Week Three: Planner's Wedding - Part Two

Really short entry for Friday here. :) The Planner's wedding was just beautiful. She was gorgeous, the groom (a big tough guy) got teary as he said his vows, and best of all, The Planner--for whom moving around had been difficult due to recent illness--was able to walk down the aisle to meet her now-husband at the altar.

The ceremony was--and I'm not lying--15 minutes long. And then we all got crazy at the reception. It was great. I almost never have a date to weddings, so they tend to be pretty painful (all those happy couples...gag). This was one of the least painful weddings I've been to, so a big THANK YOU and a job well done goes to The Planner. :)

Saturday, my mom picked me up at Thrifty when I dropped off my rental car, stopped at The Planner's mom's house for after-wedding brunch, packed some of The Planner's gifts into our car, and started the 8-hour trek home.

The only place we stopped that is worth noting is Cabela's in Dundee, MI. At 225,000 square feet of camping, hunting, fishing and outdoor sports equipment, this place is Gander Mountain on serious steroids. No joke-- they sell cabins here. It's not a place I would plan a vacation around, but there are people who do it - I cannot even tell you how many campgrounds we passed that advertised their proximity to Cabela's. There was a outdoorsey-themed hotel across the parking lot with 3 tour buses in front of it. Bizarre. That said, if you just so happen to be on US-23 between Ann Arbor and Toledo, you will most likely pass Cabela's and wonder what it is. Go check it out. Being the proud new owner of a cast iron pan with lid and a 5-qt dutch oven (total cost - $53.00--don't I love cast iron!), I can certainly say I'm glad we stopped in.

If, For Some Reason, You Are Insane Like My Mother and Me and Decide to Drive From MI to VA in One Day:

Cabela's
110 Cabela Blvd., East
Dundee, MI 48131

Week Three: Planner's Wedding

I was up at an ungodly early time last Thursday to catch my flight to Detroit for The Planner's wedding. Lugged my two suitcases and carry-on bag to the bus stop, onto the bus, dragged them into the metro, onto the train, off the train, and finally through the airport. Can I tell you how much I hate traveling with more than a carry-on? Argh.

I got to Detroit and finally picked up my rental car. Because I wasn't sure what sizes of toiletries I could take on the plane, I decided to leave mine at home, which meant that my first stop in MI was a Meijer store.

Most people outside of the Mid-West have no idea what a Meijer store is. Most people who are from or have lived in the Mid-West can't really explain it. In the grand scheme of "get anything here" stores, Meijer is right between the cheap-ness of Wal-Mart and the hip-ness of Target. Actually, Meijer is even better than the other two, because while some Wal-Marts and Targets have supermarket/ grocery sections, most of the ones around here do not. In contrast, EVERY Meijer carries EVERYTHING. Movies, electronics, home repair, health and beauty, pharmacy, bakery, deli, lingerie, apparel, butcher shop, seafood shop, fresh vegetables, canned goods, pet supplies, garden supplies, beer, wine, liquor, EVERYTHING. If there is one thing I miss about Michigan, it is living within 45 minutes of 3 different Meijer stores. *sigh* That and Vernor's Ginger Ale...but I digress.

After I went on my Meijer run, I went searching for my hotel (because I had stupidly forgotten to print out directions before I left. *sigh*). While I was doing that, I stopped at the local Whole Foods. It was bigger than any Whole Foods I had ever seen - and that includes the one between Dupont and Logan Circles here in DC. I guess it's not surprising - Ann Arbor is and always has been one of the most hippie places on the entire planet (think Takoma Park x 10). I would know - I used to live there. In a Big-Ten college town (or any college town, for that matter), you expect to see a few people--usually grad-students--going with the William Wallace look. But in Ann Arbor, there are whole populations of folks that have adopted and kept the hippie lifestyle, many of them doing so right into their 60's. It's surreal. It also makes the GIANT Whole Foods not so surprising (though the truly hard-core abhor chain stores).

After getting lunch from the enormous selection of carry-out food at Whole Foods, I got back on the road. This time I found Weber's - our hotel in Ann Arbor. They had a room ready for me--complete with gift bag put together by The Planner and her mom. When I opened the door to my room I found a huge feather bed with matching down comforter, a chair with reading lamp, a desk, and--get this-- an iHome alarm clock where I could plug in my iPod. I have been coveting one of these for about a year. My little Nano never had it so good. :)

Weber's has a pool set in a three-story atrium, so I went there, read my book for a bit, and splashed around a little. After that, I had enough time for a nap in my cushy king-sized feather bed before it was time to go to the rehearsal dinner.

To be honest, the food at the rehearsal dinner really wasn't all that great (and gave me serious indigestion), so I'll skip that part of the evening and just say it was great to spend time with my friends. The bridesmaid gifts that The Planner put together were amazing - it was one of those times when you get stuff that you never even knew you needed (but make your life thereafter SO much more enjoyable). The Planner has a knack for such gifts. After that, it was back to the hotel for bed.


If you happen to go to Ann Arbor:

Meijer
3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Whole Foods
3135 Washtenaw Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Weber's Restaurant and Hotel
3050 Jackson Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Also, my biggest regret about this trip was that I never got a chance to go to Zingerman's Delicatessen. This is an Ann Arbor landmark, so if you are in the area, you really, really, really should make an effort to go--you will NOT be disappointed.

Zingerman's Delicatessen
620 Phoenix Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108