25 Random Things I Did While Pregnant: Our Trip to Michigan

1. Cedar Point

No, I did not actually go to Cedar Point. I figured that was one thing I should probably just miss out on. So...many apologies to all of Chris' family members and friends that I had to subsequently lie to about my day at the park and what I thought about it. I have actually been there before, so any comments I made were in reference to that experience. :) While the boys spent the day at the park, I spent a leisurely day at the hotel and surrounding area and just enjoyed the first day of vacation! 

2. Kayaking

After Cedar Point, we drove up to Lansing, Michigan where we would spend two nights as guests of Chris' Aunt Sheree. It was really late when we arrived that night, so most of our adventures took place the next day including kayaking! Believe it or not, this was my first time in a kayak (although I have done plenty of canoeing!). The condo where we were staying backs up to a lake and we spent about two hours enjoying the gorgeous weather and sun that make Michigan summers so wonderful! 

Samson, Chris' grandma's corgi, even joined in on the fun and got his paws wet in the lake water. 

3. Met Gracie the Pug

The neighbor's dog. Isn't she adorable?

4. Looked at Some Delicious Local Beer (Or So I Am Told)

This was a pumpkin ale appropriately named Ichabod from the New Holland Brewery in Holland, Michigan. I will have to try some on my next visit. 

5. Built Giant Bonfires...And Yes That is Our Rental Car!

Later on in the afternoon, my Aunt hosted a barbeque for family and friends. Here, I got to visit with Grandma Maitland and Maurice, along with many of Chris' cousins that I do not get to see very often and some who I got to meet for the very first time. I also got to experience my very first pregnancy nap or what I refer to as a pregnancy coma. Luckily, that was before people started arriving so I was all refreshed and energized by the time the party actually got underway. And what's a barbeque without a bonfire? We built what has to be the largest bonfire I have ever been a part of! Literally, it was taller then Craig, who is pretty ridiculously tall himself. It did die down eventually so we were able to use it for more practical purposes such as roasting marshmallows and making S'mores. Mmmmm....

6. Experienced the Famous Jaxon Pizza Parlour and Saw What a $1 Coney Dog Looks Like

After leaving a rainy Lansing in the morning, we drove to Jackson, Michigan and explored the surrounding area where all of the Maitlands and the Vandenbelts have lived at some point or another- including Chris himself! By this point we were pretty hungry so we stopped at the world-famous Jaxon Pizza Parlour (okay, maybe not world-famous, but Yelp gave it a pretty good rating). I ordered a pepperoni pizza to split with Craig who also got a loaded Coney Dog for $1.00. The pepperoni on the pizza was actually beneath the many layers of cheese (I got excited for a minute thinking we were going to get a plain cheese pizza!). Chris ordered a gigantic calzone for himself which was delicious. Overall, it was a really good meal, and we all agreed that Frank's hot sauce was a good idea for the pizza as well as the Coney Dog.

7. Visited the Final Resting Place of Grandpa Maitland

 Chris will always have a special place in his heart for his Grandpa Maitland who passed away due to complications from Alzheimer's a month before we began dating. For years, we had always talked about visiting Michigan and going to see his final resting place. This was the first time Chris had been to Michigan since his Grandpa's funeral, and it was also his first look at his Grandpa's grave marker. Before going we made a side trip to the store to buy a white rose, a symbol of honor and reverence, as well as a fishing lore to remember all the wonderful memories he still has of the time spent with his Grandpa on Lake Michigan. It was a very sweet moment and I am so glad that we got to do that.

8. Saw the House Chris Grew Up In

The tall pine tree to the right was the source of much worry to his mom and fun for Chris and Mike who would climb to its highest branches.

9. Saw the Famous Maitland Family Lake House

Home to many special memories and times spent with his Grandpa and Grandma Maitland.

