The Trip of a Lifetime, Pt. 2
When we left off last blog we had just survived a trip over the big and awesome Mackinac Bridge. That was on day 3 of a 9-day trip so there is plenty of adventure left to blog about.
The wedding was to be held in Charlevoix, Michigan where Connie lived. While we usually travel without hotel reservations, we knew that we had better have some reservations while we stayed in or near Charlevoix. I spent some time checking out the available accommodations and we came to the conclusion that most of the hotels were too high priced. We began checking bed and breakfast establishments to see what was available...and we hit pay dirt!
We chose Horton Creek Bed and Breakfast about 10 miles from Charlevoix. They had a beautiful website and making reservations was so easy. We chose the cheapest room, $135 per night, which undercut the prices of hotels in town by at least $50 per night! Our room was the "bear room". Each room was decorated in its own special motif such as the "deer room" and the "moose room", etc.
Keep in mind this was 4 1/2 years ago and our phones were not smart phones so we had no access to GPS, we just had to rely on the website directions and feel our way along. We finally found the road we thought we were supposed to be on, which was a one-lane asphalt path. It wound through the trees for what seemed like a long way. We were just beginning to think we were on the wrong road when the road led into a clearing where a beautiful log home sat...and a sign that said Horton Creek Bed and Breakfast. We had arrived!
As we got out of our vehicle, the door opened and we were greeted by our hosts who were very kind and hospitable. The grounds were beautifully kept with flowers galore, an outdoor patio for guests and a swimming pool. The house was beautifully decorated, and it was all available to their guests except their private quarters. This could have been a destination all in itself. We had to remind ourselves that we were in town for a wedding and this was simply our "hotel room".
This, to date, has been our only experience with a bed an breakfast, but we are eager to try another sometime in hopes that it will be as positive an experience as Horton Creek Bed and Breakfast was for us. We hope someday to go back to this place and be able to spend our days there enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and take advantage of the pool and patio.
At this point we ceased being tourists and became family of the bride, participating in all the festivities leading up to the main event. We enjoyed a BBQ at the home of the future Mr. and Mrs. Nemecek where we met many of their friends. We were also joined at that time by my sister, Nancy and her husband Stan and kids, Zak and Jessica.
On Saturday the wedding wasn't scheduled until evening, so we had the whole day to hang out. Tracy, the groom, is a speed boat enthusiast and owns his own boat. They have a group of friends they have met through their boating hobby who gathered at the marina on Saturday morning to take a boat trip up the shore a few miles for lunch.
Mike wasn't super excited about boating, although he was in awe of the motors and the horsepower involved! But he was a good sport and jumped in, cowboy boots and all, for a ride up the coast. We rode with friends of Connie and Tracy who were most hospitable. They talked to us and explained a lot of things that we had no idea about. Out on the open waters of Lake Michigan he opened up the throttle, and at one point we were sailing at a rate of 100 mph! Talk about a thrill!!! I had to just put it out of my mind that Lake Michigan was 300 ft. deep there and sit back and trust that our driver knew his business.
A few miles up shore we pulled into a master-planned community called Bay Harbor. As we pulled into the bay, we were amazed at the beautiful (and very expensive) homes that lined the harbor. It was an entirely new world for us. It was especially interesting to me that many of the homes had garages for their boats which allowed them to boat into the garage right off the bay and shut the door.
We docked at the marina and went ashore where we had lunch in the Knot Just a Bar. We sat outside near the marina and enjoyed the beautiful weather of the day and all the activity in the area. We felt like we had walked into another entire world!
After lunch we boarded our speed boats and headed back to Charlevoix, it would soon be wedding time!
The wedding was scheduled for 7:00, and about 5:00 the clouds opened up and poured rain. But it was just a quick drencher, and almost as soon as it started, the skies cleared off and it turned into a beautifully cool evening.
The wedding took place on the marina, a place that was most special to them. They said their vows while standing on the front of their boat (bare-footed so as not to scratch the paint job). When the ceremony ended, all their boater friends jumped into their boats and roared the engines. I guess that was the equivalent of throwing rice!
After the ceremony we walked to the Weathervane, a local hotel/restaurant venue where the reception was held. We had been joined by a friend of Connie's, Donita Bammerlin, who was a former Keya Paha County, Nebraska resident. It was a lot of fun to sit at the "family" table.
There was a wedding singer who provided music throughout the reception. And there was a lone cowboy in the crowd who had taken off his hat and had it in the chair beside him. And, while we are used to hats in this country, they are a mighty rare sight in Michigan. It was inevitable that the wedding singer would have to discover the hat and make a fun time out of it. So, as you can see from the picture, she wore the hat and sang to its owner. He smiled and played along and actually seemed to enjoy it. I had to wonder what happened to my husband who usually shuns the limelight.
All in all, it was a fun wedding that had a lot of meaning as well as a good time of celebration and merry-making. But, all good things must end, and by 11:00 at night I am usually ready for them to end, so we headed back to our rustic accommodations for our last night there.
