Who knew a trip to Bay City, Michigan would be just what I needed?
At the conclusion of my 3rd year of medical school, I pestered my parents to plan a trip. Anywhere. The duration didn't matter. My only request was that it was after my board exams, before the start of 4th year, and neither in Lansing nor Detroit. I hadn't seen anything else since February 2011, when I took a weekend trip to Chicago with some close friends. That's almost a year and a half! I was starting to feel caged up, and I'm sure studying was only exacerbating that tension.
We originally tried booking a place in Traverse City, but it seemed every place we called was completely booked due to some lacrosse tournament and film fest.
Long story short, my mom and I booked one night at a little bed and breakfast in Bay City, by the name of Chesny's Keswick Manor. I had never been to a bed and breakfast, nor that particular city. Initially, I was unsure if I would like this... and assumed I would be bored to the point of feeling like I was back home anyway. But it was quite the contrary!
My mom and I started off by making the drive, just about 1 hour and 45 minutes. We pulled into the bed and breakfast, and a soft spoken gentleman, Graham (the owner), greeted us at the entrance. He got us checked in, and showed us to our room. He asked if we had any special dietary requests, and asked us what time we wanted breakfast to be served the next morning.
We had booked the Coryell Suite. It was quite green, to say the least... with a very pink bathroom. But it was CLEAN. The sheets were white, crisp, and spotless. We got situated, and I started to search for things to do in this small city that we were both unfamiliar with. I found some yarn and fabric shops, so we began our little getaway by exploring the little boutiques.
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OH -- before I forget! On our way out for the evening, a couple was just coming to the B&B and checking in. More on them later :)
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Eventually, we ended up at Brewtopia, a place that reminded me of Zuma in Birmingham, Michigan (which recently closed, unfortunately. And to add to that, Zuma was WAY better than this place!). It was a rainy day, so we both ordered some tea, and a snack to go with. By the time we finished, the skies had cleared, so we decided it was an opportune time to make our way to the waterfront area.
Turns out sitting by the river (I believe it was the Saginaw River), was just what we needed. The temperature and breeze were perfect, and we had some good mommy-daughter chat. Eventually it got a little chilly (surprising, really, considering the extreme temps we've been having here in Michigan all summer), and dinner was next on our to-do list!
We ended up at Old City Hall, a venue where one half is split into a bar/lounge, while the other half is a sit-down restaurant. The first thing I noticed was the diversity of the crowd. I mean... diversity in terms of age. Not culture. It was very white!! And the only other non-white individual (besides us) was the black lady who had entered the B&B as mom and I left (just to clarify, her husband was white). Our table was actually next to theirs, and just as we were being seated, they were heading out. What pleasantly surprised me was that while I was completely oblivious (when am I ever very observant?), the couple noticed and remembered us, and very graciously said hello. It was sweet.
Well, dinner there was slow... but very good. My mom ordered some kind of salmon, while I decided to order their tandoori chicken. You see, I have a problem where I have to order any Indian dish at a non-Indian restaurant, out of curiosity to see how it compares. The two times I have done this, the result was actually great! This was one of the times. Their tandoori chicken wasn't really tandoori. It was just grilled chicken, BUT their version of naan was actually quite delicious! And people should know by now that I don't particularly like naan or roti; I'm more of a rice kinda gal. But this bread was good. And their CHUTNEY! I think it was cilantro and coconut? Something of that sort. They had a small side of rice... and fried onions, which was their version of pakora (that's what I assumed anyway). The only thing that disappointed me about the dish was their raita. But... that's okay, I did without it and survived! Who knew I could live through an experience of not eating raita placed in front of my face? I didn't think it was possible!!
So after my delightful Indian experience in a very non-Indian way, we headed back to the B&B. The couple again said hi to us as mom and I retreated to our room, and found slices of tiramisu waiting for us... courtesy of Graham! We settled in to watch some TV... eventually ate our dessert... and dozed off.
