Friday Finds on Mackinaw Road: Travel Gifts, Ice Cream, a Book, and a Sweater

Happy Friday, Everyone! It’s January and we’re grounded, so the “Finds” are a bit limited, but here we go…

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Naturally, we are dreaming of sunny skies and crystal clear water as we wait for the “January thaw” that will get us to a balmy 43 degrees on Saturday.  Travelogue (Conde Nast’s podcast) was a great listen this week as I gazed through the window at the white snow. They discussed the Caribbean as a 2018 destination. The podcasters started from the northern-most island and headed south, one island at a time (no, they didn’t get to all 7000 islands). It was interesting to listen to their perspectives on islands we’ve visited (Aruba, Bahamas, Grand Caymen, St. Kitts) as well as making our “next on the list” picks. Don’t forget to check out all of the Caribbean Travel Interviews over the past year on Mackinaw Road and of course my favorite Caribbean Island (not technically, by popularly considered to be so) here, here, and here. 

Going out in Michigan winters and attempting to be somewhat stylish can be challenging. I usually just throw on my jacket and hat and call it good, but when going to house parties or out for dinner, well… that’s where the challenge sets in. Free People is a go-to place when looking for sweaters. While not a huge shopper, I do like to splurge on items that I know I will have for years to come. The sweater I recently purchased is no longer available (likely because it was on super sale), but this one is similar and equally stylish and cozy. A bonus is that it looks like it would travel well… no ironing needed.

Not to be too contradictory, but let’s talk about ice cream! A friend who lives about 3 hours away recently sent us Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream– it was such an absolutely lovely surprise! The unexpected happy orange box on our doorstep contained three pints of Jeni’s. The ice cream was, well… amazing!!! If you are traveling and missing a loved one’s birthday or some special occasion (or just want to send a gift to let someone far away know you’re thinking of them), Jeni’s is your answer! You can customize and send your own gift on their website. Easy peasy.

Where’d You Go Bernadette? was another “friend find” and a page-turning recommendation. It is a long stretch to suggest that this is a travel book, but it honestly did make me incredibly curious about Seattle. With descriptions of the rainy city scattered throughout this fictional book, it seems like a place that I should visit to determine what about the city is fiction verses nonfiction, don’t you think? Have you been to Seattle? Would you recommend it? (It also describes Antarctica… I’m not even tempted…)

And, a fair warning and favor to ask… On Monday morning, I’m switching gears to painting and some DIY information. (The post that continues to lead readers to Mackinaw Road is the Inexpensive Flooring post with the stenciled Portuguese tiles). BUT, I am going to switch right back to travel on Thursday. This blog follows several interests (which are mainly travel and decor/diy); I can usually loosely tie the two together 😉 Please let me know what you’d like to see more of in the Comments section!