Sun Worshipper in New Buffalo

We do not know who the artist is for this sculpture--yet. It stands at the entrance to the beautiful beach in New Buffalo on Lake Michigan.  He looks like a sun worshipper, doesn't he? He greets the flocks of people coming to view the sunset with open arms. We like him.

Lucy's FLowers in New Buffalo

The colorful adirondacks chairs out front set the tone for Lucy's Flowers in New Buffalo. Their inviting front forced us to stop...and we bought.  They are not just flowers, but furniture and home décor.  We bought a few super lovely Michigan created things.

Turtle Pond Nature Trail in New Buffalo

What are you doing this fine Labor Day? New buffalo has built boardwalks through their two acre marshy wildlife preserve and made an interesting Turtle Pond Nature Trail. We zipped through it on mountain bikes and enjoyed the scenery and natural settings. It sidles along the railroad tracks and bridges a little pond.  It's dedicated to the property owner, Elizabeth McNeil, and is pretty serene with plenty of shade and wildflowers.

Barney's Lobstermania in New Buffalo

We have vacationed all over Michigan and feel that Barney's grocery store in New Buffalo is one of the best markets in a resort area. Because we love to cook, we were there every day during our week there and marveling at their selection. If you have mobility problems, they even deliver to your door. This Saturday is their Lobstermania where they fly in live Maine lobsters and sell them for $11.99 per pound until they are gone, gone, gone. Get your lobster pots out and get in on the fun.

Casey's in New Buffalo

Nothing beats the sweet and spicy fries at Casey's Bar and Grill in New Buffalo if you are a chili cheese fry lover. They use sweet potato waffle fries and top them with chili, cheese, pico de gallo and chipotle cream. They were droolingly incredible. A nicely shaded outdoor patio is available when the weather cooperates.  Inside, you'll find a cool art deco bar, tin ceilings harking back to the 19th century maybe??, hardwood floors and lots of old timey photos on the wall of what used to be. Menu items include seafood, pasta dishes, salads, steaks and many very appealing things. There is live music on the weekends. Open tonight (Sunday) until 10pm.

Bear Cave in Buchanan

If you are a spelunker and love exploring caves, then you must head for Buchanan where the only naturally formed cavern in Michigan is found. Located at Bear Cave Resort along the St Joseph River, it is formed from tufa rock and is very small, but worth a visit, as tufa caves are pretty rare. It has some history as being used as a stop in the Underground Railroad and some infamous bank robbers stored loot here in 1875 and thus the cave was featured in the famous 1903 silent movie The Great Train Robbery. Entering through the gift shop, the resort gives out flashlights when exploring the cave, so that you might see better the stalactites, petrified leaves, fossils, etc. It is located within a pretty campground that is shaded and has sites for tents and rvs.

Bit o Swiss in Stevensville

We saw the billboard on I-94 advertising Bit o Swiss in Stevensville and decided to explore. Wow. It's the Brigadoon of bakeries in the middle of a subdivision. It's an oasis in the middle of a desert. Four Bit o Swiss delivery trucks were lined up in the parking lot. There were 16 people ahead of us in line on a weekday where we could watch the little elves at work in the kitchen pulling fresh creations from the 20,000 pound old world oven imported from France. Can you say artisan breads? After tasting the baguettes and boules and some of the pastries, we understand why this is a thriving shop now for 45 years. We think it's a Bit o Heaven!

Tapistry Brewery in Bridgman

The newest brewery in our state is Tapistry in Bridgman which opened last month in what was formerly a resale clothing shop. Co-owned by two Michigan guys Joe and Greg, they seem to have brought the right expertise to the table and currently have an unbelievable selection of beers on tap.  The 4,000 square foot facility has a viewing window where you can watch brewmaster, Nathan, do his stuff. They do take advantage of the popular local butcher shop down the street to offer some yummy snacks to go with their pints. We loved what we tasted and ended up bringing home a growler of their Summer Haze. The beer garden has potential!

New Buffalo Sailing Excursions

Sunset boating on Lake Michigan with Stephen Adney's New Buffalo Sailing Excursions is a wonderful experience. Stephen offers introductory sailing lessons and will let you take the helm. It is also an ideal occasion for that marriage proposal, an anniversary or birthday celebration. Catching a sunset or sailing under a beautiful moon on his 31 footer is priceless.

Little Tokyo Sushi in New Buffalo

There is no shortage of great sushi in New Buffalo thanks to Little Tokyo. They are open until 10:30pm which suited our late Friday arrival just perfectly for take-out. Besides our normal California rolls and spicy tuna, we had to get some of their specials like Volcano and Mexican rolls.  They were all worthy. The service was excellent and the staff more than happy to explain their various creations.

