This past week was an incredible experience. Me and my family haven't had a proper vacation for a few years now and we decided it was time to change that. Good friends of ours live just a stones throw away from Lake Michigan in the city of Holland and we took a week to go visit. Having been raised on the eastern side of the state outside of Detroit and had spent time "up north" as well, I had a pretty good idea what Michigan was like. That was until we went to the western part of the state. It's a totally different environment over there. The area feels a lot like an east coast Cape Cod more then part of the industrial nature of the eastern portion of the state. The Grand Rapids area has a growing economy and a lot of the area around it is reflective of that. I had always said that if I was looking for a change in the "day job", Pittsburgh or the greater Grand Rapids area would be the place for us. After this week, the thought was only solidified for wanting to migrate over there. The natural beauty of the lakeshore as well as the people make it a truly welcoming environment.
I would hate to give up all the beauty around me here in Tuscarawas County, but, this makes a strong case for change ;-)
(All of the images here are available for purchase on my web store. Click here!)