Wine & Bike Tour

This weekend was one of the best we've had in a long time.

Perfect weather, beautiful autumn colors and really delicious wine to sip.

Add to that a 40 mile bike ride, our favorite shop dog, beaches and camping and we're in heaven.

The trip is a perfect ode to everything Michigan. The colors, the flavors, the scents, the scenery.

We start our adventure at a local state park. In all fairness to our backpacking ways, I will tell you it is a fully modern campsite. But for the trip we're taking, it was perfect. After a day of cycling in 70 degree sunshine, a nice shower in a cleaned-once-a-day locker room was just right.

This was shop dog's first real camping trip and he was pretty geeked about it.

Our first night kicked off with a casual ride around town, in search of an outdoor restaurant that was Scout-friendly. Alas, being October, many had already put away their patio tables for the season. So we dined (happily!) at House of Doggs and chatted with visitors making friends with Scout.

After a bonfire and a few beers back at camp, we fell into a blissful sleep under the stars.

The next morning, after a quick patio breakfast at Morsels (homemade breakfast sandwiches, espresso and bite size cake "morsels"... oh wow... too good for words), we set off for the vineyards!

First stop was Black Star Farms... let me just say, how they get the pears into the bottles of Spirit of Pear liquor is astonishing.

The rest of the trip was a fabulous blur of wine tastings, flying down hills on my trust Peppermint Patty bike and waving at travelers as they "awww"ed at Scout in his trailer.

Sitting on the patio of Bowers Harbor, with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio in my hand, a dog at my feet and a view of the autumn colors and winding vines... all I can say it, this feels like Heaven.

The wine stewards are such cool cats; hip, funny, warm and honest. They have extra tasting tables set up around the property to avoid lines and crowds.

"How's the hard cider?" I ask and the fiesty woman behind the counter shoots back with "I only like red wine, so here, try it for yourself!" and pours me a big glass. Love that. The other gentleman, who appears to have stepped right out of a mid-1940's jazz scene, seamlessly pours from different bottles, taking care of the crowd of wine-hungry guests with ease.

Of all the vineyards we visited, this cozy little place felt like a vacation home. Our dog got to hang with Brix, the winery dog and we felt like we never wanted to leave.

 

As we grow this business and take on new adventures, we know in our hearts that we've found the epitome of Great Lakes Adventure trips. This is to become our signature, our classic.

The food, the wines, the people,... this is what it's all about.

This, as they say, is pure Michigan.

Michigan Apple Picking

The perfect fall escape on a lazy Sunday afternoon...

Autumn Flavors

Autumn is the season that makes me fall in love with Michigan all over again. The beautiful colors, the crisp air... and the food!!

After an hour of wandering our local market (and spending way too much!), Bobby and I returned home to get cozy in our pajamas and cook a flavorful autumn meal together.
He made an incredible Plum Mascarpone Bruschetta... crispy baguette with a spread of honey & whiskey sweetened mascarpone... a layer of homemade peach-plum jam topped with fresh sliced plums. It was out of this world incredible.

I tackled a Butternut Squash Risotto. It was the perfect blend of an Italian classic, with Parmesan and sage, mixed with Michigan flavors of creamy butternut squash and caramelized onions.

Eaten on the floor of our new house (we're still working on the whole "furniture" thing...), listening to the rain outside in the trees... it was perfection.

Picture (and recipes) to come!

Bicycling Thoughts

As we settle into our new house, one of the first things to be unpacked was my trusty bicycle. A sage green Trek Allant lovingly nicknamed "Peppermint Patty".

 

Being closer to both of our jobs makes commuting a breeze. Six miles of cornfields and dirty roads, passing children waiting for their school bus and horses freely munching on grass. It is ideal.

Which got me thinking about biking, in general. No offense to the spandex-wearing speedsters I see all over Ann Arbor- but that just isn't my style. The world opens up to you on a bike. It makes me want to slow down and take it all in. Whether in jeans or a skirt and heels, biking is the perfect ride. 

