Lakes and Gardens and Boat Rides! Oh My!

     Yesterday marked week #4 of summer break and our third travel week. We had a plan put in place but then Drew received an email at work that he would have to work part of Wednesday due to an inspection that was scheduled to take place Tuesday and Wednesday. So, we were planning something for the evening. Tuesday evening he got word that the inspection was completed and he would have his normal day off. But it was too late to go back to our original plans that have been moved to next week. So we added to our evening plan and made a day of it.

     We headed off to Winona Lake, Indiana. We love stopping by The Village at Winona to get a view of the canal and stop in the shops. This trip, we had a particular mission - buy some of our favorite spices at Spice Merchants of Winona Lake. After stocking up on things, I made a quick stop at Belove to pick up a couple MudLOVE Bracelets to add to my collection. From Winona Lake, we went to Schoop's Hamburgers for lunch. Yes, we usually try to go to someplace new when out on our adventures. But when you're in the area, you kinda need a delicious Schoop's burger or sandwich.

     Our next stop is someplace we found a couple years ago almost by accident. Out in the middle of a field in Leesburg, Indiana is a place that serves the best wine slushies...ok, the only place I've ever found wine slushies I've ever had. The building and decor is beautiful, the atmosphere is very relaxing and the wine is their very own. The slushie flavors vary and they're all delicious. They have board games to play, comfy couches to relax on and fun music playing. If you're up for a nice country drive, check out Tippy Creek Winery. After a deliciously refreshing slushie and a few rounds of tic-tac-toe, we headed out for more adventure.
     We realized we had several hours before our final adventure of the day. Drew looked online for something to do in the meantime and we settled on a place we had never heard of. Nestled in the woods along County Road 46 in New Paris, Indiana is DeFries Gardens. It's part of the Elkhart County Parks. They have a Calendar Garden where they show plants that grow at every point of the year. Along the circular path around the garden, there are bricks etched with the date of every day of the year, posts that show full moons and small structures indicating solstices and equinoxes. In the middle of the circle is a beautiful pond with water lilies and goldfish. The inner circle immediately surrounding the pond is divided into four sections, one for each season. One of the small buildings has an upper deck where you can get a view of the whole garden. There are even chairs to sit and enjoy the view. It was well worth leaving Kosciusko County, driving back to Elkhart County just to go back to Kosciusko County for dinner and our final adventure.

     For dinner we found a little place called The Pier & Back Porch on Lake Wawasee in Syracuse, Indiana. It's not the easiest place in the world to find. But once you find it, it's so worth it! We literally sat on the "back porch" of this restaurant where we had a beautiful view of the lake. I had my first ever fish tacos...which has led to my new adventure for the summer. I'm going to try and get tacos at dinner wherever we go on Wednesday for the rest of the summer. At the end of the summer I'll tell you who has the best and the worst in my opinion. These were my second of the summer. I've got 6 more weeks to find more! Drew had a salmon melt and said it was delicious! The prices were very reasonable and we left with happy tummies for our final adventure.
     




     The icing on the cake was going to North Webster to ride the Dixie! Built in 1929, it's Indiana's oldest sternwheel excursion boat. For over an hour, they take you on a five-mile ride around the lake, telling you the history of the lake and the North Webster area. It was extremely informative and a lot of fun! Along the way we were able to listen to a university professor play trumpet for us and see a man do a little flyboard show complete with cool tricks. We passed many people fishing or just enjoying the beautiful evening on their boat. Tickets are only $7 per person. You can also purchase water, soda and popcorn on the boat. If you're looking for a fun way to spend a summer evening, check out the North Webster Dixie Boat!
     That's a wrap for this week's adventure! Until next week...we know where we're headed. Do you?

Catching Up, Pt 3

     June 19, 2019 - When we returned from Saint Joseph/South Haven the previous week, Drew reached into the bowl to see where we'd be going for our second official Wednesday of this summer break. South Haven was actually one of the places we'd put in the bowl and just so happened to be the one chosen. So, we decided to substitute it with someplace we had realized wasn't too much farther north than we had already been...Holland, Michigan. I had never been to Holland before and Drew hadn't been since he was little (and didn't remember any of it anyway).

