2018 Summer RV Trip – Days 10 & 11 – Checking The Area & Suttons Bay

On Monday, we decided to drive around the upper part of Leelanau Peninsula but before we left, six year old Sophia from next door knocked on the door to ask if Teddy Bear could come out and play – I thought that was so cute.

Today’s trip was to just get a feel for the area and see where we might want to re-visit, especially for the shoppers.  We went up the west side of the peninsula and passed through the towns of Lake Leelaneau, Leland, and North Port before stopping at The Leelenau State Park.  The park is located at the very top of the peninsula and is the site of a light house constructed in 1858.

After leaving the park, we got a couple shots of Sutton’s bay.

We got back to Suttons Bay and decided it was time for a late lunch and we opted for Hop Lot Brewing Co. which is a micro brewery and BBQ restaurant.  I really liked the set up where you order your food and drink inside then sit outside where the wood fire and smoker add to the ambiance.

I had a brisket sandwich, Pat had a pulled pork sandwich, and Bev had a salad with smoked chicken.  My sandwich and double IPA beer were both pretty good, but neither of the girls were impressed - Pat’s pork was really dry.  I would say this was typical

tourist food – mediocre at high prices – so no need to go back.

Then we made a stop at the local grocery store for a few supplies and I liked that the outside construction went with the area.

Tuesday was planned to be Suttons Bay exploration day and with the campground owners recommendation, we began with breakfast at the 45^th Parallel Café  – the 45^th parallel runs thru this area and is half way between the Equator and the North Pole.  We ate outside with most patrons and even in the sun, the breeze made it okay.  Our server showed up promptly to take our orders and she knew the menu and what questions to ask.  The food came out in a very reasonable amount of time and it all looked delicious.

I had the Greek Omelet with a side of hashbrowns and sourdough toast, Bev had the Unparalleled Skillet and Pat had the Old fashioned Giant Waffle – click HERE for the menu.

Everyone liked their meals and would go back – we especially liked their homemade sourdough but they didn’t have enough to sell us a loaf today.

After breakfast, the girls hit the stores and I looked around town a little to discover a marina with the boats showing that sailing is popular here, a couple of parks with beaches, and the main drag thru town.

Suttons Bay is four streets wide (parallel to the water and about five blocks long.  There are many old homes, churches, and buildings but the most interesting one I found was the Union School building.  It served as a school from 1907 to 1968 then it was a couple of things before being bought and remodeled as a 12,500 sq.ft. private residence.

One of the items we picked up at the grocery the previous day was a package of nice looking pork steaks to grill for this night’s supper and if you’re not familiar with them, they are just sliced Boston butt.

I began the meal process with a four hour basic brine of 1 C. water, 1/8 C. kosher salt, 1/8 C. brown sugar, and 1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper.  I nuked the mixture until the salt and sugar melted then add enough ice to cool it down (about 1¼ cups).  Then I added the pork and brine to a one gallon plastic bag for about 4 ½ hours.

I cooked them on our Weber Jumbo Joe using Kingsford Cherry Charcoal briquettes which I had never before seen.  They were basted with BBQ sauce and cooked to a temperature of 140F along with some fresh corn on the cob.  I also soaked and sautéed the remainder of the morel mushrooms as another side dish.

This is for Bev and Pat before they split it.

The meal turned out well and Bev liked the BBQ sauce on her corn, but I’ve decided that as good as the morels are, I wouldn’t pay the $35/lb asking price again.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

7/30-7/31/18 Event Dates