Wedding March

After leaving work Friday, I put on the black dress shirt and pants, put on my Darth Vader tie (May the 4th be with you!), and headed up to Port Huron for a wedding rehearsal and dinner for our friends.  My wife was shooting the wedding, and was going to rehearsal for some photos, but more to scout out the venue for the next day.

Dinner was at the Quay Street Brewery.  The food was delicious, but the beer was not good.  Bad enough to leave to a bar called the Brass Rail and drink miller drafts the rest of the night.  The Brass Rail is an interesting bar.  As Port Huron was a former league rival city to our former hockey team, the Flint Generals, I recognized right away that this particular bar was likely where the Icehawk/Bordercats/Flags/Beacons (not in that chronological order, I know) used to hang out after games.  In fact it still smelled ever-so-slightly like a hockey rink.

The Brass Rail was just one of those places with character that I tend to find charming.  It was just so reminiscent of an era when minor hockey was more like "Slap Shot" than "The Tooth Fairy."  It has the old circular bi-color black and red leather booths, a giant mirror with a gorgeous wood-worked arch with women carved in on either side, photos of old hockey players, and various creatures of the sea on the wall.  The beer selections are limited and unpretentious, and there's always a game on the TV.  After coming from a wedding rehearsal dinner, we were extremely overdressed, but the patrons and our server were still very welcoming.  If I ever went back to Port Huron, I'd stop here.  Also, they don't close by 11, like this chicken place.

I wish you were open

The next morning I got up just after 7am, put on some running shorts and a t-shirt, and headed out for my out-of-town jog.  At first it was pretty easy road running.

Colonial Woods Church

After a while, it got a little dicey, though.  I kept going up and down curbs and from grass to pavement.

Foot off-roading?...

I was hoping to find a park or a beach to visit as my turn-around, especially because I was running close to Lake Huron...

River #1...no lake yet



Hello Again Big Boy



Sweet docked boat mural on a party store

Almost stepped right on these skulls, but adjusted the landing last second
Go ahead, identify these two animals.  Sorry, no Misfits song reference this time...

River #2.  We have visual on Lake Huron.  It won't be long now...

Sweet Anchor, man

I knew that the lake was right next to me, but I kept running into a problem...

...every path to the beach was privately owned land

Then I finally found a beach I could visit at  Fort Gratiot County Park
(over 6 miles away from the hotel)

I watched a few ships cruise by

Proved I was there...

Walked the beach until it ended at more private property
(sign was down for some reason)

I found a petoskey stone!

I said "Goodbye Beach"

I started running back until I found an interesting statue that seemed to mirror the Mackinac Bridge workers memorial statue.  

 It was actually a memorial built for 22 men who lost their lives due to an accidental explosion while
building a tunnel  that now supplies 270 million gallons of water to Detroit's northern suburbs.

I was surprised when I researched it that this was only dedicated a few months ago in
December of 2011

Historical Landmark Marker

Time to run back to the hotel...

I just liked the "We Buy Guns" sign's font

Back in town

Back to the bike trail

Then it was back to the hotel to get ready.  My wife left early to go take photos and I realized I left my dress shoes in the Vibe.  She was in snapping shots of the bride until the ceremony started, so, for the ceremony at least, I was a total shoe failure...

Not a good look...

Probably not the best look for church, but at least I sort of had an Indiana Jones vibe going, at least in shadow form...

"You want to talk to God?  Let's go see him together.  I've got nothing better to do"

I did eventually get my dress shoes back, the wedding was wonderful, and a good time was had by all...