Family-friendly lodges provide an ideal venue for your personal blend of active pursuits and relaxation. Here are five places youll want to visit time and again:

The Lodge at Chaa Creek, near San Ignacio, Belize

Tucked within a 365-acre private rainforest paradise in the picturesque foothills of the Maya Mountains, Chaa Creek provides the ideal home base for your familys exploration of the Cayo District, a region where cave tubing, archeological sites, horseback riding and zip lining will lure you from the comfort of your palm-thatched cottage or tree-top suite. While at the riverside eco-lodge, dont miss early morning bird-watching tours, the hill-top spa, the Blue Morpho Butterfly Farm and the medicine trail where youll learn about native plants that provide globally significant remedies. Stay in tree-top villas, cottages or glamping-style camp casitas.

Contact: ChaaCreek.com

Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood, Ore.

Located in Oregons Mount Hood National Forest, sitting high on the shoulder of the iconic peak at 6,000 feet, this magnificent lodge was built at the height of the Great Depression by unemployed craftspeople hired by the Federal Works Progress Administration. Completed in 1937, the lodge has long served as the centerpiece of a mountain playground. The land and historic lodge are still owned by the U.S. Forest Service, but the National Historic Landmark lodge has been family-operated since 1955. Families return year after year to ski, hike, dine, mountain bike, learn about the local flora and fauna and to simply enjoy the high-altitude natural beauty.

Contact: TimberlineLodge.com

Sundance Mountain Resort, Sundance, Utah

Youll find it difficult to emerge from the cozy lodge warmed by a roaring fire or your cabin crafted from indigenous materials. But when you do, choose from cross-country and snowshoe trails that run deep into the woods or sunlit downhill runs on the slopes of Mount Timpanagos. Founded by filmmaker and conservationist Robert Redford, the resort offers family-friendly pottery, beading and printmaking classes in the Art Shack, winter fly-fishing and dining menus with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced ingredients.

Contact: SundanceResort.com

Grand View Lodge, Brainerd, Minn.

Visit this historic lodge on Gull Lake for a family-centric getaway. Expanding over 750 acres, the kids will burn off energy cross-country skiing, playing hockey, skating, tubing or swimming in the indoor pool. Go for sleigh rides, relax in the hot tub and play games in your garden cottage, cabin or lodge rooms. A four-season vacation destination, the lodge is a popular summer spot for lake activities, golf and hiking.

Contact: GrandViewLodge.com

Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, Montana

There are few places on the planet as stunning as Glacier National Park. And one could argue that the historic Many Glacier Hotel is the ideal venue from which to appreciate the vast and astonishing landscape. Located on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake with jagged peaks as backdrop, the iconic hotel was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914 to lure tourists to the Wild West. Today, visitors from around the world find their way to this northwestern corner of Montana, eager to see the disappearing glaciers, hike aside azure-colored lakes and to catch a glimpse of resident wildlife.

This secluded, five-story hotel offers a window into the past with old-world style guest rooms and a Swiss Alpine theme. While dedicated to honoring its historic roots, the 214-room gem has undergone a multimillion dollar renovation that included remodeling rooms, updating furniture and lighting and restoring the dining room to historic standards.

Red Bus tours, boat cruises, horseback rides and evening ranger programs are offered in an unparalleled lakeside setting. Book well in advance.

Contact: VisitMontana.com, GlacierNationalParkLodges.com

Originally posted here:
Family travel five: Lodges that blend activity, relaxation - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Cameran Eubankshas beautiful skin, with the fresh-faced selfies to prove it: Just check out her au naturel glow in the photoshe posted in December 2019 with herSouthern CharmbestieChelsea Messiner.Cameran has shouted out her skincare secrets before like the "magic" serums and "freaking amazing" moisturizer she swears by. But now, the Charleston mom is trying out something a little different:a non-invasive skin treatment.

"Did something new I've read a lot about @spaazure today. (They are the only Biologique Recherche spa in SC)," Cameran wrote on Instagram Stories yesterday, January 15, along with photos from the treatment room. "This is the remodeling face machine that uses micro current to tighten and tone your face. You can add this service to your facial."

According to Spa Azure's website, the $235 Remodeling treatment uses electric currents to improve muscle memory of the facial muscles and revitalize the epidermis and Cam said she saw immediate results.

"I gotta say. My face seems LIFTED. Look how this eyebrow is lifted," she wrote, drawing in an arrow to show off the differencebeforeandafter the treatment.

Impressive! No wonder she said that she "will be adding this to [her]facials from now on."

Meanwhile, she's advocating forat-home use of Biologique Recherche's holy grail product, Lotion P50. "If you buy one thing, buy this. Cult following and some call it the single best skincare product in the world."

Cam isn't the onlySouthern Charm-er who swears by P50 and facials atSpa Azure:Naomie Olindosays her trips there leave her"feeling and looking likea new human every time."

Bravos Style & Living is your window to the fabulous lifestyles of Bravolebrities. Be the first to know about all the best fashion and beauty looks, the breathtaking homes Bravo stars live in, everything theyre eating and drinking, and so much more. Sign up to become a Bravo Insider and get exclusive extras.

