2011 Vacation Day 6 - Wednesday: Herman Miller day...

Up early, got the coffee going and a bite to eat for breakfast. Headed over to the comfort station to have a shower. As you are now well aware if you have been reading this blog, one of my ways to rate a campground is based on how they handle the comfort station. This one is just fine. What I refer to as indestructable. Very similar to how Ontario Parks has set theirs up.
Outside accessed single shower rooms, solid materials and hardcore fixtures. Solidly built to handle the morons that roam the earth amongst us. So I'm standing there just getting started, and I glance down and see this bright green leafy thing kinda moving around in the water. I dismiss it as just a leaf, until a short time later, I feel something land on my calf. A quick whip of the leg dislodges it, and I peer down to see that it a cricket, long winged body and massive legs extending well above its body. Little wonder it can jump. I shoo it over into the corner of the stall, and caution it to stay put. Well, apparently he was having none of that, as it soon landed again, this time above my knee. Obviously he was trying to avoid getting soaked in the shower, so little wonder it was seeking higher ground. Given that my knee was his last landing zone, I was not keen on finding out where his next spot might be. I shooed him all the way right out the door.

We headed downtown to grab a morning coffee at a funky shop called Lemonjello, then off to the Herman Miller design centre in the outskirts of Holland in the countryside called the 'Design Yard' or locals call it the 'Farm'. In this farmsetting this office is to inspire their Designers to create their leading furniture designs. Quite the place, with very cool looking vernacular farm buildings. Although they do not give public tours the receptionist let us have a look around a bit.  Dale explained her interest and connection with the furniture company, she worked many years for a furniture dealership that specialized in Herman Miller furniture and she designed office spaces using their systems. Being there was the ultimate thrill for Dale.

 We then made our way to Saugatuk, stopping at a cool antique shop just outside town. Dale bought a little bauble to hang off the outdoor sculpture she created a few years back.

 Found a parking spot and wandered the town. Lots of shops and places to eat, set in a really nice downtown core. Checked out a great kitchen shop, then a store called The Olive Mill. Bought a bottle of their 25 year old balsamic, we had it with dinner a couple of nights ago at my brother's place and were amazed how smooth and sweet it was. Wandered the boardwalk and looked over the collection boats and yachts. Some serious dollars floating there for sure. One of them even had a crew of staff going over it with toothbrushes, giving everything in sight a good going over...seriously!

Then headed over to the town of Zeeland, as Dale wanted to check out the Herman Miller factory store. Not that we were considering hauling home any furniture, but one never knows what might be there. It was mostly odds and sods, some used, some seconds. Lots of good stuff though, if you needed to set up a very cool home office. Dale treated ourselves to a miniture Herman Miller truck as a keepsake of our Herman Miller experience.  Walked main street Zeeland, then headed back to our campground and relaxed for the evening, had a G&T, then chilled. Talked to a few people walking by, and gave a couple of the inevitable Alto tours.

After dinner we chatted with an older couple, Rich and Marge, and they invited us over to see their 5th wheel trailer. A really big trailer, over 31 feet long. Rich told me all about the trailer, how the slide-outs worked and all the storage. He is really into it. It was weighed one time in Texas, and it was a little over 11,000 lbs. Wow. That is over 5 times the weight of our little Alto. He tows it with a V10 Ford 3/4 ton pickup. quite the beast itself. Had a really nice conversation with him. He is a retired civil engineer, and it full of interesting conversation. Dale enjoyed her visit with Marge as well. They are both over 80 years old, and spend a lot of the year travelling around with the trailer. They winter at Mustang Island near Corpus Cristi Texas. He was telling me that every year he participates in the cleanup of the National Seashore there, and he said that years ago the main piece of garbage they collected was the aluminum pop can, but of late, it is now the plastic water bottle. Little wonder.