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Grand Rapids is a relatively old town, and we’ve kept a lot of the original buildings in the city from the late 1800s and early 1900s, which I’ve always appreciated. We’re a city that values our heritage. Whenever I get the chance to take my time strolling around downtown, I’m always amazed by the beautiful architecture of yesteryear.


When I first moved here, there were free blues concerts held downtown every Wednesday night. These concerts were called Blues on the Mall. I was always confused by the term of “mall.” I assumed it was like the mall in Washington, D.C.–not a shopping mall in the way that I’m used to thinking of it but more as a public area with a lot of pedestrian traffic. Turns out that Monroe Avenue used to be the Monroe Mall, a pedestrian-only street full of department stores (so I guess it matched both definitions in that way). It has always been a shopping center for the city, the focal area of downtown Grand Rapids where residents would come buy their wares. And although it seems like it’s all one connected building, each store (or nowadays, restaurant) has its own unique facade.


Apparently, the building which houses Flannagan’s, a rather crappy bar usually reserved for frat boys from the local college, is also one of the oldest buildings in Grand Rapids and the only building to showcase the Victorian Gothic style of the late 1800s. Originally a rooming house, it has recently been restored and converted from office space back into living space.


I had the honor of working in McKay Tower when I was fresh out of college. Its inner walls are lined with marble and the old-fashioned mail chute greets you as you wait for the elevator. Originally a 3-story bank when it was built in 1911, it is now an 11-story office building that is recognizable in Grand Rapids’ skyline. Its big columns on the original bank structure reminds of Gringott’s in Harry Potter’s magical world.


It’s not easy finding information on the history of these buildings, which really only makes me want to dig deeper and learn more about these historic treasures that I passby on a regular basis.

*This blog entry was written by fellow blogger [Karie Luidens](http://www.karieluidens.com/), a Grand Rapidian-turned-Seattleite. Hope you enjoy it!*

Growing up in New York, I never gave much thought to what goes on in West Michigan, but once I ended up living in Grand Rapids I realized how much there was to love. [Farmers markets!](http://jenniferfurner.com/day-2-fulton-street-farmers-market/) Art events! [Breweries](http://jenniferfurner.com/day-4-beer-city-usa/) and [bike paths!](http://jenniferfurner.com/day-17-biking/) I’d been living in the city for four years when my brother came to visit, and by then I was eager to show off my new hometown with a whirlwind tour of my favorite spots.

When I asked him what he’d like to see first, though, he asked if we could do something on the water. I hesitated—not much experience there. Happily, a quick search of our local options brought me to Grand River Kayak and Canoe. We clicked through their website together, picked a tour to book, and were able to hit the river just a few hours later!

[Grand River Kayak and Canoe](http://grandriverkayakandcanoe.com/) is run by Matt Clouse and has an inventory of eight kayaks and four canoes to rent. They offer several different itineraries, but regardless of which one you choose, you’ll find Matt at the designated launch point to get you started. He’ll set you afloat in the current, then drive his eight-passenger van down to the pick-up point, where he’ll scoop you out and give you a lift back to your car.


The process couldn’t have gone more smoothly for my brother and me. Matt met us in Ah-Nab-Awen Park at the time we booked and provided all the equipment we needed, from life vests to waterproof storage for smaller items to, of course, the kayaks and paddles. After a quick fitting and tutorial, he helped us step into our watercraft and push off from the grassy banks. That was that! Away we drifted.

There’s nothing quite like an afternoon of kayaking. For those who haven’t given it a whirl, imagine the best elements of a good bike ride: fresh air whips through your hair as you roll along at a speed your legs alone can’t attain. You perch comfortably on an apparatus that lets you steer and set your own pace. In other words, it’s a perfect way to soak in some sights while getting a little light exercise.