Excerpt from:
Cameran Eubanks Tried a Face Tightening Treatment: This Eyebrow Is Lifted! - Bravo

Houzz Inc., the platform for home remodeling and design, recently released the Q1 2020 Houzz Renovation Barometer, which tracks residential renovation market expectations, project backlogs and recent activity among businesses in the construction sector and the architectural and design services sector in the U.S. The Barometer points to strong expectations for home renovation market activity in the first quarter of the year.

Small businesses in the construction sector and architectural and design sector are heading into 2020 on a positive note, with expectations in line with last year and project backlogs already a few days longer than three months ago, said Nino Sitchinava, Houzz principal economist. Given the significant delays in 2019 due to weather, among other factors, businesses are optimistic about projects spilling over into the first half of 2020. Economic and political uncertainty, high product and material costs, and shortages of skilled labor continue to be the top cited concerns for 2020.

Construction Sector

Architectural and Design Services Sector

The Houzz Renovation Barometer is based on a quarterly online survey sent to a national panel of businesses with an online profile on Houzz. The Barometer keeps a pulse on home renovation market conditions via three distinct indices that track expected, current, and recent business activity in two related industry sectors, the construction sector and the architectural and design services sector.

The Expected Business Activity Indicator is based on survey questions that ask businesses to report whether they expect the number of project inquiries and new committed projects to increase, decrease or stay unchanged in the upcoming quarter relative to the prior quarter. Scores for each component are then computed as a seasonally adjusted diffusion indices on a scale of 0 to 100, with index values over 50 indicating that a greater proportion of firms reported quarter-over-quarter increases than those reporting decreases.

The Recent Business Activity Indicator is based on survey questions that ask businesses to report whether they observed the actual number of project inquiries and new committed projects increasing, decreasing or staying unchanged in the most recent quarter relative to the prior quarter. Scores for each component are then computed as a seasonally adjusted diffusion indices similar to the Expected Business Activity Indicator. Recent Business Activity Indicator scores can be compared to the Expected Business Activity Indicator scores for any given quarter to see whether actual activity met, exceeded, or fell short of expectations.

Finally, the Backlog Indicator is based on survey questions that ask businesses to report wait times in weeks before a company can start work on a new midsize project. Scores are computed as average wait times without a seasonal adjustment.

All three indices are computed individually for two subsectors in the construction sector (build only remodelers and design and build remodelers) and for two subsectors in the architectural and design services sector (architects and interior designers), as well as for nine regions that follow U.S. Census Bureau Divisions. The aggregated national indices are computed using industry subsector weights and regional weights derived from the 2016 U.S. Census County Business Patterns survey. Detailed methodology and underlying quarterly indices for the construction sector and the architectural and design services sector, and other information on market conditions can be found on houzz.com/research.

The Q1 2020 Barometer was fielded December 29th, 2019 through January 10th, 2020 and garnered responses from nearly 1,500 small businesses on Houzz. n=1,484.

The Q2 2020 Houzz Renovation Barometer release date is April 9, 2020.

Furniture Industry News and in depth magazine articles for the furniture retail, furniture manufacturers, and furniture distributors. Read other articles by Nic Ledoux

See more here:
2020 Kicks Off with Confidence in Q1 Home Renovation Market, Houzz Barometer Finds - Furniture World Magazine

Whether you want to vacation with three or four generations of your family, take care of your elderly parents or nurture a relationship among members of your extended family, you may want to consider having a home designed specifically for multiple generations to live together.

One of the essential elements to a successful melding of generations in one home, ironically, is creating space for everyone to be occasionally apart.

For Diane and Roger Feeley, retired grandparents, this meant hiring Michael Winn, founder of Winn Design + Build in Falls Church, Virginia, to design a separate house connected to their daughter and son-in-laws home outside Washington, D.C. The motivation for the couple, both in their mid-60s, is to live close to their two grandsons, who are 2 and 4.

I didnt know any of my grandparents and I wanted my grandchildren to have the experience that I didnt have, she said.

More: The Best Smart Home Tech from CES 2020

Like many families, the Feeleys prize togetherness with their grandchildren but also appreciate their privacy. Their three-level house includes a porch that overlooks the swimming pool, a loft level home office and a 1,300-square-foot woodworking shop in the basement for Mr. Feeley.

I watch the boys during the week, but most evenings and weekends we hardly see each other, Mrs. Feeley said.

The Feeleys living situation is not so unique. Approximately 20% of Americans live in a household with three or more generations, according to the Pew Research Center.

More: Future Returns: There Are Reasons for Optimismand Cautionin 2020

Embracing Multiple Generations Takes Architectural Creativity

Just as each family is different, so are their design preferences.

When we meet with buyers, they often fall in love with the site and tell us how many bedrooms they need, but we dig deeper to get to know them and understand their family dynamics, said Ricardo Santa Cruz, chief business development officer for Mandarina, a resort with private residences north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. For example, for a family with college students who want to bring their friends to visit, we can design the house so that the entertainment space is far from the grandparents and parents suites. But families with young children often want the kids rooms close to their parents but farther from the grandparents.

One buyer built an eight-bedroom house with first-floor bedrooms for grandparents and two swimming pools an infinity-edge pool for adults and a waist-deep pool for the children that was placed at the back of the house, Mr. Santa Cruz said.

