Grand Rapids was the destination on Friday. Without any set-in-stone plans until 1:00 p.m., brunch was a casual smorgasbord affair of Thai food, charcuterie, fish and chips, and bubble tea at the city’s Downtown Market, an indoor collection of permanent local shops and restaurants.
En route to Grand Rapids, we stopped at a Speedway to fill up our gas tank and try their exclusive flavor of Mountain Dew. It was… not great.
The owner of the market’s fish shop/restaurant spent time working at Pike’s Place in Seattle. We ordered the fish and chips, choosing yellow perch as our type of fish. The meal was well-cooked, but we didn’t think the small, thin fish necessarily translated well in this format.
We didn’t buy the Copper River salmon but enjoyed the fish display.
Emmie is smiling here but wanted to clarify in the blog that she was not a fan of the fried perch.
Aperitivo had a great array of meats and cheeses. Significantly less crowded than our experience with The Cheese Lady yesterday, we enjoyed some salami and cheddar cheese.
We ate on the second floor of the market. Walls were adorned with local artwork, and Emmie insisted on posing in a photo with Eilidh.
Brian booked floating experiences for Gee Gee and me at Phlot. Floating is a practice in which you enter a state of sensory deprivation for maximal relaxation. Basically, you shut yourself in a giant tank of water, and you float in it. There is no light, no sound, and due to the amount of Epsom salt dissolved in the water, there is the feeling of no gravity. Neither of us had floated before, and neither of us knew quite what to expect. GeeGee was a little apprehensive but I was excited about the experience: many floaters report having the “best sleep of their lives” while in float tanks.
We were given a brief orientation of the facility and then left in our private rooms for the duration of our float experience. Each room was equipped with a shower for pre- and post-float showering and the giant float tank. After a quick shower, you just hop in the tank, close the door and… float. While I didn’t have “the best sleep of my life,” I did fall asleep for a while and enjoyed the experience. GeeGee reports that the experience was nice and relaxing. We both have determined that a second float with some prior floating experience under our belts might provide for even greater relaxation.
The floating capsule.
Meanwhile, Brian took the kids to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. Located in downtown Grand Rapids, the two-story museum included the typical assortment of interactive exhibits and activities. Brian and the kids had positive feedback about the museum. He shared a large collection of photos:
Outside the Children’s Museum. Note the kid door in the middle.
Eilidh may have been a little big for the Little Tikes cars, but she gravitated to them nonetheless.
A mini “Meijer” store was inside the museum. Eilidh and Noah shopped, while Emmie manned the cash register.
Eilidh moved her groceries from cart to conveyor belt to… the ground by her car.
Eilidh loved the medical part of the museum. Here, she’s pushing Noah in for his MRI.
Brian picked us up after our float, and we made our way to the Fredrik Meijer Gardens. After a brief parking lot discussion about forgoing the stop in favor of an afternoon snack, we decided to stick with our itinerary and pay to enter the gardens. This proved to be a good decision, as we found the expansive exhibits to be enjoyable, especially given the favorable afternoon weather.
Most of the exhibits were outdoors, but a small array of indoor cacti impressed the kids.
We started in the Farm Garden, where the kids participated in some activities and “chores” such as cleaning clothing with a washboard and a clothesline and gathering eggs. The consensus favorite part of our visit may have been walking around the Japanese garden. Finally, the Children’s Garden featured a tree house, maze, child-centric sculptures, and a water area. We stayed until the park closed at 5:00, and Gee Gee reports she could have spent several more hours exploring the rest of the gardens.
“Painting” the barn was one of the Friday afternoon children’s activities.
Gee Gee provided instructions on using the washboard.
Eilidh took a brief nap, but once she woke up, she wanted no part of the stroller.
A tiny gate led the kids into the Children’s Gardens.
Supper was had at Buddy’s Pizza, a Detroit original that recently opened a Grand Rapids location. We ordered three 4-square pizzas: a cheese, a Detroiter (pepperoni), and a Super (supreme). Even Eilidh joined in on the party, devouring a full piece of the cheese pizza plus some green peppers from GeeGee’s Super piece, all on her own! Brian ranked Buddy’s as his favorite meal of the trip.
The Detroiter, with pepperoni, cheese, sauce, and a glorious caramelized crust.
Despite some ominous clouds in the sky, we immediately headed for Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps. Greeting us at the entrance to the parking lot, a very nice parking attendant noticed our Iowa license plate and kindly gave us a pass for preferred parking. I was further encouraged at the quality of this ballpark upon entry to the stadium when I noticed Pepsi signs hanging all around. For this non-baseball fan, it is always a little exciting when a stadium has my favorite pop!
The stadium had a great atmosphere, friendly patrons, and the kids had a blast. I would probably rate this baseball game as one of my favorites, and the home team didn’t even win! With somewhat-affordable prices in the gift shop, the kids all suckered Brian into buying them shirts, plus Emmie got a new hat. The game was followed by a somewhat lackluster fireworks display, followed by a daddy-daughter dance on the field, a huge hit with the girls!
Noah was pretty impressed with his new shirt… which he paired with… cotton candy.
We didn’t have the camera ready when Eilidh high-fived a Whitecaps pitcher, but we did get this photo of her, me and the mascot!
Eilidh helped with her food at the ballpark.
Eilidh was as enthusiastic about the cotton candy as Noah!
Eilidh also liked the green apple soft serve.
All smiles after the fireworks.
Brian and the girls on the field, after the dance.
Our return drive was uneventful but game plus fireworks plus dance meant we weren’t back at our cabin until nearly midnight.