Grand Rapids

A "quiche" weekend get-away

On Friday afternoon, Adam and I drove into Chicago's rush hour and Indiana's unrelenting road construction for a weekend in Michigan. The couple we visited, Maria and Kevin, are those super mature friends with four years of marriage under their belt, two lovable hounds (Stella and Mason), and plans to rewire the living room and paint the garage and siding on their adorable brick house. I've known Maria for a mind-blowing 20 years (we went to grade school and college together), so our friendship is one that's more familial — the kind where you can pick up right where you left off.

Wonderful people with a spare bedroom that they are, Maria and Kevin invited us out for a weekend of Michigan-in-summer. We got into town late on Friday, and Maria greeted us with fresh pesto pasta for dinner and (as Kevin lovingly calls it) an "alcoholic-sized" bottle of white wine. We started on the catching-up: Maria told us about a dream she'd had where she was Bette Midler (circa Beaches) and had to sing at a concert in northern Wisconsin. While at the concert, she was looking for Don Henley (to make out with him) but could only find Paul Simon; he just wasn't going to cut it. On the other end of the spectrum, Kevin's big news was his Anatomy exam coming up on Monday. These two certainly complement each other. 

The next morning we breakfasted at Marie Catrib's, which was an experience. The food was delicious, though outrageously portioned. Maria and I got a sort of heaping plate of eggs, peppers, and onions sandwiched between two corn tortillas topped with melted cheddar, salsa, and sour cream. Kevin went for a similar south-of-the-border flavor, but Adam dove into the brioche French toast stuffed with cream cheese, bananas, and strawberries.  

The aforementioned "experience" part of breakfast was our waiter who said things like "Have a nice weekend..." in a tone that suggested his next line just might be "IN HELL!" as his plastered-on smile cracks to reveal the face of certain death. Truly, he was a character and set us on edge. But maybe he was just having a bad day and was playing fake-it-til-you-make-it. Having made it out alive, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

We stopped home to pick up Stella & Mason and all of our gear, then it was off to the dunes! After a scenic drive, we arrived at a wooded nature preserve, which we had to trek through to reach the shore. The weather was perfect for hiking, and the scenery was just so Up North. What's not to love? 

The dunes themselves are straight from the pages of Anne of Green Gables. I told Maria we'd have to hold hands and run down the sandy slopes and into the water like Anne and Diana.

 














But instead of channeling Avonlea, we opted to sit on the beach, take "quiche" pics (that's code for "cute" according to Maria and Ja'ime — though I guess it technically means "hotter than hot"), and attempt a tarot reading instead. Of course, we know next-to-nothing about tarot cards. And we had no phone service, so Googling was out of the question. So instead we pulled cards for everyone, and jotted down the specifics so we could properly research the meanings later. Let's just not talk about how poor Adam pulled the Devil card. 

 
















After trying to catch some rays, munching Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips, and sitting helplessly as Stella dug a hole next to our beach blankets (kicking up heaps of sand over Maria and me), we dusted ourselves off and headed home. For the eventual dinner, it was off to Harmony, AKA the place with the best pizza. Can we just drizzle balsamic on everything? Great. Also: More basil — always. For dessert, we went back to Maria and Kevin's, nibbled on popcorn and sipped wine, sat in the screened-in porch, and had a nostalgia fest. 

The next morning, our last hours in Grand Rapids took place — where else? — at breakfast. Maria and Kevin took us to another one of their favorite haunts: Gaia Cafe. This vegetarian restaurant was so totally tasty and unforgettable, I can see why it's a favorite. It was another very Tex-Mex breakfast for us all: eggs, rice, beans, salsa, avocado, and sour cream wrapped up in build-your-own corn tortillas. Truly, I could eat this every day. If anyone knows where to find something similar in Milwaukee, please stop withholding that information. 

Saying goodbye after such a quick trip is always a bummer. But luckily for us, Maria and Kevin will be in town next weekend for Maria's sister's wedding, at which Adam and I plan to dance our faces off. And we're hoping to make it back to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize this fall. We might even get to make fish-shaped lanterns! And if not, at least we can wax nostalgic, eat amazing food, and hear all about Maria's latest dreams.