More: High-Tech Gadgets to Help You Stay Warm This Winter

Some families want to entertain with everyone cooking and talking in the open kitchen, but others prefer a more closed-off kitchen for staff to cook while the family and friends gather in another space, he said.

Other residences at Mandarina, where homes are marketed to international buyers, prices range from US$4.95 million to US$10 million, have been designed with a separate bungalow for grandparents or a suite with an elevator for accessibility.

In every case, we build outdoor space around the house and work around the trees and topography of the land, Mr. Santa Cruz said. We create small destination points with private terraces facing the ocean, the jungle or the trees where people can walk a short distance from the house to escape into their own nook.

Sometimes, a multigenerational home is designed for caretaking rather than relaxation. In the Chicago area, Fred Wilson, a founding partner with Morgante-Wilson Architects in Evanston, Illinois, designed a US$1.5 million renovation on a home that had been in one family for generations.

We created a suite for the owners mother on the first floor that includes a big open bedroom and living area with French doors to a private terrace, Mr. Wilson said. She can walk down the hall to be with the rest of the family in the kitchen and family room whenever she wants.

Meanwhile, several multigenerational homes have been built on Crane Island, a custom home community adjacent to Amelia Island in Florida. One recently retired couple built a US$1.5 million property to accommodate three children and their partners as well as extended visits from the wifes parents from Poland, said John Hillman, vice president of sales and marketing at Crane Island.

More: The Year Ahead in Luxury Real Estate

That house includes double-front porches and a screened porch in the back so theres plenty of space to be outside in separate areas if they want privacy, he said.

The family also built an apartment with a separate staircase above the garage with a living room, a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom so that the visiting parents have complete privacy when they want it, he said.

Another property on Crane Island, a US$3 million custom home, includes a garage apartment connected by an air-conditioned breezeway to the main house designed for the owners father, who is in his 90s. A third multigenerational property on the island has two wings to the house with a common entrance, so that the daughter and her family are on one side of the house and her father lives on the opposite side, Mr. Hillman said.

More: Cutting-Edge Amenities That Will Define 2020

As for the Feeleys, they planned to build a separate house on their daughters property but were prevented by zoning issues, Mr. Winn said.

The breezeway that connects the houses was built so they could be considered attached, but its practical, too, so the families can go back and forth under protection in inclement weather, Mr. Winn said. Otherwise, its a completely autonomous structure with almost 1,000 square feet on the main level that includes their living and dining area, kitchen, laundry, bedroom and bathroom.

Designing for the Future

While most families who build or remodel a home to accommodate multiple generations plan to live in it for many years, that doesnt mean many homeowners want visible aging-in-place features. Adding a first-floor bedroom and reducing the need to climb stairs are among the many elements that can make it easier for elderly people to stay in their home rather than move to senior housing.

More: Hidden Tech That Will Add a Futuristic Feel to Your Home

Its important to design spaces, especially the bathroom, that avoid that nursing home look, even if you need to include a bathtub with a door and a no-threshold shower, Mr. Wilson said.

The Feeleys home has aging-in-place features such as lever door handles, wide doorways, a front-loading washer-and-dryer and a walk-in shower with slip-resistant flooring and a seat, Mr. Winn said.

We designed the space around a spiral staircase to the upper and lower levels so an elevator can easily be added in the future if they want one, Mr. Winn said. A basic residential elevator costs about US$35,000 to install if the space is already configured for one, he said.

Since the Feeleys daughters home is an 1860s farmhouse, Mr. Winn was careful to design the new home to complement the historic home and to work as a pool house or future guest house if the family ever sells the property.

If you design a multigenerational house appropriately and not as if its an afterthought, the additional space is an asset for resale value, Mr. Wilson said. The space can be repurposed for guests, for an au pair, for an office or just another hangout space in your home.

More: The Wonderfuland Sometimes WeirdTech of 2019

Legal, Financial and Psychological Preparation

Every adult member of the multigenerational household should be part of deep discussions well before an architect is hired, Mr. Winn said, to clarify who will finance and own the property and who will make the design decisions. The Feeleys spent about US$600,000 to US$700,000 to build their house on their daughters land.

We had numerous conversations with our attorney and financial planner about how to address every financial and legal issue with building on our daughters property, Mr. Feeley said. The gift tax would have been crazy if we gave them the money to build the house. Instead, were the mortgage holders and our daughter and son-in-law have an interest-free loan with us that we forgive each year since theyre going to inherit our money one day anyway. We also have paperwork in place thats essentially an escape clause that dials down any potential apprehension about the future.

The agreement spells out what will happen if the Feeleys or their daughter want to move and sell.

More: For Luxury Home Buyers, Guest Suites Hit a Sweet Spot

My biggest recommendation is to do a trial run before you move in together, Mrs. Feeley said. We visited a few times for four-to-six weeks to see if we were going to get on each others nerves.

In addition, the Feeleys and their daughter planned upfront how they would split costs such as property taxes and utility bills, which Mrs. Feeley said is important for family harmony.

Designing From the Ground Up

Creating a comprehensive checklist of why youre buying or remodeling a home and including a list of all the habits and ways each family member will use the space makes it easier for an architect to develop a design that meets your priorities, said Mr. Santa Cruz. A custom architect should be willing to come up with creative solutions for your property that works now and in the future.