On the Grand River that exercise is particularly light: it flows smoothly and steadily, with just enough force to pull you along even if you take a break from paddling. Larger bodies of water are often rife with choppy waves, criss-crossing currents, and buffeting winds that force kayakers to work double-time with their upper bodies. Not so here—despite the city’s name, there aren’t actually any rapids in Grand Rapids. This may change going forward if the non-profit [Grand Rapids Whitewater](http://grandrapidswhitewater.org/) succeeds in restoring some whitewater to the Grand by modifying the dams upriver of the city. For now, though, the water that flows past the Grand Rapids Public Museum and under the famous blue bridge is clear, tame, and easily navigated by novices.


My brother and I appreciated that this easy flow freed us up to admire our surroundings. The first portion of our expedition took us through a wide canyon of glassy skyscrapers. The hotels and offices of the Grand Rapids downtown form a lovely skyline when viewed on land, but seen from the water they took on an extra level of drama, both towering overhead and reaching down to meet us through their rippling reflections. The scene was urban through and through.

Before too long, though, buildings gave way to trees. The traffic faded as the river carried us beyond city limits into the greenery of Hopewell Indian Mounds Park. Here, deciduous woodlands lined the river’s edge on either side; the only sounds were shifting leaves, bird calls, and the slap and splash of our own paddles. It was remarkable how quickly we seemed to leave civilization behind as the Grand River’s gentle curves obscured the view behind and ahead of us. We didn’t think to pack a picnic, but if you brought along some sandwiches, now would be the perfect time to sit back in your boat and enjoy a snack. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, of course, you can continue to put your back into it and propel yourself along more swiftly. This is your trip—you can set the pace.


After about an hour and a half of pleasant paddling, we rounded the last bend and saw the dock that Matt had described for us before we launched. There he was, right on schedule, awaiting our arrival. He waved us over and helped us step onto dry land and drag our boats up behind us. Before we knew it he was whisking us back up into the downtown area to drop us by my car. They really have it down to a science, saving you any extra hassle and freeing you up to enjoy the rest of your afternoon in the downtown area.

As for us, we’d worked up just enough of an appetite to go enjoy a burger at [HopCat](http://jenniferfurner.com/day-15-hopcat/) a few blocks away, rounding out an excellent day of enjoying what the city has to offer.

*If you’re interested in having your own adventure with Grand River Kayak and Canoe, visit their [website.](http://grandriverkayakandcanoe.com/)*

*To read more of Karie’s work, check her out at [www.karieluidens.com](www.karieluidens.com).*

Since my husband decided he wanted to be a triathlete, he’s jumped into organized races with both feet. Last summer, his first summer competing, he completed the sprint distance of the [Grand Rapids Triathlon](http://www.grandrapidstri.com/) in Ada, the [Millennium Triathlon](http://www.millenniumtriathlon.com/) in Grandville, and the [Detroit Triathlon](http://www.detroittri.com/index) in (you guessed it) Detroit. For him, it seems to have become a sort of addiction, a challenge that he wants to keep rising to meet.

After last summer, he did a half marathon last fall and a 25K this spring, and the Olympic distance of the Grand Rapids Tri. On Sunday, he attempted his first half-iron distance in the [Michigan Titanium](mititanium.com).


The weather really hasn’t been on his side in 2015. For the 25K and the Olympic Tri, he got rained on throughout. And Sunday was no exception. Four miles into the run portion of his half-iron distance, the sky opened up and lightning jolted all around the race site. All athletes were forced to stop and vacate the course immediately for their safety.

To say my husband was disappointed is an understatement. He had been training for this event all summer long. He was so close to accomplishing this new milestone in his athletic career.

But I have to admit, it’s almost laughable how uncooperative the weather has been this year in terms of athletic events. And I think in order to be an athlete in Michigan, you have to have a sense of humor. In order to be an athlete period, you have to have a sense of humor. Because when you get off your bike after a 56-mile ride, only to know that now you have to run 13.1 miles, you have to be able to keep your spirits up.

