“G” is for Gaylord, Michigan-An ABC List to Discover This Town

 

     

This Alpine themed, “Up North” city is central to everything you could want from a  Northern Michigan adventure.  Situated on the 45th parallel, the Bavarian influence is everywhere in this tiny town.  Of course there are plenty of forests and lakes surrounding the area, after all, this unspoiled haven is what most people flock to the north to discover.

The area had first been named Okkaddo, which was later changed to Otsego which means “clear water”.  There are also top-notch galleries, music festivals and unique shops to discover. There is also a large convention center all strategically positioned in the heart of the state.  Design your own adventure as you explore this beautiful location.

 

Here are a few ideas to help you create your own ABC Adventure:

A-Aspen Park, Alpine Chocolates, Antique Shows, Alpenfest (Festival), Alpine Traveler and Eatery (Eat, Dine), Active (ATV, golf, ski, snowmobile)

B-Beach, Bennethum’s Northern Inn (Eat, Dine), Brewery/Brew Pub, Big bottle (fun photo op)

C-Claude Shannon Park, Call of the Wild Museum

D-Doumas Park, Dine, Downtown, Demonstration Garden

E-Elk Park, Eat, elk herd

F-Farmers Markets, Festivals (see-Alpenfest), Freel Park

G-Gobblers of Gaylord (Eat, Dine), Golf

H-Hike

I-Irontone Spring, Ice skate

J-Joseph N. Hale Park

K

L-Lake

M-Mary’s Tavern (see also Brewery)

N

O-Otsego Lake State Park, Otsego Sports Complex

P-Pavilion on Court, Parks

Q-

R-

S-Ski, Snowmobile, Shop, Snowbelt Brewery

T-Tavern (see also Brewery), The Rusty Pelican (Shop)

U

V-Village

W

X

Y

Z

Check back often, I will keep building this list as we discover more fun things to add to it!

 

 

M is for Magical Michigan-An Alphabetical List of Michigan Cities

When we first began our ABC Adventures, we chose to explore the cities in our state.  Whether it was tiny or a major metropolis, we discovered so much about where we live.   Find your next adventure by starting with a city, town or village to see what you might discover.

 

Acme

Alden

Alpena

Battle Creek

Belmont

Big Rapids

Boyne City

Buckley

Beulah

Cadillac

Cedar

Charlevoix

Cheboygan

Detroit

Empire

Elk Rapids

Fife Lake

Frankfort

Gaylord

Glen Arbor

Grand Haven

Grand Rapids

Grayling

Hessell

Higgins Lake

Holland

Houghton Lake

Indian River

Interlochen

Iron Mountain

J

Kingsley

Lake Ann

Leland

Ludington

Macatawa

Mackinaw

Manistee

Maple City

Mount Pleasant

Muskegon

North Manitou Island

Northport

Omena

Petoskey

Presque Isle

Q

Rockford

Rogers City

Sault Saint Marie

Silver Lake

St. Johns

Suttons Bay

Tawas City

Thompsonville

Traverse City

U

V

Williamsburg

X

Y

Zeeland

 

 

“A” is for Atriums-Cruising

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While cruising, we challenged our fellow travelers to document their time on board the ship.  The goal was to find something to photograph, which began with the letter “A”.  We chose atrium.

On a cruise, the atrium is usually one of the first places that a passenger will see on embarkation day.  Similar to a hotel lobby, it is the heart of the ship.  In this location, you will also find the customer service desk, the shore excursion office, the purser’s desk and the cruise consultant.

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ABC Lists-Exploring With the Letter “G”

 

Gaelic

Gaillardia/gardenia/geranium

Gale

Galleon

Galleria

Galley

Gallop

Gamble

Game

Gammon/gateau/gelatin/gerkin

Gander

Gannet

Garden

Gate

Gather

Geode

Geodesic  dome

Georgian

German

Get away

Gig

Glamour

Glisten

Gnome

Goal

Goat/Goose

Go Kart

Golf

Gold/golden

Gorge

Gorse

Gothic

Grail

Grammophone

Grass

Gratitude

Grindstone

Guitar

gym

ABC Lists-Exploring With the Letter “E”

This is an ever expanding list of date ideas for the letter “E”.  Usually we use a dictionary to generate a long list of   words, which might help generate ideas.   Read through the adventures below, to see some of the ways we might put the words together, to come up with our adventures.

1.  Get up “early” to watch the sunrise and “enjoy” an “English breakfast”.   Then, just take it “easy” for the rest of  the day.     You could stay in your pajamas and go shopping for “each other on E-Bay”.

2. Go to a restaurant to eat.  Make sure it serves an “Early Bird Special”, if you want to save money. Order your favorite “entree”, or “eggs, eggplant, elderberry, enchiladas and/ or Eastern or European Cuisine”.  All great “E” themed foods to try. You could even wash it all down with an “Espresso”, or “Earl Gray Tea”.

3. Take an “entourage” of friends to an “Escape Room”. Make sure you like them though because you will be locked up together, in a “themed” room for 60 minutes.  You must cooperate by using clues to solve puzzles, which will help you escape.  This makes an “epic” gift.