Youre only as happy as the least happy member of your family when youre living or vacationing together, said Mr. Santa Cruz. You want to design the home so that every generations needs are met. You want the kids to be able to play even while grandpa is taking a nap and mom is working.

More: A Smart Home Guide to Self-Care

Visit link:
The Luxury Way to Live with Multiple Generations - Mansion Global

Welcome to the weekend, Michigan!

Each week our Michigans Best team (thats us, Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez) come up with a list of great things to do for our Michigans Best Weekend Show, and share them with you here.

You can view our show by going to Facebook.com/MLiveMIBest.

This weeks show is brought to you by the Grand Rapids Remodeling & New Homes Show, happening Jan. 17-19 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. You can find more information on this event below, as well as at buildremodelgr.com.

Here are the events that we covered on this weeks show, plus a few Michigans Best picks that weve been craving lately.

Have an event that we missed? Feel free to add it to the comments.

You can always email us your events, or your suggestions for Michigan's Best.

gonzo@mlive.com

asherma2@mlive.com

We hope you make it a Michigan's Best weekend!

Michigans Best Weekend Show - Jan. 16-19, 2020

Grand Rapids Remodeling & New Homes Show

Jan. 17-19, DeVos Place

This annual event features 200 local exhibitors, including kitchen design seminars by Sarah Reep, as wel as hands-on training at the DIY Homeowner Series. Hours are:

Fri, Jan 17: 12pm-9pm

Sat, Jan 18: 10am-9pm

Sun, Jan 19: 11am-5pm

Tickets: Single-Day Tickets: Adult $10 Online / $12 At the Door | Child (6-14) $4 | 5 & Under Free; Multi-Day Tickets:Adult $18 Online Only (Good for any 2 or all 3 days). Tickets available online now or at the DeVos Place Box Office during all hours of the show. More details at buildremodelgr.com.

Mackinaw City Winter Festival

Jan. 18-19

Downtown Mackinaw City

https://www.facebook.com/events/499593787348028/

Its a big weekend in Mackinaw City! Festivities begin with a DJ & Dancing at the Dixie Saloon at 10 p.m. Friday. Then on Saturday:

Winterfest Ice Fishing Tournament: (Weather permitting) From 8am until 2pm at the Carp Lake Marina, only seven miles from downtown Mackinaw City. Anglers can preregister at Carp Lake General Store, Clydes Bar or Paradise Lake Marina. All entry fees include a chance ticket valued at $5. The three categories to be judged are: Heaviest Pike, Heaviest Walleye and Heaviest Pan Fish with cash prizes for each category. Anglers may also preregister from 3-6pm on Friday in the headquarters located at Paradise Lake Marina. Registration on the day of the tournament is from 6:30-8am at the headquarters.

Chili Cook Off Competition: Begins at Mama Mias Pizzeria located at 231 East Central Avenue from 11am until 1pm. Come early to taste and vote for your favorite recipe.

Mackinaw Pepsi International Outhouse Races: Begins at at 2pm at the Sheplers Lot located on Huron Ave and Central Ave. This novelty event starts with the parade of outhouses which proves to be creative, colorful and entertaining a must see! The races are open to Adult & Junior Teams. The Outhouse must be 4x4x6 on skis. Must have a 5-person team {1-must ride & 4-push or pull}. The Outhouse must have a Toilet Seat and have Material to Wipe with. Entry must have a Name. CASH PRIZES: 1st Place: $500 | 2nd Place: $300 | 3rd Place: $200 | Best in Show: $100. Entrants under 18 must have a parents signature and ALL teams and participants must sign a waiver. http://www.mackinawouthouserace.com.

Other events include: Poker Walk from 10:15am to 1:15pm at B.C. Pizza; Sleigh/Wagon Rides from 11:30am until 2pm sponsored by Marshalls Fudge & Mackinaw Clothing Store.

For lodging reservations visit MackinawCity.com/stay/.

Pronto Pup Winter Weekend

Pronto Pup in Grand Haven has announced the dates for this years Winter Weekend - the only time during the off-season when its famed corn dogs are for sale. The food stand will be open on January 17, 18, and 19, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Owners Carl and Nancy Nelson run the 63-square-foot stand off Snug Harbor throughout the summer months, and customers sometimes line up down the block to buy their Pronto Pups - a Koegel hot dog, dipped in batter and fried, and served on a stick with ketchup or mustard.

Carls father, Charles Chuck Nelson, opened the stand in 1947.

Spicy Saturday at the Downtown Market

January 18, the Grand Rapids Downtown Market

9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Guests can experience blazin bites and strong sips during the fourth annual Spicy Saturday event throughout the Market Hall. This one-day-only event features hot items and other sizzling specials from various Market vendors and restaurants. Additionally, the second annual So Cluckin Hot spicy wing challenge takes place at noon on Spicy Saturday, hosted by Juju Bird. Participants will have 10 minutes to eat 12 of Juju Birds famous So Cluckin Hot wings. The winner will receive a $50 gift card to Juju Bird, a $50 gift card to the Downtown Market and $100 cash. All participants receive a $10 Juju Bird gift card.

