Four For The Road

 A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking - Earl Wilson

What do four people do on a six-day road trip to Michigan?

First off, stop for snack.

Guess where?

Jollibee.

In Sterling Heights.

For Favorite Granddaughter's Chickenjoy, what critics are calling the best fried chicken in America, served with rice, Filipino-style.

And sweet, flaky mango peach pie made with real Philippine mangoes.

Lunch at Dixie Saloon, a log cabin-style restaurant
 

Then on to Mackinaw City.

We ate.

Yum! Mac and cheese, baked Great Lakes whitefish wrapped in parchment paper.

Vacation calories didn't count.

From Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, a resort area in Lake Huron between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas was only a Shepler's Ferry ride away.

The shape of the island has been likened to that of a turtle. 

Thus, it was named Mitchimakinak, meaning Big Turtle.

Horse-drawn taxicabs: an enjoyable and authentic way to view the island

Foremost on our must-see place was the historic Grand Hotel. 

Left and below: In white rocking chair on Front Porch, peering over red geraniums and looking out over the glistening Straits of Mackinac. Photos: I.T.V., Michigan: June 2025

Its front porch is reportedly the longest in the world at some 660 feet in length, overlooking a vast tea garden and the resort-scale Esther Williams swimming pool. 

We couldn't decline going up the fifth floor to see the Cupola Bar from where the best views on the island were showcased.

By the way, the Grand Hotel served as a backdrop and one of the settings for the 1980 film Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeves.

Through self-hypnosis, Reeves transports himself back in time to the year 1912 to find love with actress Elise McKenna (portrayed by Jane Seymour).

Upon meeting him for the first time, she asks, Is it you?

But enough of fantasy and obsessive love. It's time to eat!

Believe it or not, Chuckwagon diner was only 12 feet wide, but people waited in line.

We sat at the counter and watched the cook at close range navigating the small space with expertise as he prepared favorites, including a so-called rattlesnake burger. 

 

Next stop was Sable Falls. 

We picnicked before a hike down. 

Skinny people are easier to kidnap.

Stay safe. 

Eat!

A lot! 

Sable Falls tumbles 75 feet over a cascading slope of Munising and Jacobsville sandstone formations on its way to Lake Superior.

Photo: V.E.V., Michigan: June 2025

People who love to eat are the best people.

Of course, we wouldn't leave Michigan without a taste of its famous pasty. 

Reportedly, the original Cornish beef pasty was brought to the Michigan Upper Peninsula by the English copper miners of the 1840s from their native Cornwall.

The miners would place the pasty on top of their shovels and warm it over the headlamps deep in the copper mine.

We tried its many variations: with beef, pork, chicken, potatoes, rutabaga, and carrots in a flaky crust. 

Far left: mini-centerpiece of a wood forget-me-not on our dining table

Left: white trillium covers the Sable Falls hiking trail

We went on a Pictured Rocks cruise. 

The excursion derives it name from the 13 miles of colorful sandstone cliffs northeast of Munising.

The cliffs reach up to 200 feet above sea level. They have been naturally sculpted into a variety of shallow caves, arches, and formations resembling castle turrets and human profiles.

Iconic natural landmarks: Miner's Castle, Indian Head. All Pictured Rocks photos: V.E.V., Michigan: June 2025

Lover's Leap, Light House 

Spray Falls

Can you help find the gnomes at Horseshoe Falls?

Fun! We went on a whimsical scavenger hunt for these hidden legendary creatures that were scattered throughout its charming garden.

Chillin' with gnomies. There's gnome one like you.

Enroute to Frankenmuth, lunch was at Wimpy's, a casual, family friendly fast-food venue. 

Then, voila, Willkomen in Frankenmuth!

The city shows a strong German heritage. Also known for its popular nickname Little Bavaria, Frankenmuth features timber-framed buildings with square and X patterns typical in the architecture of the Franconia region of Germany. 

Pink calendula in flower boxes line city streets

Vacation mood on! Let's go thrifting.

After approximately 20 hours of travel on the road and on water, 10,000 steps on a five-mile hike alone on a single day, three B&Bs, treks to explore souvenir shops and taverns, and a million calories - our vacay came to an end. 

And what better way to celebrate than with an authentic Bavarian dinner?

                                                        

 Ain't nothin' that a beer can't fix.
Wine is bottled poetry. - R. L. Stevenson

Time to go home.

We haven't been everywhere, but it's on our list.

Elephant Picasso

Elephants

Every canvas is a journey all its own. - Helen Frankenthaler

Did you know that elephants can grow up to be almost as tall as a one-story building?

That their ears are shaped like Africa?

That a baby elephant is able to stand within twenty minutes of being born and can walk within an hour?

I bet you didn't know that elephants have artistic abilities. 

In fact, there's a conclave of these largest living land animals at Chiang Mai's famous elephant sanctuary in Thailand. They're not only survivors but artists who have become famous around the world for their incredible painting skills.

We had the opportunity to witness one of these resident artists in action.

There he was.