This was day 5 of a 9 day trip so there are more adventures to come...
The wedding was to be held in Charlevoix, Michigan where Connie lived. While we usually travel without hotel reservations, we knew that we had better have some reservations while we stayed in or near Charlevoix. I spent some time checking out the available accommodations and we came to the conclusion that most of the hotels were too high priced. We began checking bed and breakfast establishments to see what was available...and we hit pay dirt!
 |
| Horton Creek Bed and Breakfast |
We chose Horton Creek Bed and Breakfast about 10 miles from Charlevoix. They had a beautiful website and making reservations was so easy. We chose the cheapest room, $135 per night, which undercut the prices of hotels in town by at least $50 per night! Our room was the "bear room". Each room was decorated in its own special motif such as the "deer room" and the "moose room", etc.
Keep in mind this was 4 1/2 years ago and our phones were not smart phones so we had no access to GPS, we just had to rely on the website directions and feel our way along. We finally found the road we thought we were supposed to be on, which was a one-lane asphalt path. It wound through the trees for what seemed like a long way. We were just beginning to think we were on the wrong road when the road led into a clearing where a beautiful log home sat...and a sign that said Horton Creek Bed and Breakfast. We had arrived!
As we got out of our vehicle, the door opened and we were greeted by our hosts who were very kind and hospitable. The grounds were beautifully kept with flowers galore, an outdoor patio for guests and a swimming pool. The house was beautifully decorated, and it was all available to their guests except their private quarters. This could have been a destination all in itself. We had to remind ourselves that we were in town for a wedding and this was simply our "hotel room".
This, to date, has been our only experience with a bed an breakfast, but we are eager to try another sometime in hopes that it will be as positive an experience as Horton Creek Bed and Breakfast was for us. We hope someday to go back to this place and be able to spend our days there enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and take advantage of the pool and patio.
At this point we ceased being tourists and became family of the bride, participating in all the festivities leading up to the main event. We enjoyed a BBQ at the home of the future Mr. and Mrs. Nemecek where we met many of their friends. We were also joined at that time by my sister, Nancy and her husband Stan and kids, Zak and Jessica.
 |
| A beautiful evening for a gathering of friends |
On Saturday the wedding wasn't scheduled until evening, so we had the whole day to hang out. Tracy, the groom, is a speed boat enthusiast and owns his own boat. They have a group of friends they have met through their boating hobby who gathered at the marina on Saturday morning to take a boat trip up the shore a few miles for lunch.
 |
| Tracy's Speed Boat |
Mike wasn't super excited about boating, although he was in awe of the motors and the horsepower involved! But he was a good sport and jumped in, cowboy boots and all, for a ride up the coast. We rode with friends of Connie and Tracy who were most hospitable. They talked to us and explained a lot of things that we had no idea about. Out on the open waters of Lake Michigan he opened up the throttle, and at one point we were sailing at a rate of 100 mph! Talk about a thrill!!! I had to just put it out of my mind that Lake Michigan was 300 ft. deep there and sit back and trust that our driver knew his business.
A few miles up shore we pulled into a master-planned community called Bay Harbor. As we pulled into the bay, we were amazed at the beautiful (and very expensive) homes that lined the harbor. It was an entirely new world for us. It was especially interesting to me that many of the homes had garages for their boats which allowed them to boat into the garage right off the bay and shut the door.
We docked at the marina and went ashore where we had lunch in the Knot Just a Bar. We sat outside near the marina and enjoyed the beautiful weather of the day and all the activity in the area. We felt like we had walked into another entire world!
After lunch we boarded our speed boats and headed back to Charlevoix, it would soon be wedding time!
The wedding was scheduled for 7:00, and about 5:00 the clouds opened up and poured rain. But it was just a quick drencher, and almost as soon as it started, the skies cleared off and it turned into a beautifully cool evening.
 |
| Connie and Tracy |
After the ceremony we walked to the Weathervane, a local hotel/restaurant venue where the reception was held. We had been joined by a friend of Connie's, Donita Bammerlin, who was a former Keya Paha County, Nebraska resident. It was a lot of fun to sit at the "family" table.
There was a wedding singer who provided music throughout the reception. And there was a lone cowboy in the crowd who had taken off his hat and had it in the chair beside him. And, while we are used to hats in this country, they are a mighty rare sight in Michigan. It was inevitable that the wedding singer would have to discover the hat and make a fun time out of it. So, as you can see from the picture, she wore the hat and sang to its owner. He smiled and played along and actually seemed to enjoy it. I had to wonder what happened to my husband who usually shuns the limelight.
All in all, it was a fun wedding that had a lot of meaning as well as a good time of celebration and merry-making. But, all good things must end, and by 11:00 at night I am usually ready for them to end, so we headed back to our rustic accommodations for our last night there.
This was day 5 of a 9 day trip so there are more adventures to come...
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