As I mentioned in some of my other posts, my wife and I recently took a trip to the west side of Michigan. After visiting the lantern festival at the zoo, and then the Tulip Time festival in Holland, MI, we had a few other places I wanted to stop and check out. Check out my full blog page if you missed the previous two posts.
I'm sure by now, many of us are familiar with the influencer effect. I might have the definition a little wrong, but to me it's when a place that is altogether not that remarkable suddenly becomes a popular spot due to someone highlighting it and then a flood of people start visiting the place to recreate the moment or magic of the original poster.
That turned out to be the case with Tunnel Park on the shores of Lake Michigan outside of Holland.
It's one of those things I saw on Facebook or something like that and since we were so close after visiting the tulip time festival, I decided to take a quick drive over to check it out. Much to my surprise, the place was packed with people. On top of that, some of them were people who think the rules don't apply to them (seems to be everyone these days). There's a sign that specifically says no bicycles, but you can clearly see three people in the photo above walking their bikes through the tunnel.
Anyway, the tunnel takes you through one of the iconic Lake Michigan sand dunes to get you a pretty breathtaking view of the lake.
Given how busy the park was for no apparent reason in the middle of the day, I would hate to see what it is like at night. You see, the main draw for the park is the fact that in the evening as the sun is going down over the horizon on Lake Michigan, you can get a glimpse of it through the tunnel if you are at the right angle. There are some pretty spectacular photos online of this phenomenon, so I kind of get it, but it still bugs me a bit that I fell prey to the influencer effect.
Seriously though, it was an endless stream of people through the tunnel both ways...
After visiting Tunnel Park we were pretty hungry from all the walking and sightseeing we had done that moring, so we found a nice little place along the shores of Lake Macatawa which leads out into lake Michigan called The Reservoir. It was a trendy little place that served some amazing food. @mrsbozz got the chicken sandwich that you see in the bottom photo above and I got the perch dinner that you see in the top photo. The food was amazing though the breading on the fish was a little thicker than I would have preferred. I had a bite of my wife's sandwich and it was quite good. They had a good combination of flavors happening. I would definitely come back to The Reservoir again.
During our time in Holland, we also had the chance to visit three different used book stores. This has been a bit of a tradition for us in the past couple of years. Especially since I have started to read more than I used to. We both found a couple of things at each store that we were more than happy to part with our money over.
In fact, at one of the stores I found this used copy of Faces "A nod is as good as a wink" on vinyl that I can't wait to spin. I think in all we spent about $20 and we came away with a record, and six books total, three for each of us. Not a bad haul am I right?!
After our busy morning/afternoon, we made our way back to the hotel in Comstock Park to rest a bit. We still had the rest of the night left and we didn't want to waste it, otherwise we could have just driven home, so we decided to go see a movie at the theater across the parking lot from the hotel. There wasn't a ton playing and as much as I wanted to see "The Devil Wears Prada 2" (not really, I would have though), @mrsbozz suggested we see "Michael" instead. So, $50 later ($30 for the tickets, $20 for the popcorn and soda), we kicked back and started watching the show.
It's crazy how expensive movies are these days. It's also crazy how a movie that is supposed to start at one time doesn't start until a half hour later because of all the trailers. Don't get me wrong, I love trailers, but this was excessive. The seats were comfortable if not worn, and after a while, I started getting a cramp in my leg from having the foot rest up the whole time.
The movie was great and it gives you a very honest if not one sided view into the life of Michael as a youngster up until about the "Bad" era. They don't get into any of the crazier stuff past that. It's sad just how controlling and abusive the dad was. It's also kind of sad to see how lonely Michael supposedly was despite all the people he had around him.
After the movie, we went out to a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner, and then I walked across that parking lot to the liquor store to see if they had any interesting whiskey. I picked up this bottle of Wilderness Trail Bourbon.
Sunday morning we packed up, hopped in the car, and headed home. It was a great weekend with lots of laughs, exercise, and fun. I'm glad I was able to spend this special moment with my wife and check some items off her bucket list.
My Sports Account - @bozz.sports
Come hang out in The Pub
What a pretty place at the end of the tunnel. White sand dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan. Very cool! I can see why it's popular, it's a pretty spot. That perch does look a little too heavily breaded for my taste too, I like being able to taste the fish not just the batter. The fries and sandwich look great though!
Michael was not a happy man, he was messed up from the time he was a kid. Fame from a young age that only grew with age really isolated him. And then he came to a sad end as well... I haven't seen the show, maybe when it hits streaming. Movies are crazy expensive, and then the theaters have to make all their money on the concessions as all the money from ticket sales goes to the production companies. Not a business I would want to be in for sure!
I've really got to find myself a bottle of that bourbon, it looks good. If it's smoky all the better, you don't get that all that often in bourbon, more in Scotch. Quite an adventure you two were on, thanks for sharing the great pictures!
Thanks for the great comment. I feel the same about perch. It's such a delicate fish that it doesn't need a beer batter or a heavy batter like cod or something like that. Let me know if you find that bourbon!
