Thursday, September 16, 2010

Traverse City

Shopping doesn't happen much around where I live. We are rural/ recreational. Shopping Malls are not a happening item and progressive health care doesn't necessarily happen close to home. It's beautiful here, peaceful, and IMHO isolated from hub bub. Ah, but what if you like hub bub, crowds, shopping, and all the acumen's you can get in an urban setting? You drive...a lot. It's okay. It's a trade off I made to have my children grow up in this environment. That wasn't necessarily better or worse - only different.

Yesterday we drove to Traverse City. It's where my dentist is located - an hour and a half away. I know, it's a constant whine for me on this topic. Yes, there are dentists around here. Don't forget, I said progressive health care - I like health practitioners who know what the newest "things" are. My dental hygienist is top notch and uses a laser to clean teeth. Gone is scraping and grinding. Okay, well, that is to much information on that topic. What we did have was great time while we were there getting the bi-annual cleaning.

Traverse City is an "arty" and progressive community. Lots of things to see and do. Mario Batali keeps a summer home there on Grand Traverse Bay. Michael Moore is a frequent guest and started the Traverse City Film Festival. The downtown is vibrant and interesting. It's safe, trendy, and walkable. There is an opera house downtown - you'd never know it was there by the look of the buildings but inside it's fabulous and has been restored.



We did the "medical thing" and then took a homemade lunch to a park by Logan's Landing. It's a wonderful park that has evolved over the years and there is path that runs in and around the water for the bikers and walkers. After the lunch it was into downtown (like a five minute drive around the corner). We puttered, window shopped, and I took a few photos. Buildings are always intriguing and I'd really like to go inside and investigate all of them - maybe a better job for me would have been a building inspector. Don't you just love the colors and the blocking on some of these?



Tomorrow it's back to the beads. Maybe with a new color blocking influence. Where did I put those enamels I just bought from Bronwen Heilman at the Gathering!

3 comments:

Patty said...

Sounds like you made the most out of what would have been a mundane trip, Sharon. Glad your toofies are squeeky clean, and thanks for the update on Traverse City. I spent many a summer at Houghton Lake as a kid, with my grandparents, and we paid a few visits to Traverse City during cherry season. I'd love to go back some day.

Right Turn ArtWerks said...

Patty, My DH is an old HL kid. He grew up there/ older sister and brother too! His parents owned a resort on the lake. What was your Grandparent's name? Oh my, is this like seven degrees of separation? TC is still wonderful and a favorite place for me to visit.

Patty said...

This is just too funny. My grandparents were Gary and Merle Johnson. They had a cottage on the lake as a vacation place for a while, and after they retired (from Detroit area) they built a home across the alley from the cottage. I would love to go back there some day and see what it's like. It's been forever.