The Minis take Michigan - 2023 Michigan Road Trip Day Five: Traverse City and Mission Point Lighthouse
August 23
While we finished up some work, Bill and Zappo went for a walk and a short drive. Zappo expects this daily, and isn’t happy if he doesn’t get to keep his routine.
Traverse City
Around noon, we were finally ready so we jumped in Bill’s truck and he drove to Traverse City.
It was a very drizzly day, and we didn’t really feel like walking around in the rain, so Bill drove around town and we did our site-seeing from the truck.
Burgers and Fries
We were in town at lunch time, however, and we decided to try the stuffed burgers at Slab Town Burgers. The cheese is stuffed into the center of the burger patty. So it’s like a volcano of cheese in a burger! Bill had the Pungi’s Pepper Patty with jalapeño, bacon, and cream cheese. Tony tried the Slabby Patty with American cheese. I had the Big Blue Burger stuffed with bleu cheese, bacon, and cream cheese. The center is so creamy and melty. Simply divine! The fries were in the lunch-sack style bag, with the wrapped burger on top. The fries were loved by all three of us. Which is quite a feat, finding fries that are like by both Tony and myself!
They have lots of other items on their menu, but we thought stuffed burgers was something not to be misses, and we were right!
Bill said it’s a good thing there is not a franchise near his home; he would want to eat there every day! He kept a bit of burger for Zappo, who also seemed to approve. So it’s unanimous!
Mission Point Lighthouse
After lunch it was still rainy, so we decided rather than walk around, we would drive up to Old Mission Point and check out the Mission Point Lighthouse. I realized that around here, you can’t just say “the point” because of all the fingers of the lake. There are many points in Lake Michigan!
The lighthouse was a short walk from the parking lot, and steps lead down to the water. Zappo dove right in to the lake. He splashed around for a while, and was reluctant to leave the water. Bill had a time of drying him off when we got back to the truck!
I put my feet in the lake. It was cool, but not freezing. There were a couple of kids playing in the water. Kids never seem to feel the chill of water!
The Hessler Log Home 1854-1856
Also at the site of the light house was the Hessler Log Home. The sign near the log home said this:
This log home was built in the southern part of the old mission peninsula by early settlers, Mary and Joseph Kessler. The huge logs cut from the pine trees were hand hewn and stacked on top of each other to form the walls, while modified dovetailed joints held the corners snugly together without nails or fasteners. The cabin was moved to this park, repaired, and furnished during 1992-1997 to assist the public in understanding how our pioneer families lived and utilized the untamed land.
We all scream for ice cream
Once we were a little bit dry and sand-free (we may never be totally sand-free!!) we hopped back in the truck and headed to Moomers Homemade Ice Cream. Voted “Best in America,” we certainly couldn’t pass it up! We each got a cup of ice cream, and Tony and I walked across the street for a cup of coffee.
The ice cream at Moomers is so very creamy and delicious! Their creamery is right there in Traverse City, and they make more than 150 flavors - with about 20 being available any given day. I got salted caramel, Tony got butter pecan, and Bill had Cherries Moobliee, with brownie chunks, fudge, and black cherries. Yummy! They even have a flavor named after a 2021 presidential visit.
Grocery Stop
We had one more experience we have never had - we stopped at Meijer for a few groceries. Imagine our surprise - they sell everything there! Tony looked for a new belt (they only had ONE) and I checked out the decor, even though I totally don’t need anything!
Home on wheels
Back at camp, we set up our chairs in the Lippert Picnic Popup Gazebo and relaxed with a beer. Tony made sandwiches with the bacon maple jam he had picked up at Leaman’s Green Applebarn Harvest Host on Monday. Boy, that stuff sure is tasty!
We talked about our plans for tomorrow, then Bill and Zappo turned in, and Tony and I went for a walk around the campground. We found the store (too late to shop) and the beach. The parking lot is humungous; I can imagine the crowds that gather here in good weather! Bill told me the lake is great for snowmobiles in the winter, when it freezes over. He was talking about the cracking noises as someone goes over the ice. I think that would frighten me way too much to try it - as if I even wanted to be outside in weather cold enough to freeze the lake!