That looks like it was such a fun day! I never would have guessed there was a beach like that on Lake Michigan—it reminds me a little of Myrtle Beach. The food looks excellent! We can't believe how expensive everything is these days. We caught a concert last night and had dinner before. Two chicken kabob dinners and two drinks were over $100!
Yes, it is getting ridiculously out of hand. I almost prefer to make my own food at home anymore but even that is expensive. I've been getting chicken wings more and doing them on the grill. I can get like 3 pounds for less than five bucks. It's just too bad my wife doesn't eat them. Oh man, you really have no clue about Michigan do you? I don't intend that in a mean way either. We have some of the most amazing beaches all around the state. This one is just a just a small taste. There is a stretch of US 2 across the UP just outside of St. Ignace where the beach stretches for one or two miles and people just parallel park on both sides of the road to go swimming or hang out all day.
We're in the same boat. It's still nice to get a break from cooking every now and then but it's not worth the prices restaurants charge. I can even make better coffee at home than I get elsewhere.
My only experience with Michigan is visiting my great Aunt in Detroit when I was a small boy so I don't know much at all about the state. My wife used to snowmobile in the UP so she's been there way more than I have. That definitely looked more like an ocean beach to me. Very impressive! Lake Superior beaches on the North Shore of Minnesota are mainly rugged/rocky but still beautiful in their own rite.
Fish would be one of the main things that I would go out for. We don't cook it in the house because my wife can't stand the smell. I also think there is a health factor involved. There are a lot of things I can't make quite as well at home, but if I used the amount of butter or other fat that they use in the restaurant, then it might come close. $100 for two people is starting to become the norm for even a middle of the road meal which is just ridiculous.
We have a lot of the rocky areas around the shoreline too. You just have to pick your spots. You should really think about taking a road trip sometime. It's definitely like an ocean but without the sharks and the jellyfish. I wonder if Grok and I would agree on your travel destinations if you plotted a trip to the Mitten state...
The food from The Reservoir looked like it was just the right meal to top off the day.
It was so good. Funny thing is as I was looking at the photos again the breading on the fish was so thick they almost look like chicken fingers!
Fun journey. No doubt, even better with the life partner.
I have been following your posts of this trip and it was a fun for me too reading the details and witnessing the beautiful places of your trip through the photos you shared. I really enjoyed it. Lovely.
What could I say about the Influencer effect - An honest influencer is a rare breed now a days but, IMHO, they do exist, how smaller their number is.
You definitely would have the beautiful memories of this trip for a long time, interestingly, so will your readers, at least, I will.
Well wishes.
It was a really great time. Now if anyone who sees this decides to go get some perch for themselves I guess I would be considered an influencer too!
hahaha... That was in my mind. I am tempted/influenced to visit there. But, one thing I am sure of, you are one of the honest ones. This is my honest opinion and what I really think.
Thanks, I appreciate that!
👍🙂
OMG, I had no clue theaters were that expensive nowadays 😯
The last time I was in a theater was maybe 23 years ago, so I was surprised. 😳
The highlight of the trip (for me, at least) was seeing your yummy Perch dinner! 😋
While not the best perch I have never had, it was tasty, and much to my embarrassment I ate it all. I say that because the couple next to me also got the perch dinner but they shared theirs. Usually when we go to the movies which is rare we try to hit a matinee and a movie that is nearly out of it's run so the prices are cheaper.
Hey, you had an appetite after walking thru the Tunnel Park! 😉
Yes, that and the three miles we walked earlier to the tulip farm!
Love the concept and the shot! The tunnel leading to the beach with people walking through really captures what "The Influencer Effect" feels like.
Nice capture from your Grand Rapids/Holland trip 🌊
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Keep the great shots coming 📸
Will you read yours? I should really get my arse in gear and read some more, but Mrs T has me hooked on reading bloody crochet patterns now 🤣
So the influencer effect got you, but not really as you didn't see the sun in the tunnel so you are safe from being tarred with just an influencer follower brush in my book!
Haha yeah, it was a pretty area. I grew up with crochet patterns, but I don't know how to read them. I was more into cross stitch.
Todo se ve espectacular, que divertido día y que bien barras la historia. Esa comida se ve espectacular. Gracias por compartir su experiencia. Espero algún día pasar por ese túnel (pero sin bicicleta por supuesto). Saludos
I hope you get the chance to visit as well! Michigan has so many amazing sights!
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I want to make it up to Lake Michigan soon. Hopefully we hit a warm stretch and it will be good beach days. I feel like I have so much catching up to do video editing wise. The last two months I have been all over the place. Clear to Florida and then to Long Island, NY, Cleveland and Chicago. Oh and also to Eastern Illinois. I forget all the places I have been.
It was 84 or so in Michigan today. A perfect beach day!
Yeah, it felt like the first day of summer. It kind of hit hard because the college semester is over and it basically felt like another years whipped by.