A wise
man once said, “Find something you are passionate about, then find a
way to make money at it.” No,
Oprah did not think of it first. This
is one of the secrets of a happy life.
Last week
we traveled to Tecumseh, Michigan, and met a young man who is living his
dream and earning a living
while doing it. Ron
Polowski is the proud owner of Skydive Tecumseh.
Just a short eight years ago, he began sky diving here as a
student. In April he bought the company and just can’t quit smiling
about it. He is one of the
brave hearts who followed his dream and found his pot of gold at the end
of the rainbow.
.
Located
just 25 miles southwest of Ann Arbor, it is a nice ride in the country
to reach the Al Meyers Airport on the Tecumseh-Clinton Highway.
Skydive
Tecumseh was at the end of a dirt road that wound its way around the few
airport buildings on the property.
We parked our car in the packed lot and noticed heads turned
upward. So, of course we
looked too. The clear blue
sky was dotted with skydivers attached to brilliantly colored
parachutes. We found it
mesmerizing to watch them float through the sky, some twirling, others
gliding softly to earth. All
of them made a loud swooshing sound, as they came in with their
parachutes flapping in the wind. What
excitement!
The airport was bustling with activity and we enjoyed interviewing two
first-time jumpers, a brother and sister combo, Brad and Trisha Bogedain
from Monroe, Michigan. They
were all geared up and ready to board the plane and do a tandem jump
with one of the instructors. Trish
admitted, “Okay, now I’ve got butterflies in my stomach!”
Brad was pumped and raring to go.
ThreeOlBags were glad to be staying on the ground to observe this
one!
We met
Brad and Trish as they touched ground.
“Awesome! The adrenal rush can’t be beat!
I’d definitely to do it again,” said Brad.
“The scariest part is when the door on the airplane opens and
you feel the rush of air coming at you,” said Trish.
“But it was a lot of fun!”
We had a hard time pulling ourselves away from all the
excitement, but we still had to explore Tecumseh, so we drove the few
miles to town.
ThreeOlBags had heard about The British Pantry & Tea Garden
Café so we decided to enjoy lunch here.
The Tea Garden Café serves authentic English foods, like scones
and crumpets, and Cottage Pie. Be
sure to have their house salad, which features dried cherries, toasted
pine nuts and Raspberry Maple Vinaigrette dressing.
The Apple Slaw was delicious. They are open for lunch and
afternoon tea until 5:00. A nice assortment of patterned teapots with matching cups,
accessories for tea drinkers and a large selection of specialty teas are
sold at the British Pantry.
If you’re looking for a cultural experience, be sure to stop by
Evans Street Station, where a world-class chef will prepare a gourmet
specialty from their global cuisine.
After dinner, head over to the Tecumseh Civic Auditorium which
plays host to national and international performers, like the National
Shakespeare Company and the Chinese Golden Acrobats.
Shopping along Tecumseh’s main street is a must.
The Bird Mercantile features home décor, collectibles gifts and
crafts made locally. Creative
Collections by Fonda has women’s apparel from junior size through 4X.
Great Ideas contains antiques, home furnishings and a drapery
studio.
If you have a sweet tooth, don’t forget to visit the Chocolate
Vault Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Company where all of you chocoholics
can find a great “fix” for the day. Triple AAA has rated The Daily Grind Coffee House &
Sandwich Shop and also Lev’s Bakery as the second best in Michigan.
Everywhere we went that day, residents told us to be sure to come
back for the Appleumpkin Festival on October 12th and 13th.
Kapnick Orchards plans to have live entertainment and wagon rides
through the “Halloween Woods” at their Apple Festival and Craft
Show, while downtown Tecumseh is hosting an antique street fair and flea
market. “Make it and Take it” booths will be a highlight for the
children that weekend, as Tecumseh cheerleaders will help them make
crafts they can take home the same day.
Free trolley rides will run to and from the downtown area to
Kapnick Orchards.
ThreeOlBags then headed to the Hitching Post Antique mall just
two miles west of town. It
features forty antique dealers under the same roof.
They have a big selection of furniture, collectible dinnerware,
books, and piano rolls for old player pianos.
One of Tecumseh’s most endearing qualities is the historical
Southern Michigan Railroad, which goes right through the middle of town.
The railroad once brought settlers to southeast Michigan, but is
now dedicated to tours. Currently, reservations are being taken for the
railroad’s Fall Color Tours. The train leaves Tecumseh for a two hour round trip through
Southeast Michigan’s colorful landscape, stopping for cider and donuts
midway. Fall tours run
through November third. Passengers
can choose between a 1926 South Shore Passenger Car, the "Open
Air" Gondola Car or the 1950's Caboose.
Tecumseh turned a nice drive in the country into an eventful day
trip, and a little more understanding of the lure of Southwest
Michigan’s small towns.
