Happy tasting☆Mackinaw Trail Winery in Mackinaw Crossings Mall, Michigan

We have still time before leaving Mackinaw City. Lastly, we enjoyed going around the stores in Mackinaw Crossings Mall, and went in the shop of Mackinaw Trail Winery.

Mackinaw Trail Winery is family-owned and operated since 2004. In Michigan, there seems to be 4 tasting rooms. How nice we can see award-winning wines as one of the tasting rooms is in Downtown Mackinaw City!

It was a pleasant surprise that a visiter can choose and taste one wine for free! I chose fruity white wine from the wine list. Look at this amount in the wine glass! You can enjoy so much even though it's a tasting! The white wine is Gruner Veltliner, which strain sounds first for me. It's delicious! 

I sit on a chair at Collie's request😄

The staff at Mackinaw City Crossings Tasting Room is very friendly and amazingly welcoming. Unfortunately I didn't buy a bottle of wine because I didn't want my suitcase to get too heavy. I have to go back to Japan soon. 

Mackinaw Crossings is a Victorian inspired shopping center which has something for everyone. 

If you have a chance to visit Mackinaw City, Michigan, please take a stroll to feel the vibe of Mackinaw Crossings Mall and meet your favorite shop, restaurant or entertainment. Good day!

I dreamed of eating at 'ZACHARIAH'S' and 'MACKINAW BAKERY & CAFE' in Mackinaw City

In the morning, I took photos of my favorite spot in Downtown Mackinaw City.

I wanted commemorative photos here in bright light, too.  

ZACHARIAH'S.  For a closer look, you can see my favorite spot (taken last evening).

Diagonally across from ZACHARIAH'S, there is another charming shop called MACKINAW BAKERY & CAFE.  You can eat what you ordered or bought in the ample dining room next door. 

 

Breakfast Sandwiches are made with homemade Croissants & Bagels. Also, they are baking many kinds of pastries. Eating inside of the shop must be great! I dreamed of it. 

But I might not be able to come here anymore... So I focus on the best I can right now. I took the photo with all my heart.

There is also a gift shop as well as a cafe.

I took a photo of this house again.

I came into ZACHARIAH'S to see what it was like inside. Enchanting cheese cakes were taken as a commemorative photo. I wish I could enjoy it leisurely one afternoon.

ZACHARIAH'S, MACKINAW BAKERY & CAFE, DIXIE SALOON, and the pastel blue house are close and all seen in this video I took: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9i09RNSa7M/, which was the last.

I'm writing in Tokyo. What I can do now is uploading these photos carefully on my blog. My thoughts will live on here. My precious memories... Let me finish my travel record till the end. God, please draw me near to you.  Rose 

 

I'm glad I didn't have to waste food!

I've kept my leftover salad in the refrigerator of our hotel. If I don't use it for breakfast this morning, I will lose the opportunity to eat!  Maybe we can eat at the open seat of DIXIE SALOON?  Let's try it!

The remains of my Chiken Salad in a to-go box. I took it to the hotel from DIXIE SALOON last night. Coffee is from the hotel lobby this morning, and round ones are...what I baked yesterday morning😆

Collie bought his sandwich at the shop I suggested. I had the place in mind from having taken a stroll by myself at Downtown Mackinaw City last evening. 

Over there, you can see a ferry which goes to Mackinac Island and St.Ignace. It's a pleasant morning. After finished having each breakfast, we cleaned the table. 

The food of DIXIE SALOON was only Chicken Salad I ordered last night, but nothing was said from the staff relating our use of their outdoor table. I feel relieved. I am glad I didn't have to waste food. 

Thanks a million for a good opportunity to enjoy our breakfast in such a comfortable vibe...🙏  Rose

Evening stroll in Mackinaw City by myself & our little fight?

Collie has a web meeting on Zoom. In the meantime, I will walk to Downtown Mackinaw City, browse, and take a picture while walking around.  Dear everyone who visited this blog, join me♪

A quiet residential area where locals live.

It has a simple cuteness.

I reached Main Street of Downtown Mackinaw City. DIXIE SALOON is a beer restaurant and a memorable place for me. If you know why it is, you are my long time blog reader, perhaps from the Japanese version.

I like this spot best among Downtown Mackinaw City.

ZACHARIAH'S(Mackinaw Breakfast Sandwiches) is a pretty coffee shop where you can enjoy coffee, cakes, sandwiches and more. I have not a chance so far, but I'd love to try it someday.

Looks like an opulent villa. Guess what? It's a B&B! : Brigadoon of Mackinaw City Bed & Breakfast 

A cute house in the vicinity of the Main Street. What the inside is like?

A gift shop with a wide variety of goods as well as fudge, across Langlade St from DIXIE SALOON.

Walking across E Central Ave, the entrance of Mackinaw Crossings Mall is on the S Huron Ave. 

The sky is turning red in the twilight. 

For a closer one, please take a look at my short video!→ https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Tdc8eyj1y/

It got already past 9 p.m. Having tried to get good shots, I was a little late. I'm returning to the hotel by a different route than the one to see another row of houses in Mackinaw City.

Then we went to DIXIE SALOON for a light supper. It was a bit bustling with live music, so we asked for a quiet window seat. I ordered chicken salad for myself as scheduled since it looked very good when Collie had it here years ago. However, my salad with chicken topping was served without chicken. When I pointed out, small pieces of chicken were added soon on my salad. Disappointing... I remember chicken slices were voluminous and juicy on salad before, on that memorable night. The quality has throughly changed after covid-19 pandemic. But draft beer brought from the next bar was tasty as ever. Every cloud has a silver lining.

