I prepared cucumber salad and chicken at the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth today. They have been offering authentic German cuisine and amenities for over 60 years.They proudly use Michigan fresh vegetables from Mike Pirrone Produce out of Capac, MI.  There are three generations of family members in this business, and it continues to be a great tourism attraction.

It’s amazing what happens in the kitchen of a busy restaurant. Lots of activity. Lots of people.  The highlight? Dorothy, the family patriarch, is actively involved in the business. She was as active and excited as she probably was many years ago on her first day in the business. What an inspiration to her kids who work with her.  Learning the lessons of life. Luck helps, but foundations in life are built through hard work and family!

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Worked job 53 today in St Joe at Perennial Accents during the Venetian Festival. I spent some of my time serving customers and window shoppers Sweet Fire or Peach salsa with chips. I preferred the Peach salsa. Not crazy about hot stuff. Nice store that does cooking classes and sells an eclectic group of home/garden goods. Had a lot of fun greeting and helping customers.

Business is better than last year but still a little slow. Just like for Tulip Time retail shops on main street struggle some during festivals. So much going on. Met a number of folks from Indiana and Illinois. Encouraged them to spend wisely and generously in Michigan. I recommend this stop for all visitors to St Joe.

The owners were very good bosses. Enjoyed it!

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I had a lot of fun working at Huron Foods in Waterford. I worked as a cashier and was also able to meet with many different people. It was interesting to watch customers respond to me after I introduced myself as a candidate for governor as it was not something they were expecting.

Grocery stores are meeting places all around the state, and this one is no different. Customers know employees and employees know customers. People are friendly and engaging, always quick with a smile. This grocery store is doing a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere for the community to gather and able to get food for their families. As a teenager one of my first jobs was working at Central Park Grocery in Holland. The atmosphere of the locally owned and operated grocery store hasn’t changed, but the technology and the packaging of foods really has.

This grocery store is owned by the Chaldean family and they were very gracious to open their doors to me. Best wishes to the customers, employees and owners of Huron Foods. Thanks so much for allowing me to be a part of your business today!

It was just fun spending some time at the Caseville Marina! The first boat we saw being taken out of the water was a classic Chris Craft built in Holland, Michigan in June of 1954. (See photos and brief description on our website soon.) We helped take some boats out of the water, but this marina is really about helpful dock personnel providing a hand to boaters. It is a great little port with a friendly staff focused on service. Business has been up a little from last year. Nice weather made a very good weekend for them and the outlook looks good for the rest of the summer. We talked about the an island project where they want to dredge, but they can’t get the DNR, DEQ, and Corps of Engineers on the same page with the project. I’ve heard that story before; another barrier to growth and opportunity.

Happy Fourth of July! This morning I worked at the Vacation Station RV Park in Ludington. Camping and tourism are a big part of Michigan’s economy, especially at this time of year. This campground is sold out for the weekend and overall numbers are up for the year. I helped serve a pancake breakfast and Rob gave me a nice tour of the facilities and a history of the park. Campers are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, especially when the food is good, the portions are generous, the price is right, and the weather forecast is hot and sunny. Another industry that given the right environment can flourish in Michigan!

Visit the Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds website for more information on places where you can enjoy Michigan’s many outdoor resources.

This Independence Day I also want to thank all who have served our country and fought to give us the freedoms we have today. May God continue to bless America!

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I worked the “Lucky You” customer appreciation cook out at the Blarney Castle Mobil gas station today in Grand Haven. I had the opportunity to meet lots of interesting people with compelling stories. Ryan’s story puts a face on one of Governor Granholm’s bad decisions. Ryan is a laborer. For 3 1/2 years he’s been working on the building of a new power plant in Wisconsin.

He lives in West Michigan, but was only home one night a week. The plant was completed and he was laid off. After hearing about all the potential new power plants being considered in Michigan, he was excited. He might be employed, provide for his family, and work in Michigan again. He might be home more than one night per week.

But, Governor Granholm destroyed his plans and the plans of hundreds of other workers. 1500 to 2000 jobs were gone when she said NO to the Wolverine Power Plant in Rogers City. Let’s get to YES. Put Michigan back to work. Ryan and hundreds of others Michiganders are waiting.

What do you remember about summer evenings in Michigan?

One of the things that I remember most as a child and with my kids is going out for ice cream. Everyone has their own favorites–black cherry for me, turtle sundae for Diane, mint chocolate chip for Erin, blue moon for Allison, and Mackinac Island fudge for Bryan. I had a fun night preparing the favorites for others at Houseman’s Ice Cream in Byron Center. I mixed flurries, scooped ice cream, and made sundaes. It was really busy and I worked with a great staff. A lot of friends showed up but I didn’t get to talk too much as we were so busy serving.

Houseman’s is a small business built on giving good value and good service. Paul (owner) has been doing this since 1992 when he first opened. He uses only local dairy products such as Hudsonville Ice Cream and soft serve from Country Dairy in New Era. This is small town America during the summer at its best! What are your summer ice cream memories? What is your favorite ice cream?

More photos below

Today I served as the deck mate on the Ironton Ferry in Charlevoix with Captain Bob. I had the opportunity to meet some tourists and a lot of locals, including many bikers who were crossing as part of the Pink Ribbon Ride to raise money for breast cancer support programs in Northern Michigan. Since the ferry only crosses a narrow channel and takes 3 minutes to get across, one local described it to me as “It’s gone the farthest without going anywhere.” This is local character and flavor at its’ best!

The Ironton Ferry goes across the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix and originally began in 1876. The 3 minute ride across 610 feet of water saves people 18-19 miles of driving around the lake. The ferry runs on two 324-gallon diesel tanks that need to be filled every two weeks. It operates from 6:30am-10:30pm every day from mid-April to Thanksgiving. You can read more about the ferry and an interview with Captain Bob Pawlus HERE

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This morning I worked at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills, home of the oldest Jewish congregation in Michigan. I worked in The Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives on their World War II Veterans archival project and listened to an oral history. Hans Weinmann shared with us his moving story about fleeing persecution in Austria, joining the U.S. armed forces, being deployed to the Pacific, and serving as part of the occupation force in Japan.

Life is about millions of personal stories and Michigan is about millions of personal stories. Let’s never forget that as we look at macro statistics. There is a person behind every number. They are always made up of individual facts, circumstances, and stories!

For a little while today, I felt like Mr. Green Jeans working at the Hillsdale Farmers Market. I sold lettuce, sweet peas,bok choy, and pound cake at the “A Long Time Coming Farm” stand. This is just the second year of the market, but it is already known around town as the place to come for great fruits, vegetables, meats, and other local products.

The booth that I worked at was sold out of asparagus before I even got there! And the booth next to me sold out of their strawberries shortly after. I bought pickles, coconut pound cake, and a rhubarb/strawberry pie. Yum! We had a lot of agriculture discussions, including opportunities and challenges. The biggest challenge this year has been the weather. Most farmers told me that there has been too much rain and they haven’t event been able to get some of the seed planted. Hillsdale is a great town and we had a nice morning. Farmers markets give you the pulse of rural America.

You can read about my morning in Hillsdale in the newspaper Here.