Good Morning Everyone,
We started with a brisk 48 degrees this morning!  It is proving to be a beautiful sunny day!
We can hear the wind through the trees and the waves lapping the shore of Duck Lake. The seagulls are singing and shouting as they sail over the lake outside our back door.
And this morning, we heard our first loon!!!

Yesterday, we visited Traverse City.  A happening little town filled with trendy shops and lots of unique restaurants.  As we made started our walk, we needed to make a pit stop and asked the gentleman at the ticket window of the State Theatre if he could direct us.  He invited us inside. What a cool place!  Retro decor in the lobby, complete with plush red velvet  benches and vintage movie posters on the wall.  The one you can see in the picture is from Beach Blanket Bingo as they are doing a tribute to Annette Funicello.  We met Lois, the lobby manager, who happened to have lived in Asheville for 3 years.  She filled us in on the State Theatre.  Traverse City State Theatre lauded as "best in the world" by Motion Picture Assoc. of America.  Originally known as the Lyric Theatre, the State opened in 1916. Along with historic restoration, a local astronomy professor was commissioned to design a "starry ceiling," which uses 3,000 fiber optic lights to recreate the night sky as it appears in August in Northern Michigan.  Unfortunately, we did not get to see the starry sky because a movie was showing but it's definitely something to try and get back to see.

Movies for 25 cents for the kids during the summer!

State of the art surround sound and features in the theatre, coupled with the unique retro feel of the lobby.  A cool little nugget we stumbled upon along our walk today.

Lois also told us the "foodies" like to visit Traverse City due to all the unique restaurants.  But she said, "If you want the best hamburger in the world, go to Bubba's."  So we did.  Great burgers!

While we were at Bubba's, Jim asked the waitress for some more cool spots to go and see.  She directed us to the water front and the  "Old State Hospital," the former "mental hospital."  Of course I was intrigued!  She said part of the old hospital had been turned into The Mercato, Spanish for "market."  The hospital closed it's doors in the late 1980's and it was revitalized into a little community with shops, dining, and apartments.  Of course not all of it was renovated as seen below. Part of it is still closed off due to asbestos.

Before

But here is view from the front.  Not too ominous ?  After

Pretty neat place - all the shops and dining were in the lower levels, ya know - Jim thought  he heard some screams down there - (must have been my imagination).  I was so intrigued by the place so I did some research.  Seems the hospital did not follow some of the current ways of heavy drug management. The philosophy was "beauty is therapy" and patients were treated through kindness, comfort, pleasure and beautiful flowers.  Patients were given purpose through gardening, farming, canning and building furniture. Straight jackets were forbidden!  What a nice of thought of healing people through kindness.  Everything new is not always better!

The Manitou on a two hour cruise - Lake Michigan

We detoured on our walk to the Old State Hospital and went by the water front.  The lake was very choppy due to the wind, saw a couple of sail boats out and the beauty above. 

Jim's sister has visited the area a few times and came back with stories about the old French Voyageurs as they paddled 20+man canoes across these great lakes.  Scenes like this make you go - wow!

Well the day is slipping by. . . Off to Sleeping Bear Dunes.  More later. Love to all!