10. Visited a Buffalo Ranch and Fed Some Buffalo

 The Buffalo Ranch was another stop on the Michigan trip that Chris had planned out for us for a long time. He had been here once before and had a great time feeding buffalo and horseback riding around the ranch and was looking forward to sharing in the same experiences with me. While horseback riding was out, he was 100% positive that feeding a herd of buffalo was a completely safe activity for a pregnant woman to partake in. The tour would be an hour long and would consist of riding in the back of either a trailer or Bronco and feeding corn husks to the ranch-owned buffalo. I was almost convinced until I got the safety spiel from the Rancher. He started off by saying we were going to have to take his smaller vehicle as there were only four of us total including himself which could potentially tip over if the herd got too excited and stampeded us. He also said he would need to stop off at one of the houses to pick up his rifle, although, in his words it would probably do no good and only stun the buffalo, but might give us enough of a change to make a get-away if things went awry. At this point, I was ready to volunteer myself to stay behind in the car, but Chris convinced me to stay. I became even more nervous when he said he could not find his gun, and was technically not supposed to take us back there without one, but would anyway. He also kept referencing this terror of a buffalo named Max who was the leader of the pack and the most dominant, intimidating, and aggressive of all the buffalos. Even though Chris kept telling me he was probably just pulling our legs, I felt much better once we had given out all the corn husks and were on the other side of the Jurrasic Park-sized electric fence (that apparently Max has broken through before). We never did run into Max, and the buffalo were friendly enough and apparently corn to buffalo is what cat nip is to cats. I almost felt bad when we ran out. Almost.

11. Saw the Cutest Baby Buffalo in the World

Yes, this deserves its own category.

12. Received Many Blessings from the Spirit of the Great White Buffalo

 Our final stop on the tour led us to the final resting place of Spirit Walker an extremely rare kind of buffalo (1 in 37 million) that was born pure white. To the Native Americans, this means the reincarnation of ancestors and is a blessing to all those who encounter it. Unfortunately, Spirit Walker was only on this Earth for a short while, but the legend remains as strong as ever. We were told that by visiting the grounds of its remains we too would receive the blessings.

13. Drank the Largest Milkshake I Have Ever Seen and Watched Chris and Craig Eat the Largest Bowl of Ice Cream I Have Ever Seen at the Place Where You Can Eat the Largest Ice Cream Sundae You Have Ever Seen

 That's right. We stopped for an ice cream dinner at The Parlour, a must for anybody who happens to be passing through Jackson, Michigan. Everything comes in gigantic-sized proportions so this is no after dinner dessert. This is only for those who are brave enough to take on a delicious ice cream meal. I wasn't quite so brave so I had their gigantic sized version of a green-mint chocolate chip shake, while Chris ordered a peanut butter cup sundae and Craig ordered 3 scoops (moose tracks/cake batter/cookies and cream). Ironically, they were out of their house-made whip cream, but this didn't have any effect on me and my selection. Maybe that's why none of the boys ventured to get this popular menu item:

I really had to take a picture because I could barely believe what I was seeing!

14. Visited the Hop Cat Bar in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan

After a very long day in Jackson, Michigan, we continued our journey northwards and made a stop in Grand Rapids where we would be spending the night. We had been told by Chris' cousin Allie that we had to check out the Hop Cat bar, a great little local bar located in the downtown area of Grand Rapids. The boys both agreed that their beer was great, and they enjoyed their selection of "Loaded Crack Fries" and buffalo wings. I thought my water was fantastic, and I really enjoyed my Blanche Tacos (grilled chicken, pico de gallo, cilantro sauce) which was voted the best food item of the night. Sometimes it pays to order healthy :)

