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| Rural Michigan | | Date Created: May 23, 2005, 09:25 AM |
Brian and I traveled to the northern part of the lower peninsula this weekend. He had a couple concerts to sing in, and I go along and play the role of "Measure for Measure Wife."
The concerts went well, and were well received. If you haven't had the chance to hear an 80 voice men's group sing, you're really missing out.
The northern part of the state is quite rural -- beautiful and scenic, but rural. (I like the word "rural" because it's fun to say.)
However, when a hotel advertises "High Speed Internet Access" one expects that they might actually have "high speed internet access" -- or internet access of any type -- or at least the Cat-5 jacks in the room to simulate internet access. They didn't. The desk clerks also didn't know anything about it. ("Maybe we have wireless, I'm not sure." No, you don't have wireless, and I am sure.)
They also didn't have any Starbucks up north. There is no Starbucks within 50 miles of Traverse City (I checked.) I was able, finally, to find an adequate substitute (which also didn't have internet access) where I hunkered down and read for a few hours while the group was practicing.
Coffee shops might be pretentious, but they do give travelers a convenient place to hang out other than their hotel rooms.
Another thing I noticed about rural Michigan is that they have more amusing signs than we do. For instance, one road sign advertised "Big Toys for Men." Many others advertised simply: "Wood."
I would have taken a few pictures, but we were pressed for time most of the weekend. We did spend a few minutes taking a quick jaunt across the Mackinac Bridge because the other choir member traveling with us had never seen it, nor been to the U.P. (the Upper Peninsula, for you non-Michiganders. Yes, that's part of Michigan, not Wisconsin.) So we drove across, then turned around and drove back over, just so he could say he'd done it.
Now we're back, and after traveling for 3 weekends in a row, I'm looking forward to being home for a little while. |
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