Ka!amazoo (I’ll be back – I promise!*)

I spent a lovely two weeks back in Kalamazoo, Michigan. What made it so lovely,  you might ask. Well, the people! I lunched and supped with many friends of long-standing. I played Team Trivia three times – and I think our team even came in first once.

I made a new friend when I visited a friend in her studio.

And, of course, you have already heard of my new Travel Cat, Cora.

I managed to get some doctor appointments in and I got new glasses.

And some shades.

One day, I took a trip out to Allegan to pick up the OTC meds and vitamins I take. I am all set for a year!

I stopped to take a look at the landmark iron bridge while I was in town.

The bridge was built in the 19th century to replace an earlier wooden bridge. It cost $7532.25 to build it in 1886 and “only” $552,000 to restore it in 1983. It’s a one-lane bridge, so you have to wait for a green light before you can cross. It’s kind of fun to take the bridge, even if it means you have to wait a few minutes. It’s kind of a transportation artifact you can actually use.

Summertime in Kalamazoo means it’s time for festivals. While I was there, I managed to squeeze in three of them – but only because they were all happening downtown on the same day.

The first one I got to was the KIA Art Fair in Bronson Park. It is a juried art fair and has really excellent work for sale. It was fun running into old friends. Some were strolling, some were selling and some were volunteering. That’s one of the things I love about Kalamazoo. Everyone is involved.

A block or so away, there is another art fair. This group of artists is self-selected, I believe. They create with enthusiasm.

Incidentally, Kalamazoo used to be known at “Mall City” because it was the first city in the United States to turn a street into a pedestrian mall. This took place back in 1959. In 1998, two blocks of the mall were changed back to allow a single lane of automobile traffic.

And, yes, I did have to look up the dates.

If you walk all the way down to the end of the mall and then head right to the Arcadia Creek Festival Place, you come to the third simultaneous festival – Greek Fest.

Greek food, vendors of all sorts, music, and belly  dancing,  if you happen to hit it at the right time.

There are things happening all summer long. I missed the annual Do-Dah Parade and the monthly Art Hop. I’m sure there are other things I missed as well. If you are curious about the happenings in Kalamazoo, might I suggest www.discoverkalamazoo.com?

One thing I didn’t miss, though, and that was National Donut Day. The holiday was created in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers in World War I. Naturally, I had to celebrate at one of the best donut shops in the country – Sweetwater’s Donut Mill.

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* How do I know I’ll be back? Well, I visited doctors. Once you reach a certain age, if you visit one doctor, chances are you will have a repeat engagement. I visited five. How marvelous to be so popular!