Midwest Guest

Made in the Midwest-A Few Last-Minute Reminders!

Hopefully you are quite close to finishing up the last of your holiday shopping, but if you are still looking for a few last-minute suggestions for Midwestern-oriented gifts, here are a few companies that have a Midwestern tie.

A couple more foodie finds: Velvet peanut butter and Germack nuts and snacks (a favorite for us is their Motown Mix with nuts, dried cranberries and chocolate chips).

 

We also have a few affiliate ad relationships with a few Midwest-oriented companies like Wisconsin Made (for kringles, cheese ham and other goodies), KitchenAid (which manufactures a number of their small kitchen appliances in states like Ohio and Indiana), John Deere (a company with farm and lawn care equipment as well as toys, clothing and other gifts which has its world headquarters in Moline, Illinois), and the Chicago Steak Company  

Looking for a little motorized fun? Check out places like Harley Davidson, Victory, Indian or Polaris or pick up some parts or accessories for your rides at Revzilla (There are a couple of things for Tim under our tree from Revzilla!).

Duluth Pack is another Midwestern company that we like for its Minnesota-made bags like the shell bags that we use as camera bags or Duluth Pack briefcases, book bags, haversacks, duffel bags or other travel bags. They are attractive and durable, and we've purchased many of them over the years.   

Check out Carhartt for outdoor clothing or active wear, either online or by visiting their Detroit store in midtown near the Wayne State University (our alma mater!) campus.

Be sure to check out other recent articles in our most recent "Made in the Midwest" series for more suggestions for goods and services with a strong Midwestern tie:

Made in the Midwest: Here are a Few More of our Favorite Things

Made in the Midwest (a.k.a. These Are A Few of Our Favorite Things!

Made in the Midwest: A Round-up of some great home-grown and homemade products

 

Back in the Saddle: A New Harley Dealer in Town

Midwest reads: More great Midwest-related books for holiday gifting or getting!

Made in the Midwest: Here are a Few More of our Favorite Things

Tim and I are deep in to holiday shopping and came up with a few more "Made in the Midwest" shopping suggestions for your gift lists:

Are you near a larger city? Many Convention and Visitors Bureaus have nice local shopping sites highlighting local boutiques, small businesses and other places offering locally made products and services like the site for Columbus, Ohio which I highlighted in a recent blog here and, one of my favorites, Detroit's fab shopping section.

Visit Detroit's shopping section includes a few of my favorite places for Detroit themed gifts like City Bird in Midtown Detroit and the Pure Detroit stores in places like the Fisher Building and the Guardian Building (where I purchased Tim's City of Detroit coffee mug last year). The Detroit Shoppe also has an outlet in Troy's Somerset Collection near us where you can also get Detroit-branded wear and gifts.

Call up "pure Detroit" at Amazon and check out some cool things like a Michigan Midwest Mitten T-shirt that pictures the state with the Great Lakes and the site tells me is "designed and printed with pride in Ann Arbor, Michigan".   

 

 

In a pickle when it comes to choosing a holiday gift? There are plenty of options here in the Midwest when it comes to getting a few cool pickle-oriented gifts!

Framed and signed hot dog buns at Tony Packos riverfront location

We often head on down to Toledo in Ohio for great pickles and relishes at the in-house stores at the Tony Packo's Restaurants on the riverfront near the Mud Hens ball park downtown. Our favorites at Packo's include the classic pickles and peppers, and Tim is a big fan of Packos' relishes like the mustard relish for using with hot dogs. We also like the "Super Charged Chili Recipe" if we want to spend a little more time to make our own spicy pot of chili at home. We ordered a Packos gift pack with pickles and relishes to send to one of Tim's siblings a year or so ago, and it was a real hit!

 

 

Sechler's in northern Indiana is another favorite when it comes to pickles, especially when it comes to sweet varieties like the sweet orange strip pickles. We've visited the Sechler's factory store a couple of times and bought a ton of pickled goods like some of the more off-the-wall varieties that I prefer like pickled hot cauliflower.

