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[Kristin Meredith]

We have just returned from our brief road trip to Grand Haven Mich.  I will try to summarize a bit from each day and some photos.

Day 1 (Wed Oct 28) -- left Culpeper and headed up through West Virginia, western PA, and into Ohio.  It was cloudy and overcast the first 2/3's of the day  and then sunny the remaining 1/3.  The leaf color going was not that great.  We stayed in Columbus that night and went to Schmidt's Haus in the German Village part of Columbus.  It was dark, but looked like a charming part of town with cobbled streets and the houses nicely kept.

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[Kristin Meredith]

Schmidt's is a German Restaurant.  Bent had the 4 sausage sample platter with German potato salad and red cabbage. I really liked his red cabbage and liked 3 of the 4 sausages (not impressed by the brat).  I had the sauerbraten -- very good!  There was nothing special about my kraut (tasted like just out of a can), but I liked the warm German potato salad.  Really good suggestion for a place to eat in Columbus!

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[Kristin Meredith]

Day 2 -- Columbus to Toledo so Bentley could have a dog at Tony Packo's (made famous by the character of "Max Klinger" in M.A.S.H. --they supposedly sent sausage to Klinger in Korea!).  Bent had the dog "with meat sauce" and onion rings.  I had the chilli cheese fries.  The meat sauce is not the same as their chilli -- and the meat sauce is outstanding.  I am really not a dog person, but had one bite and that was one fine dog!  The chilli cheese fries were the best I have had since leaving California, but not quite on par with Tops in Pasadena.  It was a good stop.

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[Kristin Meredith]

The onion rings look good, but they weren't.  Don't bother with them if you go.

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[Kristin Meredith]

From Toledo on to Grand Haven via Kalamazoo.  Leaf color was mainly yellows with some muted oranges until Kalamazoo -- then some spectacular reds started to appear!!!

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[yorkdude]

You did a great job taking us along. That hot dog looks unbelievably good.

[Kristin Meredith]

Day 3 -- had a few hours in the morning so drove down to Holland just to look around. What a charming town.  We will definitely return in the spring to see the tulips in view.  Caught a few glimpses of the lake, but it was a little on the chilly side, so definitely a return trip is planned for warmer weather.  More beautiful leaves, then on to lunch with friends Bonnie and Bill (Trooper) and JDMessner and wife Sally at TED's, a restaurant in Spring Lake, MI owned by Bonnie and Bill's daughter and SIL. Great food and tremendous company.  Sorry no pics of the food (too distracted by the conversation with the friends!) but one of the friends.  When we left, JD and Sally gave us some snacks for the road -- potato chips made in Traverse City, MI and tart, dried cherries from that region.  Not much made it home!  Lovely time with lovely folks.

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[Kristin Meredith]

Day 4 -- left Grand Haven yesterday and got to Zanesville, Ohio for overnight.  Then home today.  More pretty leaves and great snacks!

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[Free Mr. Tony]

Great road trip pictures!  I hope next time through I will be up for a visit. I'm sorry that it didn't work this time.

My wife and I go to Holland several times a year. Beautiful town. If you plan on going during the tulip festival, make reservations early, and plan for massive crowds. That place is insane during the festival. We accidentally went one time during, and were quite surprised by how overtaken a small town can be.

[Trooper]

B&K
First off, Bonnie and I LOVED the visit from everybody. The four people that we were with are totally easy to socialize with.
Bonnie commented on the way home that she was disappointed that Bentley had ordered the fish. He was polite.
But, hey Bent, Bonnie and I don't care for that fish arrangement at our daughters restaurant either.

And you missed the color season. The color season is at it's peak here in Mid-Michigan from October 4-10 maybe. This year was a spectacular color season and I'll send you some more photos, Bent. Sorry that things were so brown and past color for your visit here.

FMT is certainly correct in that the Tulip Festival in Holland can be a brutal time to visit. Tons of people swarm over that small town. People moteling it have to stay quite a ways out. So maybe another segment of the calendar? Would also like to get the two from Culpepper out in Lake Michigan on a charter boat for some Coho Salmon fishing. I think they would enjoy that. And they need to see Lake Michigan and its wonderful sandy fresh water beaches. Much to see and do here in west Michigan. Gosh, Bonnnie and I would love to visit with them again.
We can't thank them enough for their trip here.

[Bentley]

The company was pretty special!  I did not mind the fish, I just thought it would be more Fish n Chips.  I am usually not a "restaurant" burger guy, but after the small taste you gave me of yours, the char on that burger was special.  Now PB&J on a burger is blasphemy, but tell Bonnie next time I will go burger with full on mayo, cheese's and onions, that is a definite!

I would very much like to fish with Bonnie on the lake.  And as far as the festival, it sounds like a mad house, but Kristin would be more interested in just seeing the farms with the tulips more then a festival.  You either need to tell me when, or i will do some research as to when my best chance of landing a Coho will be.  We will be back in a few months.  It was very nice to get to meet JD and Sally and to talk with them, will be nice if they can come back too!

[jdmessner]

Glad you made it back safely! It was great being able to get together and talk in a “real” space as opposed to “cyber” space.

It was a perfect place to meet for lunch. The restaurant was a very comfortable place to talk and eat. I think Trooper’s daughter and SIL have done an amazing job. There is a nice variety of things on the menu. I really enjoyed the Whitefish Po Boy. However, I think the most unique sandwich was definitely the grilled hamburger topped with peanut butter and bacon that Trooper ordered (and may have inspired). I need to go back in the near future and give it a try.

Thanks again, it was a lot of fun getting together with you, I appreciated the invite! I hope to catch up with you in the spring for the tulips and a fishing trip! Looking forward to your posts on the Texas trip!!

[jdmessner]

Here is the full group picture.

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[urnmor]

Thank you that was great enjoyed the photos and the description of each plate.  So glad you all enjoyed yourselves

[Bar-B-Lew]

I find it is always nice to get together with cyberfriends in person.  For me, it usually doesn't last long enough.  The hour, two, or three is always too short and you wish it could be days.

As others have said, thanks for sharing and allowing the rest of us to virtually be there too.