Michigan greenhouse produces excellent flowers

Making the bed and breakfast grounds beautiful each year means many trips to the local West Michigan nurseries and greenhouses.  One of our favorites for excellent healthy plants and flowers in Vantil’s greenhouse close to Lake Michigan, between Saugatuck and South Haven on Lakeshore drive.  Our bed and breakfast guests have often bed referred to Vantil’s by ourselves as well since they are open to the public.  You can’t beat this greenhouse for healthy thriving annual flowers.  We have already made two trips to Vantil’s since the spring planting season began including one more trip just yesterday.  It definitely makes a difference as our bed and breakfast guests rave about our landscaping and flowers while visiting with us each year.

New Saugatuck restaurant is a great Michigan barbecue!

There is a new restaurant in downtown Saugatuck called “The Hickory Pit” that is great barbecue.  The owners moved from Kentucky to Saugatuck Michigan to open it just recently and it is the real deal.  We tried the brisket and pulled pork meat selections and the sides were great as well.   Our bed and breakfast guests will definitely be hearing about this new restaurant as we always try to fill them in on the best places to eat in the surrounding West Michigan area.

Michigan farm-fresh produce stands–first picks of season

Some of the first fresh Michigan farm produce of the season is already available and evident as you drive down Blue Star Highway from South Haven to Saugatuck.  Asparagus, Rhubarb, perennials, and hanging baskets are now available.  We suggested the Holland Farmer’s market to guests of our bed and breakfast this past weekend.  It was the opening weekend for the Holland farmer’s market which is held every Wednesday and Saturday from now until late October.  One of many in the area, there is always a bounty of Michigan farmer’s produce, baked goods, cheeses and more for the gourmet in all of us.

Saugatuck already a bustling town this weekend

It’s always great to see so many folks returning to the Saugatuck area of West Michigan and this weekend certainly was a good sign that summer if almost here.  Our bed and breakfast guests all enjoyed the downtown Saugatuck area as well as many other activities in the surrounding Lake Michigan coastal area.  Today we took some time after our bed and breakfast guests for the weekend departed to walk around downtown Saugatuck and the Kalamazoo harbor.  What a great way to end a great pre-summer weekend!  The town of Saugatuck is definitely bustling already as you can just see everyone’s excitement as the summer season is ushered in once again.

Bed and Breakfast home to many Michigan families

One of the romantic facts about the Kingsley House bed and breakfast is just how many families have lived here.  Many local Michigan residents from Saugatuck, Fennville, Douglas and beyond have stopped by for visits over the years to return to what was once their family home.  The romantic getaway theme of the  bed and breakfast is certainly fitting as it must have had much love and memories shared inside the Inn’s walls over the years.  One can only imagine just what the walls of the Inn would say “if these walls could talk.”

Lake Michigan Boats return for another season

It occurred to me today that there are boats of every shape and size are heading to their summer home in Lake Michigan and the Saugatuck harbor more increasingly every day.  You can even see new boats on the highways here eventually heading out to the waters of Lake Michigan.  It’s always a good sign to see the boating season and the pleasure season on our beautiful Lake Michigan returning each year.  So many of our bed and breakfast guests head to Lake Michigan and the Saugatuck harbor each year to enjoy the beauty and fun activities in provides.

Fennville and Saugatuck Michigan similar to childhood

When folks hear that I spent nearly twenty years living the city life of Chicago and Dallas, they often ask “Isn’t this extremely different than city life?”  Actually, Saugatuck area, Fennville and West Michigan farm country are not all that much of a stretch for me as I grew up in the Midwest farm country of Northeast Iowa.  I grew up on a farm just outside of a small town in Iowa, so West Michigan and specifically the farm country that surrounds us here in the Saugatuck area, is not at all that different than what I was use to when growing up.  So in a way, living in West Michigan today is not all that different than what I experienced growing up in my childhood.

Saugatuck lakefront dining at Mermaid now available

Another true sign of summer is the opening of the always-popular lakefront Mermaid restaurant in Saugatuck.  Just last week a group of our friends met us in Saugatuck at Mermaid for our first “crunchy chicken salad” of the year.  It’s a great outdoor Saugatuck seating venue that is casual and a fun atmosphere.  They are best known for their casual fare and waterside cocktails on lazy Saugatuck summer afternoons, but this time of year is an excellent time to visit as well when the waterfront is not quite so busy and more peaceful.

Bed and Breakfast features local Michigan farm fresh eggs

Whenever possible, we feature local fresh produce for our bed and breakfast guests.  Our eggs actually come from a local Michigan farmer who has free-range chickens and the traditional brown eggs.  So our Inn guests can always be guaranteed that we have Michigan farm fresh eggs for our breakfast items.  A tip on cracking eggs that many folks don’t realize….don’t crack them on the edge of the bowl or the edge of the counter.  Rather, strike them against a flat surface such as your flat counter surface.  This actually produces less chance of egg shells in the bowl.

New bed and breakfast review posted

We just received another review on a bed and breakfast website and like to pass these along for others to see as well.  Here it is:

[The Kingsley House Bed and Breakfast in West Michigan] was everything I had hoped for an more.  The gentle music on the wrap-around porch, and in the lobby set the mood.  The room was beautiful and the atmosphere so relaxed that it made the next few days much better than they would have been.  My husband enjoyed it as much as I did and he asked when we will go back.  The best night away I have ever had and the best Bed and Breakfast I have ever stayed at!