Road trip adventures: Grand Rapids, MI

It is 10PM.

I finished my run at 8PM.


I still haven't showered.


I'm kind of gross that way :-)


I chose to do some work (I'm sick, I know), catch up on blogs, and write this post instead of showering. Aren't you glad? (sarcasm).


How was your weekend, blog friends? Zak and I took a road trip to Grand Rapids (MI), to visit his sister and her family. We used to hang out with them frequently when they lived in Chicago, but there was something about a 700 square foot high-rise condo that didn't mesh well with having a baby :-) They moved to Grand Rapids earlier this year, and this was our first trip to their new town. 


It was also our first trip with both dogs in tow. They did surprisingly well on the road!

Here's how the weekend went: We pretty much either a) played with baby Zeke, b) went out to eat, or c) took photos with baby Zeke. It was great! 

Saturday, we managed to catch some of the Herman Miller Grand Cycling Classic (US Finals Criterium) races through Downtown Grand Rapids. It was pretty cool to watch! Team Bissel (yes, the vacuum cleaner) owned the race, at least the one we watched.

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Later, we checked out Stella's Lounge, a punk rock bar with a killer whiskey list and a giant, mostly-vegan menu. We went early, and the music wasn't too loud or anything, but was pretty hilarious to take a baby there. We had to take advantage of their cool mural outside for a mini photo shoot.

Stella's menu was indeed impressive, mostly because of the 200 types of Bourbon and whiskey available. I didn't want to be *that girl*, at least not while hanging out with Zeke, so I opted to try the "Hellbent for Lentils" vegan burger with "Chronic" fries. Holy delicious.

They call these "chronic fries" for a reason - highly addictive!

Hands down, the best burger I've had this year. And 100% vegan!

Zeke said that once he can eat solid food, he will have to try this burger.

Baby fist bump!

After dinner, we headed to Jersey Junction in East Grand Rapids, for dessert: ice cream!

Cake batter ice cream. It was pretty swoon-worthy.

"There she goes with the weird food photography again..."

All in all, it was a fantastic night. More foodie adventures and Zeke photos to follow!

You do the talking: Have you ever had vegan bar food? We have a great place in Milwaukee called Palomino that is pretty fantastic, and has a similar rockin' vibe.

Are you a whiskey drinker? I seriously love whiskey and Bourbon. It's kind of my thing! Only a little bit at once, though. I'd rather order a high-quality whiskey on the rocks and sip it over a couple hours, than order beer after beer.

A Gangsta Weekend "Up North"

In a couple hours, I will be headed to the great Northern area of Wisconsin, to a friend's vacation home at Presque Isle Lake. It's a 6 hour drive from Milwaukee, but I think it will be well-worth the drive to go somewhere off the grid. No television reception, no mobile phone service... just a group of friends, a cabin, probably a lot of booze and some good eats.

This location is also very exciting because of its proximity to Manitowish Waters and Little Bohemia, site of John Dillinger's infamous shootout with the F.B.I!

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To be as historically accurate as possible, last summer's Johnny Depp flick Public Enemies (from Wisconsin native director Michael Mann) was shot on location, and I am super stoked to check it out. I can't wait to enjoy a cocktail at the bar, take the tour of the place (including J.D.'s room!) and enjoy a true "gangsta" photo shoot. Or is it, "mobsta?"

Oh, Johnny.

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Photos to follow the weekend. Also in "Gangsta" news - I bought tickets for Snoop Dogg's Feb. 16 concert at the Metro in Chicago. Can't wait. It's been a good five years since I've last seen Snoop, and even before that was when I actually met him at a summer concert.

Isn't this photo so 2004? Love the trucker hat. Love my 'Wiscompton' shirt.

Have a great weekend everyone!