Success

A lovely anniversary was had by all. Left our house at 2:15PM EST and headed into Michigan. Esther gave directions, though she did not know where we were going (I'd written them one step at a time on folded pieces of paper, one piece of paper per phase of the trip -- she just unfolded the paper little-by-little to tell me where to turn and how long to travel). An afternoon/evening outing in five phases, one for each year. 'Cause I'm a big dork.

First stop: Lemon Creek Winery and Fruit Farm (map). We did not pick fruit, mostly because we were a little concerned about how freshly-picked peaches would perform in a car that was going to be in the sun for most of the afternoon.

Second stop: Round Barn Winery and Distillery (map). Our favorite of the trip, with a pleasant tasting room, a wide selection of beverages, and a good host. They also have a cafe that we thought we might sit in, but it turns out that's only operating on weekends.

Third stop: Tabor Hill Winery (map). The gorilla winery of SW Michigan. We arrived just in time for the last tour of the day and enjoyed that, but the winery itself seemed a little more full of itself than the others had. A nice place, but we left sort of underwhelmed. Though we do like their demi sec.

Fourth stop: LaSalle Grill (map). Highly recommended, but probably not something we can afford on a weekly basis. Or even a monthly basis. In fact, once-a-year is probably more than enough. The food was excellent, the service just fine, and, because we were first timers, they brought us a sample of the sort of thing they make: one slice of strawberry topped with prosciutto, some sort of cheese, micro-greens, and rosemary-infused balsamic vinegar. A tasty morsel. As for the real food, Esther had salmon, I had beef tenderloin medallions. And we were happy.

Fourth-and-a-half stop: ShowPlace 16 (map). Sadly, the movies started about 1/2 hour before we arrived, and the next showing of anything interesting was 45 minutes away. So we left. We didn't really want to see a movie, anyway.

Fifth stop: home.

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Addendum: I would be greatly remiss not to mention that Esther surprised me with five roses and two shirts for the same occasion. The roses are lovely; the shirts are comfy. Neither is multiplying.