The people at the [Grand Rapids Marathon](http://grandrapidsmarathon.com/) embrace the importance of having a sense of humor. Just check out their [FAQ page](http://grandrapidsmarathon.com/information/faq/), where they keep reminding interested runners that, yes, the course is LONG (26.2 miles long to be exact) and, no, there is no whining allowed during the race. That race is next up for my husband, as he attempts to conquer his first marathon.


Photo courtesy of [MLive](mlive.com).

Spouses of athletes need to have a sense of humor, too. I’m preparing for the day when my husband approaches me and says he’s ready for the full-iron distance. I expect I’ll chuckle, as I did when he said he was going to attempt the half-iron distance. I find it amusing that anyone would want to work their body in that way for that long.

But at least I can appreciate that, if my husband insists on torturing his body in this way (there’s my sense of humor showing), there are plenty of opportunities for him to do so right outside our door. He’s accomplished so much in his racing career already, and we haven’t really left the Grand Rapids metropolitan area to do it. There are plenty of options for athletes here to push themselves in a variety of ways. So if this is the hobby my husband has chosen for good, I know that Grand Rapids can keep his thirst for racing satisfied.

I grew up in a small farming town. There wasn’t much to do on weekend nights. When my friends and I finally got into high school and were old enough to drive, our favorite Friday evening activity was driving 20 minutes out to Monroe, the closest “city,” and cruising back and forth down Telegraph Road looking for hot high school boys doing the same thing. It was a pretty worthless practice—no one made any love connections with this activity. Our car full of girls pulled up next to a car full of boys at a stoplight. We batted our eyes and shyly looked in their direction. The boys smiled and winked back. Maybe one of us shouted something suggestive out the window to the other car. The light turned green, and the cars sprung into motion again, the twitter of giggling girls left hanging in the air.

I have a soft spot in my heart for cruising. Brings back all sorts of fun teenage memories.

There seems to be something about our car-loving culture that makes driving back and forth on a main drag appealing. I have the impulse, but I don’t know if I understand it. It’s just ingrained in me. It’s a piece of Americana.

And Americana never was more visible than during the Grand Rapids Metro Cruise.

The Metro Cruise is an annual event that brings all sorts of vintage cars to Grand Rapids. A lot of people cruise up and down 28th Street in their hot rods and muscle cars of all makes, models, and colors. 28th Street is on the border between the city of Grand Rapids and the suburb of Kentwood; it is where you go to shop and to eat—there are two malls and a million chain restaurants. That street is a hub of activity and traffic every day at all times of the day, but never more so than during the Metro Cruise.


Photo courtesy of [Berger Chevrolet](http://www.bergerchevy.com/)

Restored cars clog up the streets. When we came out on Saturday, it took us nearly an hour to travel the 5 miles down 28th Street from East Beltline to Roger’s Plaza. Roger’s Plaza is the hub of the Metro Cruise. Cars that don’t want to cruise or want to take a break from cruising can park in this expansive lot and spectators can mill about, oohing and ahhing at a variety of classic autos. The cars line up for what seems like miles, their hoods propped open and their chrome glaring in the hot sun. And we can’t help but daydream about owning one of these American-made treasures ourselves and showing it off all around the country.

It always amazes me what an event the Metro Cruise turns out to be. At its core, it’s really just an ongoing parade of old cars. But people of all ages, large families and big groups, settle in on the narrow strips of grass on either side of 28th Street. They bring grills and food and lawn chairs and tents, and they party and park their asses there all day long just to watch a wide collection of machines drive by. Some people bring binoculars. Some people take videos. Vast numbers of people care about and want to celebrate these rare and antique automobiles.


I suppose the Metro Cruise reminds spectators of times gone by, and even though those years are gone for good, they can take comfort seeing these relics and remember or maybe even re-live that era when times seemed easier and America still made great things with its own hands—when the most interesting thing to do on a Friday night was cruise up and down the main drag.

