A Wedding Paradise

How would you like to plan your wedding or a family member’s wedding at this locale?  It is part of the complex known as “The Field of Flowers Farm” in Lake Leelanau, Michigan.  It is operated by one of the Benish ladies of Manistee, Michigan, Christy Benish. 

If you want to know more about weddings or floral arrangements, or just plan a vacation touring the grounds, please check out our Blogroll, which has the website of “The Field of Flowers Farm”. 

It is really something to see and experience for yourself.  Just imagine a wedding ceremony overlooking Lake Michigan.  What a setting to begin life anew! 

The Benish Ladies- Julie, Chrissy, and Becky

This is a picture of Julie and her mother. More on her mother in a moment. The Benish girls from Manistee, Michigan, were Julie, Christy, and Becky. I knew Julie when I was a young boy and she came over to our farm and wanted to explore our caretaker’s cottage which was behind our two-bedroom gray cottage. Julie and her parents also had the four Norris children over to their Sauble Lake summer cottage for a swim. In the 1980’s I offered to take Julie’s son on a hike down the Bloody Antler Trail and then on a tour of Big Bass Lake with our motorboat.

I met Christy once with Becky at Helen Herrmann’s trailer next to the Benish farm. We talked almost to midnight on just about everything. I recall Christy telling me that she wanted one day to become a model. Now she operates a wedding farm north of Manistee. I will be doing a report on that later this month.

The last I heard, Becky Benish was still living in Manistee. All three Benish girls were flawless beauties and that was no surprise to me since their mother was once Miss. Michigan. I also heard that, for a time, Julie and her husband became missionaries.

All three Benish girls enjoyed visiting Frank and Agnes Benish’s farm which was located right across the road from my grandparent’s property on Big Bass Lake.

Driving and Walking Trails

One thing is certain for me and my wife, Darlene, and that is when we venture out into the Manistee National Forest we have an intended area to hike in mind. We both prefer areas in which we have not gone before to the more familiar ones. And this particular chosen road led us to our goal of that day.

Our trek took us into Lake County for a while before entering Manistee County. I usually prefer this great forest both east and south of Scottville but this time we headed almost due north. Our goal was a road just between the town of Manistee and the road leading to the Recreation Area.

Upon our arrival at our destination, we unpacked both our two husky dogs, Frick and Frack, plus our lunch and their’s. Here is what our pathway looked like and I must say it was more “civilized” than even I had imagined.

This was more of a divided pathway, like those large highways like US 31 South of Ludington. I prefer smaller sized trails and more rugged terrain but, sigh, nothing is perfect. There was no need to go single file on this pathway and when Darlene grabbed my hand, I had the sneaking suspicion that she had planned it this way as sort of a romantic get-a-way.

You know, who says Paradise is in the upper portion of Michigan only?

The 76th Manistee National Forest Festival

The 2012 edition of the Manistee National Forest Festival, presented by the Chamber since 1936, promises entertainment and fun for the entire family. Carnival rides, parades, fireworks, art exhibits, tours, and so much more! It will be from July 4-8 in beautiful Manistee, Michigan.

It begins with a flag raising ceremony on July 4, 2012. Then the 4th of July Parade will commence to be followed by Bravo Troop’s Hot Dog Stand and Garage Sale. Then the Festival Marketplace will open along with the Whispering Pines Mobile Zoo. The 4th of July events will close with fireworks over Lake Michigan.

Other happenings in the Festival will be the annual Manistee World of Arts and Crafts on July 6. Later that day Li’l Abner will put in an appearance. And many of the features from the 4th of July will occur every day during the Festival. It should be a great time for everyone so come and join the fun this year.

Manistee Instant Car Wash on US 31

When you approach this Manistee police officer, who seems to be the gatekeeper for this innovative new car and people wash, he will advise you to roll down your windows and get a good fast start before you roar through the waters coming fast down that hill. It’s a kind of US 31 Shoot the Shoots.

