Travel | MSU "Butterflies in the Garden"

Butterflies are pretty dang cool guys. Every Spring I do a butterfly lesson with my students and during that time period we usually (budget permitting) go on a field trip to Michigan State University's Butterflies in the Garden. The kids love it, the parents love it and the teachers love it - plus its hands on and educational. It's a total win.

 

 

Generally beginning sometime in March and going through April, the Butterfly House is opened up for classroom visits and other people who are interested. Michigan State has some really beautiful gardens, and the butterflies are located inside one of the buildings. Parking during the week is metered, but on the weekends is free.

 

 

While there you are able to see everything about the life cycle of a butterfly. You get to see the eggs on the plants in the gardens, you can even see the larva eating leaves and of course the chrysalis! Once the chrysalis is formed, they put them into a separate box type thing and its super neat to watch. When we were there, some butterflies were emerging. The kids LOVED it.

 

 

They have sponges filled with "nectar" placed around the gardens so that you can get some on your finger and "invite" a butterfly on you. This is awesome, my kids just got their fingers wet and walked around with their index fingers extended waiting for a butterfly to land. Some of them got lucky, as evidenced by the previous pictures.

 



This is a great activity for a family to do. It's open Monday-Friday 2pm - 4pm to the public and then Saturday and Sunday 10am- 4pm. They also have a great event on Saturday April 25th, called Butterfly Day. For more information visit their website.

 

 

If you live in or ever find yourself near East Lansing, Michigan in the spring (or the summer, the 4H gardens are amazing!) make an effort to swing by and view some butterflies!

MSU Gardens have no idea who I am outside of my scheduling field trips with them. I just truly love them and the experience and wanted to share it.

Travel | Impression 5 Science Center | Lansing, Michigan

So here in the grand city of Lansing, Michigan we have TONS of things to do all year round. But one of my favorite things to do is go to Impression 5. Located right in the heart of downtown Lansing, it is a children's science center full of fun, hands on, interactive exhibits such as:

 

• Chew on This - This exhibit looks at the mouth, it has giant dental tools and a giant mouth. It also allows for you to see teeth up close through a microscope and see how certain foods affect your teeth. They even encourage everyone to take a digital picture and upload it to a digital smile wall!
• Spectrum - This allows you to explore the electromagnetic spectrum and compare different light sources, lenses, prisms and mirrors. They also have a life size Light Mosiac so you can create, along with a Shadow Wall.
• Nano - This exhibit allows you to immerse yourself in nanoscale science, engineering and technology by allowing you to explore with magnetic materials, building a giant carbon nanotube and static electricity.
• Build Zone - This area features large tinker toys, pipes, tubing and giant blocks. This a favorite of my preschoolers whenever we go for a field trip.

 

• MI Nature - This exhibit is full of natural environments that are found in Michigan, including an aquarium-like tank full of fish!
• First Impression Room - This room is for birth to 4 years. It is completely enclosed, so it's a great place to take the kids when they just need to roam around without you for a bit. There is a section for the younger toddlers, with mats and a texture board. There is also a water room and a smart board. This room is usually where we end our field trips.
• POP! A Bubble Experience - This is a room full of bubbles. Ways to make bubbles, different shapes of bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles. This is kid favorite, being inside of a bubble!

 

There at least another 5-7 exhibits on top of those I have named. Plus they have workshops and programs, summer activities and a membership program. If you live in the Lansing area, or are ever visiting you should definitely check this place out!

Impression 5 has no idea who I am, outside of scheduling field trips for my class. I just truly love this place and wanted to share the information. Also, children's face are hidden for obvious reasons...

Travel | UP200 and Midnight Run | Marquette, Michigan

 

I live in Michigan, which is a great state in my very own humble opinion.  I live in the lower peninsula but wish I lived in the upper peninsula (the UP as we call it. pronounced you pee. teehee.) We enjoy visiting the UP at every chance we get, and some friends of ours mentioned they were going up to Marquette for the UP200 dog sled race. We quickly consulted our schedules and decided to do it.

 

We left on a Friday morning and quickly learned that there was a blizzard warning for the county we were heading into. We all confirmed that we weren't scared of a blizzard and continued on our way. We eventually made it into Marquette around 6:30 pm, quickly changed into our cold weather gear and headed downtown for the start of the race.

 

There were TONS of people, and way more small children than I anticipated. It was really cold, but people had their children out and about, appropriately bundled and hilariously pulling them on sleds behind them. It was absolutely amazing to see the community supporting this event, and even more awesome to be around people who enjoyed the cold weather and snow.

 

The first sled was slated to leave at 7:00 pm, and we got to the chute at about 6:45 pm. We wandered around looking for our friends and then we got set up on the fence with a perfect view of the dogs.