*For more information about the Metro Cruise, visit their [website](http://www.28thstreetmetrocruise.com/).*

Detroit has a bunch of large event venues. Between Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Hall, Ford Field, Comerica Park, with the Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Music Energy Center (or Pine Knob as we east siders still call it) in the outskirts, there are plenty of places to hold professional sporting events and superstar concerts.

In Grand Rapids, we only have two venues, but I would say we only have one because the Deltaplex is old and sad and no one wants to go there. But right downtown we have the Van Andel Arena. It’s nearly 20 years old already, but it still seems new to me. It’s big and clean and open. It isn’t the least bit outdated in my opinion.

The entire front of the structure is glass, so the city can see what’s happening inside and guests can see what’s happening outside in the city. It helps you never forget where you are. The glass reflects the image of the nearby buildings. The arena is literally a reflection of the city itself.


I think that’s also true in the figurative sense. Not only does the arena provide somewhere for Grand Rapidians to gather en masse, but it’s also a celebration of collective pride. We’re proud that we have a place that allows us to host big-name acts and major-league events. It’s a gateway to the rest of the world. It brings people to our city who may not have visited otherwise. Once they’re here, they see how great Grand Rapids really is.

But none brings more pride to Grand Rapids than The Griffins, our American Hockey League team (and a farm team for our big brother the Red Wings in Detroit). Two years ago, they won the Calder Cup. Their championship conducted an electric current of energy into the city. That victory put Grand Rapids on the map. We had a winning team, and so we all felt like winners.


It’s a feeling I get whenever I attend an event at the Van Andel. When the lights dim before the hockey game and Griff and Finn, the mascots, come slipping chaotically onto the ice in their 4-wheeler, the crowd screaming and cheering for their team, I feel like a winner.

I graduated from college in that arena. I sat on the floor in a folding chair and looked up at the stands; I saw my family smile at me as I moved my tassel from one side of my cap to the other. I was a winner then, too.

Even when I attend the Monster Truck Show, I still feel like a winner, because that event is available to me. I can always experience something new at the Van Andel Arena.

I love walking in the doors, being behind the glass, uniting with my fellow citizens–local and foreign–and sharing in the pride that we have this space where we can always go to experience something together.


Photo courtesy of [WZZM13](http://www.wzzm13.com/).

*To learn more about Van Andel Arena, visit their [website](https://vanandelarena.com/).*

This blog project is supposed to reflect what I love about Grand Rapids. And truth be told, one of the first things on that list is just how beautiful the city is. So instead of telling you, I’m going to show you what it is that makes Grand Rapids so beautiful to me.






There are actually a good number of hotels in the downtown area of Grand Rapids. I always forget the amount of hotels that are available because one stands out among the rest—the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. I know, its title is a mouthful. It opened originally in 1913 as the Pantlind Hotel, but in 1981, it underwent renovations and expansions, adding a glass tower of rooms 29 stories high—an unmistakable structure in the Grand Rapids skyline.


Because of that renovation, the hotel is split in two. “The Pantlind side” is the historic portion of the hotel. These rooms are often small and quirky. Original closets are converted to bathroom sink nooks and large wooden doors are often too short or too skinny. But it’s beautiful and antique and has a lot of character. “The tower side,” the side that faces the river, is where there are more conventional rooms—spacious and modern and planned (as opposed to pieced together).

Since the hotel attempted to smush two different buildings together, it can be rather difficult to navigate at times. The floors of the different sides don’t always match up perfectly, leading to lots of tucked-away staircases and mazes of hallways. I personally think this aspect adds to its charm. I often get lost and stumble upon a new section of the hotel I haven’t seen before.


I live here, so I don’t have much reason to stay in a hotel in my own city. And I definitely don’t have the financial means to stay in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel on a regular basis. Even so, it’s still a vital part of my life in Grand Rapids. I spent my first wedding anniversary at this hotel. I got drunk in front of my boss in the Lumber Baron Bar in this hotel. I impressed out-of-town colleagues with brunch at Cygnus on the 27th floor of this hotel.