Pickle bar at Sechlers in Fremont, Indiana

 

 

 

Want some more pickles? Try heading to a hardware store in the Midwest! I found another favorite pickle brand at a small meat butcher in Carmel, Indiana...I picked them up on a whim after the clerk raved about them, and I've since shopped for them at hardware stores in Chagrin Falls (Ohio), Put-in-Bay (Ohio) and at several hardware stores near where Tim's father lives in Grand Rapids (Michigan). The pickles have a unique spicy punch and, as their Web site proudly proclaims, the product is "Proudly Made in the USA" (in this case, the product comes from Indiana and western Michigan). Now that I've discovered a little more about Rickle's online, I really want to find, and try, some of the company's pickled asparagus!  

 

 

Speaking of spicy, if you like spicy spears, Detroit's McClure's Pickles should be especially to your taste. We can find them all over town, including at Detroit's great outdoor farmers market (Eastern Market), local produce stores and major grocery outlets. Out of town? No problem as you can find the company's classic garlic dills, sweet and spicy pickle chips, pickle relish and a great Bloody Mary mix at Amazon.    

 

 

Check out my most recent post for more Made in the Midwest suggestions that include more chili, some sweet cherry goodness and some crunchy pretzels to help fill up your pantry!

Do you have any other Midwest favorites I missed? Let me know as I'll be adding more Made in the Midwest suggestions in upcoming posts this month.

Made in the Midwest (a.k.a. These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things!)

With all of the talk floating around this year about "jobs" and how politicians aren't doing enough to preserve and promote jobs in this country and how they should punish those who send jobs elsewhere at the expense of our own friends, neighbors and local businesses, I'd like to take a more positive tack by encouraging others to support, and buy from, Midwestern businesses.

So, I'll be posting a few short lists of suggestions for your holiday shopping consideration over the next couple of weeks.  

My most recent shopping expedition was to the Miners Den, a local jewelry store where I've shopped for years and that creates a lot of nice pieces in-house. For the record, I grabbed a great deal on a Fordite pendant for myself.

Illness in the family forced me to do more of my shopping online in recent years, but I make it a habit to search out local and indie places throughout the Midwest when I'm shopping online as well. The most recent package that arrived here was from Gwen Frostic's paper goods place in Benzonia (Michigan), which I promptly wrapped and put under my tree!

So, if you need to do a little shopping online, take a look at a few of these places if you're in the market for a real Midwestern holiday:

Tim and I both love shopping at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, Michigan and made sure we made an online stop at the store for a couple of gifts for his dad, a cousin and for ourselves. Our purchases this year included all sorts of cherry goodness that include dark chocolate covered cherries, milk chocolate covered cherries and sour patches (my favorite from their candy department). I've had good luck shopping their retail stores, ordering online and placing my orders by phone. I placed my most recent Cherry Republic order via phone to the Glen Arbor store, which is a 5-hour drive from here, and it arrived here in metro Detroit the next evening!    

 

 

We're also big fans of Skyline Chili, which is a Cincinnati favorite. It isn't readily available outside of Ohio, but you can easily grab some of the canned version online. They have 4-can and 8-can packs, and if you have an Amazon Prime account, you order them and have your own Skyline dinner in a couple of days. We had Skyline 3-Way meals, with the chili over spaghetti and smothered with grated cheese. Tim skipped the hot sauce, but I opted for some of that and a beer as well!

 

 

I discovered Dot's Homestyle Pretzels earlier this year when I heard a couple of folks rave about them. Problem is, they're from North Dakota, and I've yet to find them here in Michigan. Again, you can managed readily find them on Amazon, and I've already ordered them a couple of different times. These are hearty pretzel twists with a unique mustard-style taste.

 

 

Check back here soon for more Midwestern gourmet goodie suggestions and some other non-food gift suggestions!   

Made in the Midwest: A Round-up of some great home-grown and homemade products

As I see more and more stories about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and shopping until I drop, I'd love to remind folks to make the extra effort to support their Midwestern neighbors and their businesses by shopping locally and buying local products and services.

I asked some fellow Midwestern travel bloggers for some suggestions, and here are some fun ideas for creating a real Midwestern holiday as you shop for your loved ones...or just if you want to grab a little something for yourself this holiday season!

Exploration of The Wildbird Shack in Mt. Prospect Reveals Locally Made Items and Sense of Community-Mel urges readers of the A Little Time and a Keyboard blog to check out a cute local store in the Chicago area as they shop for seeds and other supplies and help their local avian friends weather the winter. Even as the temperatures plunge, The Wildbird Shack is a warm and welcoming place, as well as a community center for bird lovers that highlights local product and the store's own special blends of seed and other feed.

