When I first saw the schedule the St. Joseph Tourism Board
had laid out for my friend Lynn and me,
I have to admit I was a bit
overwhelmed. It was a very full day. But, it turned out to be an extremely fun
one.
After a good night’s sleep at the Inn at Harbor Shores, we
headed to downtown St. Joseph. We started off fueled, thanks to Caffe Tosi.
Lynn had a plate full of fruit and granola and I went for
plain yogurt with a luscious almond horn on the side.
The second place on the agenda
was actually the home of another bakery, but not one for us. FuzzyButz is
actually a pet bakery, where owner Mary Schaut creates treats for her
four-legged friends.
We were incredibly impressed
with Mary’s creativity as we walked around, looking at items such as Sweet
Potato Pie flavored treats; ones made to look like burgers, fries, and cannoli;
peanut butter squares (peanut butter is actually a base for most of her items);
and even squares that taste like lamb stew.
Before we left FuzzyButz we
were able to go into the kitchen production area to see where all the cookies
and treats are made.
Next, we were off to check out
the offerings at a few of the downtown boutiques, DK, Friends by Design and
Perennial Accents.
Each store has distinctive
items for women, from clothing to shoes and accessories. It was nice to hear
that all the shops work together to make sure they can collectively provide
unique things for everyone to buy -- and wear.
We continued the girls theme,
though Revive was a spa like no other I’ve been to.
Jonathan took us around Revive
and I’m sure he heard “wow” out of me quite a bit! I had never seen a place
like this.
Although Revive does have regular
treatments that you would find in other spas, they are also a “self spa.”
I had
never heard this term before. Basically, it meant that you rented out the room
and the equipment to use yourself.
Among the options were spray
and UV tanning, a Lumiere Facial machine, a relaxing massage chair, Red Light
Therapy, and a Hydration Station.
Lynn and I were able to each
pick a complimentary treatment (the costs are very reasonable, beginning at
about $30 a session).
I went for the Red Light
Therapy, which is said to help combat aging while also reducing pain and inflammation.
I wouldn’t say it cured anything, but I did feel good and my skin looked a bit
better when I came out of it and met back up with Lynn, who was in the massage
chair.
By this time, we were really
hungry and it was a good thing because the menu at The Buck, Burgers and Brew
looked fantastic.
Owner Ken Kozminski came over
to say hello and show us the menu, which included the option to create your own
burger with beef, ground turkey, chicken breast, or black bean patties, then
top it with anything from old fashioned American Cheese to cream cheese and a
variety of sauces.
I didn’t need to make my own
burger because there was one that immediately caught my eye: The Harvest
Burger. It is a turkey burger with apples, cranberry jam, and brie cheese.
It was one of the best lunches
I’ve ever eaten. Lynn was equally satisfied with her Turkey IPA Ruben, made
with avocado and coleslaw.
After lunch, it was time to
taste some more Southwest Michigan wine. Two tasting rooms were located right
downtown so it was easy.
Baroda Founders Wine Cellar had
some good wine, such as their Lake Side Breeze Demi-Sec, and also fun wines. I really liked Smorleaux, a red wine infused
with marshmallows and milk chocolate.
At White Pine Winery, I agree
with the awards given to their fruity pinot grigio.
Lynn and I walked down to the Silver Beach Carousel. I happen to love Merry-go-rounds so I was looking forward to
this all day.
We met with Carla and she told
us about the history of the carousel, which has hand-carved horses and a brass
ring machine, and dates back to 1910.
A century later, a fundraising
campaign is underway to restore the carousel, but it still looks quite
beautiful. I got to take a ride before we left.
Our final stop of the day was
at the beach. I still find it hard it’s believe that Lake Michigan is as big
and beautiful as it is.
We walked along the sand for a
while and enjoyed the quiet. I always find myself enjoying beaches more in the
spring and fall than the crowded summer.
We drove back to the Inn at Harbor Shores and had an early dinner. St. Joseph had been wonderful, but it
definitely wore us out.
We’d be leaving Southwest Michigan
in the morning and heading back to Illinois, where we were checking out Hotel Arista in Naperville.
No comments:
Post a Comment