The Traveling Michigander

My snowshoeing at Ludington State Park concluded, I departed south. After a brief stop in Ludington to take a few pictures of two more lighthouses, I departed for parts north – Traverse City. Like my trip from Lansing to Ludington, traffic was very light. US 10 and US 37 were nearly empty in parts, and I didn’t encounter any significant traffic until just south of TC.

Lighthouse, Ludington

My hotel for this trip was the Fairfield Inn on US 31, just south of South Airport Road. I was given a room with a king bed with a beautiful view of a Cracker Barrel. The room was simple, and also included a refrigerator and microwave for those who bring your own food or have leftovers from the many great restaurants in town.

Fairfield Inn, Traverse City

I made the short trip to the Traverse City Commons for a very short hike on the trails through the hills above Traverse City. There are several different well-marked trails that wind through the trees and hills behind the old Traverse City State Hospital. It was late in the afternoon, and I only saw one other person using the trails, so it was a thankfully quiet walk.

I had read good reviews on the House of Doggs, so that was my dinner spot. They serve many different kinds of two hot dogs, and the hard part was limiting it to two. I first tried the Jazz dog, which had banana peppers, jalapenos, hot sauce, chili, and other wonderful stuff. And, as you can guess, it had some bite. My second dog was the Honky Tonk, covered with cheese and bacon, beautiful in its simplicity. And it had bacon, so I couldn’t pass it up.

House of Doggs, Traverse City

What visit to Traverse City would be complete without seeing a giant viking head made out of snow?

Snow figure, Traverse City

After a short walk around town and by the bay, I stopped by Horizon’s on Front Street to buy a few children’s books – they have one of the best selections I’ve seen anywhere. And my daughter really enjoyed one of them I bought for her, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.

Time for my final stop of the evening, Right Brain Brewery. Located in the Warehouse District, this was a new bar for me. I’m a fan of microbrews, and this one had some unique offerings. For this trip, I had a ginger-flavored IPA and a chocolate-orange stout. No Budweiser or Miller Lite there. Their menu changes constantly, so the next time I visit, most of the beers on the menu will probably be gone.

Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City

Back to the hotel room for a little relaxation after a hard day on the trails, and to dry out my boots and gloves. I had a thankfully peaceful night with no noisy neighbors, and no idiots that can’t figure out how to close a door quietly. I was ready for the next day of snowshoeing…

Fairfield Inn, Traverse City

Andrea and I were in Las Vegas last November so she could attend a conference and I could be somewhere other than home. We planned one fancy dinner, to get away from the normal struggles of getting a 2-year old to eat, and Bouchon was it. Aureole in Mandalay Bay was a close second, but as enticing as waitresses on strings was, we decided against it this time. But next time, for sure, we’re going there.

We managed to arrive only slightly late for our reservation at the restaurant. What can I say – my hair is a quarter of an inch long, and I just couldn’t do anything with it. We took the Las Vegas Monorail from the MGM Grand (our hotel for this trip) to Harrah’s, and it was a short walk from there to The Venetian. Well, relatively short – we still had to walk the eight and a half miles through the casino to get to the street.

Bouchon is located on the 10th floor of the Palazzo tower. The resort has the ability to make you feel more important than you actually are because of the sheer magnificence of the place. Hey, I’ve made it – look at these awesome building I’m walking through. I’m somebody. There was more marble between the elevators to the restaurant door than is in all of Lansing. A lot more.

We ordered the still water, which was a mistake because we had to pay for the still water. If you don’t want to pay for water, remember to ask for tap water. I’m not against paying for water if I happened to be in a desert and would die without it within the next hour. Well, come to think of it, I was in the middle of the desert. But I was pretty far from death.

Before the meal we were served bread and warm pistachios. Yes, they gave us nuts. I don’t usually receive nuts pre-meal, but it was a nice touch. We ordered a decent bottle of cabernet franc, mostly because it was one of the cheaper bottles of wine on the menu, being around $40 or $50, if I remember correctly. In Lansing, a cheap bottle of wine will run about a third of that, but we weren’t in Lansing. It’s a fancy restaurant – you’re supposed to overpay for everything.

I had the boulin blanc (which looked like a brat but had a very smooth taste) served with creamy mashed potatoes and prunes. Yes, prunes – those wacky French. Andrea chose the steak served with French fries. The fries were my favorite part of the meal, and I munched on them all through dinner. You just can’t go wrong with fries.

For dessert, Andrea had chocolate mousse and I had doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce. Fries and doughnuts – does that sound like an expensive meal? And during dessert, we were privileged to listen to some blowhard at the next table try to impress his friends with his knowledge of wine and his ability to be rude to the waiter. Here’s my wine tip – if you like it, drink it, and don’t worry about what goes with what too much.

After our meal, we wandered out into the pool area adjacent to the restaurant. I had to fly home the next morning – a 9:00 AM flight – so we enjoyed a few minutes more of peace before heading back to The Strip and back to the MGM.

Quick update: I saw a post on My Luscious Temple about Bouchon and thought I would post it – there are some nice pictures.

This is my kind of fun – a margarita tour. What better way to experience Chicago than by consuming several adult beverages around town? The wife and I had some good ones at The Frontera Grill on Clark Street. The place was packed, but if you can manage to find a table to squeeze into, it’s worth it.

But why go to a big city – if you don’t live in one – to try a margarita tour of your own? Here in mid-Michigan, we have plenty of Mexican restaurants of varying quality. It seems like a great way to enjoy the Christmas season to me.

Of course, you don’t need to limit yourself to margaritas. Brew pubs, wine bars, sushi bars – you know you want to try Saki. Even a sushi tour doesn’t sound half-bad – we’ve got a great sushi place, Maru, literally down the street from us. I’m also a fan of nachos, but you can’t really eat a lot of those before getting full and prematurely ending the fun.

Speaking of nachos, on my many trips to Chicago, I’ve never tasted any of its nachos. I’ll have to do some research to find the city’s best before the next excursion.

My quest for a good Las Vegas burger took me to Le Burger Brasserie in, where else, Paris. I arrived early because that’s how I roll, and I also wanted to maximize my pool time back at my hotel, the MGM Grand. No waiting is a good thing, especially in conference-happy Vegas.

Because I wasn’t interested in a divorce, I avoided the $777 Kobe Beef burger and instead tried Le PARIS, a burger topped with Brie, caramelized onion, and smoked bacon. It was $12, sans-fries, and I was very pleased with my burger. It was perfectly cooked and served with a few olives which was great – I’m a big fan of green olives. I ate on Monday morning, so I didn’t get to see any games, but the 15 x 15 television screen would make a great spot to watch one.

I recommend Le Burger Brasserie if you’re looking for a decent burger. It is at the very back of Paris, just before Paris meets Harrah’s. And if you try the Kobe Beef burger, let me know how it is.