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. - Anonymous

Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, Thailand: 2012

Talented nine-year-old jumbo named Nong Thanwa, holding an artist brush using her trunk, dabbed paint onto a piece of canvas to draw the silhouette of two elephants.

Reportedly, the scene was a depiction of her and an elephant friend in Maetang Elephant Camp.

Actually I'm not surprised. 

I believe that elephants are some of the smartest animals out there.

They have an estimated 257,000,000,000 neurons in their whole nervous systems and around 11,000,000,000 in the cerebral cortex alone. To compare, humans only have an estimated 86,000,000,000 neurons in their whole nervous system and around 21,000,000,000 in their cerebral cortex.

Go figure!

It is said that an elephant never forgets.

I believe the simple fact is that, you never forget an elephant. 

I Love You A Ton! 

Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary,

Thailand: 2012

Rice Planters

 Rice 

I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream. - Van Gogh

In the late 70's, I took a painting class at Central Arizona, a public community college in Coolidge, Arizona. We were living in our first home in Casa Grande at the time. 

When an art contest was announced at the college, my competitive spirit kicked in. An artist-wannabe, I was certain that I got this. I knew exactly what the subject of my painting was going to be.

Rice planters. 

So many ideas floated in my head for a hook. In a piece of writing, hook is an opening statement that attempts to get the readers' attention. It grabs their interest, making them want to read more. I adopted this thought-process into my painting. 

How about this?

"God looked down on the earth He created and said, I need a caretaker for this world I made. So God made a farmer."

There is no better demonstration of faith than people planting seeds in a field. When one eats, one should not forget those who till the fields. Great, huh? 

I'd seen farmers, watched them. I'd walked the paddies and talked to them in the summers that I had spent on the Llenado farm. 

That was it.

I'd put them in a rich field where the seeds of life met the hands of the skilled farmer. Some may think that it was the middle of nowhere. I was going to feature it as the center of the world.

Also, Picasso's cubism was topmost on my mind at the time. My plan was to portray my figures in monochrome brownish and neutral colors.

I realized, however, how rice planters must twist and bend to plant rice in the muddy paddies all day, with no chance to sit nor stand. They were to be like the rice stalk. The more grain it bore, the lower it bowed.

Innovatively, I was able to blend that idea with my preferred body shapes that were geometric. Minimalist. Their bodies would be like square-cut diamonds. Gems that did not have upside or downside.

Competition gave me energy. It kept me elevating my thematic focus: my cubistic rice planters would go into the field... to find their soul. 

Hah! Enlightenment. Of course. With that underlying motif, the painting should have a characteristic glow, and where else but from a Philippine sun? Intense light on one part of the canvas to highlight nearby details. A few clear clouds above for contrast. Cubistic, of course.

My ideas were coalescing. 

As Degas says, art is not what you see, but what you make others see. Thus, ultimately, it would be a painting of hope. Of rice planters who are optimists,  thinking that if they tickled the earth with a hoe, earth would laugh with a harvest. 

And that was what I painted. This was how it turned out.

Rice Planters. First Prize Purchase Award. Oil Painting: A.T.V, Central Arizona College: 1978

By the way, it won first place and was a purchase award (for $100, I think) that was displayed on the admin college wall.

I had actually painted two entries for the competition. While at work on the pieces, I told First Daughter that Dancers in Flight would be hers, and Second Daughter that Rice Planters, was for her. I hadn't foreseen both of them winning and being purchased by the college. (Dancers won third prize). Perhaps, I could visit the college one day and offer to buy the pieces back and give them to The Girls.

In the meantime, I'm consoled by the thought that art is too important not to share. After all, earth without art is just eh.

Rice Bowls

 Rice 

Being is always becoming. - Buddha

It was a most spectacular sight in the early hours of morning.

As sunlight began its slow journey across the sky, monks dressed in bright orange, carrying bowls, purposely walked down the hill in single file.

Led by the oldest monks, they processed silently, barefoot.

Hubby says it was in Thailand. I don't really remember where.

What I do remember is that it was truly awe-inspiring, seeing hundreds  of them lining the streets. They were collecting alms. Gathering food for the day. 

Intermittently, they paused to have rice scooped into their bowl by men and women positioned along the road in intervals, almost like water stations in marathons. Neither monk nor lay person made eye contact with each other. 

Since then, I've learned that this was a silent and sacred ceremony that is steeped in tradition.

Historically, before the days of monasteries, the first Buddhist monks were homeless. Their only possessions were their robes and begging bowls. Disciplinary rules instructed them not to engage in agricultural labor and to keep only a few possessions. They were to eat only what was offered in their bowls each morning on the alms rounds.

Returning to the temple, they shared the food among themselves as part of their common meal. They ate twice a day, breakfast and lunch. They were forbidden to eat after midday.

I admire the asceticism.

The tenacity of spirit to let go of what they were, to become what they might be.

I'm thinking, a steaming bowl of arroz caldo or relleno shrouded in a scoop of rice would be a boost to their ever-evolving self.

Relleno Surprise

 Rice 

Cooking is love made visible. - Anonymous

Fridays when godmother Aunt Tessa came to visit after teaching at the elementary school nearby was one of my favorite days of the week.