So Cluckin Hot wing eating challenge - noon

http://downtownmarketgr.com/classes-events/spicy-saturday-2

Spicy Saturday specials include:

Tip Up Town

January 16,17,18,19 and January 24-25

1625 W Houghton Lake Dr

Houghton Lake, Michigan 48629

989-366-5644

Its the 70th anniversary for Tip Up Town, and the theme is Groovy 70s. The festival is held at the southern DNR boat launch, off of M-55 near the Pines theater and Pineview Golf Course. Free parking is available at the High School and library with free shuttle service to and from Tip Up Town.

This is the largest ice fishing festival in north central Michigan, and runs the last two weekends in January.

Activities include:

Tip Up Queen is crowned at noon on Saturday, a 5k run on Saturday, Grand Parade at 10, and fireworks at dusk.

Indian River Winterfest

Friday January 17 and Saturday January 18

Throughout downtown Indian River

This family friendly festival take place in beautiful Indian River. There are events throughout the weekend, including a cornhole tournament, live music, poker run, ice fishing tournament, and much more.

Head to Cooperation Park for family activities on Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., including build your own cardboard sleds (with cardboard provided), ice skating and cross country skiing. Free cookies and cocoa!

Cornhole is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Live music from Mike Ridley both nights, and a very rare Jelly Roll Blues Band sighting on Friday at 8 p.m.

Look up Indian River Winterfest 2020 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/441772370110478/?event_time_id=441772373443811

Johns Michigans Best Pick

This is the Tortellini Alfredo pizza at Tiffany Foods and Spirits in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Tiffany's was a finalist in the search for Michigan's Best Pizza in 2013.Jeff Schrier

Tiffany's Food and Spirits

656 S. Main, Frankenmuth

989-652-6881

Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m daily (bar open until midnight)

Facebook

On our search for Michigans Best Pizza in 2013, Tiffanys was known for maybe the most unique pizza -- the signature PastaPitza. The pizza is topped with homemade pasta on a thin homemade crust and sauce and topped with cheeses before its baked into a rich, filling dish. You can get 8 different pastas from Chicken Marsala to Seafood Alfredo. The menu also includes traditional and Sicilian pizzas, as well as sandwiches, burgers, great appetizer (try the escargot) and homemade pasta dishes, of course. Built in the 1900s, youll love the old house feel of the restaurant and the large display of Tiffany Lamps.

Photos: Our MLive visit in 2013

23 great pizza places not to miss (2013)

Amys Michigans Best Pick

Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez of MLive search for Michigan's Best Bloody Mary. Here they visit the Hunt Club in Jackson (April 17, 2016).John Gonzalez

The Hunt Club, Jackson

1514 Daniel Road, Jackson

http://thehuntclubmichiganjh.com/

One of our top picks from one of our first searches together, The Hunt Club in Jackson has not only a top notch bloody mary, but also just great drinks altogether. The search for Michigans Best Bloody Mary was an epic adventure that took us across the state, as we traveled more than 1,500 miles and visited 47 places. We tried spicy ones, beefy ones, ones that were slightly sweet, and some that were very savory. We had a few that burned our tongues with lovely heat and some that werent hot at all. Several were loaded with full meals balanced on the top, and some came with a simple pickle and olive. The most amazing thing? Not one of them tasted the same. One of our top ten picks was The Hunt Club.

The Bloody Mary Breakdown: The Bacon Bloody Mary starts with a vegetable juice base, enhanced with fresh citrus and spices. Ugly Dog bacon infused vodka is used.

Garnish: Housemade beer-candied bacon, blue cheese-stuffed olive, regular olives, pickle, celery, lime wedge

Why try it: They spent a lot of time creating this drink, working on a sweet vs. salty vs. spicy balance. This is very refreshing, with lots of citrus flavor. The bacon vodka gives the drink depth without being overly bacony. Bright, twangy, light, this drink is all-around delicious. And that candied bacon is incredible.

When The Hunt Club switched to using the Ugly Dog bacon vodka, they saw their Bloody Mary sales quadruple. They have something for everyone, with a full restaurant, several bars, banquet rooms for rent and a game room.

LOOKING AHEAD

Amy Sherman of MLive interviews Angielena Muellenberg, co-owner of Snowbelt Brewery in Gaylord, Michigan. This was part of Michigan's Best Day in Gaylord.John Gonzalez

We are celebrating another Michigans Best Day! Amy and Gonzo just finished filming another best day video, this time in Gaylord. The video will debut at Snowbelt Brewing Co. in Gaylord at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21. The brewery is located at 132 W Main St, Gaylord, MI 49735.

We appreciate you following our Michigans Best adventures.

Follow Michigans Best on social media:

@mlivemibest on Twitter

@mlivemibest on Instagram

Also, be sure to follow our MI Best Facebook Page, which you can check out here.

Join in by using the hashtags #mibest and #ItriedMiBest

In addition:

Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail.

John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo.

More:
Michigans Best Weekend Show - Things to Do, Jan. 16-19, 2020 - mlive.com

An old weatherboard-clad farmhouse rests on a hillside overlooking the James River in Nelson County, where it has stood since 1840.