Anderson's Candy Shop (Barrington)-Working up an appetite while feeding your feathered friends? Mel says to stop by this local candy company in suburban Chicago and get a treat for yourself! Anderson's is a three-generation family business with gorgeous house-made chocolate treats in more than 30 different flavors with creamy, crunchy, chewy centers and more. Mel particularly Anderson's chocolate-dipped ginger bars and tells us that the Barrington store also participates in the town's Wine Walk events.

Made in CBUS-The Experience Columbus Web site devotes a lot of space to highlighting local dining, attractions and shopping for folks heading to Ohio's capital city for a few days. The city takes a special pride in their local businesses that include independent restaurants and locally owned boutiques, many of which offer locally made product created by Columbus artisans, craftspeople and designers. Columbus is #3 on a list of Fashionable Destinations from USA Today, and recent ranked as top Midwest Destination for visitors. Columbus has a number of special shopping districts in town like Short North Arts District and German Village, and these are just a few things you can learn more about at Experience Columbus. 

Motor City Brew Tours-If you're a beer drinker and live near Detroit as I do, you know that the Motor City has a wealth of great local brews! Aimee West tells us that Motor City Beer Tours put together a package that includes a gift certificate, a Detroit Beer Book (why have I yet to see this one?) and a few other tools like a can koozie and coaster to help you experience your tasting tour knowledgeably and in style!

Holen One Farms and Preferred Popcorn from Nebraska-Check out Gretchen's story at the Odyssey Through Nebraska blog to find out about a couple of companies owned by Nebraskans  who create and package local food products to sell at fairs (like the State Fair where Gretchen discovered them) and other outlets. Holen One Farms offer a range of grilling products like marinades, dipping sauces and seasoning rubs to help you put a little zip into your meals (Gretchen and her family like their Java Rib and Roast Rub). Gretchen also discovered some zippy microwavable jalapeno popcorn from Nebraska's Preferred Popcorn, which is a company run by several Nebraskan farm families.

Holiday Adventures with Adventure Santa-Cindy shares a story about a couple in Minnesota who created a toy and book combo to help share holiday adventures with the jolly holiday fellow  and your children while spending time together! Baking cookies? Cutting down your own Christmas tree? Or creating a new holiday tradition with your family? This is a fun way to get  your children involved and using their own imaginations to help create holiday happiness! Check it out at Traveling Adventures of a Farm Girl.

More ideas about regional holiday products, services other things Made in the Midwest? Share them here or let me know as I'll continue to share more ideas this month about how you can support local sites and businesses as you complete your holiday shopping!

Back in the Saddle: A New Harley Dealer in Town

Text by Tim Marks, Photos by Dominique King

I kept receiving email about the opening of a new Harley-Davidson dealership in Farmington Hills, Michigan that promised to the biggest and best Harley in the Detroit metropolitan area.

The dealership opened with a bang in late October and, as a Suzuki rider, I wondered why I was on their mailing list.

It turns out that the dealer where I bought my beloved Suzuki Boulevard bike was MotorCity Power Sports near Pontiac, which is a sister store to new MotorCity Harley-Davidson in Farmington Hills.

I love seeing new bikes, so Dominique and I made our way out to Farmington Hills on a rainy afternoon shortly after the grand opening of the new dealership.

It worked out to be the perfect time to visit.

The new MotorCity Harley-Davidson dealership has a giant showroom and is one of the largest Harley dealers in the country.

The showroom was full of row after row of new Harleys.

There were street 500 and 750s, Sportsters in all colors and engine sizes, street rods and Road Kings and everything in-between. Engine sizes ranged from 500cc and 750cc bikes in the Street series, to the new for 2017 Milwaukee-Eight (107ci and 114ci).

The showroom wasn't too busy on the rainy day, and I had a nice conversation with salesman Robert “Big Bob” Staton about bikes and riding.

Bob was extremely helpful and resisted picking on me about my Suzuki Thumper.

Bob said that MotorCity offers “learn to ride” classes for both new and skilled riders, even supplying the bikes for the new rider class.

Passing the new rider class gives students a waiver of the State of Michigan riding test for a motorcycle endorsement.

I can attest that taking a training session is invaluable to riders of all skill levels.

The service department combines a claimed 130 years of mechanic experience, and riders can get their rides completely overhauled if they need to do so.