By the way, you have to supply your own towels! Also you’ll need your own soap and car polish as well. I take it you know which one to use on which?

Four Strikes in Manistee

Manistee is often neglected on our site being the baby sister to its elder Ludington. I get to Manistee about three times a year as I do some shopping in their downtown and also enjoy a jaunt on their Riverwalk. Yet in all the pictures I’ve taken of the Ludington Breakwater and Lighthouse, I don’t think I ever caught a four-bolt lightning strike there. This is petty awesome, don’t you think?

The Manistee breakwater is about one-fifth as long as Ludington’s and their beach lacks the sand dunes that Ludington sports.  Now Manistee does lay claim to the Lake Michigan Recreation Area but to me, that’s a stretch as it is a good seven miles south of Manistee and then another seven miles back west.  Free Soil, Michigan, could make the same claim.

Manistee does have its charm and now with the gambling casino just north of town it is doing a brisk business with just about everyone benefiting from it.  Except the losers!  I’m glad that Manistee got that place cause it would have taken away from the charm that Ludington has as a real tourist town.  However, as Mike would say, Manistee bears the name of his favorite national forest and is even host to a festival yearly in that regard.  Maybe we’ll be going to that this year?

Backing Up Can Be Pure Hell by Tate

Well, one dark early morning I chose to back my wife’s car out of the garage to get her off to a good start and found out that it was men drivers that sometimes have no survivors.  Fortunately I was able to walk away from this result of a washout.  My wife’s car was not so lucky but then either was I as my new car turned out to be my wife’s new vehicle. 

I’m sure glad that I learned how to ride a bike when I was a kid for that is how I am getting around these days.  Maybe by winter my wife’s car will be repaired for me to drive?  And, from now on, my wife can back up her own car for then it just might be mine!

Manistee Then and Now

I don’t get to Manistee very often as my shopping preferences take me more to Ludington. Yet every now and then my shopping does take me to Manistee as I love the charm of the area.  Thus, I thought I would present to you what Manistee once looked like compared to how it looks today.  And, outside of the change in automobiles the area looks virtually untouched.

When in Manistee I enjoy the Riverwalk and the beaches although in my opinion they can’t compare to the beaches in Ludington.  Now Manistee is more known for the large gambling casino that is just north of the town.  That part of Manistee they can keep but I understand that the area needed the employment possibilities that the casino brought to the area.

So, what are “your” memories of Manistee both now and then?  Let me know by way of a comment.

Manistee Aquatic Roller Coaster

There is such an entity in Manistee, Michigan, kinown as the Aquatic Roller Coaster but its not found in some amusement park. Today, the United States Coast Guard is experiencing it firsthand right off the shores of Manistee. It’s somewhat like riding a busting broncho but in the water.

Some civilian crafts might also be experiencing this coaster effect today and perhaps that is why the Coast Guard is on hand.  They might be enroute to some water rescue.  I sure don’t envy their task in this kind of surf.  Now I wouldn’t mind wading into waist deep water in this stuff but not expose myself to a boat in those waters.  Notice that they are all wearing life jackets.  Smart!  No one wants to hear those words, “Man overboard” and that is for sure. 

I wonder if those guardsmen and women find their particular roller coaster enjoyable?  It sure adds some spice to their day.  Can you imagine the man at the wheel today?  Yet our Coast Guard in Michigan does a fantastic job doing what they do best and that is to rescue people that are foolish enough to go out in these kinds of conditions.  I sure wouldn’t want to be in their flippers today!

The Storm of 2008- Part Two

This is a road near Free Soil and can you imagine coming onto this break in the road at night? You’d better make like the A-Team and get ready for a running start to jimp it or you’ll wind up like this car near Ludington-

This car didn’t make the leap of faith and wound up at the bottom of the hole. Can you imagine the sheer horror of driving into nothingness for those precious few seconds? Better have your seat belt working that morning! I wonder if the driver was able to walk away from that?

