A Year in Grand Rapids, Michigan (A Travel Guide to Grand Rapids, Western Michigan, and the UP )

Hello! Today's post is a bit different but I hope you enjoy it all the same!

This year what I have lacked in DIY projects I have more than made up in experiences. As I have completed my first year of physician residency in Grand Rapids, Michigan I have taken every opportunity to explore the city and the rest of the state. I only have a year here and I didn't want to have regrets about not taking advantage of everything this awesome state has to offer. Does that mean sleeping less sometimes? Yes, but more often than not I just take advantage of the hours and days I am not working (instead of parking on the couch with Netflix). I have hiked, kayaked, swam and ran.

I have gone to museums, festivals, beaches and flea and farmers markets.
As a resource for myself as well as other incoming resident physicians and those who just want to see what western Michigan is all about I made a Google Map that includes hundreds of restaurants, bars, beaches, festivals, parks, and more. I hope that this inspires you to truly take advantage of what GR and MI have to offer. Each pin comes with a picture(s) and information below.

(Use the icon in the top left corner to see a listing of pins by type and name within this page or just click on the pin itself to see information; zoom in and out to see all of the pins for a given area - you will have to do this for GR as there is such a high pin density. To view the map larger in a new window click on the icon in the far right upper corner)

Heres another way of looking:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hCricrsDllaeKcM06RMsHvXgPYo&usp=sharing

Here are some select photos from my Michigan adventures to inspire you:

Kruse Park, Muskegon

Kruse Park, Muskegon (Lake Michigan)

Kayaking in Ann Arbor on the Huron River

Fireworks on the 4th in downtown GR

(Free) Summer Yoga in Wilcox Park, GR

A Gociety hike at Merrell Trails sponsored by Founders Brewing, GR

Hiking Meetup (Meetup.com) at PJ Hoffmaster State Park and Beach

Hiking to Oval Beach, Saugatuck (Lake Michigan)

Silver Lake Sand Dunes, MI (Dune Buggy or go in an Off Road Vehicle if you're brave)

Weekend Meetup hike of the Manistee River Trail and North Country Trail with fabulous fall colors

Reeds lake in the fall, East GR

Millenium Park, just outside of downtown GR

Labor Day weekend "Up North" in Mesick, MI

Disco Night at Pyramid Scheme

The music of Queen with the GR Symphony Picnic Pops at Cannonsburg Ski Area

HP in Concert with the GR Symphony

Picking blueberries at DeGrandchamps in Grand Haven, MI

Enjoying a Pasty at the wonderful Fulton Street Farmers Market, GR

Hiking Pictured Rocks National Park in the Upper Peninsula 

Enjoying having the whole beach to ourselves at Pictured Rocks National Park for a mid-hike dip in Lake Superior

The "Pictured Rocks" themselves

Savoring the delicious French Food of Bar Divani during Restaurant Week GR

Feeling Fancy at the Heritage Restaurant (GRCC's Culinary Institute restaurant)

A flight for Dad at Brewery Vivant and another stamp in the Passport

I'm officially a Beer City Brewsader (8 stamps in your passport earns you a free T-shirt)

Cherry Republic's Cherry Sorbet in the national cherry mecca of Traverse City, MI

Enjoying a beer and a hot dog at the GR WhiteCaps game with the ClubMed Resident Group

Taking in a Wolverine Game in Ann Arbor, MI

Cheering on the GR Griffins with the ClubMed Resident Group

Kicking off the holiday season with the tree lighting and ice rink at Rosa Parks Circle in Downtown GR

Shopping the Dutch Christmas Market "Kerstmarkt" in Holland, MI

Wintertime at the Meijer Gardens in GR

Tubing with ClubMed at Cannonsburg Ski Area, GR

Valent Ice Festival and ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle, Downtown GR

Valent Ice Festival, Downtown GR

Ice breaking up on Lake Michigan in Charlevoix, MI

Sunset over Torch Lake, MI

Spring has arrived at Reeds Lake in East GR

Reading in the hammock at Reeds Lake, East GR

It's Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan with millions of tulips around the City

Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan 

Tulip Time at Windmill Island in Holland, Michigan

Like my hairy legs and Fox sporin? Enjoying the kilts and Highland Games at the Highlands Festival in Alma, MI

That's all for now! It's sad to think that I will be moving in only 4 weeks but I am sure to find new adventures in Minneapolis! 

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions or feedback! Subscribe up top for notifications of future posts! 

TV Tray Table Makeover

There are pros and cons to living in a downtown studio apartment. 

Pros: door to door to work in 5 minutes, about the same time to clean the whole place, being able to reach nearly everything from my bed (kidding...kind of). 

Cons: small closets, having to set up your guest's air mattress in the "kitchen", and not having room for a coffee table, let alone a dinner table. 

Feeling for my sorry table state after hearing that I was holding the plate I was eating from, my mother gifted me a pair of sturdy dark wood TV tables from Goodwill. Size requirement met!

I scoped out the world of Pinterest and the internet at large for some inspiration and was disappointed. There were far more ugly versions than attractive ones. It may be a TV tray but let's at least TRY to make it look classy! I eventually settled with a striped painted top and decided to leave the legs as they were. 

Here are the before pictures:

After I hit the top and sides lightly with some 150 grit sandpaper, I painted two coats of off-white paint on with a mini roller to get a smooth finish without brushstrokes. You can see how much of a difference the second coat makes!

I used leftover paint from my daybed project

One coat (bottom) vs. Two Coats (top)

I let these two coats dry for an hour or two. Next, I taped off the top and sides leaving 1/2 stripe at the near and far sides. I used Frog Tape brand and was happy that it gave a clean edge and didn't pull any of the paint under it off.

Using a roller again, I painted on a warm grey. I ended up doing 2 coats of this color as well just to make sure it was even and clean.

 Then it was time for the grand reveal! I pulled off the tape and was happily surprised how well it had worked and how cute the tables looked. I really like the way they look with the dark wood legs so decided to keep them that way (less work painting was a nice perk). Once they were fully dried, I hit them with a quick clear coat of sealant so that they would be protected if a splash of pasta sauce got on them. All in all, this project took 2-3 hours (with dry time) with an actual work time of 30-45 minutes.  I do so many time-consuming refinishes and other projects. It was really fun to go from start to finished product so quickly with this one!



These tables have been so handy! They pop up in a second and fold up to store in a small space!

Here are some pictures from Tulip Time this Past Weekend in Holland, Michigan:

Some more Michigan Adventure Pictures:

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out my other projects!
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