4. Perhaps animals are more interesting to you.  Egrets and elephants both begin with E.  Could you visit a bird sanctuary, or a zoo to see them.  Have you ever ridden an an elephant, or gone to a circus where they perform?  How about an Equestrian Center?

5.  We love celebrating any holiday.  “Earth Day” is one which comes in the spring.  There are many ways to observe it.   What a better way to spend a date, than  by “engaging” in activities such as a parade, or a clean up “event”.

6. Maybe learning is something you like to do.  How about attending a class, watching a documentary, or visiting a museum?  You could choose to learn about “Egypt and/or Egyptians”, or maybe the “Economy” or “Entomology” is more your thing to study.

7. “Elders” always appreciate a visit.  Whether “eight, eighteen or eighty”, people have numerous “experiences” to share.  “Engaging” helps us all connect.

8. Sometimes it is fun to just sit at the “edge” of a cliff, or watch a movie that keeps you on the “edge of your seat”, either would be very “entertaining”.

9. What about taking a car ride, and making only “East” turns, to see where you “end” up?

10.  Perhaps you will  visit an ocean and watch the tide “ebb”, or perhaps an “eddy” is easier to find.  Float in the water to “ease” the week away.

11. Concerts are always on the list, “Electric Light Orchestra” would surely get you “energized”.  Or, you could put on “elegant” attire and sip “effervescent” drinks while being “enchanted” with the “entertainment” of your choice.

12. Take and “epic” trip and cross the “equator”.

13. Connect with the seasons by celebrating the winter or fall “equinox”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter D

This is an ever expanding list for the letter D. Here you will find; activities, cities, countries, emotions, events, festivals, individual states, phrases and words. Basically, this is a long list that might be helpful when planning any adventure using the letter D. This list will be updated regularly, as more suggestions are offered. Eventually it will be broken down into categories. Remember, a word may have more than one meaning. For example, the word “derby” might bring to mind a horse race for one person but roller derby for another.  Words can become actions, emotions or lead you to discover new destinations. They won’t necessarily be the same as the dictionary definition. Be creative and use this list in any way that inspires you to try something new! It will be impossible to list every D themed word here, so remember to look for restaurants, stores, road names etc., that may begin with the letter D. Think beyond locations. Consider new foods to try, animals to see , experiences to have, song titles that inspire you, or anything else that gets you thinking out of the box. Let your own individual experiences reflect a personal journey of discovery and have fun with the wordplay! As always, we value your contributions, so please leave a comment when you think of other ways to explore, using the letter D. (Please remember to keep your comments G-rated!)

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ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter C

This is an ever expanding list for the letter C. Here you will find; activities, cities, countries, emotions, events, festivals, individual states, phrases and words. Basically, this is a long list that might be helpful when planning any adventure using the letter C. This list will be updated regularly, as more suggestions are offered. Eventually it will be broken down into categories. Remember, a word may have more than one meaning.  For example, the word “cards” could be used to initiate sending cards to others, or it might mean playing a game with a deck of cards. Words can become actions, emotions or lead you to discover new destinations. They won’t necessarily be the same as the dictionary definition. Be creative and use this list in any way that inspires you to try something new! It will be impossible to list every C themed word here, so remember to look for restaurants, stores, road names etc., that may begin with the letter C. Think beyond locations. Consider new foods to try, animals to see , experiences to have, song titles that inspire you, or anything else that gets you thinking out of the box. Let your own individual experiences reflect a personal journey of discovery and have fun with the wordplay! As always, we value your contributions, so please leave a comment when you think of other ways to explore, using the letter C. (Please remember to keep your comments G-rated!)

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ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter B

This is an ever expanding list for the letter B. Here you will find; activities, cities, countries, emotions, events, festivals, individual states, phrases and words. Basically, this is a long list that might be helpful when planning any adventure using the letter B. This list will be updated regularly, as more suggestions are offered. Eventually it will be broken down into categories. Remember, a word may have more than one meaning. For example, the word “bath”  could be used when describing a location like Bath, England or it could mean a container, used for cleaning the body, which holds a large volume of water.  Words can become actions, emotions or lead you to discover new destinations. They won’t necessarily be the same as the dictionary definition. Be creative and use this list in any way that inspires you to try something new! It will be impossible to list every B themed word here, so remember to look for restaurants, stores, road names etc., that may begin with the letter B. Think beyond locations. Consider new foods to try, animals to see , experiences to have, song titles that inspire you, or anything else that gets you thinking out of the box. Let your own individual experiences reflect a personal journey of discovery and have fun with the wordplay! As always, we value your contributions, so please leave a comment when you think of other ways to explore, using the letter B. (Please remember to keep your comments G-rated!)

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ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter A

This is an ever expanding list of adventures for the letter “A”.  Generally Alan and I use a dictionary to generate a long list of  “A” words.  We then try to use these words to spark date or travel ideas.   Read through the adventures below, to see some of the ways we might put the words together, to come up with our adventures.  This list may also generate ideas for photos to take, while we are on the date and/or offer words we might try to incorporate into our story.  Keep the list going by posting “additional” ideas below!

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