     We knew we wanted to go to Nelis' Dutch Village and Ottawa Beach to get a view of Big Red Lighthouse. Let's start at the Village. First of all, let me say that the $13/person entrance fee was almost enough for me to find something else to do instead. But we wanted to check it out so we forked over the cash and in we went. We weren't able to check out too many of the demonstrations because of timing. But we got to see how wooden shoes are made as well as watch some very talented teenagers do some Dutch dancing in their wooden shoes. Both of those were fantastic! Even with missing the other demonstrations, it was fun to walk down the cobblestone paths and get an idea of what an old Dutch village would look like. I enjoyed the street signs which were written in Dutch as well as the description signs on various buildings that gave the Dutch names as well as English translations. There are so many learning opportunities. They have a nice selection of rides for kiddos to enjoy. There are a couple cute little gift shops as well as a nice cheese shop. You can sample various cheeses that are imported from The Netherlands - which we did and fell in love with some that came home with us. We were concerned about how to get cheese home as we had quite a few hours before we'd be home and it was warm out. But for under $4 you can get a nice little insulated bag and they throw a reusable ice pack in for you. If you're up for a trip just a couple hours north of the Michigan/Indiana state line, you should totally check this place out! It's fun for kids and adults alike.
     We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Tim Horton's. It was actually inside a gas station which threw us off. But it was a beautiful gas station! There was a nice seating area inside, the place was super clean and the food was great (even better was a delicious cup of Tim Horton's coffee)! After a light lunch, we headed toward the Big Red Lighthouse. We went to Ottawa Beach as stated earlier. The entrance fee to the park is $9 for the day. They give you a ticket with the date on it which allows you to leave and return as often as you like during that day. (We found out later that, had we gone to Holland State Park, we could have walked right up to the lighthouse. But we still had a great view and were able to get some nice photos.) I walked out the pier which wasn't as easy at other piers I've walked on. You have to watch your step because it's narrow and if you get too close to the edge, you're in Lake Michigan.
     My handsome navigator noticed we weren't far from Grand Haven, Michigan. Knowing my overwhelming love for lighthouses, he suggested we make the almost 30 minute drive there. While talking to the shoe cobbler at the Dutch Village about our planned travels, he said that GPS would take us one way but told us a more scenic route to take that literally took us right along the lake shore. It didn't disappoint. It was beautiful! We made it to Grand Haven and found another beautiful lighthouse. The nice thing was, since we had paid to enter at Ottawa Beach, which is technically a State Park, we didn't have to pay again. There's a super travel tip for you! Always ask at the gate if the entrance fee at the last park covers this one as well. The worst they can do is decline. There is a lot of beach area to play on and there are even beach volleyball nets set up. I walked out to the beach and then along the edge of the lake as I headed to the pier. The sand was very nicely kept along the way. The pier is nice and wide which meant that, even though there were a lot of other people walking and fishing along the pier, it didn't seem at all crowded. *Note: there is a campground on one side so many families come from the campground to walk their dogs along the pier. It was a nice walk and I loved being able to say I saw another lighthouse I had never seen before.
     After our longest travel day so far, it was time to head home. But we still needed to find dinner somewhere. We headed in the general direction towards home and Drew looked for an idea of places to eat long the way. We settled on the tiny town of Zeeland, Michigan where there were three restaurants we had never heard of. For some reason, we were drawn to Elbo Room Bistro. We certainly weren't sorry! The prices were reasonable and the food was delicious. Everything is homemade there...even the rye bread Drew's sandwich was made on as well as the refried beans that came with my tacos (which were made on the best homemade corn tortillas I've ever eaten!). We left Zeeland with full stomachs, happy hearts and tired feet. But it was a great day! Where will next week find us? You'll have to wait and see.

Catching Up, Pt 2

     June 12 - our first official summer Wednesday together and our 27th wedding anniversary. The previous Wednesday, when Drew reached into the bowl to pull out the slip of paper announcing where we'd be spending this first Wednesday of summer break, Saint Joseph, Michigan was our destination. It seemed fitting as this was the place we went for our first #wackywednesdaywanderings. We filled the gas tank, grabbed drinks for the drive and headed out of town.
     Our first summer of traveling, we decided it was worth investing in the annual parking pass for Berrien County Parks. For just $35, you can get into any park in Berrien County. With the entrance fee at Silver Beach being $12 per day, it pays for itself with the first three visits. We usually get those in before summer break even starts. We went straight to the beach when we arrived in town. We usually park in the lot to the right of the entrance as it's right across from the bathroom buildings. Families with young children might prefer the parking lot to the left as there is a nice big playground for children between the parking lot and the beach. But we're getting old so parking in close proximity to the bathrooms is always a good thing. ☺

Silver Beach viewed from bluff

Plenty of spots for Drew to sit

     I will never pass up a chance to stick my toes in the sand and water. So I walk the beach while Drew sits and takes photos. I'm always a little surprised when he shares his photos with me and has a few of me slipped in there. One thing we like about Silver Beach is the abundance of benches where Drew can sit and still have a great view of the lake. There are benches along the edge of the beach, up on the bluff overlooking the beach and lake as well as some along the channel where the boats come in and out. The beach is always kept clean and the sand is well maintained.

