Grand Rapids in General
Well, I’ve been spending my Labor Day Weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At one point, Grand Rapids was the furniture capital of the nation. Now, it’s a pretty cool city and has about 197,800 people covering about 45 square miles. In comparison, Little Rock has 183,133 people covering 116 square miles. The weather has been around 75 degrees in Grad Rapids, bright blue skies, and a cool breeze. In comparison, Little Rock has been HOT… around 90 degrees!

I’ve been able to visit Lake Michigan. It looks a lot like the ocean with waves and natural sand. The sun sets on the ocean and you can’t see from one side to the other. The people were friendly and use an “a” rather than an “o”. For example, when I told people I was going to buy my “mom” a gift, they told me I could buy my “mam” anything.

The Cost to Go
From Little Rock to Grand Rapids I paid $165 round-trip! I know, you’re wondering how I did that… Well, I took a train. Which sounds like it’s a bad idea but on the way there, I slept the entire way. There is plenty of leg room, an outlet (perfect for your computer, cell phone, etc), and cell phone service most of the way there. I could have a mobile office. The biggest problem with the train was that it was a horribly long trip. I left at 3am and didn’t arrive in Chicago until 4:30pm. Then, from Chicago to Grand Rapids was another 3 hours. That means on average the train travels about 65 miles per hour and cost roughly $2.95 per mile. That’s estimating it is 975 miles one-way. If I drove and I paid myself what the gov’t pays for tax purposes ($0.405 per mile), it would have cost me $789.75… So, I made the right decision unless I could have used somebody else’s car… b/c if I were to use someone else’s car, I wouldn’t have to be worried about ware-and-tare which is what the gov’t pays the $0.405 per mile for. If I were to use someone else’s car, it would cost me about $234.00 assuming I didn’t get a speeding ticket.

So, to recap:

• Taking the Train = $165
• Driving My Car = 975 miles * 0.405 * 2 (because I have to drive there and back) = $789.75
• Driving Someone Else’s Car = 975 miles / 25 miles per gallon * $3.00 per gallon * 2 (because I have to drive there and back) = $234

Dining
I ate at a lot of great places including the Bil-Mar which is right on the coast and Louise Benton. The two restaurants’s filled me completely. They had fresh meats, great atmosphere, and superb staff. I’ve realized that the food is one thing you remember when you leave a city. So, if you bring someone to your town, make sure they eat at the best restaurants.

Two Innovative Ideas
Grand Rapids is also home of Amway, the creator of multi-level marketing. I drove by it and saw an empire. They sit on over 390 acres and literally have their own fire department, police department, and buildings upon buildings. I think it’s amazing. Although I don’t like 95% of multi-level marketing companies, I think the creators of multi-level marketing are true innovators.

I also spent a lot of time at a dog park called Shaggy Pines. Shaggy Pines sits on a 15+ acre fenced land that allows dogs to play ball, run, swim, and release all of their energy. It’s a membership only park and from the information I gathered, they have roughly 550 dogs at around $360 per year. Some people pay monthly but its much cheaper if you pay yearly. They also provide obedience classes, bathing services, photography services, gift services, and offer different membership levels. It allows owners the opportunity to walk their dogs, lounge with other pet lovers, and jogging/hiking trails. I think it’s a great idea and could easily be implemented in any city.