The road to Kalamozoo was no fun at all. Road construction in Illinois was everywhere and a major pain. It probably added a good 2 hours to the trip. The purpose of the trip was to visit Karen, who was throwing a graduation party for her son. This is her home. Downtown Kalamazoo totally surprised me. I had a stereotypical impression of Kalamazoo as a rust belt town, run down and on its last legs. I never would have thought there was a Radisson hotel anywhere in Michigan. Looking out from the Radisson hotel to the north. There must be something marginally interesting to do around here..... How about visiting the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange! This is a lively place. There is a bar and lounge downstairs, and a restaurant upstairs. Upstairs in early afternoon. But what about the beer exchange, what's that all about? The hundreds of beer brands are displayed on the Beer Exchange screen. Beer prices vary throughout the day, depending on what is popular or not, at the time. This is a unique marketing concept, to say the least. Here is my restaurant receipt. The last glass of of Lion Stout was two bucks cheaper than the previous glass. Downtown The park downtown is clean and well kept. There were several sculptures and water fountains. Across from the park were churches on all sides. Lots of well behaved dogs. The man here has twins. What follows is probably one of many exhausting days: Trying to get both into the stroller was a challenge. And while one was getting a drink.. The other would go exploring. He was sweating by the time he finally got both in the stroller. City Hall East side of the Radisson Hotel. Kalamazoo is a nice place to visit and when you do, check out the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange! |