15. Sand Duning

And yes this is something I actually did do, and I am so glad I did! This was another one of Chris' favorite past times from visiting Michigan and he said it was something that we all had to try while traveling up there. The company that Chris was interested in was located in Silver Lake and would allow you to take a guided tour of the sand dunes. Unfortunately for us, the next guided tour would be a four hour wait, so we got to do something even better! Rent a Jeep Wrangler by ourselves for our own use and exploration of the dunes. And the best part was I got permanent front seat dibs as the back of the Jeep was the most bumpiest seat in the vehicle- sorry guys! It turned out to be quite the adventure and thrill ride. Chris started off initially since he had done this before and was the most comfortable with it. When he had had his fun playing around on the dunes he gave Craig a turn next who was really nervous (but that may have also been in part due to the fact that I was in the vehicle!). I decided to be nice and give the boys a chance to really tackle the dunes and I used that opportunity to visit my first Michigan "beach." I couldn't have picked a better time to step out because not too long after, the guys hit some extremely bumpy washboards that managed to tun the engine off! Luckily no damage was done to the Wrangler throughout the course of the ride :) Chris invited me back in towards the end of their rental hour and took me over some very steep sand dunes. At one point we didn't quite make it over the top of the dune and had to go back down the dune in reverse which I wasn't too keen on, but he reassured me that everything would be just fine...which it was.

 16. The Beach...err...Lake!
After our Jeep tour had come to an end, we headed further north towards Traverse City. We made a side trip to one of the more famous sand dunes Sleeping Bear. This was a beautiful national park with tons of trails and recreational facilities to take part in. The guys hiked up one particularly tall sand dune and raced down to the bottom. I was convinced one of the two was going to come somersaulting down, but they both made it down safely with Craig yelling "I'm faster than you!!!" the entire way.

We also did a nature hike to that took us to Lake Michigan's beach side. It almost felt like being at the ocean except the water was waaaay too cold for my liking. Although there were enough people around in bathing suits that were having fun swimming in the water, I don't think I could ever get used to water that cold. There were lots of interesting rocks along the beach which we used to leave our mark before taking off again.

There were lots of interesting rocks along the beach which we used to leave our mark before taking off again.


 
17. Took a Facebook Cover Photo
 This is none other then Lake Michigan! Thanks for the amazing picture Craig!

18. Ate at a Burger Joint Better Than Five Guys
To end the night in Traverse City, we selected the local restaurant Slabtown Burgers. It was a pretty casual two-story building located in a quaint little neighborhood. It also offered outdoor seating which was perfect for this weather. We ordered our food at the counter, the guys opting for burgers and shakes while I got a pulled pork sandwich. I went outside to stake out some primo seating while the boys made the difficult decision of which custom Northwoods Soda they should pick from the soda fountain machine (I will stick to H2O thank you!). Our food was brought out and it was literally a feast. Chris ordered the jalapeño burger and after demolishing it in thirty seconds almost ran inside to order another one. This is when he declared he was going to replicate this recipe as soon as he got home which is how we wound up with 20 jalapeño burger patties in our fridge a short time later. Craig ordered what was called the Double Bypass Burger. What we originally thought was a double bacon cheeseburger turned out to be two double bacon cheeseburgers along with the massive amount of fries and the vanilla milkshake he ordered. He made a valiant attempt to eat and drink it all, but Chris in the end had to help him with the extra burger and he had to say goodbye to some of those fries. It was kind of like watching Man vs. Food, and I'm pretty sure I was the only that returned to the hotel without a stomachache. But I will agree with Craig's statement that it was better than Five Guys.

 19. Biked Mackinac Island (Pronounced: Mack-En-Aww)

Once again, we had a long northward drive ahead of us towards our final destination before heading back towards Columbus: Mackinac Island. I had seen this island featured on a television episode when Chris and I were watching Little People, Big World and was fascinated by everything I saw. There are no cars allowed on the island so everyone gets around either by foot, by horse, or by bicycle. The town has a classic Cape Cod feel and is a really fun place to spend an afternoon exploring and looking through shops. As we rode the ferry over to the island we got a great look at the trademark bridge that runs five miles long. Chris was really hoping to do some horseback riding while there so he did a one hour tour while Craig and I occupied ourselves by browsing the local shops, stopping at every fudge store possible and not buying anything (what amazing will power we have), and by participating in a local tourist attraction featured in my next bullet. When Chris rejoined us after his horseback riding excursion, we did a one hour bike rental in which we biked around the coast of the entire island (approximately eight miles total). It was a paved road that allowed for bikes as well as walkers/joggers/runners to enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as offered many scenic spots for Kodak moments. This was probably my favorite memory from the entire trip and one of the most enjoyable activities we did in my book.