The service and work MotorCity Power Sports near Pontiac is always excellent, and the staff at the new Harley-Davidson dealership in Farmington Hills looks to be similarly top-notch.

The new Motorcity facility is definitely a good option as a one-stop-shop for all your Harley needs.

Can't get to the dealership in person?

Try checking out Amazon for a selection of Harley-Davidson branded clothing and other accessories like these fun directors' chairs or kooky stuff like a biker garden gnome in a "leather" jacket.

 

 

 

You can also check out Revzilla, another one of our ad affiliates, for a full selection of parts and accessories for Harley-Davidson bikes.

 

Midwest reads: More great Midwest-related books for holiday gifting or getting!

Here are a few of the books I've recently read that are by Midwestern authors or about Midwestern related subjects:

A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott-I've read several of Alcott's historical novels in the past, but this is the first historical novel I've seen of hers that involves subjects portrayed as natives of the Midwest. Carole Lombard, a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, rose to fame as a movie star during Hollywood's "Golden Age" of the 1930s and 1940s. Lombard married movie star (and Ohio native) Clark Gable as he enjoyed an apex of his fame while filming the movie, "Gone With the Wind". Julie, the main character in Alcott's novel, comes to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a screenwriter and works as an assistant to Lombard. Julie and Carole enjoy a friendship strengthened by the fact that they both grew up in Fort Wayne, while Julie finds many challenges to her sheltered Midwestern upbringing as she embarks on her screenwriter career and a new relationship with a producer's assistant, Andy, who happens to be Jewish. It's 1939 and Gable is starring in one of the lead roles in GWTW as the fictional characters encounter swiftly changing attitudes regarding anti-Semitism, racism and career women.

Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini-This is one of several books from Madison Wisconsin author Chiaverini (other books based on the lives of real women in history include Mrs. Lincoln's Rival and The Spymistress). This story revolves around Julia Dent Grant, the wife of President Ulysses S. Grant, and Jule, a slave who fled to freedom in the wake the Emancipation Proclamation. Cast as a love story between Julia and Ulysses focusing on the very difficult years of the Civil War and the close, and eventually fractured, relationship between the Missouri-born Julia and the young Jule as they grew up together. Julia stayed with Grant until his lingering death from tongue cancer, while Jule found to business success with her own hairdressing and cosmetic company.    

Terror in the City of Champions: Murder, Baseball, and the Secret Society that Shocked Depression-era Detroit by Tom Stanton-The 1930s saw a lot of pain and terror in Detroit even as 1935 saw Detroit Celebrate being the City of Champions with all three sports teams (baseball's Tigers, hockey's Red Wings and, believe it or not, football's Lions) win their respective world championship titles. Detroit's Joe Louis also became the world champion heavyweight boxer at the same time! Detroit author Tom Stanton details how Detroit celebrated the sports achievements and an improvement in the Great Depression-era economy even as the city struggled under the oppressive influence of The Black Legion, a secretive racist and xenophobic group responsible for multiple beatings and, in many cases, killings. Folks sometimes cheerfully would cop to being involved with groups like the KKK, but a strict code of silence among members and fear made it very difficult to break or prosecute the Black Legion. The book reminded Tim of Erik Larson's Devil in the White City with a cast of true-life characters that included the bigoted priest Charles Coughlin and other bit players like Henry Ford, J. Edgar Hoover, presidents Ford and Reagan and sports greats from Detroit. 

 

 

Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard by John Branch. Boogaard grew up in Saskatoon and moved through youth, Junior and minor hockey leagues to advance to the NHL as one of hockey's fiercest and feared enforcers. I've never been a big fan of fighting in hockey, although many see it as a necessary outlet to help avert further violence in the game. Attitudes slowly changed over the most recent years when guys like Boogaard suffered because of the damage caused by repeated concussions and trauma to the brain caused by blows and on-ice collisions. Boogaard died at the age of 28 in 2011, an event that made headline news in North America and elsewhere. Often wearing the number 24 in homage to his hero Bob Probert, a much-loved hockey enforcer who spent much of his hockey career in Detroit and Chicago, Boogaard's struggled with injuries and illnesses (chronic pain, substance abuse) that mirrored Probert's. Boogaard's family, like Probert's before him, donated his brain after his death to researchers seeking to better understand the problems. The book covers Boogaard's early career in Western Canada as well as his time with the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers in the NHL. Debate about sports-related concussions continues in the NHL and NFL, and there seems to be more awareness and action to alleviate the conditions and provide better protection for those in sports in the wake of stories like the one about Boogaard.    

