{Port Huron, MI - Meeting with Blogger Friend I Admire}

Since We were that close to Canada on our travels to Michigan, we decided to meet with dear Blogger Friend Laura Busko  Also an excellent photographer and multi talented in creating beautiful Sewing, Cross Stitch and Crafts. Check out her blog: Casita By The Lake

Photo made by husband Pieter... Laura is a very sweet lady!
From Livonia, Michigan the drive would only be one hour and 15 minutes, but it turned out I had to take a little longer as it was pouring down, due to a thunderstorm. I arrived a bit exhausted because it was still in heavy traffic but we got safe to our Quality Inn & Suites in Port Huron. This is just on the border with Canada.

This is where we stayed at the Quality Inn & Suites in Port Huron, Michigan on the Canadian border.
I did my booking through Trivago.com and that is the best deal.

June 5, in heavy rain ... but we got there safe!

It was not much of a journey but from Detroit / Livonia till Port Huron in heavy traffic + heavy rain.
Also Toronto is marked yellow because that's where we will be heading towards after meeting with the lovely Laura and her husband.

Livonia is where we stayed at the Hyatt Place Detroit / Livonia  and it should be only one hour and 16 minutes but it took me longer, due to the weather.

This photo has-been taken by Laura's husband Don.
Hard to Imagine that sweet Laura lost her Mom when she was only 6, being the youngest in her family.
She is such a graceful and multi-talented lady, one I sure do admire tremendously.
So happy for having met, over lunch just before we left for Toronto.

Laura and her husband did travel from Canada to meet us in Port Huron.
The blue dot is where our hotel was and the line through the water is the Border Between the USA and Canada.

After lunch we left for Canada, crossing the water via the Blue Water Bridge

Blue Water Bridge  ← click it

Our not so spectacular photo of the Blue Water Bridge ...

On our way to Canada and on to Toronto ... See you there!

Related links:
{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Friend Blogger I Admire} | previous post by me
{Our Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Michigan Afternoon Tea} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Flora} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Carriage Tours} | previous post by me
{Patriotic & Romantic Mackinac Island, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Shepler's Mackinac Island, Michigan Ferry} | previous post by me
{505 S Huron Avenue, Mackinaw City, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Delta Annual Companion Certificate Flight to Detroit, Michigan}  | previous post by me

{Livonia, Michigan - Meeting with a Blogger Friend I Admire}

After our wonderful Mackinac Island tour, complete with Afternoon Tea at the Grand Hotel, it was back to Mackinaw, City and next day after breakfast I hit the road again for driving some 4 hours south to the Detroit area. We were staying at the Hyatt Place Detroit/Livonia for one night before continuing to the border of Canada next day. Just enough time for meeting with a sweet Blogger Friend that I Admire: Deborah from The Beautiful Matters. Over the years we have shared so many mutual interests and our love for tea on Blogger. It was about time for meeting in the flesh and sip a real cup of tea together!

Here we are; happy together!
Sweet Deborah did write about it even before I could put my act together: Tea and cookies with a blogger friend

Yes, before going on this trip, husband Pieter mentioned that our home smelled like a bakery as I'd baked about 10 lbs of Amaretti Cookies from Almond Meal with Coconut Palm Sugar to make them as healthy as possible.
Deborah sure deserved her two bags of these home baked cookies as she is one of the bravest women I know. A very touching post written by her was this one: In memory of my son and it is only weeks ago that her eldest son would have been 31 years old.
Hard to believe that this beautiful and brave lady had 10 children of which 3 are alive.
A true role model with a strong Faith.

We both had a white iPhone...
Both let our hair color be natural...
Both of us LOVE pearls: Deborah's post about it→ Looking for pearls
Both of us LOVE hand writing: Deborah's post→ Thank you notes

Both of us LOVE vintage handkerchiefs: Deborah's post→ Vintage handkerchiefs

Both of us feel alike: Deborah's post →  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - you can check out my comment on that.

Sipping Tea Together, feeling blessed!

 Living both a content life is very much like Deborah wrote: Blessings in the mundane

Words of wisdom...

Closing with Deborah's words:→ Ode to friendship

I certainly feel blessed knowing this fine lady!

Pieter speaks also very fondly of her and that makes me double happy.

If you not already have discovered this gem in Blogland, click on those pink hyperlinks for getting to know her great qualities.

Hope you enjoyed our tea time!