20. Got Lost in the Maze of Mirrors
You just had to be there.

21. Ate a Pastie (Pronounced: PAST-EE...but this I chose to ignore)

Chris was adamant that we could not move on to the next stage of our journey without having a pastie. This was all he could talk about all day long, so we stopped at the first pastie shop we came to. The story behind this over sized hot pocket is that it was an easy and filling lunch for miners to take down with them to work. We all got the basic pastie combo which came with gravy to put on your pastie, coleslaw, and a chocolate chip cookie. I was not a fan of the pastie, but the chocolate chip cookie was super delicious. Almost as good as Publix's chocolate chip cookies. Chris said that next time we come he is going to find me a better tasting pastie. That just sounds soo weird.

22. Joined the Largest Group of UCF Fans at an Irish Pub in the Heart of Columbus
This was an Alum party we attended in downtown Columbus the night before we faced off with the Buckeyes.  It was really amazing being so far from home yet surrounded by UCF fans who had made the journey out to support our team. Craig even ran into some members of his crew team from UCF which just goes to show how small of a world it really is.

23. Survived the Worst Bout of Morning Sickness Ever

The big day had come, and I felt well...pregnant. We got up really early (again) to get over for some early tailgating and breakfast food before the noon game. It was very overcast out, and rain looked for certain for this afternoon game. We arrived at the UCF Alumni tent for a giant breakfast and I was still feeling like I was trapped in nausea purgatory. The food they served included spinach quiche, spicy red pepper potatoes  assorted fruit, and apple cobbler. On top of that was beer, Bloody Mary's, and mimosas. I was picking at the fruit, and trying not to be overwhelmed by the strong-smelling food and booze, but nothing seemed to be working. When I couldn't take it anymore and whispered to Chris that maybe I should call a cab, he went into Super Hubby mode. He walked to the nearest 7-11 which was not that close and found some Ritz crackers which at that time were the only thing that had a chance at settling my stomach. It worked like a charm and I was able to enjoy the rest of the day thanks to his awesomeness and much to his relief. And I have not had morning sickness since! :knock on wood:
The food featured above was the remains of Craig's breakfast.

24. Watched UCF Almost Beat Ohio State (And Yes I Am Being Overly Optimistic)
It was very exciting to be in the stadium nicknamed "The Horshoe" for the very first time. I have been to several SEC stadiums, but this Big 10 stadium felt more like a cathedral then anything else. The building just feels massive and the sides are adorned with stained glass murals of the Buckeye's offensive and defensive sqauds. We had excellent seats (how could you not?) and you could just feel the anticipation and excitement in the crowd. I have to say the fans were very nice to us, and were extremely gracious as hosts to both our football team and the fans. I like to think that we were equally respectful back! I loved watching their marching band also known as "The Best Damn Band in the Land." They put on quite a show, but the real show was still to be seen.

As per usual with UCF we put on a strong front, but started losing speed towards the end of the first half and pretty much gave up the game in the second half. As Chris put it, we had a good opportunity to win or tie up, however, unfortunately for us we are not quite there yet. The weather, however ominous in the morning, cleared up during the course of the game and turned into a beautiful sunny day! Even after the loss we could not help but be good spirits and decided a little cheering up was in order.

 

25. Drowned Our Sorrows In Chipotle Goodness Which Reminded Me of Home

As much as I enjoyed this vacation I was ready for a serious staycation and to get home and relax and enjoy the rest of my pregnancy. It was quite the adventure, but home is definitely where the heart is.

For a different viewpoint on the trip and other traveling adventures check out Craig's blog at craigoz7.wordpress.com.