Suttons Bay

Over the July 4th Holiday our family took a mini vacation to Suttons Bay, Michigan. It is one of the small towns along the infamous M22– a 116 mile stretch of highway along the beautiful Lake Michigan coastline in the upper lower peninsula.

Located in gorgeous Leelanau county, famous for its 27 wineries, Suttons Bay is 20 miles North of Traverse City and is a small quaint waterfront town with specialty shops, eateries and it’s own beach.

I was able to snag a cute little 2-bedroom apartment for us that allowed dogs. It was located above an art gallery right on the main street. We arrived in the early evening and after getting settled in, we explored the town, ate a delicious meal outside at the historic V.I.Grill and then capped off the night with amazing ice cream from 22 Scoops!

The next day, July 2nd, was my husband’s birthday. Lucky dog– his birthday always coincides with the national holiday and we frequently do a little get away given the extra time off of work.

For that day we decided to check out Torch Lake. If you’re not familiar, this long inland lake is known as the “Caribbean of the Midwest”. Although it is quite deep in areas, it boasts an enormous sandbar where the water is only about 3′ deep — a haven for boaters and partiers! And in these shallow areas the water sparkles under the sun, even the deeper lake is a gorgeous blue!

While the main beach/park was closed, we found a small little outlet to swim. It was extremely refreshing after the 90° heat wave we were experiencing.

Afterward, B and I toasted his birthday with margaritas and we all enjoyed a Mexican dinner in Traverse City.

The last couple of days we did a bit of local shopping, drove along M22 to explore the other waterfront towns around us, visited the Grand Traverse Bay Lighthouse, went to the local Suttons Bay beach and ended each night with a giant scoop of ice cream from 22 Scoops!

Jen Chaudhry6 Comments

Fifty

Happy Birthday To Me

So, I finally turned 50! I can’t really believe it. Mentally I still feel like a kid most days and physically– well, physically I feel 100! So, I guess 50 makes sense! Having a milestone birthday during this Pandemic is a huge letdown. I’d told my husband years ago that I wanted to do something big for my 50th; like a hot air balloon ride over some gorgeous place — Italy-Paris? Or vacation in the Maldives or do an African Safari – just the two of us. Or perhaps a tummy-tuck with a side of liposuction? If I was able – I think I would love to try skydiving!

Needless to say none of those occured. The day was quite uneventful but my boys made the best of it. They snuck out and brought me Tim Hortons in the morning. In the evening I was treated to Chicken Shack ribs and a spinning musical flower with candles atop my favorite carrot cake from J. Alexanders — Yummy 🙂

The table was decorated with really beautiful champagne-colored balloons with tiny LEDs inside that stayed lit for days. My friends and family had sent flower arrangements and my husband gave me two sweet necklaces that fit together — representing our family. While it wasn’t the birthday I’d hoped for, we made the best of it — and years from now I’ll always remember turning 50 during the Great Pandemic of 2020.

Jen Chaudhry2 Comments

Tin Fish, Cock-tailed

I officially turned one year older just before midnight on the 19th of May. Every year my mom tells me some form of the story; “It all began on a hot summer day. We were having a barbecue…” Even as I have my own “babies” now, it’s still nice to hear your own birth story once a year. I know I’ll never forget the events leading up to and surrounding the birth of my children and I bet most moms would agree.

This past Saturday evening we celebrated by going to dinner at a wonderful seafood restaurant, Tin Fish, near our home. It’s an upscale venue located on the Jefferson Bay Marina on the edge of Lake Saint Claire.

My Boys
Silly, Handsome & Smart

Before we were even shown to our table the boys were in rare form. Perhaps it was the excitement of going to a new place, the smell of the water, or the wonderfully funky decor. Maybe they realized that this was not your run-of-the-mill chain restaurant and that people were actually dressed up. All I knew was that by the time we sat down, mamma needed a drink!

Happy Birthday to Me!
Blue Curacao Fish Bowl

I must admit I’m no stranger to the occasional social / celebratory cocktail, but I wasn’t expecting the behemoth, ‘Blue Curacao Fish Bowl’ literally came in a fish bowl!!! I asked if I could take the bowl home as a souvenir if I finished the whole thing. Our lovely waiter agreed to look the other way if my purse could contain the monster. Unfortunately, I hadn’t come prepared 😦

Once safely back home, I doodled for a while using the art app: ArtSetPro which I learned about from a fellow artist on the WordPress Reader. Thank you for sharing! This digital art world is so new to me but here are a few things I already love about it:

  1. No wasted paints and other supplies
  2. Back-up/undo option
  3. Erase function
  4. Portability
  5. No clean-up
  6. Incorporation of photos
  7. Seemingly endless possibilities

Jen Chaudhry2 Comments