 

 

Our view of the dogs coming down the chute

 



A little bit of information on the race; the UP200 is a qualifying race for the Iditarod. It covers 240 miles of terrain from Marquette to Grand Marais; including hills, creek crossings, crazy amounts of snow and isolation.

 

Map from the UP200 website

 

 



Let's keep in mind that they are required  to have 16 hours of rest, and at the Grand Marais checkpoint there are vets to check the dogs over. They can drop dogs at any checkpoint, and there are rules for who can handle the dogs at the checkpoints. The race finished on Sunday morning, whenever they made it back to Marquette (we didn't get to stay and watch).

 

So, it's an intense experience. Add in the extremely cold conditions and blizzard and I am sure it was an adventure for them. The teams left at 7:00 and then the next race (the Midnight Run) was beginning at 8:30. We walked around into the warming tents they had set up, got some coffee/hot chocolate and said hello to the doggies who were VERY anxious to get going.

 

A turn in the chute

The Midnight Run is a much shorter race, at about 90 miles. They have a mandatory 5.5 hour rest period, and were slated to begin arriving around 8:30 am on Saturday morning. We got down to where they were supposed to be arriving around 9:15 and conditions were like this...

 

 

Blizzard

So we didn't see anyone, anywhere. We wandered around in -27 degree weather for a bit and then retired to the indoors. It was creepy/amazing to be walking around downtown in that type of weather. It felt almost post-apocalyptic. I guess the first dogs made it in around 10:30 am, so the weather had clearly made an impact on their timing.

It was an amazing experience and I am glad we have friends who like to do nutty things just as much as we do!

High Five for Friday | Link up

Happy Friday! Yesterday was my 30th birthday! I don't feel 30, I usually still feel like I should be 23, but apparently that is not the case. Just ask me that after a night of staying out past 11 pm, 30 feels 30 the next morning fo 'sho.

1. We officially have unpacked all the boxes we will be unpacking. We have put some that are not needed in this smaller space down in our storage area in the basement. But pictures and clocks are hung, Sparty is on the wall, so it's officially home! 

2. Did some work on some wedding stuff. December is going to be here so fast, our wedding is obviously kind of winter-esque hence the snowflakes. It's crazy to be thinking about snowflakes in August, but here we are.

3. I enjoy cooking, especially soups! It was kind of a dark and stormy day in Michigan on Tuesday so I cooked up some Taco Soup! So good and filling!

4. My mom and I went to have a meeting with the bakery that is going to do the cupcakes for the wedding in December. Samples are the bomb, even though we had an idea of what we wanted. Luckily, we don't have to finalize until the beginning of December  because we want to try the fall/winter flavors when they come out in September! So excited to have another vendor finalized! 

5. On my actual birthday, C and I went kayaking up in Mt. Pleasant on the Chippewa River (a blog post on this in the coming weeks). It was a great 6.5 mile trip, that took us just under 2 hours. It was beautiful, and I wish we were able to kayak like 3 times a week. 

Some of the lovely and peaceful views on the river.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend! 

Pure Michigan Travel | Crunchy's East Lansing

So my beloved college town of East Lansing has many bars, a little something for everyone if you will. My college friends and I certainly had bars we preferred for every occasion and mood, and naturally our overall favorite. Crunchy's was certainly a favorite, and still is to this day. I just recently went for a friends birthday gathering, and we sat out on the patio and tried some beers and a wonderful time was had.




Crunchy's has 27 beers on tap, and is definitely deeply entrenched in the craft beer world. They often have nights dedicated to one brewery, and all taps will serve beers from that place. They are a big supported of Michigan made beer, which makes me happy. They are known in the area for having "the best burger in town" which is the Crunchy burger and it's a BEAST. I've never had it, I can't handle that much meat *ahem*. Moving on.

They have some sort of food special every day of the week, along with karaoke on thursday, friday and saturday. Back in the day I may have sang a little bit of Ace of Base.  Maybe. 

Crunchy's has even introduced their "secret society", the Burger and Beer Society card is full of perks if you use it frequently. I don't have one, but C does and he enjoys it.

Crunchy's is a great place to gather and hang out with friends, family or just to hang out solo and meet some new people. I will continue to frequent it and will be sure to tell my future Spartans to go there for some great Michigan brews!

Pure Michigan Travel | Delhi Metropark

A few weeks ago some friends on mine hosted a shindig to celebrate their anniversary and two birthday's within their family. They invited quite a few people, so the needed a place that was large enough to hold everyone. They decided on Delhi Metropark in Ann Arbor, Michigan.



