Grange Hall

My mom planned a fundraiser bus trip to Chicago this past weekend, so Juli&Rinda&Abby&Mom&Joe all hopped on the bus and headed to the Windy City. Our first stop was to meet my brother, Dustin, and his newest lady, Caitlin, at a restaurant in the Westloop called Grange Hall known for it's local eats (Michigan local, actually) and homemade goodies. It was quite a hike from our stop on Michigan Avenue to the restaurant, but well worth it. The neighborhood was adorable and the building was very quaint with a great old barn door and an inviting outdoor sitting area. The inside was fun with fresh flowers on all the tables and eclectic farm-themed decorations on the walls. And, of course, the entire menu looked delicious. Joe got the most amazing looking item, though: A Reuben burger with a corned-beef-patty&pumpernickel-toast topped with egg&sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. The service was perceptive&impeccable, the portions perfectly-size, and even the restrooms were petite&pretty. I would definitely love to go back.

Fresh Flowers

Reuben Burger

Front Entrance&Patio

Line of Seasonings&Sauces

Booze Bar

Comment Card

Misc Fall

Fire place & candle in the master

Tryna strip that dark outa my hair

knee high boots & leggings for cold weather

knocking one football out of the tree with another football

trying some local beers with joe

flowers from my mr. before a long weekend

pretty mug i eyed for weeks before purchasing

gel manicure and a glass of wine

...if only it was that easy.

Holland&Jacob

Jacob&I explored the cute, little neighborhood surrounding our breakfast spot.

We wandered around looking at houses&buildings before heading back to his apartment in downtown Holland.

I love all the exposed brick and natural light from the enormous windows in his space.

We decided to enjoyed his outdoor space overlooking the city

and drink a few glasses of sangria

before I headed back into Allegan for a day with my family at the pond.

It's always so nice to catch up with him.

GrillHouse&Peg

Peg&I had a dinner date on the patio at the Grill House.

I love it out there - the furniture is so bright&eclectic

and the view is so sprawling of the countryside I grew up in.

We each enjoyed salad&beer in our covered gliding table

while watching the sunset and listening to live music and catching up.

Definitely an excellent late summer night with an amazing old friend in a beautiful place.

Pier Afternoon

Our last morning in South Haven was foggy and quiet.

Elise&Syd&I wanted to stick around and enjoy the west side anyway.

We went for a walk out onto the pier and sat at the end

enjoying the fresh air and people watching.

Slowly the fog rolled back and we could see the shore.

This is the land I grew up in...

the environments I remember from my youth.

Many a summer day was spent on the pier in South Haven

and coming back here to visit refreshes my soul.

I'm glad others who've come into my life can enjoy it, too.

South Haven Sunset

The sunset we were able to enjoy
from South Haven's Lake Michigan shore
during our 2nd night of the camping trip was absolutely perfect.