Exploring our new home

I’ve officially called Grand Rapids home now for three weeks. Each night and weekend that I’ve had free, I’ve been seizing opportunities to get to know my new city.

Memorial Day Weekend was a perfect opportunity for Amar and I to be tourists in our own city and for me to continue learning about Grand Rapids. My uncle and cousin traveled from the Chicago suburbs to spend the weekend with us. With so many possibilities of what to see and do, we planned well in advance. We had a few must dos: the Grand Rapids Public Museum, Frederik Meijer Gardens and a baseball game at Fifth Third Ballpark. (My cousin is a huge baseball fan.)

Saturday, we began with a picnic lunch at Heartside Park. We had sandwiches, chips and potato salad in perfect weather in the park. We then headed to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. It was my first visit. We opted for general admission tickets and began by taking in the giant whale skeleton that hangs over the main lobby.

The giant whale skeleton that greets visitors to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Pictured on Saturday, May 28, 2016.

In addition to the impressive skeleton, the museum features galleries that cover the history of Michigan – its people, places and interesting points.

After the museum, we took a short break before heading to Luna for dinner. I had heard a lot about the Mexican restaurant. It did not disappoint. I had a great chicken and cheese quesadilla. My family had tacos and a torta and also enjoyed them. Definitely opt for the chips and salsa plate as an appetizer. You get three flavors and they’re all great. You won’t regret it.

It was time for baseball at Fifth Third Ballpark. With the weather as gorgeous as it was, the parking lot was packed. We waited in line for tickets for about fifteen minutes before making our way in. We had great seats and were directly behind home plate. A Whitecaps baseball game is an ideal way to relax and enjoy a summer evening. A night at the ballpark includes the mandatory hot dogs, beer, entertainment between innings and lots of inflatable animals. As the game came to a close, we headed towards our car. The Whitecaps successfully beat the Dayton Dragons. We had a full but exhausting day. To be sure, I clocked in 10,023 steps according to my iPhone.

The Whitecaps played the Dayton Dragons on Saturday, May 28, 2016. It was a gorgeous day for baseball.

On Sunday, I was up early to begin baking. My uncle is a huge fan of my scones so I did not want to disappoint and whipped up a batch of English Royalty chocolate chip scones for all of us.

We took a walk through the Downtown Market, which is just minutes away from Amar’s apartment. I visited once much earlier but hadn’t been in a while. The market is full of local vendors selling barbecue, coffee and pastries, meats, cheese, plants and even gourmet olive oil. Plus, there are samples. The herb garden on the second floor provides a great view of Grand Rapids.

From the market, we took a quick break for lunch before heading to Frederik Meijer Gardens, a must see for all visitors to Grand Rapids. How you conquer the gardens is entirely up to each visitor. You can spend hours walking through each part, admiring each sculpture and taking in each unique flower. I knew we had to start at the Japanese Garden, which is truly breathtaking. In itself, the Japanese Garden is eight acres. There is no right way to see this beautiful place. You can start anywhere and see where you end up. Walking up to the high viewing point is a must. You get a look at the entire area.

The view from above at the Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on Sunday, May 29, 2016.

After a great walk through the gardens on another beautiful day, we headed for a walk through Fish Ladder Park. We decided we were too tired to walk all the way there from Amar’s place downtown so we drove to the park. Once there, we got out of the car and saw the fish ladder. It’s a really interesting set up that was created to allow fish to get around the flow of water at the Grand River at that particular point. We had a great stroll around the lake and across a bridge. I logged even more steps today than yesterday – 11,892.

After hitting so many spots in just two and a half days, I was pleased with our holiday weekend adventures in Grand Rapids. We had a great time with our visitors and enjoyed showing them around. It was another successful Michigan weekend!