The Val James Story: Black Ice by Valmore James and John Gallagher-Val James was a rarity in hockey during the 1970s and 1980s as a U.S. born hockey player...and as an African-American who become the first U.S. born black hockey player to make it to the NHL. Val James' road to hockey success was rocky at the time as he struggled with the open racism of the time. You'd like to think that things are better for such players these days, but it is still instructive and important to understand the insults and hardships visited upon players like Val. Val's interest and proficiency in hockey began as his family moved from his native Florida to upstate New York in search of a better life and his father became the manager of an arena in Rochester, New York. While Val spent much of his professional life in New York State, Quebec and Erie, Pennsylvania, he did manage to play at least a handful of games in Buffalo, New York, Toronto in Canada and Detroit, Michigan.

Check these books out and learn something new about the Midwest and Midwestern culture today!

Back in the Saddle: Omni Air Over Pants, Another Winner from Pilot Motorsports.

I'm happy to welcome Tim back with one of his Back in the Saddle posts, a series of stories and reviews about his experiences as a returning motorcycle rider!

Those who follow my blog posts know that I try to ride with “All The Gear All The Time” (ATGATT), and now I’m all geared up. Back in July 2015, I reviewed the Pilot Motorsport Visto Air riding Jacket and the Super Mesh Pilot gloves. This is a review of the matching Pilot Omni Air Mesh Over Pants.

Pilot Motorsports manufactures a variety of protective garments for street riders and motorcycle racers. They supply a number of pro racers as well as OEMs such as Suzuki.

The Omni Air pants are well-made, protective motorcycle pants for spring, summer, and fall. The pants’ construction consists of two ballistic nylon polyester fabrics (NPF). The first is a 210-denier mesh fabric that covers the bulk of the garment. The second is a 600D fabric used in areas most likely to take a direct impact. Pilot brands their fabric as Pilotex® and Pilotex® Mesh

The first sign of the durability of the pants is the 4 lb. weight. These are solidly constructed pants made of first-rate, abrasion-resistant fabric.

The impact areas, hips, knees:

The pants come with microcellular CE approved armor at the knees. The armor sits in an adjustable pocket with three positions. This allows you to position the armor correctly based on your inseam.

The armor at the hips is a basic closed cell foam pad that offers minimal protection. I opted to purchase the optional Core 2® CE rated hip armor for $30. You might also choose third-party hip armor, in which case I recommend Forcefield CE approved replacement armor at about $40.

Pilot layers all impact areas with 600D Pilotex NPF for extra abrasion resistance. Seams are double and triple stitched for durability, a feature left out of many garments at this price point. The 600D fabric is at the knees, hips and from waist to thigh across the seat. It is hard to imagine better protection in a mesh pant at this price, I certainly feel comfortable riding in them.

Comfort and airflow:

The Omni over pants are heavy (about 5lbs) but they flow a ton of air to keep you cool. Riders usually wear the pants over a pair of jeans, or in my case a pair of Carhartt® Duck Work Dungarees. On those extra hot days I wear the pants over a pair of shorts, this exposes the skin directly to the cooling airflow. The only time the pants get hot is at stoplights as the black fabric absorbs the heat of the sun. My lack of hips led me to buy a pair of suspenders to hold the pants at my waist. The suspenders shown in the picture, Hold-Up® suspenders are made right here in metro Detroit and are available at Amazon.

Conclusion:

Those riders who want a quality, pair of motorcycle riding over pants at a fantastic price, can’t do any better than Pilot’s Omni Air Over Pant. The pants are a solid compromise between protection and comfort, with a spotlight on protection.

Pros:  

• CE Armor
• Bang for the buck
• Solid construction
• Quality company

 Cons:

• I would love it if they made them in white or light grey for sun reflectivity and style. Are you listening Pilot?

 

 

© Tim Marks 2016 All rights reserved

Midwest Guest is 8!

It may be difficult to believe, but I first pushed the "publish" button to put a post up on Midwest Guest on August 1, 2008!

Reading my initial blog post reminds me that we've stayed pretty close to my original vision of sharing the stories of our travels primarily around the Midwest as Tim became a larger and larger part of the blog, so I'm still pretty comfortable with the focus of Midwest Guest.

