Part 2: North Branch Outing Club

I am saving the final part for the best....THE STASH!!!!  The second installment is the Historic Bed and Breakfast on the Au Sable River in Michigan:  The North Branch Outing Club. It is in Lovell, not far from Grayling.  It was built at the turn of the Century.  I didn't get a lot of the history.  Here is a LINK TO THE NBOC WEBSITE.  Famous people have stayed there:  John D. Rockerfeller, Harvey Firestone, Henry and Edsel Ford.....Bob says Ernest Hemingway.  I have to say it was like staying in a museum.  The Club was closed to the public in 1960 and to family friends in 1970. The current owner Judy and her husband bought in 1996 when he decided to make a carrier change.  He is gone but, Judy was there and let me tell you that woman is the bomb!!!!

They did a lot of rennovating but, didn't need to refinish the woodwork.  Very Cool!

Front porch of the B&B.  The second floor is screened in.  

There is an Orvis Fly Shop attached just incase you forgot something.  So as you know my passion is stitching, Bob's is flyfishing for trout.  When we were dating I would follow him around and pay attention so I knew what to buy for Birthdays and Christmas.  I got him his best reel.

Between the fly shop and the B&B porch entrance is another entrance the wader room where you are to hang your wet waders and boots before going to the living room or upstairs to your room. 

There had been a lot of rain recently so the river was high and fast.  So many bugs and mice get washed in the trout weren't hungry.  Needless to say, fishing wasn't too good.  Bob did catch a small brook trout.   This is a world class trout stream, rehabed by Trout Unlimited and is catch and release only.  We were on the North Branch.  The middle branch and south branch were "blown out."  The guides weren't taking people out either.  Lots of disappointed fishermen.

It was a lovely location and very peaceful.  There is also a bird there that only nests in 3-4 year old Jack Pines called the Kirtland Warbler  Kirtland Warbler Link .  We didn't see any but, really had no idea what I was looking for.

A little guided tour...the library.  There was a stairway off this room that brought us to our room.  We were in the original family master bedroom...one of two rooms with an adjacent bath.  There was a clawfoot tub that was next to impossible for this short legger to traverse.  I made it and then fought with the shower curtain.  The other rooms have to share bathrooms. 

The Kitchen.  You could pretty much help yourself to snacks and use the fridge for adult beverages.  The breakfast was very good.

The dining room.  The floors were all the original maple and beautiful. 

The living room.  I found a spot with a decent light.  I brought my travel light and there was WIFI so I watched a bad movie on Netflix and stitched until dark when Bob came in from fishing. The light fixtures in the dining room and living room are original or early to the inn. 

A sitting room on the second floor with bedrooms around it. 

The screened in porch on the second floor. 

Our bedroom, very quaint and charming.  The bed was fine but the pillows were kind of hard. 

We had our own little screened porch off the bedroom. 

I had a great time talking to Judy the owner.  I was the only girl staying there.  I had my stitching of course.  I also brought my recent purchases in with me.  We had a great time with show and tell. We had tea and homemade cookies.  She quilts and beads and had to show me what she beads.  She must have talked to the lady who cooks breakfast and she brought a sample of one of quilted wallhanging trout out of Batik that was phenomenol.  I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of that.  



I was working on The Armchair Pinkeep from Heartstring Samplery.  I think I blogged about this after I took Aunt Helen to Joann Fabrics.  I finished and then totally finished it this morning.   I had problems with my sewing machines...they both need a good cleaning and tune up but, thats a whole nother story. 

 I stuffed the pincushion part but, put a small piece of cardboard under the batting so needles won't go through all the way.  I used the fabric that was sent on the front side and then some fabric I had on the back side.  The fabric that was sent with the kit was more orange than red and looked awful.  It needed to be changed. 

I went to my Aunt's today since she wanted me to see the table runner top she is making me before she starts to quilt it.  When she is done I will post it.  It is gorgeous!

When I got there, there was a snake which turned out to be two snakes...Pine snakes and I think it was snake porn.  I really don't like snakes but, it was fascinating!

Stayed tuned for Part three which will be the stash pictures.  

I got some GOOD stash!!

Have a great week.

Hooray its Friday!

Keep on Stitching

Monica