The Kleiber Family Timeline

Category: Michigan

Events in Michigan

  • Abbott’s Flea Market 2012

    The family went up to Colon Michigan to participate in a Magic Flea Market and Auction. We go to this almost every year primarily to look for Halloween stuff which shows up from time to time. This year was different because Mary had a Flea Market table. Mary sold some used magic, posters, and books that were supplied to her from the magic shop hosting the event and she had a great time selling and interacting with the visitors, some who came as far away as St Louis to attend this. James and I did manage to find a couple things to buy for Halloween but mostly spent our time outside at the playgrounds. They also had a flower sale going on that day so it was a very busy day in the Magic Capital Colon Michigan.

    After the Flea Market we ate a buffet in Coldwater then went to the antique shops in Allen MI (From the Magic Capital to the Antique Capital). Ironically Mary found a Phantom of the Opera poster framed which we will show you once Halloween rolls around. A fun day for everyone.

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  • Oakwood Commons Park 2012

    When it comes right down to it, Oakwood Commons has to be about the prettiest rehabilitation center I have ever visited. There are nature trails, playgrounds, rivers with wild life, and rolling hills. Since Aunt Peg has been in the place it has been too cold to take advantage of these things on our visits but the last couple times the temperature has been mild (and dry) enough so that James can play outside there.

    James always visits Aunt Peg first before playing, unfortunately Aunt Peg cannot see him from her window. Whenever James visits Aunt Peg she always has a goody for him (Aunt Peg plays Bingo at Oakwood Commons and sometimes wins prizes for kids)

    Aunt Peg hopes to be out of Oakwood Commons between the middle of May and the 1st of June.

    If you look closely at the picture of the river you will see a goose swimming in it.

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  • Henry Ford Museum Titanic Exhibit 2012

    Titanic has come to Dearborn MI. James got to see the new Titanic exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum and enjoyed it immensely. Pictures were not allowed inside the exhibit but there were a couple photo opportunities where you could buy pictures they took of you (ala Cedar Point roller coasters). James is shown here in one of those pictures. There were many artifacts that had been brought up from the sunken ocean liner including equipment, jewelry, money, and personals of people who were on the ship. They also had a real iceberg (similar to what they have at the polar bear exhibit at the Detroit zoo) so that people could feel just how cold the water was that fateful April night 100 years ago. The final part was (of course) the souvenir store where James could hardly control his glee at all the great Titanic gifts. James got a postcard book, reprints from 1912 newspapers, “polar ice”, and a titanic coloring book.

    After Titanic we took a quick trip around the museum, James got some pictures taken in the Rosa Parks bus, in front of the JFK assassination car, in front of the worlds largest locomotive, and a few other places before we left.

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  • Abbotts Magic Get Together 2011

    We all headed out to Colon MI for the annual Abbotts Get Together which features some of the most recognized names in magic. This year was a little different with a blind folded car drive through the city streets, a car show, and a craft show going on during the event. James enjoyed the blindfolded car drive and Mary enjoyed the car show while Dad liked the dealers room where the latest magic is for sale.

    Each year since 1934 Magicians have migrated to this tiny town to see the latest magic and to perform for a midwest audience. They actually have two popular sayings to describe this event, one is “Vegas comes to Mayberry” and the other is the “Magic Capitol of the World”. The whole magic thing is due to the Abbott magic company which has been putting this event on for over seventy years. Some of the top names in magic such as Blackstone (both Sr. and Jr.), Lance Burton, Jeff McBride, Mac King, Jeff Hobson, and many more have performed here.

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  • Nascar Cheerios Car 2011

    We were out and about when Mom and James saw Clint Bowyer’s Cheerio car out front of our local Walmart. Both Mom and James are big time race fans and when their guy is close to winning a race, you can hear both of them rooting for that guy in the same way Dad roots for his football team to win.

    Dad is not a big fan of Walmart and usually tries not to go. Dad does not like the lines and believes they should hire some extra tellers to shorten the lines to check out. However on this day Dad did accompany his family to Walmart and got the see the car himself so maybe Dad will think better of Walmart in the future.

    Regardless this was a big time fun day for Mom and James and a very pleasant surprise, thank you Walmart for putting this show on.

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  • Winter in Mackinaw 2011

    I had to attend a safety meeting at one of our customers up North, so we checked the weather, called the school and kept James out a day, and took him on a quick up North trip to see the Straights of Mackinaw frozen in winter.

    I had been up here before in the winter, usually January or February, but I think this was a first for the family being up here, even though it was only for a little while. For the most part, everything was closed except for the souvenir shops outside the Fort, (a couple restaurants, and the Holiday Inn Express were also open). We did not cross the bridge because of the high winds and lack of time but I think James understands why we go up North in the summer and not the winter.

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  • St Ignace Deer Ranch 2010

    On our way back from Mackinaw Island we realized that outdoor activities were really going to be curtailed due to the oncoming storms so we grabbed a quick bite to eat, hopped in the car, skipped past the high wind escort on the bridge, and got James to the deer ranch. James certainly remembered it from past years because when he went in he did not say hi to the teller but instead said “crackers please”.

    The cost for going through the deer ranch is $5 per person plus carrots and crackers (we got a dollars worth which was plenty) so for a relatively low cost James had a lot of fun. About the time he finished, the first drops of rain were hitting St. Ignace so we got out of there just in time.

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  • Mackinaw Island City 2010

    One of the best main streets in all of the United States. Complete with the famouse fudge shops, haunted houses, magic shops, carriage tours, and tons of souvenir shops. James insisted on another ice cream cone so he could keep up his energy, Mom went browsing for new clothes, and Dad checked out the haunted house and magic shops on main street.

    Something new we found was a Haunted Mackinaw Island Tour, which we did not go on but we put on the schedule for next year. James did very well this day and was rewarded with a couple toys, a megaphone that changes your voice (It reminded me of one his Grandpa had in Michigan), and a mouse game where you “bop” the mouse with a rubber mallet and the computer tells you how well you did.

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  • Macinaw Island State Park 2010

    Each year we travel through the State Park and always find something new along with old reliable sites (like the arch rock). This year there were several first’s. James went for the first time without a wagon so he had to do all the walking by himself. Another first was going up a stairway we found in the woods that took you to the highest elevation point on the island, the pictures really don’t do it justice.

    We stopped at the little rest area which is North of the Grand Hotel as we were exiting the State Park. James always gets an ice cream and Mary has a chance to check out some of the souvenir shops there. In the center is the collection of horse drawn vehicles including the hearse (which they still use when someone dies).

    The key to a successful day at Mackinaw Island is to get there early, before the crowds. This year we did very well at avoiding the crowds and the weather held off for us till we were finished. The boat ride home is when the weather made a turn for the worse but our day was already complete by then.

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  • Mackinaw Island Cemetery 2010

    There are 3 main cemeteries on Mackinaw Island and each year we visited all three since they are right next to each other. There is a Protestant cemetery, a Catholic cemetery, and a Military Cemetery. Each has its own atmosphere with burial sites dating back well over a century ago (1835 is the oldest we found). To be buried on the island you need to either have been born there or own property there.

    One fascinating bit of history is the Military Post Cemetery. It is one of only 5 locations where the American flag is flown at half mast every day. The other 4 places you may have heard about, they are Arlington, Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, and Normundy France.

    A bit creepy we admit, but an annual stop on our visit to Mackinaw Island State Park.

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