While much in our life changed over the past eight years, we're still hoping to continue sharing stories and images here for many years to come.

Much of the work we do at Midwest Guest happens as a labor of love, and most often happens on our own dime, but I'd like to take a quick moment to thank the folks that help support us by shopping via our Amazon affiliate links or via one of the ads at Midwest Guest through our CJ affiliate program.

We selected the ads we run through CJ based on our interests, companies with a Midwest connection or companies Tim and I love and regularly use ourselves.

 

 

So...here's one quick recommendation -  we both purchased a lot of Life is Good brand T-shirts over the years and I recently discovered that the company expanded their collegiate collections. The quirky T-shirts already include a number of Notre Dame Items, but recent catalog additions include a nice selection of fun Michigan State University wear!

© Dominique King 2016 All rights reserved

Nature, Shopping and Unique Food: A Weekend Guide to Grand Marais, MN

It's been years since we've visited the north shore of Lake Superior and enjoyed a drive along the scenic Minnesota's Highway 61. I loved reading Shana Schultz's account of her visit to Grand Marais (and our apparent mutual love for Ben Franklin stores) and remembering what we've been missing. Thanks, Shana, for sharing your story with Midwest Guest readers!

For many, the north shore of Lake Superior is the iconic image that comes to mind when they think of Minnesota (other than a snowy wasteland); rugged cliffs overlooking blue water surrounded by unending expanses of forest.

Grand Marais is an ideal place to experience Minnesota's beautiful natural wilderness and a huge heaping helping of the famous "Minnesota Nice".

If the weather is nice, a hike out on Artist's point will is a good place to start your explorations. Once you have finished the short hike around the point, you can walk out on the breakwater towards the lighthouse to get a different perspective and some great photos of the city.

Back in town, there are a number of essential stops and icons no new visitor to Grand Marais should miss.

The Lake Superior Trading post should be next on your Grand Marais bucket list. The trading post sells sporting equipment as well as a great selection of Minnesota made gifts. I have fond memories of the maple syrup candy from visiting as a child (and I still make sure to pick some up whenever I am in the area).

If you are keen to experience a nostalgic piece of history that has been in operation on the Grand Marais main drag for more than 70 years, head to the Grand Marais Ben Franklin. One could easily get lost perusing unending aisles of this and that.

There are a couple of can't miss food experiences to be had in Grand Marais. For those with a sweet tooth, a stop at World's Best Doughnut's will satisfy even the most pervasive of cravings! Fans claim their cake doughnuts are the best in the world, but you should also not miss their filled doughnuts.

Sven and Ole's Pizza is a kitschy, bumper sticker worthy destination right in the heart of Grand Marais (I have seen the iconic Sven and Ole's bumper stickers on the other side of the country and even the world!) The pizza is pretty good, too.

A great, casual choice for dining in Grand Marais is the Angry Trout Cafe, a great restaurant that focuses on locally sourced and organic food. This is a satisfying place to get locally caught lake trout as well as other yummy, homemade fare.

Bluefin Bay Resort is just down the road from Grand Marais. It offers a wide variety of room choices to accommodate any size of family (including suites) as well as children's activities, beach barbecues and bonfires on the beach complete with s'mores!

Grand Marais is an easy stop for a day or weekend trip, as everything in town is relatively close and easy to access (though you will still likely need a car to get in and to explore outside of town). Many of the sites that I have listed are within walking distance of each other.

Grand Marais is a 4 and a half hour drive north from the Twin Cities. The closest major airport to Grand Marais is in Duluth, MN. If you rent a car in Duluth, Grand Marais is a two hour drive up the North Shore.

The drive up the shore on Highway 61 is one of the most scenic stretches of road in the country and is a must-see. One could spend a pleasant day (or two!) just meandering up the shore, taking photos and enjoying the views.

A visit to Grand Marais offers a great mixture of outdoor scenery, recreational opportunities, kitschy shopping and dining and small town charm!

Shanna Schultz is the chief button pusher and muse at Midwest Travel Companion, a travel blog that gives you ideas for Midwest travel with a healthy dose of Minnesota Nice. She also offers travel suggestions for destinations worldwide at There and Back Again Travel.

She lives in Minnesota with two tornadoes (um, kids) and a husband and looks forward to upcoming travel adventures both around the block and around the world.

