Posts in Michigan/Indiana/Illinois

Where to Eat & What to See & Do in Grand Rapids

I've been living in G.R. for a few months, and I've learned a few more things about Michigan's second largest city that I'd deem worth sharing. In a city with a population nearing 200,000, there's always something going on around here — and that's just the way I like it.

Michigan/Indiana/IllinoisLogan T. HansenOctober 12, 2017travel, travel advice, travel guide, Grand Rapids, Michigan, West Michigan, SHEI Magazine, Furniture City, Matchbox Diner, Eastown, East Grand Rapids, Van's Pastry Shoppe, Grand Coney Diner, MadCap Coffee Company, Downtown Market, Slows Bar-B-Q, Peppino's Pizzeria & Sports Grille, Lucky Luciano's Pizza, J. Gardella's Tavern, Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, UICA, Rosa Parks Circle, Gerald R. Ford Museum, The B.O.B., Big Old Building, B.O.B.'s Brewery, Judson's Steakhouse, Bobarino's, Palio Grand Rapids, Amway Grand Plaza, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, Rendezvous, Cygnus27, GP Sports, J.W. Marriott, Mojo's Dueling Piano Bar, Six.One.Six, Tavern On The Square, Grand Woods Lounge, Rumors Night Club, Stella's Lounge, The Holiday Bar, Blue Bridge, Founders Brewery, RubaeusComment

The B1G Tour: Wending Our Way to West Lafayette

On Saturday, three hours or so past the crack of dawn, a friend, my brother, and myself squashed ourselves into my brother's black Ford Focus and took to the freeway, heading south for the great(ish) state of Indiana, America's Crossroads, as they say.

7 Michigan Cider Mills That'll Help You Get in the Autumn Mood

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but summer is pretty much over. Pumpkin spice-everything is already lining the shelves at your local grocery store, the pumpkin-shaped Reese’s have sprouted from the soon-to-be leaf-littered ground, and, perhaps most importantly, football season is underway. Instead of fighting it, why not just turn the page and delight in all that the autumn season has to offer?

Michigan/Indiana/IllinoisLogan T. HansenSeptember 6, 2017travel, cider mill, Michigan, Northern Michigan, Klein Cider Mill & Market, Fruit Ridge, Apple Charlie's Orchards, Sparta, New Boston, Uncle John's Cider Mill, St. Johns, Mid Mitten Cider Fest, Wiard's Orchards, Ypsilanti, Tandem Ciders, Suttons Bay, Smackintosh, The Crabster, M-22, I-275, US-127, M-37, Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery, Grand Rapids, Klackle Orchards, Greenville, Lower Peninsula, apple cider, travel guide, travel advice, autumn, Frugthaven Farm, football season, autumn inspiration, autumn travel, autumn getaway, fall getaway, fall travel, fall, Apple Charlie's, Klein Cider Mill, pumpkin spice, Klackle doughnuts, doughnuts, apple orchard, pumpkin patch, pumpkins, apples, sweater weather, coffee, hard cider, Robinette's, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel guidance, travel recommendations, travel tips, travel ideas, travel planningComment

If Mackinac Island Were 9 Photos, It (Probably) Would(n't) Be These

Had I known I was going to slap together a photo essay in advance, I probably would have gotten some other shots, as well, but I think this group of images does the day-long stay on the island a sufficient amount of justice.

Michigan/Indiana/IllinoisLogan T. HansenAugust 29, 2017travel, Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge, Canvas & Paddle, Doud's Market, Fort Mackinac, Governor's Honor Guard, Arch Rock, Great Turtle Kayak Tours, bike rental, bicycling, MyNorth.com, photo essay Comments

Something Smells Fishy Here: A Stop in Leland's Fishtown

I wrote a post a couple months back about things to do in Northern Michigan this summer, which included such selections as taking a wine tour on Old Mission Peninsula and hitting up one of Michigan's various islands — like Mackinac or Beaver. I now see that an eighth item was glaringly omitted from that list.

Michigan/Indiana/IllinoisLogan T. HansenAugust 26, 2017Fishtown, Leland, Northern Michigan, travel, travel guide, Lake Michigan, Carlson's Fishery, Village Cheese Shanty, Dam Candy Store, Good Old Books, Landmark Books, Henry David Thoreau, Walden, M-22, charter fishingComment

Traverse City & Old Mission Peninsula: An Afternoon

My youngest sibling and I ventured up to the Traverse City area yesterday, spending a few hours in the Cherry Capital of (Michigan? The U.S.? The World?! (but probably just Michigan!?!)).

On the Road Again: 22 Hours in the Windy City

My first road trip in what seems like a great while came to a close with a spontaneous stop in America's third largest city, Chicago, on Monday.

Michigan/Indiana/IllinoisLogan T. HansenJune 28, 2017travel, road trips, Chicago, Millennium Park, Art Institute of Chicago, LondonHouse Chicago, Freehand, hostel, Navy Pier, Northwestern UniversityComment

7 Must-Do's for Your Trip to Northern Michigan This Summer

Everything you could possibly want out of a Northern Michigan summer — short of venturing to the Upper Peninsula — can be found here.

Your Guide to Day Tripping on Beaver Island

Situated some 27 miles off the coast of Charlevoix on the Lower Peninsula, Beaver Island is the kind of place you go if you're looking to get away from it all — and I don't use that clichéd phrase lightly.

Michigan/Indiana/IllinoisLogan T. HansenMay 24, 2017travel, Beaver Island, Michigan, Lake Michigan, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan, Emerald Isle, Beaver Islander, Airbnb, Daddy Franks Comments

10 Things I've Learned From Being a Travel Blogger for (Nearly) 10 Years

Writing and travel are two of my greatest passions in life, so you’d think combining them would send me into a state of euphoric delirium. The truth is that being a travel blogger means I am constantly thinking of ways to make content out of my travels, which can be draining at times. When you’re in a new place experiencing new things, it’s generally best to simply be in the moment and enjoy it, but there is always a little voice in the back of my mind reminding me that these posts don’t write themselves.

One Spooky Town to Visit in Each of the 6 New England States

Sporting some of the best fall foliage anywhere in the nation, New England is kind of the place to be when you start to feel that crisp, crisp air creep back in. The color-changing parade that falls across the region like a patchwork quilt every September and October is undoubtedly one of the biggest draws for anyone looking to put a fall getaway on the books, but let’s also remember that this is spooky season, and New England is hardly wanting in the arena of things that go bump in the night. From haunted houses and hotels to ghost-riddled cemeteries and ships, you can scare your pants off properly six ways to Sunday.

The Unassailable Allure of the Great Ghost Trains of Maine

Hidden in the 17.5 million acres of forest spread across the state of Maine are a number of abandoned sites. These include vacant paper mills, deserted homes, old forts, and underground bunkers. But one of the most interesting things you’ll find in the woods of northern Maine are a pair of long-forgotten locomotive engines, rusting away in the middle of nowhere.

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