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USA: Michigan

PGLong

Member
Try Mackinaw Island (MCD) for a great get away for a day or weekend. No autos on this island, just horse drawn carriages. Airport is 2 miles from the city. Landing fee. Call the airport and have the attendant call for a taxi for you, or its a nice hike into town on a paved trail. Lots of quaint tourist shops and turn of the century places to stay. Look it up on the Internet. If your pockets are deep, arrange for a stay at the Grand Hotel. Pricey, but a real special place. Lots to see and do.....Old Fort in town you can tour, lots of hiking trails, bike rentals, etc......Enjoy
 
Don't forget about the horse rentals.....I agree this is a great place to visit. Brian Kelly, Canton, Mi
 
3NP Napolean

Crossing grass rwy's 2 block walk to the Napolean Cafe' Great Pie and Ice cream. Food is outstanding too
 
KPLN

The VI restaurant upstairs in the terminal at Pellston is very good. A sister resaurant is on Mackinac Island. The FBO is efficient and friendly. The terminal is right next door.
 
KJXN

Jackson, Michigan. Nice cafe' in the terminal with windows overlooking the ramp and runways. A local favorite.
 
66G - Zhender's Chicken

http://www.zehnders.com/new-site/restaurant/index.htm
I can't believe there is anyone in Michigan who doesn't already know this, but here goes.

Fly to 66G, a nice grass strip 9-27. Call from the clubhouse and they will pick you up free and friendly. The shuttle runs in town every 20 minutes, I think, and will take you back to the airport when done.

Check the Michigan Airport guide (online if you are not a MI pilot) for the access code for the club house, just in case. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/F_airports_147328_7.pdf

For those of us who don't want chicken, there are some fishes, now including an excellent salmon. The menu is on the website. Or, for a different version of German food, go across the street to the Bavarian Inn, also excellent. They share the shuttle.
 
Muskegon County MKG

There is an excellent restaurant in the passenger terminal at MKG and it's just a few hundred feet from the FBO. I had the salmon ceasar salad and my wife had a steak salad, southwest style. The dishes were excellent and portions generous. Service was prompt, gracious and skillful. The whole bill was $23.00 and if it was near my house I'd be there a lot. The FBO charged $4.79 for fuel, pumped it without spilling it, did not add any other charges and smiled while giving good service. We flew south for a while on the shoreline before going back to DET.
 
KRBQ Roben-Hood in Big Rapids, MI

Today my wife and I flew to RBQ, borrowed the airport car and went
"tubing" on the rather tame rapids, then had lunch in town at the
excellent Pepper's Cafe & Deli (121 N. Michigan just N. of Maple on
the W. side. Michigan is 1 Bl E. of 131)
http://chefmoz.org/United_States/MI/Big_Rapids/Pepper%27s_Cafe_%26_Delicatessen1093826754.html

The tubing ride was about 1.7 hours. You exit at a park and they come
for you with a truck at about the right time. They also offer canoes
and kayaks. The tubing was really relaxing and a lot of fun. They say
it's really busy on the good (hot) days. We were there quite early and
had the place to ourselves, but it was quite busy when we got back.
Think about hats and sunscreen. http://www.sawmillmi.com/

Everyone we met was very friendly and helpful. The airport manager is
an enthusiast and a real pleasure to do business with. My wife rated
the day a "10".
 
KGDW

Check out KDGW-Gladwin, cheap fuel, friendly people,nice terminal, and you can take the courtesy car to town its an old police cruiser :cool:

check out the Pepper Mill restaurant for some great pie!
 
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KHTL-Houghton Lake

KHTL- Houghton Lake, nice little airport,good destination for a fall color tour,Spikehorn Bar and Grill is only a half mile down the road for some lunch
 
80D-Clare county

80D-Clare county, Harrison, taxi right up to Yvonnes aero-port cafe,little diner right on the airport or walk across the street to other restaurants,taxi ways are gravel/grass
 
Selfridge ANGB Air Museum

OK, you can't fly into it, but if you find yourself near Selfridge Air National Guard Base ( North of the Detroit area) there is an air museum you really might want to check out.

The base has a museum of the various aircraft (about 20-30) that were based there since the 1950's and before. In particular, there is a P-3 Orion and a C-130A that are open to walk through and sit in the cockpits. The P-3 Orion you enter the back and walk through to the front seeing the 1970's vintage antisub equipment and you can sit in the pilot's seat. A massive airplane. The same arrangement exists for the C-130A, you can walk around in the back of the airplane where the paratroops would have sat and then you can climb up into the flight deck and sit in the pilot's (or co-pilot's or flight engineer's or navigator's) seat and get a feel for what it would have been like to fly one of these things. Suprisingly, the visibility out of the C-130 was quite good.