Rock Cliff is an interesting home: short doors connect the 1840 section of the house with the new construction of 1882, and its front stoop is made of stones from an old canal lock.

Its most unique feature, however, has nothing to do with design or construction. It has to do with its inhabitants.

Rock Cliff has been continuously owned by the Cabell family and its descendants for almost 300 years.

It currently is owned by Andrew and Digna Gantt, who have been working diligently to restore and maintain the property, which now is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.

It just feels like home, Andrew said.

Rock Cliff started as a land grant of about 6,000 acres along the James River to Dr. William Cabell in 1734. By the time John Cabell, the last of William Cabells children, died, the property had grown to 60,000 acres on both sides of the James River, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior registration form for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Before the Cabells, the land long had been inhabited by the Monacan Indian tribe.

The multiple-branched Cabell familys three-century tenure in the area is an enduring testimony to William Cabells skill and foresight in selecting this area for permanent settlement, the historic register documentation reads.

Cabell deeded the land to his son, Col. William Cabell, who gave it to his son, Mayo Cabell. Mayo Cabell sold the property, then 640 acres, to the great-great grandson of Dr. William Cabell, Dr. William Andrew Horsley, who descended from Cabells daughter Mary Cabell Horsley.

William Andrew Horsley, Andrew Gantts great grandfather, practiced medicine from an office still standing on the property.

When the 1882 addition to the 1840 house was constructed, the two halves didnt connect, forcing residents to walk out one side and back in the other,

In Dr. Horsleys daughter Anna Maria Perkins Horsleys diary, she described her father cutting a door on the second floor from the old house into the new addition, calling it not pretty but convenient, the historic register documentation reads.

Anna Maria Horsley diary indicates her father was a general practice doctor who set bones and delivered babies. Dr. Horsleys lower income patients would pay doctors fees with goods rather than money.

Family tradition holds that during the Civil War, Union General Philip H. Sheridan and his troops arrived at the area near Rock Cliff in March of 1865 on their way to sever Confederate supply lines by destroying the Virginia Central Railroad and the James River and Kanawha Canal.

Andrew said his grandmothers diary described Sheridans troops arrival at Rock Cliffs back porch. She was about 7 years old when that happened.

They were scuffling and fighting over a glass of wine. One of them told me, Get out of the way, you damn little rebel. I had expected monsters but they were just ordinary men, Andrew quoted.

Horsleys modest income as a doctor was just enough to keep Rock Cliff in the family when many of his ancestors lost their homes, Andrew said.

After William Andrew Horsleys death in 1887, the 637-acre property was divided among his five children and then subdivided among their heirs, and so on.

It was Andrews father, Dr. William Andrew Horsley Gantt, who set out to reassemble the homestead. Dr. Gantt had a storied history of his own. He worked as Chief of the Petrograd Unit of the American Relief Administration, helping with famine relief in Russia starting in 1922.

There he met Dr. Ivan Pavlov and became interested in his conditional reflex studies using a bell and a salivating dog. He stayed until the end of the program in 1923, and then returned from 1925 to 1929 to continue work with Pavlov. He later established a Pavlovian laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.

He formed the theories of schizogenesis and autokinesis which became the foundation of our modern understanding of the link between stress and psychological suffering and physical illness, the form states.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Gantt published seven books and authored 700 articles; he was nominated but did not receive the Nobel Prize in 1970.

Andrews father is the one who first installed plumbing in the house.

He knew nothing about plumbing but he got books from Montgomery Ward, Andrew said. Montgomery Ward, in those days, this was 1940 or so, would loan out tools and instruction books if you bought the materials from them. So thats what my father did and he knew absolutely nothing about plumbing. He was a doctor and a psychiatrist but he did all this himself. He read up on it the night before and the next day he would do what he read up on.

Beginning in 1930, Andrews father started trying to buy back all the fragmented pieces of his old homestead, finishing in the 1970s. The current Rock Cliff is a 692-acre property.

I remember when he finally bought the last piece from a cousin who had 1/84th of the farm, Andrew said. She did not want to sell it. ... I remember the day she finally did. He had great big hands, my father, and he was sitting there rubbing them together.

Andrews father died in 1980.

At one point in its history, the Rock Cliff house was leaning perilously, about to collapse under the forces of time. But Andrews father saved it.

My father rescued it and then we did more rescuing, Andrew said. We will do what we can to maintain it and if we cant, we wont. But we will still keep it. Whether my children will have that attitude, who knows?

The tan weatherboard-clad house stands among ancient oak trees. The original house features three banks of windows and a screened-in, columned front porch. The later addition sticks out on the left hand side, with its tin-clad roof sitting a little lower than the original.

A 1965 addition gave the back of the house a two-story porch. A bay window was added in 2000 and the house was extended out the back to accommodate a kitchen renovation.

In 2009, one chimney on the 1882 addition was removed and rebuilt and a carport added.

Much of the houses historic character has been maintained, and subsequent renovations have been respectful to the houses original look.

The windows are framed by the louvered shutters and some original windows remain, which the couple clad with plexiglass to cut down on drafts without altering its historic look.

The floors still are the original heart pine, and each room has 10-foot ceilings with dimensions Andrew calls just about perfect. The original construction consists of four large rooms, with four more added in the newer construction.