The next morning we were up for a 9:30am breakfast. As we opened our door to head down, you could already smell the amazing meal that Graham was cooking up for all 4 of us! It wasn't quite ready as we arrived downstairs, so we sat in the living area with the couple for a few minutes. When it was finally time for breakfast, all 4 of us sat together at the same table. It was definitely a treat. We mingled with this couple. And to go by the cliche, don't judge a book by its cover! At first glance, you would never think we had anything in common with them! But we did. We shared stories, and found out that they have a daughter-in-law who is from India! Half Punjabi, actually! They were a multi-cultural family, just as our own extended family is quite multi-cultural!
Eventually we discovered that health-wise, the sweet lady and I shared something as well. We both dealt with the same disease, and underwent similar types of surgery for it. It was kind of cool really, to be able to share that understanding... well, I think my mom and her shared that understanding, since I was quite young when I had my bout of the illness. And then we learned that her and my mom both share the hobby of knitting. It really was an enjoyable conversation!! But eventually, we all had to make a move, and get checked out.
We all finished our delightful breakfast (french toast filled with cream cheese and blueberries with a blueberry syrup, sausage links, fresh fruit, juice and coffee), said our goodbyes, got our belongings together, and left. On the way home, mom and I stopped at Birch Run, an outlet shopping mall -- where I probably bought more than I should have. Oh well. That happens when you're on break ;)
In the end, this 'shorter-than-24-hours' trip turned out to be perfect. It was just the getaway that I needed. And it was quaint. We explored. We braved a bed and breakfast for the first time. We met kind strangers who weren't as different as they appeared on first glance. And we had a wonderful host.
I recommend Chesny's Keswick Manor to anyone willing to give up formal Sheraton/Marriott/fancy hotel employees and cold strangers, for a homely bed and breakfast, a small city, a humble host, and the potential to share a lovely conversation with friendly strangers.
I'm already looking forward to my next bed and breakfast adventure!!! :)
At the conclusion of my 3rd year of medical school, I pestered my parents to plan a trip. Anywhere. The duration didn't matter. My only request was that it was after my board exams, before the start of 4th year, and neither in Lansing nor Detroit. I hadn't seen anything else since February 2011, when I took a weekend trip to Chicago with some close friends. That's almost a year and a half! I was starting to feel caged up, and I'm sure studying was only exacerbating that tension.
We originally tried booking a place in Traverse City, but it seemed every place we called was completely booked due to some lacrosse tournament and film fest.
Long story short, my mom and I booked one night at a little bed and breakfast in Bay City, by the name of Chesny's Keswick Manor. I had never been to a bed and breakfast, nor that particular city. Initially, I was unsure if I would like this... and assumed I would be bored to the point of feeling like I was back home anyway. But it was quite the contrary!
My mom and I started off by making the drive, just about 1 hour and 45 minutes. We pulled into the bed and breakfast, and a soft spoken gentleman, Graham (the owner), greeted us at the entrance. He got us checked in, and showed us to our room. He asked if we had any special dietary requests, and asked us what time we wanted breakfast to be served the next morning.
We had booked the Coryell Suite. It was quite green, to say the least... with a very pink bathroom. But it was CLEAN. The sheets were white, crisp, and spotless. We got situated, and I started to search for things to do in this small city that we were both unfamiliar with. I found some yarn and fabric shops, so we began our little getaway by exploring the little boutiques.
-----
OH -- before I forget! On our way out for the evening, a couple was just coming to the B&B and checking in. More on them later :)
-----
Eventually, we ended up at Brewtopia, a place that reminded me of Zuma in Birmingham, Michigan (which recently closed, unfortunately. And to add to that, Zuma was WAY better than this place!). It was a rainy day, so we both ordered some tea, and a snack to go with. By the time we finished, the skies had cleared, so we decided it was an opportune time to make our way to the waterfront area.