This hotel, on my levels, seems unapproachable and unattainable, as if it were only for the wealthy and the powerful. But it’s not. It’s there for everyone in Grand Rapids. It stands out among the rest because it’s our hotel. It’s our past and our present. It’s here for us to use and enjoy.


*For more information about the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, visit their [website](amwaygrand.com).*

The first time I visited SpeakEZ Lounge was for their 2012 New Years Eve party. It was a prohibition-themed party, which seemed appropriate, given the restaurant’s name. So my friends and I got dressed up in what we assumed was an appropriate zoot suit style and headed just north of the city to where SpeakEZ was tucked away on the side of an old brick building.

A jazz band played on the teeny tiny stage and I did a little East Coast Swing on the teeny tiny dancefloor. The singer had a vintage hairstyle and seduced her antique microphone as she sang her sultry tune. The lighting was dim and the tables were a dark heavy wood. With all the suspenders and fedoras and slinky dresses, it did kind of feel like it was the 1920s, and there was a rush of danger as we sipped on “forbidden” drinks all night long. It was a great party.

Since then, though, I’ve been a bit confused by what SpeakEZ Lounge really is. Because every day can’t be a prohibition party. This isn’t the 1920s, after all. And in the light of day, it doesn’t really feel like a speakeasy at all. It is an average restaurant you can walk right into (no password required) and you can go to the bar and order a drink and not have to worry about getting arrested. Which I guess is what everyone wants in a restaurant, ultimately, except for when they visit a speakeasy. I went back once since the party, but without the party, it just felt like a normal bland place.

But then this blog project came along, and as I was scouring Grand Rapids event calendars looking for new things, I came across the MartiniMoth event that SpeakEZ holds every month. Some of you may have heard of the Moth Radio Hour on NPR where people get up and tell engaging stories just for the sake of telling stories. And while I’m pretty sure what SpeakEZ does isn’t associated with the official Moth non-profit group, SpeakEZ has used the idea of that program to inspire Grand Rapidians to start telling their stories.

So in the spirit of discovering new things about my city, my husband and I ventured out to SpeakEZ to check out this event.


Upon arriving, every table was full; there were a few spots at the bar, but we couldn’t see or hear from there, so we asked a nice couple if we could squeeze in with them at their overly large table.

“Are you here to tell stories?” the man asked me as soon as I sat down. I laughed out loud. “No, I’m just here to listen to the stories,” I replied.

“You should get up there and tell a story,” he egged me on. I’m going to assume that he had ordered a couple of drinks before that cup of coffee that sat in front of him.

But I could have told a story, apparently. There is no signing up early or registration that is required for telling stories at MartiniMoth. They really did encourage people who were there, who were eating dinner or having casual conversations, people who just came to eat or drink or listen, to get up on stage and tell a story. And my husband and I started to brainstorm about what stories we could get up and tell.


In the end, we didn’t get up and tell a story. But it was nice to know we had the option. And it was nice to know that, above all, SpeakEZ was just trying to encourage and engage its community to get up and say something. And I greatly admire the people who did get up. Of course, some were better than others. But they all were braver than I was. Maybe next month, I’ll find a story to tell.

If I think about it, SpeakEZ does live up to its name. A speakeasy in the ‘20s was a place where the community could go when it didn’t have anywhere else to turn. It’s a place that provides when no one else will. And as far as public storytelling goes, there’s really no other option that I know in Grand Rapids. Not only that, but SpeakEZ is about the only place in Grand Rapids that shows soccer matches, and they were packed when the World Cup going on. In their neighborhood, they are kind of the only casual-yet-upscale restaurant around. So in many ways, SpeakEZ does exactly what it should. It provides a resource that people can’t get just anywhere. When there’s a need for something in Grand Rapids, SpeakEZ answers the call.

*For more info about SpeakEZ Lounge, visit their [website](http://speakezlounge.com/).*

My husband got interested in triathlons two years ago. Before his first triathlon last summer, he had to get all the equipment—the wetsuit, the running shoes, and the bike. I’ve always loved biking, but since we’ve been adults, neither he nor I have owned a decent bike. So we bit the bullet and bought ourselves some nice new shiny grown-up street bikes.

