Saugatuck
Campground
The Heemstra Estate
Ok, so this isn't exactly a campground, we stayed in our friend's driveway! It allowed us to spend quality time with them. See the story "Why are we here?" below.
Things to see
Holland Summer Street Performer Series
The street was full of performers, from singers, to dancers, to hula-hoopers. Yours truly was lucky enough to get a spot on the corner.
Michigan Maritime Museum
Great opportunity to learn about the history of maritime in Michigan. Lots of boats and a few interactive activities.
Saugatuck Dune Rides
Great fun riding the dunes and learn some history as well. Our tour guide was hilarious and had lots on one-liners. They are in high demand so you have to make reservations ahead of time.
Star of Saugatuck Boat Cruise
Nice little boat ride around the harbor and out into Lake Michigan for the sunset.
Food and Drink
Crane's Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery
Ok, so the wine and ciders were OK but the pie flight was to die for!
Pennyroyal Cafe & Provisions
Amazing food and specialty drinks on a beautiful patio. Highly recommend!
To make a long story short ...
Why are we here?
I've known John for quite a long time. Throughout the decades, he has worked at Cray on 3 (?) 4 (?) different occasions. Cray - Cray Research, Cray, a division of Silicon Graphics, Cray Inc., Cray (now a part of HPE). Same company, same mission, lots of the same people. We worked again together at one of our non-Cray experiments, Versity Inc. Along with another good friend, Nic, we spent a lot of time working and enjoying each other outside work.
When that company had financial issues, the three of us got cut loose. That's when I retired. Not long after that, Barb and I hit the road. We have had multiple opportunities to see Nic and John. We were near John and Jackie nearly two years ago and really enjoyed both of them. When they built a new house and welcomed us to park our RV in their driveway, there was no hesitation on my part.
We spent a bunch of time seeing local sites, John and I played a bunch of music, we had bonfires, and John made great food. Having dietary restrictions has turned John into a fantastic chef.
A big chuckle happened one day. Barb and Jackie had walked across the road to a blueberry farm to pick a bunch. We got here at the peak of blueberry season. Later that day, I was in front of their house, which is pretty thick with trees. They said it has been quite swampy in the Spring and they hadn't been paying much attention to it. As I stood there looking, I noticed something quite familiar.
"Jackie, why did you and Barb waste $5 picking blueberries?"
"What?"
"The area in front of your house is absolutely covered in blueberry bushes."
It was true. There were SO many bushes out there. Jackie and Barb picked several more pounds of berries.