Turns out sitting by the river (I believe it was the Saginaw River), was just what we needed. The temperature and breeze were perfect, and we had some good mommy-daughter chat. Eventually it got a little chilly (surprising, really, considering the extreme temps we've been having here in Michigan all summer), and dinner was next on our to-do list!
We ended up at Old City Hall, a venue where one half is split into a bar/lounge, while the other half is a sit-down restaurant. The first thing I noticed was the diversity of the crowd. I mean... diversity in terms of age. Not culture. It was very white!! And the only other non-white individual (besides us) was the black lady who had entered the B&B as mom and I left (just to clarify, her husband was white). Our table was actually next to theirs, and just as we were being seated, they were heading out. What pleasantly surprised me was that while I was completely oblivious (when am I ever very observant?), the couple noticed and remembered us, and very graciously said hello. It was sweet.
Well, dinner there was slow... but very good. My mom ordered some kind of salmon, while I decided to order their tandoori chicken. You see, I have a problem where I have to order any Indian dish at a non-Indian restaurant, out of curiosity to see how it compares. The two times I have done this, the result was actually great! This was one of the times. Their tandoori chicken wasn't really tandoori. It was just grilled chicken, BUT their version of naan was actually quite delicious! And people should know by now that I don't particularly like naan or roti; I'm more of a rice kinda gal. But this bread was good. And their CHUTNEY! I think it was cilantro and coconut? Something of that sort. They had a small side of rice... and fried onions, which was their version of pakora (that's what I assumed anyway). The only thing that disappointed me about the dish was their raita. But... that's okay, I did without it and survived! Who knew I could live through an experience of not eating raita placed in front of my face? I didn't think it was possible!!
So after my delightful Indian experience in a very non-Indian way, we headed back to the B&B. The couple again said hi to us as mom and I retreated to our room, and found slices of tiramisu waiting for us... courtesy of Graham! We settled in to watch some TV... eventually ate our dessert... and dozed off.
The next morning we were up for a 9:30am breakfast. As we opened our door to head down, you could already smell the amazing meal that Graham was cooking up for all 4 of us! It wasn't quite ready as we arrived downstairs, so we sat in the living area with the couple for a few minutes. When it was finally time for breakfast, all 4 of us sat together at the same table. It was definitely a treat. We mingled with this couple. And to go by the cliche, don't judge a book by its cover! At first glance, you would never think we had anything in common with them! But we did. We shared stories, and found out that they have a daughter-in-law who is from India! Half Punjabi, actually! They were a multi-cultural family, just as our own extended family is quite multi-cultural!
Eventually we discovered that health-wise, the sweet lady and I shared something as well. We both dealt with the same disease, and underwent similar types of surgery for it. It was kind of cool really, to be able to share that understanding... well, I think my mom and her shared that understanding, since I was quite young when I had my bout of the illness. And then we learned that her and my mom both share the hobby of knitting. It really was an enjoyable conversation!! But eventually, we all had to make a move, and get checked out.
We all finished our delightful breakfast (french toast filled with cream cheese and blueberries with a blueberry syrup, sausage links, fresh fruit, juice and coffee), said our goodbyes, got our belongings together, and left. On the way home, mom and I stopped at Birch Run, an outlet shopping mall -- where I probably bought more than I should have. Oh well. That happens when you're on break ;)
In the end, this 'shorter-than-24-hours' trip turned out to be perfect. It was just the getaway that I needed. And it was quaint. We explored. We braved a bed and breakfast for the first time. We met kind strangers who weren't as different as they appeared on first glance. And we had a wonderful host.
I recommend Chesny's Keswick Manor to anyone willing to give up formal Sheraton/Marriott/fancy hotel employees and cold strangers, for a homely bed and breakfast, a small city, a humble host, and the potential to share a lovely conversation with friendly strangers.
I'm already looking forward to my next bed and breakfast adventure!!! :)
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