Oldest Mini Golf Course in Michigan...or so they say

Yesterday, Kassie and I went up to Alpena for the wedding of our friends. It was a nice little road trip. It was kind of drizzly all day, so we didn't really know what to do between the wedding and the reception...

Interruption by random though: we went through Atlanta, MI. First of all, I didn't know there was an Atlanta, MI until some ladies came into Cook's a few days ago and said that's where they're from. And then I went through it. What a coincidence, or something like that. Secondly, it is supposedly the eld capital of Michigan and we didn't see any elk, just some horses and cows.
End of interruption.

So, when we were driving around, either to find the wedding church or the reception church, we noticed a few things.

1. We noticed there were people setting up for live music at a bandstand near the lake (Lake Huron-the greatest of the Great Lakes...not really, but I grew up near it).

2. I noticed a music shop.

3. Sometime in there we noticed a 7-11 and got a slurpee, not as good as the 7-11 on CMU's campus, but good nonetheless ( I like the word nonetheless because it is three words in one...it kind of reminds me of those band names that are similar-two or three words put together.).

We decided to go the bandstand and check it out. It was in some kind of a park which had a sign for restrooms, which we were both in need of...actually we were hoping the 7-11 would have restrooms, which it didn't, at least not for public use. so we were looking for the restrooms but only found some portable toilets which were actually rather nice. they even had a thing next to them that had faucets and soap to wash your hands.
the band hadn't started playing yet, and it was kind of drizzly and stuff, so we didn't really feel like hanging out too long...

Interruption #2, special news anouncement from Kassie:
She wants to officially become part of the family by joining the blogging fellowship, so you can read her blog at kassiehill.blogspot.com.
end of interruption.

we decided to go to the music shop because it would be indoors and we could look around and maybe jam on the instruments or something. we found it and it turned out to be a pretty bustling place. it wasn't very big and there was a lesson going on in part of it and another guy just playing a guitar for fun and stuff. so we looked around for a bit and then left.

with about an hour left before the reception, we found a mini golf place outside of the music shop. it cost 3.50 per person and was a decent looking course, so we decided to go for it. I looked in my wallet and found only $6 and some change. we looked in kassie's wallet and in the car for more change and eventually came up with 6.89, 11 cents short. We decided to ask the guy if the both of us could play for 6.89 and he readily agreed.

it was a pretty sweet course. it had some cool holes, including one with a chip shot...yeah, there was actually a wedge hanging by the tee of the hole to use for the first shot of the hole. you had to go over a water hazard and to a green which also had a water hazard on the far side.

there was also an eccentric dog. according to his owner, the guy working at the place (possibly the owner of the place) without any training, the dog found out that if he sat in between two humps on one of the holes and set his tennis ball down on the top of the first one, it would roll to the tee of the hole. then he would wait there until somebody bounced or threw the ball to him, so that he would get off the green and they could complete the hole.

the owner also informed us that the course was supposedly the oldest mini-golf course in Michigan, with very few alterations, and was probably the only one with a chip shot, and maybe the cheapest one to play.

We had a good time and took some nice pictures that I may post at some point. We decided that we would like to go back to that mini golf place and are thinking about going camping up in that area for that reason, along with it being quite pretty up there.