We are very lucky to live where we live. While it’s technically not within city limits, it is very close to three great biking trails. One trail we can take all the way into the next town, giving us about a 20-mile trip there and back.

It’s one of my favorite workouts, riding outside with him. It feels more like fun outdoor playtime than it does a workout. The constant breeze cools me down as I push hard and fast on the pedals. We race each other on the straightaways and joke and talk and laugh throughout. I almost forget that it’s exercise.


Grand Rapids is definitely the place for bikers. Over the five years, the city has really been making an effort to install useable bike lanes on a lot of downtown streets and constructing good quality bike trails in the outskirts. There are a ton of bike events and group rides that happen in the city.

There are lots of great resources for bike riders in Grand Rapids. [Central District Cyclery](http://www.centraldistrictcyclery.com/#intro) is right downtown and offers bike repair services. [The Spoke Folks](http://thespokefolks.org/) educates riders about bike maintenance and the rules of the road; they allow members to come use their tools and fix their bikes on their own.

This summer [Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc.](http://beta.downtowngr.org/) installed bike repair stands throughout the city. If city bikers get a flat or need to tweak something, they have the resources available right there along their bike route to fix such issues for free.

The newest addition to Grand Rapids’ bike scene is a bike share program. On one of my many recent walks downtown, I noticed bikes parked with the Spokefly logo on them. Using the Spokefly app, people can get the lock combination, pay, and borrow bikes to ride around the city.

I don’t see our love for biking dying out anytime soon. And lucky for us, Grand Rapids will give us the support we need to keep biking safely.

My husband and I went for a walk around the city this weekend. We were walking along the river by the Public Museum, when he pointed to some rocks next to the sidewalk that had fish carved into them. We reminisced about how last year, we had walked the same path and saw the artist carve those pictures into the rocks. We stopped and asked him what he was doing, and he answered that he was working on an entry for ArtPrize.


For those of you who don’t know, ArtPrize is an art competition held in Grand Rapids for three weeks in the fall. Art of all shapes and sizes takes over nearly every available spot in the city, from parking lots to building facades to restaurant walls to public parks. Art is everywhere. There’s no escaping it. Winners of the competition are picked by the public and a select panel of jurors. It’s interactive; people can vote via text.

When it comes to getting the public’s vote, bigger is better. The first year, someone built a 15-ton dining set and placed it on top of the city’s iconic Blue Bridge. Someone also installed a 100-foot-long Loch Ness monster in the Grand River. It caught people’s attention, to say the least. Both of those installments made into to the Top Ten that year.

I would have been perfectly happy to see the table and chairs stay on top of the Blue Bridge. It was fun and surprising to drive up 131, look over to my right, and see a dining set for giants sitting way up in the air. Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, did get to lurk in nearby waters after the competition. John Ball Zoo adopted the sculpture and now Nessie greets zoo guests every day.


Every ArtPrize brings about 1,500 pieces of art into the city. This coming September will be the competition’s seventh year. So that’s 9,000 pieces of art over the years that needed to find homes when the competition finished. For the most part, everyone packs up their pieces and leaves town after the winners are announced, but some art lingers around the city, like Nessie in her pond at the zoo and the rocks with fish carvings.

I am not the biggest fan of ArtPrize’s three weeks of competition. I feel about ArtPrize as I’m sure Traverse Citians feel about the Cherry Festival or Grand Havenites feels about the Coast Guard Festival. Traffic is terrible, restaurants are busy, the crowds are humongous. But I am a fan of the art that is left behind.


These pieces become commonplace after a year or so; they become simply part of the landscape. They are no longer ArtPrize entries. They are Grand Rapids art. They make the city more beautiful, more surprising, more fun.

*For more information about ArtPrize, visit their [website](artprize.org).*