By brendan on 8/26/2010 3:08 PM

Late August in downtown Lansing (specifically the campus of Lansing Community College) means one thing to me - time for the Caribbean Festival! And when I say it delivers, I mean it - on a lot of different levels. Attending this unique event delivers a real and palatable Caribbean feel. From the dancing to the music to the marketplace area full of drums and colorful clothing and jewelry to the great authentic food, it's like you found a secret way to go to the Caribbean without the need for a passport.The event is put on by the Lansing Community College Student Life and Leadership office and they do a fantastic job. The event is always well-attended and the weather has been spot on every year I've ever been (predictably sunny, hmmm, just like the Caribbean). My recommendation when you attend is to park on the street in the surrounding residential neighborhoods surrounding downtown and walk to the LCC campus. The closer you get, the more you'll feel the energy of the islands. Come ... Read More »

By brendan on 8/16/2010 1:46 PM

Golfers looking for the next big challenge or just an absolutely remarkable golf weekend in the Great Lakes State, set your DVR to the Golf Channel for the program Destination Golf on September 8th, 2010. Why? Because the word is out on the nationwide prominence of Michigan golf! The folks at the Golf Channel spent a full week filming in Michigan to feature America’s Summer Golf Capital for this popular program starring Lauren Thompson. Read More »

By brendan on 8/9/2010 2:30 PM

I'm one of those people that closely associates specific smells with times, places, seasons and memories from my past. A little dried leaves and apple and I'm right there in autumn. I smell a turkey cooking and I'd swear it's Thanksgiving Day. Odd but true, the smell of black coffee and saw dust always reminds me of my Dad. Well, no exception to this trend of smells making associations to times, places and people in my life is the smell of mint. It always makes me think of nearby St. John's, Michigan and the annual Mint Festival. St. Johns is just a bit north of Greater Lansing, and while a pretty sleepy, rural community it is known the world over as Mint City USA. Read More »

By brendan on 8/2/2010 2:33 PM

Shocker. I'm about to do another blog post telling you how great the Greater Lansing region is for those looking for a good time. Well, if you're tired of new opportunities for awesome summer fun, don't read the rest. The Greater Lansing community, and specifically in this case, Old Town Lansing, are total havens for cool and unique outdoor music concerts and festivals. As the summer months come and the temps go up, smart people travel to Greater Lansing with a few bucks in his or her pocket and a lawn chair in the trunk. On any given Saturday you can pretty much roll your window down, drive through the area and follow the sounds of great live music to yet another awesome time, simply soaking up some tunes and some rays. This weekend is for sure no exception as Old Town will feature the 16th Annual JazzFest August 6th (4 p.m. to 12 a.m.) and 7th (2 p.m. to 12 a.m.). Music will fill the air in Old Town and, as usual in this fantastic community, this wonderful event full of ... Read More »

By brendan on 7/26/2010 10:41 AM

 

Have a seat.


Turn it on.


Watch it glow before your eyes.


Ease back and let it entertain, provoke thought, stir conversation and give birth to new ideas - but instead of turning the channel, add another log.

Just for a little while, trade your television remote for a marshmallow cooker. Forget about your DVR and get completely absorbed in a real and truly special moment you simply can't pause or rewind.

Spark a lively conversation and then watch in dramatic silence as the sky is painted into a gorgeous late-July Michigan sunset.

Get out and explore the outdoors in Greater Lansing this summer, because a moon-lit campfire edging out TV and video games is pure Michigan.

By brendan on 7/13/2010 8:14 AM

Through the years my family and I have had just about hundreds of awesome experiences on the campus of Michigan State University, but this past weekend we added one more to the list. My wife read something in the paper about a new show taking place at the Abram's Planetarium on campus and wanted to check it out. Naturally it was a good opportunity for us to bring our two young boys with us who had been to the planetarium before years ago with their 1st grade class, but didn't totally remember it. So, off we go to the planetarium and on our way there my wife and I get to talking about other great MSU attractions and fun stops. Read More »

By brendan on 7/7/2010 7:58 AM

For a fun and unique getaway, my wife and I embarked on a long weekend to travel out of state and camp for a few days while we saw our favorite band perform not once, but twice. The stage was set for a lot of fun new experiences because I had never been to this particular state (Wisconsin) and had not camped in years and years. We had a great time and let me just say, this getaway was long overdue. Driving into our destination we were entranced with the many scenic rural country roads even stopping a time or two to get a picture of some cute cows. We also loved finding off the path and quaint country stores and non-chain, small town restaurants. It was refreshing to get away from the pharmacy on every corner, 24-hour fast food world we live in. We also both felt a break from housework and yard work sounded great and some time just relaxing in the great outdoors would be super - and it was. But then something started happening. Read More »

By brendan on 6/29/2010 3:42 PM

Wow! I have to say, it is so cool to see all the things coming alive down on the riverfront area in downtown Lansing. Today was the formal announcement from Gillespie Group Development and Lansing Metro Marinas about some amazing boat tours now running daily along the scenic Lansing waterways. A city that was once designed to block the river with the backs of buildings and dump into it waste, rainwater and whatever else is now turning around to face, and embrace, this awesome river flowing through our community. A years-long sewer seperation project is going like crazy working to make the river cleaner than ever and now with open-minded and future-focused development, like that of the Gillespie Group, we have structures along the river, like the new Lansing City Market, that truly take advantage of their scenic location rather than simply tolerate it! I took this boat tour several months ago when the idea was in its infancy and was blown away by the unique views of the city and the cool way ... Read More »

By brendan on 6/15/2010 12:11 PM

Just one of the many very cool things about having a botany and horticulture hot-bed like Michigan State University in our backyard here in Lansing is the opportunity to view the many gardens and greenhouses on campus for unique and original forms of life...or death...or both! Both? Yes. How about a plant, that flowers, but is commonly mistaken throughout the insect and animal community as a dying animal because of its awful smell? Welcome folks to the rare and unusual CORPSE FLOWER. Just its name sounds like a complete contradiction of terms - Corpse Flower. Kind of makes the little boy in me come out. The inner part of me that remembers loving mud pies and catching frogs and poking dead things with a stick. If you are a boy or have a boy, you know what I mean - but back to this amazing flower! Okay, the real name is Amorphophallus Titanum, but everyone knows it as the Corpse Flower.  It sounds like a flower they might have had in the Adam's Family, or the Munster ... Read More »

By brendan on 6/11/2010 8:07 AM

I'm one of those people that is all about my creature comforts. You can name a dozen restaurants in town and I could tell you what I'd order there for a meal - every time I go there. Now this doesn't mean I'm picky, because I'm not, I love all kinds of food, but once I find something I REALLY like, I tend to stick with it. Call it true food and entertainment loyalty, if you will. While I guess that's sweet or maybe admirable, it comes at a cost. After a while you tend to start feeling a little bored. This festival sounds kind of lame and that restaurant isn't as good any more, etc. etc. Instead of being fun-loving I start feeling more like old man grumpus - Well I'm going to turn over a new leaf this year and summer time in Greater Lansing is the perfect time to start trying new things. I mean from food to festivals to attractions to even a new author for a fun summer book - (I haven't read much else but Stephen King in 3 or 4 years now). So I'm going to go to new festivals ... Read More »