The staircase in the oldest portion of the house is open, featuring square newel posts and balusters but curves gracefully at the top.

I used to slide down the banister all the time, Andrew said with a chuckle.

The fireplaces feature a simple carved wood mantle with a triangular center panel and wood mantel shelves.

The upstairs rooms in the original house both were bedrooms and one has doors cut small enough that an average-sized adult must duck to get through to allow access to the newer addition.

A back staircase between the kitchen and den leads to the second floor in the 1882 side, which contains a modern bathroom and a small office where one can see the original weatherboarding on the 1840 construction preserved.

The older part of the house, Andrew said, has some ghosts. He recalled once seeing three female forms float across the original parlor, and Digna noted other guests have refused to stay there.

The house is decorated with all kinds of art, from impressionistic paintings to hand-drawn maps and even a bust of Andrews father.

The plaster has been reworked to eliminate the cracking common in a home that is more than a century old.

Digna said the man who repaired the walls told the couple if any of Andrews ancestors were to return, they would feel right at home, since all the alterations kept with the original character of the house.

My goal during the remodeling is if you didnt know it before, you wouldve never realized anything had been changed, Andrew said.

The estate now is about 673 aces of timber with 19 acres of open land. Several creeks cut through the property, the largest of which is Haw Creek that passes through the canal towpath before emptying into the James River.

As a kid, I loved it down there, Andrew said. I would wander around all over the place and nobody restricted me. Id get lost in the woods. My father told me if you ever get lost in the woods, just follow the creeks and youll get back home.

Behind the house sits a circa-1854 smokehouse, a circa-1825 office, circa 1854-summer kitchen, the circa-1860 cemetery and a circa-2008 garage.

The property was entered into the historic register in 2015 and the community itself now is part of the Norwood-Wingina Rural Historic District, encompassing a number of historic homes and buildings.

Andrew once wanted to farm the land but after running the numbers, he learned it wouldnt be profitable. Instead some 450,000 trees have been planted there, making it a modest timber farm with just enough income to maintain the property.

It was a terrible eye-opener, Andrew said. A small dairy farm is all it could support so I changed professions and went into economics [at Cornell] got a Ph.D. in economics but I have always loved the place so now I can do it as a hobby rather than as a living.

While Rock Cliff endured over the centuries, the modern world at times has threatened its character most recently when a natural gas pipeline was proposed that would cut through the property.

Now the land has a measure of protection being on both the state and national historic registers.

It has remained a beloved homestead for the Cabell-Horsley-Gantt family through the generations. Andrew and Digna hope it will remain in the hands of Cabell descendants.

I trust our children will do what is right for them, Andrew said. If I had the money, I would put the whole thing in a historic trust but I dont have the money and I dont wish to control what my children do.

PHOTOS: Generations of Cabell family found home in 1840 estate

Rock Cliff is an interesting home: short doors connect the 1840 section of the house with the new construction of 1882, and its front stoop is made of stones from an old canal lock.

Its most unique feature, however, has nothing to do with design or construction. It has to do with its inhabitants.

A living room at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A bust of Andrew Gantt's father at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A living room at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A dining room at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

The original exterior of the house is seen at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A nook at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

Stairs at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A bedroom at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A bedroom at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt. The upstairs rooms in the original house both were bedrooms.

The original exterior of the house is seen behind a book shelf at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A map at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

Andrew and Digna Gantt at their home in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A graveyard at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A gravestone at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

A graveyard at the home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

The home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

The home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

The home of Andrew and Digna Gantt in Nelson on November 14, 2019.

Sidener is the special publications editor for The News & Advance. Reach her at (434) 385-5539.

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Generations of Cabell family found home in 1840 estate - Lynchburg News and Advance

FAIRFIELD TWP.

Last year, Fairfield Twp. focused on getting its fire department a better functional station.

This year, its the police departments turn.

Construction to remodel and expand the Fairfield Twp. police station is likely to start later this year as its anticipated trustees will hire a contractor this spring if everything goes as scheduled, said Fairfield Twp. Administrator Julie Vonderhaar.

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The township is seeking qualifications from developers by Friday, and proposals would be due this spring. The contractor hired would determine when construction starts, but Vonderhaar said the project could take up to a year.

Included in the remodeling of the 3,500-square-foot building is an expansion on the front side that will include nine offices and a new lobby, records room, secure properties office and conference room. There will be three restrooms and the possibility for additional rooms. The remodeling of the existing building will include relocating partitions, and new floors, ceiling tiles and lighting.

The expansion will also require additional fencing to the southeast corner with a gated entrance and redeveloped parking area for police vehicles.

The existing under-roof parking bays to the rear of the building will also be enclosed as part of the remodeling project.

Weve outgrown the department, said Fairfield Twp. Assistant Chief Doug Lanier. When we first moved into this department, we just had an office at the administration building.

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The department moved into the building in 2002 with about 10 fewer full-time employees. Today they have 21 sworn officers with two more to be hired later this year and two full-time clerks. They also have a part-time property room clerk.

The remodel and expansion will address three key areas of improvement needed, Lanier said: more space, better operational efficiency and better workflow.