In a couple weeks, we'll be setting off for our next adventure- biking Old Mission Peninsula in northern Michigan. Wine tastings, eclectic restaurants and amazing views await in this hidden gem of the Great Lakes. So why would we want to speed by it all? We've got two days to enjoy seven wineries and meet the incredible folks who run them. Urban bikes, a trailer for Scout, a tent and sleeping bags... we're really looking forward to this one. And we plan on enjoying every minute of it.

Labor Day

With the weather officially turning crisp and chilly, we snuggled in for a taste of autumn. Raking leaves, a smoky fire in the backyard, hot apple cider, cinnamon dusted donuts... we wrapped ourselves in fleece blankets and spent hours outside. Talking about our future, the company, the trips we would take. Bicycle rides through multicolored vineyards. Hiking and photographing the fall foliage. Exploring quaint inns along the west coast. Tasting farm fresh treats at rustic roadside stands.
Here's to a new season, a new start. The kick off to our company, as we begin our journey during the most beautiful time and in the most beautiful place of all. Here's to Michigan...

Breaking Out of The 9 to 5

Years ago, when I was plugging away in college- training to be a chef with pastry, meat cutting and mixology classes- I never thought I'd be where I am today.
Part of the reason I wanted to get into kitchens so badly was because I had a hard time sitting still! I would fidget, get up, stretch, walk around... always thinking about the next thing to do.

Yet, here I am, years later and I spend my days at a corner desk from 9am to 5pm every single day. Lunch is at noon. Midday stretch is at 3. And every day for the past four years, I think how unnatural it is. We're given strong legs and feet to carry us around the world, a sharp mind to think both analytically and creatively, arms to reach for the impossible... and they aren't used here. In this chair.

A big part of the reason Great Lakes Adventure Travel is happening is because of this kind of passion. The kind that makes you feel like an ADD kid who can only think about skiing the minute that first snow falls. Or spending a week in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a backpack and a camera. THIS is what I'm meant to do. THIS is the reason we're creating this business.
Because I know I'm not alone. I don't know how the "business world" came to be this way, this 9 to 5 thing that it is. But I'd like to change that.

Business meetings are no longer sit-on-your-ass-and-sip-coffee-for-four-hours. They are out there- in the actual "real world". We'd like to create a culture where colleagues can discuss new business strategies over some kayaking in our beautiful lakes or with hot chocolate after a long day on the slopes. Like real people.

There's a lot I could say about what needs to happen or how the world needs to change. But instead, I'll choose to change it.

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." - Maya Angelou

Summer Grilled Fish

After a few weeks of craziness... moving, summer vacations, buying a house and training a puppy... we're starting to get back into the swing of things. More trips are being planned, moving ahead with this business. The next to come will be a tour of Michigan wine country (specifically, Old Mission Peninsula). And of course, a Foodie Tour of Traverse City (recently voted the #1 Foodie City in America, What What!)

But for now, I will leave you with a fabulous recipe for a good summer fish...
Yellowtail Snapper from the Florida Keys
Have your fishmonger remove the scales and gut him first. If you aren't eating him right away, wrap the fish in parchment paper and place him on a wire rack inside of a baking pan. Place crushed ice on top (so the excess water will drain into the pan and not on your fish. Replace ice every 6 to 8 hours.

Chop a handful each of basil, dill, parsley and chive. Slice 1 lemon into thin wheels. Slice 1 onion into thin slices. Season the whole fish with good olive oil, salt and pepper and stuff the cavity with the herbs, lemons and onion.

Throw directly onto the grill (with the head closest to the highest point of heat.... er... the opposite of the picture shown). Since the tail end is thinner, it will cook faster.
Cook for 12 minutes on each side (or 10 minutes per inch of pre-stuffed thickness). While grilling, brush with melted butter and the juice from one lemon with sea salt. I really go at it- coating it liberally every two minutes. Just watch out for flame ups!
Serve with a really yummy Caprese Salad (fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and sea salt) and fried zucchini sticks (lightly breaded with cornmeal and deep fried). Enjoy!