While discussing where to stop on the way home, it seems I've made him feel bad. He asked me if I was interested in experiencing a tea ceremony in Saginaw, but I playfully told him that he was interested in. "Collie, be honest with me."  He ended up saying, like, "OK, we don't go!". I didn't mean to make him in the bad mood...😢

Mackinac  Bridge  at  night

Later, I realized that I forgot to let him use a coupon available at DIXE SALOON. Thrifty Rose totally forgot it since I was upset with him. It must have happened because he thought people should feel it's not suitable that an American guy like him got interested in Japanese culture. The definition of an American guy "like him" is different between him & me. He is a humble person who is not aware of his greatness. I'd say it's fantastic that he's interested in Japanese culture. I appreciate that he knows unique and wonderful things about Japanese culture and Japanese people. He is absolutely cute. Collie is mine. (- -)fufufufufu※...  　　※a Japanese onomatopoeia for a sly or sexy laugh, almost always used for women.

Collie, let's go to Japanese Culture Center in Saginaw for the tea ceremony together next time. 

You are a cool real man and people feel honored that a great man like you respects Japanese quality. 

an active day at Tahquamenon Falls State Park and a new gift

We hit the road and reached Tahquamenon Falls State Park, that is between Newberry City and Paradise City in the northern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The sun is so bright. We played in the river. I was impressed that Collie brought a bath towel so he could dry our feet later. It's like him😉 

The water is so clear that you can see straight down to the bottom! 

I didn't take a picture this time, but you can see all 360 degrees of Tahquamenon Upper Falls through Google's Street View. Tahquamenon Upper Falls is not only Michigan's largest waterfall, but it is also one of the largest waterfalls in the United States east of Mississippi River.

Nothing beats cold beer on such a scorching day!😋  We usually have lunch at Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub when we come to this park. It is a unique brewery with meals that fill you up and rustic charm, offering fine selection of micro brewed beers. I am blown away by the distinctive quality of harvest wheat beer.

I did one of the sandwiches. It is BIG!😳 All sandwiches are served with beer battered fries (substitute onion rings for $4). I rather like simply fried french fries, but many people seem to like beer battered fries. I ate up all the food on my plate. Ohhhh, I'm stuffed... 

Camp 33 Gift Shop

Camp 33 Gift Shop is located next door to the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub. It's so cute that stairs are full of stuffed animals. I couldn't help but record it on video😊

→ https://www.instagram.com/p/C9KahJbSiU-/

Hiking on the trail, watching falls, playing in the river, big lunch with beer, the gift shop...we had a blast. It was an active day. Then we drove back south, and headed towards Mackinaw City through Mackinac Bridge. After we checked in at a hotel in Mackinaw City －

I took a picture of a necklace. It's same as the one which I bought last time. This time, Collie bought it for me when I was wondering if I should buy a new one or not because the former one was partially damaged. 

Coming back to Japan, I sometimes wear this necklace Collie bought for me. This necklace is full of memories on that day, and his kind suggestion.

St.Francis Solanus Indian Mission Church & Little Traverse Bay

We came to the coast by car. The morning air was crisp and the place had a serene atmosphere.

St.Francis Solanus Indian Mission Church

W Lake Street, Petoskey Michigan 49770

St.Francis Solanus Indian Mission is the first Catholic church and the oldest building in Petoskey built in 1859. Through its restoration completed in 2008, a Mass is celebrated annually on July 14th.

The church and burial grounds are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Overlooking Little Traverse Bay

O powerful St.Francis Solanus,

you who explored and evangelized in the wilds of South America,

please assist me in the wilds of this world and obtain for me,

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

the grace I ask of you.

Amen.

from Novena to St.Francis Solanus

 

Sneaky Breakfast at AmericInn By Wyndham Petoskey & cute round waffles

Still early and Collie is sleeping. I felt like drinking coffee first thing in the morning, so I came to the breakfast room at AmericInn By Wyndham Petoskey. We will have breakfast together later, but I can taste coffee before it while he is sleeping. I'll let him have a rest. He must be tired. 

However....

Once I looked around all the food available on the shelf, I couldn't help taking those buffet style food... I ended up taking not just coffee but also a lot of food😅

I like spending time at a cafe in a relaxed way, so I can enjoy another cup of coffee leisurely when Collie has a breakfast after he is ready. The problem is, how I should tell him that I've shrewdly started whole breakfast...?

Free buffet style breakfast at AmericInn Petoskey♪

I saw other guests having round waffles they baked on the spot. Cute...😍  The small round shaped waffles caught my eye. But I'd been intrigued by a muffin and taking waffles too sounds greedy.

Ah, that's it! A Splendid idea occurred to me. Collie must bake waffles for himself. I can take a picture of his waffles😀

Surprisingly, Collie turned up soon. He wasn't surprised that I was already eating breakfast alone. I may have, I may have not, explained to him I thought maybe I'd eat some while I waited for him😓

He first took a patty, scrambled eggs, gravy sauce, and a biscuit....next went to the waffle maker. Yes! I'm excited! 

He returned to our table with his freshly baked waffles. 😳  But they were not the ones I wanted. Those were waffles with different shapes...😧  Oh, I see, there are two waffle makers to make separate waffle shapes💧

So... I went to another waffle maker to bake waffles for myself.

My cute small round waffles❤︎❤︎❤︎

I am satisfied with my cute ones😋

By the way, Collie's waffles are these. He knows nothing about my attempt. I took a snapshot while he was eating his waffles. 

I am pretty stuffed. I wrapped my cute waffles with paper napkins so I can enjoy them later. ^^

Sometimes, I tend to act strange when I am enamored with cute food. I'm grateful to him for being generous to a fool like me.