There is also an inside museum area with cross sectioned P-51 and P-47 engines and an F-16 cockpit you can sit in. Aircraft I can remember seeing outside there included F-84, F-86, F-100, F-101, F4, F-16, F-14, a Canberra, AH-1, UH-1, F-101, F-106, a Nike-Ajax, a Nike Hercules and a bunch of observation aircraft and some others I cannot remember at this moment. It's not Wright Patterson but it is worth stopping in for. Comparable to Castle AFB Museum in Atwater CA.

I was there this afternoon as part of a CAP training assignment. I believe all you need to do to get on base is to stop at the main gate and ask to see the museum after showing your driver license. Be careful to ask where you can and can't go - I was warned that there was a restricted area nearby where alert F-16s were kept and appropriately guarded.

Right close to I-94 exit 238 I think.

--JCB
 
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Plainwell, MI

Plainwell Municipal (61D) is a good lunch destination. On the field just behind the office is the "Flyinn Restaurant". If you keep going east to the road, a matter of a few feet, and walk north, you'll first encounter on the right the "747 Neighborhood Bistro" and then, also on the right, "Sam's Joint". That's were we ate and it was very good. The building, decor, atmosphere and service are also good. Fuel was $4.29 today, self serve.
 
Houghton Lake Roscommon Co. Blodgett Memorial (KHTL)

The food is excellent at the Spikehorn Grill, just walking distance south of HTL and across the road. The Ancho Salmon special on Friday is superb. The fuel is well below average at this time.
 
KAZO - AirZoo - Kalamazoo

We went up to AirZoo on Sunday and had a great time! This air museum has two large buildings with over 50 aircraft. It has interactive simulators, various items from NASA, vintage cars, motorcyles, and more. We flew right up to AirZoo, parking was free. Prices for the museum were reasonable $8-13 depending on how many rides you think you will want to do. There is a snack shop and gift store at the larger building. The two buildings are within walking distance from each other. The aircraft are in great condition and they all have posted detailed information. It is a must see for any aircraft enthusiast. There something to do for all ages.

CJ
 
80D

80D-Clare county, Harrison, taxi right up to Yvonnes aero-port cafe,little diner right on the airport or walk across the street to other restaurants,taxi ways are gravel/grass

Yvonnes is great--had the burger combo! Just remember to bring cash! No debit/CC's accepted...
 
Latest on Air Zoo

We went up to AirZoo on Sunday and had a great time! This air museum has two large buildings with over 50 aircraft. It has interactive simulators, various items from NASA, vintage cars, motorcyles, and more. We flew right up to AirZoo, parking was free. Prices for the museum were reasonable $8-13 depending on how many rides you think you will want to do. There is a snack shop and gift store at the larger building. The two buildings are within walking distance from each other. The aircraft are in great condition and they all have posted detailed information. It is a must see for any aircraft enthusiast. There something to do for all ages.

CJ

Admission to the Air Zoo is free to all. You only pay for rides if you use them. The Air Zoo is currently building a 50,000 sq ft addition which should be open Spring 2011. Definitely a must see.
 
More on Plainwell 61D

Plainwell Municipal (61D) is a good lunch destination. On the field just behind the office is the "Flyinn Restaurant". If you keep going east to the road, a matter of a few feet, and walk north, you'll first encounter on the right the "747 Neighborhood Bistro" and then, also on the right, "Sam's Joint". That's were we ate and it was very good. The building, decor, atmosphere and service are also good. Fuel was $4.29 today, self serve.

Plainwell Airport has 2 grass strips and 1 paved, and fuel. The Fly Inn Restaurant, on the field, is a long time family owned and wonderful little cafe. It is open for breakfast every day, lunch every day but Sunday and dinner Wed, Thur and Friday. Absolutely the best cheesburgers anywhere.
 
Dalton 3DA

Flushing Dalton airport is on the northwest side of Flint's Class C inner ring. No problems getting in or out, the Flint facility controllers are very friendly. The restaurant is right next to the approach end of 18. Land and park your plane on the grass in front of the restaurant. Fast, friendly service and great pies. You know it's good when the place is filled with locals who have driven there at 2:00 in the afternoon.
 
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