The beach is always clean!

     After we had spent some time on the beach and I had walked the pier, we drove up into town. If you're up for walking to town, there is also a set of steps at the end of the entrance drive as well as a ramp that goes behind Silver Beach Pizza. (We've walked to town from the beach before and it's not bad. Drew's legs just aren't up to it anymore.) One of our favorite places to eat in Saint Joseph is The Buck Burgers & Brew at 412 State St. The food is great, the staff is very friendly and if you leave hungry, it's your own fault. Check them out! After lunch, we walked the few blocks in town and visited some of the little shops. They're                                                                     always fun to browse through.

     Following our walk, we decided to drive north along the coast and see what other lake views we could find. We sometimes go to Tiscornia Park which is just north of the bridge over the channel. This time we decided to find a new spot. A little north of that is a small county park called Rocky Gap There is a nice bench area just off the parking lot. After walking down a long ramp, I arrived on the beach. There were only a few people there that day. It's not a very large beach so that was a good thing. While I had a great view of the lake and could even see the lighthouses at Silver Beach, the beach wasn't nearly as easy to walk on as some other beaches. It seemed to be more cluttered with stones and sticks than I would have anticipated. One area of the beach even left my feet coated with a purple-ish sand that seemed to attract biting flies. So we didn't spend much time there. We continued our drive up the shore.
     We realized we were close to South Haven, Michigan and decided we'd go there (which was one of the places in our bowl but it was worth coming up with another place since we were just a short drive away at that point.) Honestly, my only complaint there is the parking. As you drive to the beach, there are many spots with parking meters. However, there are no signs saying how much it is to park there. When you get into the parking lot right next to the beach, you use an ATM-style machine to pay for parking. You have to indicate what spot you're in and can't move from that spot. That means once you're there, you can't leave. So, don't plan to spend the day unless you're bringing food with you as there weren't any concessions. But, I must say the beach is beautiful, the sand is very well maintained and the pier was nicely kept. I was able to walk all the way out the pier to the lovely red lighthouse. There were benches for Drew to sit on and picnic tables are also available along the beach. It was well worth the drive but not the $10 parking fee to only be there for a short time. But to see another lighthouse and visit another beach, it was ok. Next time we'll just plan to stay longer to get our money's worth.

     By the time we finished taking some photos (and I stuck my feet in the sand and water), we decided it was time to head home. One of our favorite things to do it drive the general direction we need to go to get home and then say, "Siri, how do I get home from here?" GPS then takes us down whatever roads we need to that will get us home. We knew we needed to head east to get towards the middle of Michigan. We headed that way and then asked Siri for directions. "She" took us down some beautiful country roads where we were able to see lots of beautiful scenery. We ended up in Edwardsburg, Michigan at Maple Cafe to get some supper before heading home for the night. It's a small place but they have great food! We weren't at all sorry we stopped.
     It was a big day of travel, lots of time out in the sun, many more laughs than we can keep track of, lots of photos and tons of fun! What a special way to celebrate our 27th anniversary.