Text courtesy of, and copyright by, Shana Schultz. Photos courtesy of Visit Cook County Minnesota.

Exploring Cincinnati's Findlay Market

We love farmers markets, and I love this trip that Jessie Voigts shares with readers here at Midwest Guest. It makes my mouth water just looking at these images and reminds me that it has been way too long since we last visited Cincinnati, Ohio! Check out what Jessie found at the Findlay Market!

The one thing I always try to find when I travel? Great markets! There's something about the markets that teaches you much about a place - maybe it's the friendly people, who care about the food they share. Maybe it's the essence of being in a place - you discover the area through what is important at the market. And maybe it's just the great food - always a given! 

We recently visited Findlay Market, in Cincinnati, Ohio. We'd been scoping out the Second Street Market in Dayton (love the bread from Rahn's), and a friendly barista in the downtown Boston Stoker coffeeshop pointed us south to Cincinnati. Only an hour from Dayton, this was doable. We went the day before it officially opened for the season, so it was not packed and several vendors were not there yet. I also asked about the mustaches everywhere - yes, it's for the baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds. 

Mustaches everywhere at Cincinnati's Findlay Market

  Come the weekend, it would NOT look like this:

The structure of Findlay Market is beautiful and historic - it's an iron-framed building that is rare to see. There are a few streets surrounding the main building that house excellent shops and restaurants, making it a several-block complex. The tower bell is rung at the start of each market day. The market consists of several buildings: the Farm shed, store fronts, an open market (on the two side streets), the market house (in the old, original building). 

This tile floor welcomed us to the main building:

The history of Findlay market is interesting - it's Ohio's oldest surviving municipal market house, and dates from 1852 (!!). It is located in Over-the-Rhine, a renowned downtown neighborhood. General Findlay was an important part of Cincinnati's history - an early settler and entrepreneur, he was also the mayor, established a public library, was elected to Congress, and also served as a Major General of the State Militia's first division. His wife, Jane, was also an important civic player, even residing in the White House to help her niece, Jane Irwin, assist her father-in-law, President William Henry Harrison, by providing First Lady duties.

But once you go, you'll see why countless visitors come to shop - and eat - at Findlay market. It's brightly colored, making you smile. There are plenty of parking spaces, and there's a city-wide bike sharing system if you want to get there that way. The streets bracketing the market on two sides are pedestrian-only. There are tables for picnicking, and the entire area is handicap accessible.

     And the food... take a look at what we discovered at Findlay Market.

We loved the delicious smoked meats at Eckerlin Meats - and discovered a local delicacy - Goetta. Let me tell you: TRY IT. It's worth a trip to Cincinnati just for that! And the people are SO friendly and kind. My favorite store at the market!

and enormous dog bones! 

Olives galore at Silverglades

Gelato at Dojo Gelato

Bouchard's

more olives

  fudge!

  cookies and tarts and macaroons, oh my!

did someone say crepes? 

and a sense of humor: sid and snuffleupagus in vegetable form

        let us meat your needs

  fresh vegetables and fruit

  a Vietnamese cafe

Findlay Market details:

Hours:

The market is open Tues-Friday 9am-6pm, Sat 8am-6pm, and Sun 10am-4pm
Note: Not all merchants are open every day. Please check the website for details. Some merchants are open on Mondays.

Location:

1801 Race Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
http://www.findlaymarket.org/

Parking:

There are pay meters all around the market, including in some lots and on the street. The parking is very inexpensive - 50 cents per hour, first hour free on the weekdays, $1 an hour on the weekends, 2 hour minimum (that will NOT be a problem).

Get inspired:

https://www.instagram.com/findlaymarket/
https://twitter.com/FindlayMarket
https://www.facebook.com/FindlayMarket

Merchant categories include:

•     Weekend
•     Farmers Market
•     Artisan Gifts
•     Baked Goods
•     Beer & Wine
•     Catering
•     Cheese & Dairy
•     Delivery
•     Desserts & Chocolate
•     Flowers
•     Fresh Seafood
•     Meat & Poultry
•     Prepared Foods
•     Produce & Organic Produce
•     Specialty Groceries

 

 

Jessie Voigts is the publisher of WanderingEducators.com, and loves travel, eating, and coffee (they go together!). All photos courtesy and copyright Wandering Educators