Chikaming Township Park and Preserve

There are more than 250 beauiful acres to roam in the Chikaming Park and Preserve and a lovely pavilion with picnic tables tucked way back in the woods. The hiking trails are mowed paths with wildflowers and wildlife to enjoy every where you look. We had the park all to ourselves at 10am and let the dog off his leash to run to his delight. Click on the photo and see if you can spot him.

Mike's Blueberry Farm in New Buffalo

Southwest Michigan is the blueberry capital of the world and we celebrated the month of August by picking them ourselves at Mike's Blueberry Farm in New Buffalo this week on one of the unseasonably cool mornings. The 6 of us hauled out five pounds in no time, so now we are making blueberry waffles, blueberry scones and blueberry cobblers. We hope you, too, are enjoying Michigan's bounty!

Rolling Acres Pet Treat Bakery

We found Trisha Gussman at Skip's Farmer's Market in New Buffalo. She handmakes all kinds of food and treats for pets with no preservatives, no soy, corn, salt, yeast or dyes either. What caught our eye at her Rolling Acres Pet Treat Bakery stand were the chicken claws. Trisha said they are all cartilage and full of protein.  All we can say is our dogs loved them! She's at the farmers market in New Buffalo on Sundays. Just look for the claws.

El Rancho Grande in New Buffalo

The best TexMex food spot in Southwest Michigan is El Rancho Grande in New Buffalo. The décor is sweet with a 200 year old bar from Colorado and all manner of interesting memorabilia and history tidbits about the Alamo, Jim Bowie, Pancho Villa and assorted artifacts to see. Furthermore, it's easy to develop a craving for their delicious homemade food like their burrito grande or their steak fajitas. Occasional mariachi bands stroll throughout.  ¡Viva México!

Paddle boarding on the Galien River

The Galien River is a gentle flowing stream emptying into Lake Michigan at New Buffalo.  Third Coast Surf Shop offers kayak and paddle board rentals here to adventurers. Stand-up paddle boarding, aka SUPing, is a fast growing sport in Michigan. We had a lovely experience on the river today, enjoying the scenery and wildlife.

Skip's Farmers Market in New Buffalo

A popular place on both Saturdays and Sundays May-October is Skip's Open-Air Farmers Market in New Buffalo. It's easy to spot on the lakeside of Red Arrow Highway with the familiar white tent awnings.  In its fifth season, it was humming with activity today. The fresh veggies and luscious offerings of fruit are a huge draw as well as stands that sell olive oils, soaps, jewelry, unique clothing, knives, and artists selling their lovely objets d'art. We observed lots of people with dogs. One pooch was laden with a purchase-filled saddle pack!

New Buffalo Ship and Shore Festival

Seems like every other license plate in the small resort community of New Buffalo is from Illinois (translate: Chicago). We are here enjoying their Ship and Shore Festival this weekend.  The bands start performing at noon and go non-stop until midnight.  The streets are jam-packed with revelers. The lighted boat parade included a yellow submarine and a blue flashing figure with cool fingernails.  Fireworks on the beach cap it all.

St Joseph's Planes and Trains

Adults and children alike are enjoying the painted planes and trains in downtown St Joseph this summer.  27 of these uniquely decorated machines are on display all over town. Clockwise from the upper left: Puffy Stuffy is the work of Midnite Remisoski, resident of Benton Harbor. She also did the second one, Train the Dogs. Kiddie Hawk was done by Margaret Hogeboom, Toni Smith and Heather Seawright who work together at Chartreuse, a local arts co-op in St Joe's. Flying Straight to College was created by Nicholas Jones who got his Master of Fine Arts from Wayne State. Lastly, the Polar Express train was done by John Foster from Baroda.  St Joseph loves to create a theme and give local artists the chance to create public art.  Through the years they've done bears, dogs, cars and merry-go-round horses.

Yakz Kayak Store in Benton Harbor

Josh and Vern opened a kayak store called Yakz in Benton Harbor this year, following their passion. They are advertising Michigan's great Southwest region as the world's largest Outdoor Waterpark.  Cute. They are certainly experts in their field and sell all manner of colorful kayaks as well as bug sprays that are friendly to the environment and headlamps and fishing gear. They claim that nature is cheaper than therapy. They quote Clarence Budington Kelland, a writer who said, "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."

Stray Dog Bar and Grill in New Buffalo

We are so happy to hear that the roof top opened at the Stray Dog Bar and Grill in New Buffalo this past week. It totally rocks with a view over the downtown area and Lake Michigan. It was just a year ago that the Stray Dog was destroyed by fire. It's rebirth is very cool with a bar downstairs and one on the deck. Their patio out back also offers al fresco dining with intimate tree lighting.  It is definitely a favorite watering hole in this beach town serving veggie tacos, turkey burgers and blue cheese bacon burgers, blackened chicken pitas and lots of Michigan craft beers from a very friendly staff.