Delhi Metropark is located 5 miles northwest of Ann Arbor and is 53 acres of greens trees and grass alongside the Huron River. You can rent pavilions for your family get-togethers, and the one we were at was right on the riverbank. It was beautiful to hang out in the shade of the trees, listen to the river flowing and wave at people as they canoed and kayaked on by. There is also a playground for children and a softball diamond. 

A daily entry permit costs $7, but there are annual options along with a joint permit that allows you unlimited access to the Huron-Clinton Metroparks and the Oakland County Parks. 

Also, if you enter the park by walking, biking or on inline skates on the park roads or hiking/biking trails you get to enjoy free access!



This was my first time visiting any Metropark, and it was great. I will definitely be sure to come back, and next time I want to try my hand on the river!

Pure Michigan Travel | Short's Brewing Company

When you're in northern (western) Michigan and it's a dreary day on the lake, cold...drizzling...not much to do, I suggest you take a jaunt to Bellaire, Michigan and visit Short's Brewing Company.

I had never been before, but I am a huge lover of Short's Soft Parade [Yum]. Short's is owned by Joe and Leah Short, who are still very much involved in the continually growing beer brand. If you're interested in the story of Short's, and how they came to fruition, read it here!

Now we visited the Pub, not the production facility. The place was jam packed, but we managed to snag some bus bench seats at the front of the place near the big windows over looking the quaint streets of Bellaire. 

We each ordered a flight, you pick 5 beers, you get little sample tastes of each of the 5 beers you selected for $10. It's a deal. My choices were:

- It's About Thyme

I liked the idea of this beer, but...it was definitely a very herby taste and much darker than my usual preference. It had a very strong aftertaste, and I couldn't even finish my sample. *hangs head in shame*

- Yosemite Scooter

This beer has a very distinct scent, which is not pleasant. But it tastes delicious. It was fruity, with zesty orange and mango aromas. 

- Soft Parade

This is one of my all time favorite beers. It has puree of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and it is very fruity but not super sweet. This beer was created to appeal to wine drinkers!

- Agave Peach Wheat

In case you haven't noticed, I like fruity beers. So with the word peach in it, I was intrigued. This beer definitely has an earthy tone to it, and I didn't love it. It was a bit too earthy and heavy for my liking, not enough peach goodness.

- Cerveza de Julie

This is a summery type beach beer to me, kind of like a bud light lime or corona's...but fancier and crisper. It is brewed with real lime, and has a great tartness to it. I really enjoyed this beer. 

I love Short's even more now, and will continue to support their growth within Michigan! Pure Michigan baby!

Pure Michigan Travel | Boyne City

So, my best friend (who shall now be known as A), her family has a lake house on Lake Charlevoix up in Boyne City, Michigan. She, knowing that I am kind of lame, invited me to spend a few days up there with her. Now, I have been up there before...but it was early summers. Up North in Michigan doesn't really hit it's stride until around the 4th of July -- so I was excited to get up there in the peak of summertime.

Now, growing up I was a strictly Lake Huron girl. We had a lake house in Oscoda, and even now my grandma stays up in Tawas every summer and I go up there frequently with her (a blog post for a different day). So, once I started to traveling to the west side of the state I was quite surprised by the amount of tourists. But, it is beautiful and I enjoy going over there but Lake Huron and the east side of the state will always have my heart.

Disclaimer over. Boyne City. Some background. It's a town of about 3751 residents (according to the 2012 census). Boyne City sits on Lake Charlevoix, where the Boyne River enters the lake. Boyne City is a great destination for both winter and summer, because they also have Boyne Mountain Resort for skiing and other winter activities. 

We got up there in the late afternoon and immediately changed into our suits and dived in (and by dived in, I mean wade in super slowly for 20 minutes and then dive in). We swam, then we hung out on the deck and then we got dressed for dinner. We ate at Barrel Back Restaurant on nearby Walloon Lake, the sun was just going down and there was a great breeze coming off the lake -- it was great.

The next day we decided to kayak the Boyne River up and into Lake Charlevoix and then back to the house. I have no clue how many miles it was but it only took about 90 minutes. 

It was a kayak adventure that had some obstacles. I got tangled up in one tree, but I got out of that mess scratch free. Once I got a handle on the whole steering around the downed trees/shallow spots and logs -- it was a great trip! 

The current was pretty swift in the river, so you didn't have to paddle too much except for steering. But once we entered the lake, through a rather scary tunnel, it was rough.

You enter into the harbor and it was super choppy. We were bouncing all over the place and having to really work those arm muscles. A has kayaked this route many times and said this was the first time it had ever been that choppy or difficult. Once we got into the open lake, it was smooth and clear kayaking back to the house. 

Naturally, lots of swimming took place after and we got ice cream from Kilwins that night. Key lime pie ice cream is my jam, so good!

