Pudgy Fudgies

We went back to Mackinaw Island while my brother Robbie was visiting and indulged again in their famous fudge. Once you have, you become a "fudgie." Yum. Good eats.

Polish Cracker

What happens when a Florida Cracker attends a Polish festival? You have a Polish Cracker! So many festivals, so little time. . . This one was in Boyne Falls and was complete with a Polka tent and of course the required Kielbasa, Polish sausage, and kraut. An added attraction was the pre-1960 classic tractor pull. Ya think this is farm country?

Petoskey Rocks!

Both the town and the stones. We strolled the bay front park and looked at the immaculately restored homes and buildings near downtown and along the bay. You can see what was once a neglected church is now an impressive art center. The Petoskey Stone is Michigan's state stone. It is a type of coral from about 350 million years ago when this area of Michigan was a shallow marine sea. The "eyes" in the stone are actually individual cells where a small animal lived and harvested food. Lake Michigan beachcombers search for the stones, much as us Floridians look for sharks teeth. I've found some and am in the process of sanding and polishing them in hopes of them eventually looking like the sample in the picture!

The Beat of the (Steel) Drum

What happens when you offer high schoolers an opportunity for fun and travel? You get a stage full of talented, energetic Steel Drum performers! The Petoskey HS program that started out about 14 years ago with a mere eight musicians, has grown to one of the most popular music programs in the State. All equipment, instruments, and expenses are paid for from fund raisers and the sale of CD's and a new DVD. These sought-out kids have performed several times in New Orleans, in Hawaii, and other parts of the country. During the summer they often perform as many as three concerts a day, spanning several cities. Their repertoire is diverse, too, from the traditional Jimmy Buffet songs, to Lord of the Dance, to the Nutcracker, to Deliverance's famous dueling banjos (steel drum style). For us, they were the highlight of Alpenfest. They rock!

I Love a Parade

Gaylord's Alpenfest saves the best for last. Their parade is on Saturday, closing day for the festival. And what a parade! It went on for over an hour and included marching bands, floats, antique cars, local clubs and businesses, police, rescue, fire, and of course "dignitaries" such as Ronald MacDonald, Homer (Home Depot) and Jet (Jet's Pizza). A unique group was the local grocers' precision marching shopping carts! I'd estimate that over one third of the approximately fifty floats were queens and courts from other Michigan towns and festivals. This state loves it's festivals!

Alpenfest

The third week of July is when the little town of Gaylord hosts a huge swiss-themed festival. Several blocks downtown are closed off for carnival rides, food booths and vendors. There are free events and concerts all day, and with the purchase of a souvenir pin for $3 you get free food and admission to special events held every day. Many families make this their annual vacation destination. Dirndl's and lederhosen abound!

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

At least at the National Cherry Festival. We likened it to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City (FL), in that there were more ways to use cherries than you could imagine! Of course there's no pit spitting contest at the Strawberry Festival. (Can you believe there are people who can propel a cherry pit to over 50 feet?!) The week-long Cherry Festival is held along the beautiful shores of the bay in Traverse City, MI. Some of the festivities we enjoyed during our afternoon and evening there included the kids chalk art, the Air Dog competition, the wine sampling tent complete with a host sommelier (pictured in the green shirt by the barrel), and of course the live music venues.