(906) 228-9577 153 W. Washington St., Marquette, MI, 49855 www.hotplatepottery.com Our next stop was called Hotplate, a cool, colorful and eclectic paint-your-own-pottery studio that’s bringing the whole community together. You go there to connect and share, and while you’re there, express yourself on cups, plates, wall hangings—you name it. It’s an absolute blast, and the staff there will totally bring …
Lagniappe Cajun Creole Eatery
(906) 226-8200 145 Jackson Cut Alley, Marquette, MI 49855 www.marquettecajun.com Let’s say you’re in Marquette and you get a sudden craving for some authentic Louisiana, Creole and Cajun cookin’. It’s 1,400 miles down to New Orleans, so that’s not an option. What do you do? Simple! You get yourself over to Lagniappe and get your voodoo on. Lagniappe is an …
Binder Park Zoo
(269) 979-1351 7400 Division Dr., Battle Creek, MI 49014 www.binderparkzoo.org Now, say you’re in Battle Creek and you get a sudden urge to do something wild. I mean really wild. Just ten minutes south of town is Binder Park Zoo, one of the Midwest’s premiere wildlife parks. It was voted one of the best zoos in America, and it’s right …
Elderly Instruments
(517) 372-7880 1100 N. Washington, Lansing, MI, 48906 www.elderly.com/ While we were in Lansing, we made our way over to Old Town to a place I’d heard about but never been to. Every time I mention Elderly Instruments to anyone who knows anything about music, their eyes light up. So we decided to find out why. Once we got inside …
Cliff Bell’s
(313) 961-2543 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, MI 48226 www.cliffbells.com Cliff Bell’s is one of Motown’s original classic jazz clubs. Today it’s a fully and authentically restored art-deco nightclub in the heart of Detroit’s historic entertainment district. Cliff Bell’s is all about live jazz, great food and classic cocktails. When you’re there, you can almost feel what it must have been …
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bramble, The
(810) 982-0891 Port Huron Seaway Terminal, Port Huron, MI www.phmuseum.org/drupal/about/bramble If you want to have an experience in Port Huron that’s totally nautical, try spending some time (or even the night) on a real U.S. Coast Guard cutter. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bramble is part of an incredible Port Huron museum program. This is an absolutely fascinating 180-foot seagoing …
Studio 1219
(810) 984-2787 1219 Military St., Port Huron, MI 48060 www.studio1219.com There’s also a thriving art community in Port Huron. Next time you’re there for a stay, you gotta check out Studio 1219. I’ve never seen anything like this place. They took a furniture store built in 1882 and turned it into a really cool art cooperative. Over one hundred local …
Hermann’s European Café
(231) 775-9563 214 N. Mitchell St., Cadillac, MI 49601 www.chefhermann.com What we found was Hermann’s European Café. Now get this: it’s a gourmet restaurant, a casual deli where the locals meet, an expert butcher shop, a fantastic wine shop, and upstairs from all of this is a four-star, European-style hotel. If you’re wondering how this concentrated slice of European culture …
Toy Town
(231) 775-TOYS (8697) 122 S. Mitchell St., Cadillac, MI 49601 www.toytowncadillac.com When we shot this segment, Ryan and Nicole Schultz owned Toy Town, a progressive and really cool toy store right downtown. Their mission is to provide families, young and old, the opportunity of adventure, imagination and discovery inside, outside and everywhere in between. This is a really cool place …
B.O.B., The
(616) 356-2627 20 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 www.thebob.com We came to Grand Rapids to experience a building called The B.O.B. It’s a classic 70,000-square-foot four-story red-brick building that was built in 1903 as Judson’s Grocery Warehouse. It stood vacant for decades and was destined for the wrecking ball until a local group called The Gilmore Collection transformed …