The next day was a dreary one, but there is still tons to do. We went shopping, had some beer/wine tastings and went fishing.

It was great to get up north and relax. I love the peace and quiet, along with the slow and relaxed pace of life up there. You can also eat lots of taffy.

High Five for Friday | link-up

Happy 4th of July friends! The summer is flying by and I have no idea what to do about it! Here are the highlights from another week!

1. We had our first wedding shower! It was hot, but the sun was shining and tons of family came out - everyone was much too generous. It was great to see everyone and we are so lucky to have so many people who want to celebrate with us!

2. My future brother and sister in law gifted us these amazing michigan cookie cutters! I love my home state, and am so excited to now own these! A giant thank you to them!

3. My mom and I did some wedding dessert recon on Wednesday. We went to a local bakery in Lansing, Whipped, and got these beauties to try. They have delicious flavors such as: cookies and cream, key lime, orange-pineapple and chocolate peanut butter. so. good.

4. I kind of took an unplanned hiatus from reading for the two weeks I was in Florida. Since I have been back I have finished three books, including the second one in the MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood. It was SO good!

5. While helping my parents clean out their polebarn, I stumbled upon this ADORABLE picture of my sister and myself. It is fun to see how much her children look like her (and apparently me as well)!

Hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend, and I will see you back here on Monday with Weekly Wrap-Up from FMS Photo A Day!

💚

High Five for Friday (link-up)

Greetings from Jacksonville, Florida! I am here visiting my sister and her family for the next two(ish) weeks! Let's get down to why we are all here, okay?

1. I live about an hour and a half away from Detroit, but love to go down and explore all that it has to offer. My fiancé and I went the Detroit Institute of Arts on Sunday and explored about 1/4 of what it had to offer. I wrote a whole blog post about it so if you want to learn more, check it out!

2. I am a huge library nerd. I try to get my picture taken outside of every library I encounter. As it turns out, the DIA is directly across the street from the main branch of the Detroit Public Library!

3. Along with our Detroit Adventure, we went to a film festival called Cinetopia. We viewed a documentary called Rich Hill and it was about rural poverty. We viewed the film at Detroits ONLY independent theatre, Cinema Detroit. When you pull into the parking lot it looks like an abandoned building but it is a fully operational (including concessions!) two screen cinema. Read more about this experience in the previous blog. 

4.

I flew down to Jacksonville and am staying for two weeks! The flights were uneventful and the clouds were looking marvelous!

5. Reunited with my nieces! I am so excited to spend the next two weeks w them, hanging out and experiencing life in the sunshine state!

Experience | Cinetopia & Cinema Detroit

Cinema Detroit is Detroit's ONLY independent movie theatre, and over the weekend they were participating in a film festival, Cinetopia. It is located on Cass Ave in the former Burton International School building. It looks like an abandoned building on the outside, but once you pull into the parking lot you will see a flashing sign that says "Theater."

You will follow the theater signs through a cement courtyard with hanging lights, and you will imagine how idyllic and peaceful that probably looks at night. Then you will turn another corner and find this Cinema Detroit sign awaiting you.

Cinema Detroit is open 7 days a week, with a schedule that varies depending on movie start times. There is a full service concession stand, with pop, popcorn and candy. Doors open 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, and there are 2 screens that show films. You can visit the website (posted below) or call 313.281.8301 for daily show times. I have only been in the downstairs theater room, and it does not have stadium seating. That is not a deal breaker for me, but if it is something that concerns you just make sure you get there with enough time to snag a front row seat. The seats do not go right up to the screen, they are back quite a bit which is great -- especially if you need one of those front row seats. There is nothing worse than having to look UP at the screen to watch the film.


Now the reason we were even at Cinema Detroit at 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon is because of Cinetopia. Cinetopia is a film festival in southeastern Michigan that shows films that were selected because of the high acclaims made at more prestigious film festivals (sundance, SXSW, cannes, etc).  This year Cinetopia launched off with a fancy, invite only, party at DIA with Spike Lee. Films were showing in Detroit and Ann Arbor all weekend long -- 110 screenings, 50 films and at 10 different venues. If you want to learn more about Cinetopia you can visit the website (link below).

 At a lot of the screenings, the cast/crew were available for a q/a session and there were discussions to be had after the film. At our particular one, a professor of Social Work from the University of Michigan was present and led us in a talk that was interesting, to say the least.We were there to see the film Rich Hill, which I will write an entire different blog post about, including the talk after -- so be on the lookout for that.

I believe Clarence and I want to purchase weekend passes for next year, and we definitely plan on going to see more films at Cinema Detroit. It is awesome to see some of those stunning buildings downtown being put to good use!

Learn more about Cinema Detroit!

Learn more about Cinetopia!