Related links:
{Our Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Michigan Afternoon Tea} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Flora} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Carriage Tours} | previous post by me
{Patriotic & Romantic Mackinac Island, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Shepler's Mackinac Island, Michigan Ferry} | previous post by me
{505 S Huron Avenue, Mackinaw City, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Delta Annual Companion Certificate Flight to Detroit, Michigan} | previous post by me

{Our Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Michigan Afternoon Tea}

In my previous post I told you that the carriage driver let both of us off, only 5 minutes walking distance from Mackinac Island Grand Hotel where we went for Afternoon Tea...

Yes, the tulips were in full bloom in front of Mackinac Island, Michigan's Grand Hotel on June 3...
The Grand Hotel got built in 1887 in just 93 days!
Quite a sight isn't it?

Such perfect tulips!
There were lots of tourists taking photographs but husband Pieter managed to capture their beauty very well.

For entering the Grand Hotel you must pay a fee of $ 10.00 and you may give yourself a tour.
We instead did head straight away for the Grand Hotel Afternoon Tea in the Parlor.

Each table had a bowl that gets removed when serving tea or coffee.

My iPhone 4S on the table...

A plate with an array of pastries and tea for me and coffee for Pieter.

On the right of the plate you also see a fresh-baked scone...

Pieter happily pours his coffee...

Looking really tempting.
Even though I usually don't eat any sweets, I did have the chocolate dipped strawberry and the little chocolate that was filled with yummy coconut mousse and topped with a blueberry.
I also ate the fresh-baked scone, without any marmalade.

Lovely cups!

Perfect timing at 4:00 PM with our Ferry departing at 5:00 PM.
But inside the building with the air-conditioning running, I was pleased that I did bring my packable polyester and silk Escada jacket!

This is a more than 100 year old Grand Hotel tradition, of serving Afternoon Tea in the Parlor, accompanied by a chamber music recital.
We enjoyed this lovely harpist.
The carpet reflects the red Pelargonium, that grow outside, see photo below!

Stunning view over Lake Huron!

When we leave for going on the veranda outside, I had t take these photos...
Sherry and Champagne with petite finger sandwiches.

An array of pastries...

Sorry for the poor quality but I wanted to give you a better look.

Plate with petite finger sandwiches.
Speaking of 'finger', we both were quite surprised that also our array of pastries got served without any pastry fork! Only a spoon for scooping up the mousse.
That is quite different from Europe and at this level I would have expected it as well.

Tea cups on a tray with lovely rose.
Coffee got served in these tea cups as well...
They might want to see my blog post: {Difference Between Coffee & Tea Cups}

No, that is not our Carriage... This is only for guests that stay at the Grand Hotel.

Love that big arch above the grand door!
Great architecture and for completing all that in 93 days, back in 1887 is quite astonishing!

Our Carriage driver did point out something about the azure blue color underneath those balconies for tricking birds into nesting elsewhere...
Tales from the Head Grand Hotel Painter where he states that every April they use some 150 to 200 gallons paint on the exterior!

Time to say goodbye to this incredibly romantic and patriotic looking island of Mackinac, Michigan...

We had such a perfect day and still very sunny!
Windy it got a little bit so Pieter kept his Burberry score from Last Call Outlet on and especially for crossing the Straits of Mackinac on Lake Huron.

It was lovely for living a day in the late 1800s and seeing so many different carriages.

Grand Hotel
Opened on July 10, 1887, the Grand Hotel was built by the Grand Rapids & Indiana and Michigan Central railroads and the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company through the efforts of Sen. Francis B. Stockbridge. It is built of Michigan white pine. With its magnificent colonial porch, longest in the world, it is a classic example of gracious living seldom seen today. One of the outstanding landmarks on the Great Lakes, it is the world's largest summer hotel.

We just walk around the corner for boarding again Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry and for making it back to Mackinaw City.
The long Mackinac Bridge is visible here.
Hope you enjoyed this very special Grand Hotel Afternoon Tea, where many First Ladies stayed over their Century of service.

Related links:
{Mackinac Island Flora} | previous post by me
{Mackinac Island Carriage Tours} | previous post by me
{Patriotic & Romantic Mackinac Island, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Shepler's Mackinac Island, Michigan Ferry} | previous post by me
{505 S Huron Avenue, Mackinaw City, Michigan} | previous post by me
{Delta Annual Companion Certificate Flight to Detroit, Michigan} | previous post by me