Catching Up, Pt 1

     Since we started this blog a couple weeks into this summer, let's take a look back at our first two adventures of 2019. (I won't go back and catch y'all up from the inception of #wackywednesdaywanderings because that would take way too long and you'd stop reading by paragraph two.) So, back to 2019...
     June 5 would be the first official Wednesday of our summer adventure season. We got the summer started with me in a computer science training workshop for school. I did have a lot of fun and learned a lot of information. I knew it was going to be on a Wednesday when I signed up for it but I also knew it would be worth giving up a travel day. But my husband surprised me.
     When I got home, we got in the car and made a short drive to Bremen, IN for their farmer's market. While I know it'll get even better when produce becomes available, we were able to get some great deals! I got a beautiful hanging basket filled with Wandering Jew, Drew got a nice homemade beeswax candle, we picked up a loaf of fresh bread for my mom (she has a food allergy and it makes buying bread hard for her) and homemade apple butter for my dad plus little handmade holders for the grandbabies to use when they eat Mr. Freeze pops so they don't have cold little fingers. Check them out some Wednesday and on Facebook at Bremen Farmer's Market
     After the farmer's market, we drove to Lake of the Woods, literally a lake in the middle of a pretty wooded area of Bremen. We sat by the lake, watching birds and boats while relaxing together. But we were starting to get hungry. One thing we like to do on our adventures is eat at places we don't have around home. Being relatively close to home, that didn't seem like it would be too easy.
     We drove to Plymouth, IN and looked on our Maps app to see what restaurants were nearby. We stopped at one that looked good but found out that they only took cash (which we rarely carry and didn't that night - we had spent the cash we brought at the farmer's market). So we went to option two. Symphony Family Restaurant doesn't look like much on the outside. It sits next to the Little League park and looks like it hasn't been updated for a couple decades. However, on the inside we found a restaurant with very friendly staff and delicious food. In fact, we found out all their soups, salad dressings and bread sticks are homemade in house. That's incredibly hard to find these days. If you're in the Plymouth area or are up for a bit of a drive to get a delicious meal, check them out at Symphony Family Restaurant. We headed home feeling very satisfied. Such was the beginning of our summer (even though that wasn't an "official" #wackywednesdaywanderings)

Stay tuned for part 2.

☺Brenda for Wohlford, Party of 2

First Things First

     Drew and I got married in June 1992. In April 1993, our first child was born. Our second child arrived in May 1995. We never knew what it was like to be "just the two of us" because we never really were. We only managed to take one family vacation - partly because of finances and partly because it was just too hard to travel with two kids who often didn't even like being in the same city, much less the same car. So, we missed out on experiencing the adventures that so many couples post about. 

     We spent time going to scout meetings, baton practice, baseball/softball games, driving them to youth group, etc. It often felt like we were living a busy life, but not a full life. Between Drew working so much, me spending seven years in college and then working (and neither of us ever really on the same schedule), it just kinda felt like we were "stuck" in this pattern of working, eating, watching TV, going to bed, doing it all over again the next day. 

     I've always worked summer jobs that I'd start the week after school got out and continue until a few days before the beginning of the next school year. It still didn't leave time to do anything together. We stated in our same old pattern. Summer of 2017, that all changed. I began a summer job working in the same company as Drew. The deal was, I was going to be off the same day as him every week. Thus, our Wednesday adventures were born. I love hash-tagging photos and posts to make similar items easier to find later. #wackywednesdaywanderings became our new thing. Every Wednesday, we would wake up and decide where we'd like to spend our day. With needing to be back at work on Thursday morning, we would need to be sure that it was someplace that we could drive to, enjoy some time checking the area out and drive back early enough to get rested up for a new work day. We've visited lots of places for the first time ever, I've discovered a new found love for the beach, we've taken thousands of photos and laughed until our bellies hurt. 

     This summer we put a new twist on our adventures. This is the first summer I haven't worked. Drew is still off on Wednesdays. So, we made a list of 9 places (one for each Wednesday of my summer break) and put them all in a bowl. Each week, we pull one out and that's our adventure for the following week (a couple are places where extended family is so we wanted to be able to make arrangements with them - it's not like I'm really a pre-planner except for in my classroom). 

     We always post about our adventures, places we visit, restaurants we eat at, etc. This year we've added a new twist - I drive using GPS (if needed) to our destination. On the way home, Drew using his Maps app to navigate us home, traveling a different way than "normal" and sometimes off the beaten path. It may take us 90 minutes to get to our destination and three hours to get home. But we find some beautiful places and eat some delicious meals at restaurants we may not have found had we followed GPS home. 

     In this blog, we will share our adventures, tell you about hidden treasures we find, recommend restaurants and pass along any other little day-trip travel tips we find helpful - or at least want to put here to remember later. The key here is, it's never too late to have adventures, to live a full life and to learn to have fun together. 

     If you read our blog and would like to give us feedback, feel free to leave a comment for us. We'll be happy to answer any questions, elaborate on any posts or say "thank you for your opinion" if you just tell us we're stupid or you think our blog is pointless. 

☺Brenda for Wohlford, party of two