More of my blog from my recent trip to the US.
We drove from Detroit to Cheboygan, which is at the northern most tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan. This was a 4 hour road trip and we saw such cool countryside. Loads of trees, tall water towers with town names written on the side, white panel farm houses, red wooden barns and metal silos (like my fisher price one which moo-ed when you opened the barn doors). Bits of it reminded me of the Wizard of Oz and other bits of Northern Exposure.
It certainly was hunting and fishing country. All the men folk were large and bearded with baseball caps, and their lady friends weren’t much different.
We’d heard about the “Fall Colours”, where the trees turn from green to a multitude of oranges, yellows, reds and purples and as we drove further north we were teased with early tit-bits of this amazing natural phenomenon. We stopped at the Lumberjack Cafe for breakfast. Oh my word, I tasted the BEST blueberry pancakes. A serving consisted of three 7”ish pancakes. On top of this you could have as many as you could eat for free. Joe rose to the challenge, and only managed another 1. The record is 9. The decor of this place was done out like a hunting log cabin, with stuffed bears and deer and moose heads on the walls. After a quick stop at an even cheaper Old Navy and very cheap Gap (I left my purse in the changing room) we were back on the road again.
Our drive into Cheboygan was along a road that was flanked on one side by Lake Mullett and Lake Burt on the other. These were apparently the smaller inland lakes, as opposed to the great lakes, but they looked pretty great to me. They were lined with cute holiday cabins and more trees.
Cheboygan was a traditional small American town, with an actual main street with shops, cafes and businesses in older buildings. Stephen took us on a quick tour, showing us the Dairy Queen where Aunty Mavis used to work and where the family lived out back of when they first arrived here from Kuwait. He also showed us the old Roy family home which was a lovely wood paneled house with porch and steps up to the front door. Amazingly the similar 5 bedroom home next door was on the market for about $100,000. So that’s about £65,000. Oh my goodness. Joe and I couldn’t quite get over this and started to think perhaps a move to America might be a good idea. So much more boom for your buck with the housing and space.
We arrived at Aunty Mavis’s with a warm welcome. Her home is a modular home, pre-built, brought to the land in two bits on the back of a lorry and then fixed together on arrival. It was set in 3 acres of land at the edge of the town, boardered by woodland and a little creek. We watched the chipmunks, squirrels and birds in the garden, but didn’t get to see the family of deer that often hang out. We just hung around and chatted and drank tea, then Mavis cooked her legendary chicken curry with salad and bhaji (steamed cabbage and tomato). For pudding, Stephen went to the Dairy Queen and brought us each back a Blizzard - ice cream mixed up with bits of yummy things. I had a chocoholics delight - chocolate ice cream with chocolate truffle lumps. This was good. After more chatting we went to bed. It was so warming to hang out with Mavis. She's so kind and funny and chilled out. And her house is full of sweets, just like my Nanny's (her eldest sister),
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