there, it is a can't miss in Detroit.  The Auto Show will be open through January 22.

Detroit Opera House

We welcomed in the New Year at the Detroit Opera House.  We spent the evening watching one of my favorite musicals, Wicked.  2012 brings more great shows (and something for everyone) to the Detroit Opera House with performances of American Idiot, Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Motor City Blues Festival, and Swan Lake.

Monterrey Cantina

Last week we made our way over to Monterrey Cantina in Royal Oak after a suggestion from a friend.  Well, I fell in love.  I am not the biggest fan of Mexican, but everything was delicious.  I was particularly fond of the margaritas and chips and really didn't need to order anything else (but of course I did).  The margaritas were blended to perfection and the chips had the best seasoning.  Looking forward to visiting again in the summer and enjoying a meal outside on the sidewalk tables.

Short's Brewery

During our stop in Bellaire we had lunch at Short's Brewery.  Of course we knew the beer would be delicious and we were pleasantly surprised that the food was just as fabulous.  We ordered our favorite pizza (bacon and mushroom) and along with my Coffee Stout I was pretty much in heaven.  The place was packed with skiers off the hill for lunch so make sure you get there a little before the lunch rush to  get a table.  Also, they don't have waiters so you have to wait in line to order- but it is very well worth the wait.

Sassafras

As I have mentioned before, we love exploring downtown areas and doing lots of window shopping.  On our way home from Charlevoix we stopped in Bellaire.  The main purpose of our stop was to have lunch at one of our favorite breweries- Short's (pictures of that later this week.)  Since we had never been to Bellaire we spent some time exploring the beautiful downtown area.  I was particularly fond of this little store, Sassafras.  Lots of fun Michigan products and great gift ideas.  Looking forward to visiting Bellaire again in the future!

Weathervane Terrace

One of our favorite Michigan vacation destinations in the Weathervane in Charlevoix.  We recently made a trip to the Weathervane for a few days of skiing, downtown exploring, and some much needed down time.  We always have a wonderful time at the Weathervane no matter what season.  During the winter we spend time hidden away in our room watching movies, sneaking into the downtown pubs for a few beers, and warming up in the hot tub.  We also spent time skiing at Boyne Highlands, where there was plenty of snow and lots of lifts open.