Weve got a lot more people doing a lot more work, Lanier said. Weve moved personnel from one office to the other, weve turned offices into storage, weve moved the property room and evidence room around.

The working conditions are not unlike Fairfield Twp.s old fire station 212 on Tylersville Road before it was relocated to a new building last year on Gilmore Road.

The township has boomed in population since 1990 when it was 9,753 residents. Today, there are nearly 23,000 residents living in the township, a 130-plus percent growth over the past 30 years. Lanier said that growth does not include the townships business growth and day-time traffic, which is also growing.

Vonderhaar said the project could cost about $1.2 million.

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Growing Fairfield Twp. needs larger police headquarters: What to know - Hamilton Journal News

If you think remodeling your kitchen is a lot of work, what if you had a fixer upper thats more than 2-thousand miles long. Yes, the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Maine to Florida and through Virginia is getting a makeover so it can be more accessible to people of various skill levels.

Literally, one step at a time, volunteers have been remaking sectionss of the Appalachian Trail that are too vertical, too precarious or just worn out.

Bruce Agnew is a Volunteer Steward of the AT. Back in the old days, they just ran it up the side of the mountain. And we've been maintaining those steep grades for 50 years, 75 years. So, let's make the grade a little bit gentler."

We met up with him on a New Years Day Hike in the Mountain Lakes Wilderness that comprises Virginias Giles and Craig Counties. Its a three-year project, 6,000 linear feet, a lot of stone steps and a, a, a lot of cutting side Hill. Literally cutting into a hillside, pulling the dirt out, creating a nice flat trail as it winds around the side of the mountain.

And let me just show you one photo of a section of trail that we finished about a year ago,

He shows us a picture of one section with what looks like a gently curved a staircase to a stone mansion. But at the top, all there is more wilderness. Hey, great picture, the hikers with us say. Very straight, and even."

The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club has been doing this work and more volunteers are more than welcome. People come from all over the country and the world to help in these efforts. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, based in Blacksburg, makes sure they have tools and training to get the job done.

We use local material within a very short distance of where the steps are going in. We're hauling heavy tools, but we're not hauling a stone any further than we have to.

Several years ago, the Appalachian trail Conservancy decided its better to have a trail that is less steep. People like people like me can make it up a gentler slope.

Agnew is retired but he doesnt appear to have slowed down. The new, gentler trails follow the available topography when possible. Some are relocated to make them more sustainable.

A steep trail erodes much more rapidly than a gentler sloping trail because water running down hill has a erosional capabilities. The gentler the slope, the less erosion, the less erosion, the less maintenance, the less maintenance, the less work that the trail maintainers have to do to maintain that section of trail that they're responsible for.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy's flagship Konnarock crew program, founded in 1983, named after its original base camp in southwest Virginia, is looking for volunteers of all experience levels and backgrounds, any age over 18. No experience necessary. The ATC provides training, equipment, room and board.

Here's a section of trail that we put in about 40 or 50 stone steps. It takes about three people, four people to move one of those steps into place. And I mean, to be a part of that and to be able to come back five years, 10 years down the road and step on these things and make sure they don't wobble. Agnew Trails off: Well, thats a job well done.

Click here for more information about the Konnarock Trail Crew

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Remodeling the Appalachian Trail - WVTF

Arkansas Federal Credit Union is paying $12 million for a building in west Little Rock that will become the organization's new corporate home.

Arkansas Federal announced Tuesday that over the next 18-24 months it will move its primary operations from Jacksonville to the 97,000-square-foot building at 5800 Ranch Drive that housed the nonprofit Family Life.

Family Life will continue operating at the site until August.

"After a three-year search for space to accommodate our growing operations and membership, we felt the building's size, quality, location and value were the perfect fit for us," Rodney Showmar, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Federal, said in a news release. "We are excited to be able to have all of our operations staff under one roof in this new facility."

The new headquarters will accommodate 200 employees and has plenty of room for expansion, the company said, noting that it also will build a full-service branch on site to serve the area. Remodeling is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

The credit union serves 108,000 members at 15 branches in Arkansas. It has $1.2 billion in assets.

-- Andrew Moreau

Print Headline: Arkansas Federal Credit Union union moving to $12M west Little Rock facility

Excerpt from:
Arkansas Federal Credit Union union moving to $12M west Little Rock facility - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Arkansas Federal Credit Union is paying $12 million for a building in west Little Rock that will become the organizations new home.

Arkansas Federal announced Tuesday that over the next 18-24 months it will move its primary operations from Jacksonville to the 97,000-square-foot building at 5800 Ranch Drive that housed the nonprofit Family Life.

Family Life will continue operating at the site until August.

After a three-year search for space to accommodate our growing operations and membership, we felt the buildings size, quality, location and value were the perfect fit for us, Rodney Showmar, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Federal, said in a news release. We are excited to be able to have all of our operations staff under one roof in this new facility."

The new headquarters will accommodate 200 employees and has plenty of room for expansion, the company said, noting that it also will build a full-service branch on site to serve the area. Remodeling is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

The credit union serves 108,000 members at 15 branches in Arkansas. It has $1.2 billion in assets.

Continue reading here:
Arkansas Federal Credit Union to move HQ from Jacksonville to west Little Rock - Arkansas Online