Jayne's Quilting Room: Shopping in Michigan

We have recently returned from a 4-day drive through northeast Ohio, northwest Indiana and both lower and upper Michigan. This was our gift to ourselves after working so hard all July to re-do the bedroom and get ready for the family reunion. When we take off like this, we seek out the roads less traveled so we can see farms and barns and villages and all manner of true America that one doesn’t see from interstate highways.

Our ultimate goal was seeing the scenic areas around the Upper Peninsula. We never have too much of an itinerary; no reservations for any particular attraction; we never know where we'll be sleeping at the end of the day. We've gotten pretty good at flying by the seat of our pants, you might say.

We find some mighty interesting places this way, too. For example, in the photo below, this appealingly moody room is a restaurant/bar/speakeasy we had dinner in one evening. Look at the ambiance here! So inviting with its tin ceiling and ornately carved bar wall. We had friendly service, and an icy cold beverage along with a delicious meal. All we have to do is ask the folks at the hotel desk what local spot they recommend and we regularly come away with a fabulous experience. This place is called Tap 21 located in downtown Manistique, Michigan, in case you're interested. It's a real gem!

Traveling this way is very much a team effort. DH loves to drive; in fact, I rarely ever take the wheel. While he drives, I look out the window. I like to study the countrysides; I research stuff on the phone when we are curious about any particular thing; and I book a hotel in some town up the road when we feel ourselves growing road-weary. We've successfully traveled this way for several years now, and it suits us just fine.

I just had to take this picture as we exited Tap21. Straight across the street was this blast from the past. First, I rarely see Ben Franklin stores anymore. Oh, how I loved the one we had inside our grocery here in town. Second, I can't help but admire the vintage graphics still adorning the storefront. What a nostalgic slice of days gone by. Then I looked next door, and saw the equally vintage signage on the bank front. I had to remind myself that it was 2024 and not 1965!

I made one shopping stop in the next town up the road - Munising, MI. Situated on the banks of Lake Superior, it's very much a town capitalizing on its lake proximity - fishing, boating, hiking and biking. However, the one shop that I found most appealing was the quilt shop - Miss Good Stitch.

I needed just one thing - a special piece of fabric for a special person (who shall remain nameless for the time being). I was greeted by the shop owner, Ginger, who was all smiles and very curious to know if I were there for the shop hop. Well, no, actually, I told her, I'm just a quilter who is traveling and happened upon the shop. The store had quite a few customers who were shop hoppers, and all told, it was a wonderful shop to visit. I am happy to say that I did find the perfect fabric, and I snapped these pics for your enjoyment.