Why?

Because that was when Mum would create her signature concoction of mouth-watering stuffed relleno eggplant buried in a mound of sinangag (Filipino fried rice) especially for her.

I loved watching Mum put it together. 

I recall how she would first slit the broiled and peeled eggplant lengthwise till it lay flat. On it, she would spread sauteed ground meat, then beaten egg. The top side was fried until it was golden brown.

For me, the wizardry was in the flipping that followed.

It was like a performance. Her face would grow suddenly solemn as she approached the task. With a sandok ladle and large spoon in hand, she'd quickly turn over the fried piece with agility. Assured it was still intact, her face would soften as her mouth turned into a gentle smile.

It was like love. Carried out with abandon. 

When that was done, using drippings in the now-emptied pan, she'd add day-old rice, garlic bits, salt, and pepper for a hefty plate of fried rice. 

The grand finale was the presentation.

Mum would keep her expression neutral, as she first flattened a mound of rice on a plate. Looking sheepish, she'd lay the relleno atop. The final act of unleashing the gourmet in her was accomplished by covering all with an innocent-looking mound of more sinangag. 

So unique! Pretty much copyrighted. She had brought love to the plate and plated like an artist. 

I could picture Aunt Tessa raising her eyebrows in delight every time she unearthed the delicious viand hidden underneath.

Ah! The element of surprise. Like a sorceress, Mum had dispensed happiness and created something magical using the simplest ingredients.

Ma L's Arroz Caldo

Rice 

Family recipes keep us connected to our memories.

Thus, on this Mother's Month, I thought it fitting to include in this series an heirloom recipe that has been passed down from Hubby's Ma L to Hubby's Only Sister to me.

*****

Recipes are like poems, they keep what kept us. - Henri Coulett

Being the challenged-cook that I am, I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. When I get to the end, I think to myself, Well, that's never gonna happen.

For the most part, I'd thought this way, until I was given Ma L's arroz caldo recipe.

Arroz Caldo: a hearty and flavorful Filipino-style rice porridge with chicken, ginger, and various toppings

Step 1: Over low heat, saute annato (atsuete seeds) in vegetable oil in small saucepan. Strain.

Step 2: To annato oil, add chicken pieces (preferably bony pieces for added flavor), garlic, onion, ginger, and salt.

Step 3: Add Cal Rose rice and water, using a 1:5 proportion. Boil until rice is tender.

Step 4: Season with black pepper; add salt to taste.

To serve, garnish with toasted garlic, green onion, and hard-boiled egg.

Add  slivers of calamansi (lemon) and patis (fish sauce) as condiment.

My first attempt at the recipe was a success. 

Internet pic only

The caldo was comforting and had the taste of homemade-with-love. In other words, I licked the spoon and kept using it.

Thanks, Ma L. 

You and your caldo

are treasured memories

that I hold in my heart.

Quirino Elementary School, Project 2, Quirino District, Quezon City: 1957  

Sinaing: Cooked To Perfection

 Rice 

Life is short. Cook rice. - Anonymous

You may have noticed by now that most of my Mother's Day stories are all about food. That's because Mums are the best cooks. The first three blogs in this series bear witness to that fact.

*****

Rice is good if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.

It is doubly good when Mum cooked it. Her sinaing was always perfect. Never mushy, gummy, or burnt.

Tried and tested, this was how we cooked it on a kerosene stove.

Step 1. Measure and clean the grain.

Chon, she'd say. Luto na tayo ng kanin. (Let's cook rice).

Mie, ilang gatang? (How many measures should I do)? 

She'd think, then decide. Her voice was soft, but very sure. Three measures, but add a half to be sure there would be enough for Voltaire.

I nodded in agreement. It always seemed that when it came to food, our littlest but most ferocious dog, also the most favored by my Dad, always figured in the equation. I'd say he was spoiled.

Pilian mo na yung bigas. (Choose and take out chaff from the rice). Rice back then which was bought from the wet market or sari-sari was usually fresh-milled leaving in that process some husks and chaff.

Step 2. Rinse to separate the grains so they won't get clumpy, then drain.

Step 3. Add water. This step was crucial because the perfect rice texture relied on accurate measurement.

I recall how always there had been something mesmerizing about the way Mum would accomplish just this.

In the dim light spilling through the kitchen window, I could see her eyes were keen, her brows furrowed, as she leveled the rice out. I nodded knowingly as she placed her index finger so that it was just touching the surface of the rice.

Her mouth compressed in concentration, she would then add enough water so that it came up to her first line or knuckle. 

Ayan! she'd exclaim. 

That wasn't rocket science.

Step 4. Add a pandan leaf for flavor. Cover and wait for the rice to boil.

Step 5. When it starts sputtering, incline the cover aside and lower the heat. I could already smell the mystical aroma of newly-cooked rice beckoning me to the dining table. Surely, you would never have thought rice could be so delectably tasty. 

Step 6. Cover once the water had dissipated. Leave pot on stove to cook for about ten minutes more. Turn off stove.

All done!

Happiness was cooking Mum's way. It was a time when we found joy in the simple.