Here's To You, History Buffs

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to walk.  I find that the best way to get a feeling for the pulse of the city is to immerse yourself.  Grand Haven is the perfect walking town.  If you are a history lover (like my college roommate Erikka) be sure to stop by the Tri-Cities Historical Museum and the Train Depot Museum. One of the two locations is right downtown alongside the shops at 200 Washington Avenue, while the Depot Museum is right next to where you will see the musical fountain later.  Along with their normal exhibits, the Tri-Cities Museum is featuring a couple of awesome exhibits about Michigan logging, the birds of Michigan, and Michigan banks. The Depot Museum is actually in the former Grand Trunk Railroad Depot and has an entire room dedicated to the Coast Guard. This would be a great break from the beach if you want to get out of the sun and into the air conditioning. 

Haven Heaven

Hi-dee-ho neighbors! I have had some requests for info on the Havens (South Haven and Grand Haven), so I am going to be focusing my posts on those places this week. Obviously I can’t do a post for every free thing that is going on in West Michigan, but I am working on a great calendar feature for you folks to check out. I will list free & cheapo events on there but continue to post according to requests and the things that I am specifically doing.

That being said, here we go with Grand Haven, Coast Guard City USA:

The Largest Musical Fountain in the World!!



Ok, I am a little skeptical that it is actually the largest, but that is what I read somewhere and thought it was funny. This musical fountain/light show is set to a playlist that can be found here and takes place Every Night in the summer. The start times change through the season and can be found here. From now until August 7th, though, the show is starting at 10pm. Plenty of room to sit and watch, but it is pretty busy on the weekends. The fountain can be found at the Grand Haven Waterfront Stadium on Harbor Drive. Right downtown by the waterfront, it is pretty easy to find. Beautiful!  Have fun.
Want more pictures?

xo

Come Polk-a-round Sparta

Have you been to Sparta? No? Well you should go! It is a cute little town north of Grand Rapids filled with homey charm and a tempo much slower than downtown GR. Go check it out next Wednesday and listen to the free music in Rogers Park. I went this past Wednesday and had an awesome time listening to… The Grand Rapids Accordion Ensemble! Have you ever heard 25 accordions playing at the same time? Well it was awesome and you should be a little jealous. Polka not your bag? Not to worry; the music is different every week. Check the calendar or go here to the Sparta Chamber of Commerce website. I had a lot of fun and sat with a couple of nice women, Lynn and Lorraine (who is 93 and drove herself there!). This is a very family friendly event with a playground area and plenty of seating. Some benches available, but I recommend bringing a chair or blanket to sit on.

Sparta Concerts in Rogers Park are every Wednesday evening at 7pm. The typical rain make up day is the next day (Thursday) at 7pm. Rogers Park address: 75 North Union Street, Sparta, Michigan 49345. Check it out!

Another idea: go early and eat dinner at Maxine’s, a family friendly restaurant where kids eat FREE from 3pm-8pm Tuesday through Friday.

xo

Grand Rapids, Free?

Hello all! Welcome to my blog! I am on a mission, a quest if you will, to experience West Michigan as cheaply as I can. I’m a five year resident and am ashamed to admit I know very little of the place I call home. I graduated from GVSU last April and have been attempting to utilize that expensive degree ever since. In all of those months, with minimum income and maximum bills, there haven’t been too many nights out. But now I am determined to get out, have fun, and learn about this AWESOME place while creating a resource for all of you other West Michiganians out there. Stick with me and maybe join in the fun!

xo
Maddie