In this photograph, the road on US 31 near Manistee just washed away due to the heavy rain of June 8. In fact it caused a 72 mile detour on a road that usually took only twenty miles to bridge the distance between Scottville and Manistee.

The temporary detour lasted for about two to three weeks because this was not the only portion of US 31 that washed away that weekend. The Michigan Department of Transportation was kept busy for weeks repairing road or fixing those gaping holes in roadways throughout the area.

Tomorrow, I will bring this series to a close with some pictures of what the Ludington area itself looked like after this storm.

The Storm of 2008- Part One

The June storm of 2008 was a might one indeed. Two of my pictures here are of US 31 just outside of Free Soil and about seven miles from Manistee, Michigan. A Manistee Sheriff vehicle is guarding the area where water is running over US 31. Or this could be the Manistee version of a car wash where you need to provide your own soap and wax. Just make sure your windows are rolled up first.

I have another picture of the road leading to the Lake Michigan Recreational Area and as you can well see it is flooded over. This road is in close proximity to my first two pictures of US 31 as they are only about four miles apart. Many campers at the Recreational Area were trapped by these flooded roads as the deluge dropped nearly seven inches of rain that evening.

I will have more in Part Two tomorrow.

The Storms of Michigan

In just over a week, I will be posting a two part series on The Storms of Michigan that hit the area in 2008. This photograph serves as a preview of the series. What you see here is a washed out road in Manistee, Michigan.

Yet this was only the tip of the iceberg over that period of time as Michigan was inundated with about ten inches of rain in a very short period of time. US 31, between Scottville and Manistee was washed out in several places as my series will show. The detour for that fifteen mile stretch amounted to nearly 75 miles!

There were gaping holes in pavement all around the area which looked much like sinkholes. Since a lot of this rain fell during the night, driving in the area must have been a nightmare as several cars wound up in these ditches. People at the Lake Michigan Recreational Area were stranded due to water rushing over the only outlet from that location.

The series will begin in ten days.

Is The Ramsdell Theatre Haunted?

This is the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan. The word Manistee means “spirit of the woods” and I often times have wondered if that “spirit” at times occupies this theatre as an unpaying guest. Granted, many fine civic productions have taken place here but I’m talking about what occurs after hours.

Doors open and close without human help and light fixtures fall to the ground on the stage area and throughout the theater. Some have reported that there is a distinct image of the founder T.J. Ramsdell, floating in the air near the balcony seats. Spirit of the woods or could it be the spirit of Ramsdell himself?

Maybe the Ramsdell Theatre should install one of those old theatre organs so the proper spooky music could be played at those times? Hey, I wonder if Ramsdell himself played the organ? Hmmm?

The Manistee Breakwater

My husband, Michael, has talked a great deal about the Ludington breakwater but the Manistee one is no less magnificent. It doesn’t go out nearly as far as its Ludington counterpart, but you can get just as wet.

As you can tell, the waves are no less fierce in Manistee from Lake Michigan. I walked out on this breakwater a few years ago and proved to myself that the wethead was not dead as I was soaked through and through when one wave hit with full force. I was sprayed heavily and headed back toward shore faster than a speeding bullet.

It’s always a challenge on either breakwater to be able to avoid getting wet on days with high surf. It might be wise, though, to go out on a less wavy day than this because this kind of day guarentees you’re getting wet believe you me!

Manistee North Pier in Storm

Manistee’s north pier breakwater can’t really be compared with its counterpart in Ludington as it doesn’t go out into the lake nearly as far. Still, in high seas, the breakwater is impressive to say the least as waves pound upon it as well making walking out to the end quite perilous indeed.

I travel to Manistee every now and then as I also like to jog along the shoreline of Lake Michigan there. I once jogged all the way to the Lake Michigan Recreational Center some seven or eight miles down the shoreline going south where my friend Ben picked me up. Ben doesn’t go into running very much.

Manistee also has a purported haunted movie theatre as some have said. I’ve never seen the theatre myself so I really can’t say one way or the other but soon I may put that on my list of things to do. But only if Lake Michigan has a calm day.