Marcy's Travel Blog- Browsing through Howell on a Sunday Afternoon Drive!

   It was a bit chilly Sunday morning, even had a few showers! But by noon the sun was out! Yes! Sunday afternoon drive, here I come! Do any of you remember the Sunday afternoon drive? It certainly was a part of my childhood! After church there was dinner. Then we'd hop in the car for our Sunday afternoon drive. We'd drive through the back roads, maybe stopping at a park or by a lake. We'd drive by farms to see how the crops were doing. During the Christmas holiday we'd drive around in the evening to see all the decorations. If we were lucky, Dad would stop at a dairy queen!


  I headed to Howell by way of Chilson Road. I love traveling this road! The tree lined drive has farms and wide open spaces. Here and there are dense stretches of trees, now turning beautiful fall colors.

The Old Howell Court House

 Taking Grand River Avenue, I headed into town. There was a Farmer's market on State Street, next to the old Court House. I stopped and did some browsing, purchasing a few vegetables.

 My next stop was the Howell Carnegie District Library. My grandchildren love the lower level there, which is totally dedicated to children. They even have a "Teen" section. The greeter at the front desk of this section was Sue Neff, who graciously allowed me to take

photos and answered questions about the special workshops coming up. Along with story hour, they have Parent/Child workshops and hands-on math and science for 4-7 year olds and their parents. The children's section is incredible. There are little areas of tables, surrounded by books. There's a bank of computers. One thing that impressed me was the machines where you can purchase a beverage- in the library! (Not like the old days!) This children's section is part of the newer section, built around 1989.

 I next stopped at the reference desk and spoke with Barb Charles. I was inquiring about some in-depth history on the library. Barb told me the Library will be celebrating it's 105th Birthday next month. I hope to cover that celebration, and give you a bit of history then!

   Open from12:00-4:00 on Sundays, 10:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursdays, and 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, this facility is an excellent destination for a family adventure, a quiet reading room, or a meeting area with available meeting rooms. Thank you, Sue and Barb for being so hospitable!

A beautiful statue outside the Howell Library

  O.k.- now was time for food. I asked my daughter-in-law Mia for a suggestion for a family friendly, affordable eatery. She suggested the Copper Pickle and Deli Market, located just next to the Howell Opera House. At the door is posted a sign that cash and checks only, no credit cards.

Interior of the Copper Pickle

Kathy with owner Roy Fox

 Luckily I had some cash on me. Once inside I was greeted warmly by Kathy. She informed me that if I liked Reuben sandwiches, theirs were outstanding! Needless to say, that's what I ordered. On their menu was a note that said "Life is short...eat dessert first!" Wow! This was my kind of place!! They also had an assortment of sandwiches on the children's menu.
The Reuben turned out to be indeed delicious. The meat was wonderfully tender! Kathy gave me a little sample of their "Polish Dill Pickle soup"! Since I love dill pickles, I was willing to give it a try! Made with not only dill pickles and dill pickle juice, there's celery, carrots, and a touch of chicken broth. I thought it yummy! I then met the owner, Mr. Roy Fox. He proudly told me about the preservative free artisan breads that are made in their kitchen, as well as their cakes and pies. Their deli specializes in Polish foods. They even have polkas playing on the speakers!   Their hours are Sunday 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., Monday - Thursday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday & Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.  I definitely will be back to this little establishment! I LOVE the place!


  I drove back down Grand River to Chilson. The sun was getting a bit low in the west and dark clouds were beginning to roll in. The sky was a fantastic contrast of dark and light, blue sky and dark clouds. I had a wonderful day. Natures beauty, a bit of wandering, a great library, really good food, - I felt truly blessed to be able to experience and enjoy this day!


   More meandering is in the works, so stay tuned. One never knows what's around the corner. "Life is an adventure, even when it's a bumpy ride!"