This week we go railside, and explore the fascinating world of trains around Michigan. What we found was a dedicated, passionate group of people, some incredible machinery, lots of history, and one new restaurant. 

We first meet Kyle Rosol, the general manager of the Friends of the Coopersville-Marne Railway, which is located just due west of Grand Rapids, about halfway to Grand Haven. His life-long passion for trains and railroads led him across town from Lowell to this dream job. The vintage train resides in Coopersville and travels a dedicated 7-mile track to Marne that was originally built in 1858. The historic cars do a 90-minute loop and a relaxing pace. 

The extra cool thing about this train is that each voyage out follows some type of theme, many of them seasonal. Check out Rails and Ales, and enjoy a craft beer or wine and an appetizer as you travel, or do the Summer Train and learn about the history of the area. The most popular are the fall Pumpkin Train and Holiday Train in December, please plan ahead for these.  Also, reserve ahead of time, and do not miss the Great Train Robbery, which Kyle shared with us. All we'll say is that bandits takeover and a certain someone has to arrive by horseback to save the day, which sounds pretty exciting to us.

Owosso, a charming little town located a bit northeast of Lansing, has always been a favorite of ours after spending some time here eating the best fried chicken we ever had at our beloved Lula's Louisiana Kitchen, which has sadly since closed by fire. Taking a walk through downtown offers cute shops, bakeries to pop into, an absolutely lovely green park, and one colossal piece of American engineering.

The Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso is home to the mighty Pere Marquette 1225 engine, which pulls the famous North Pole Express, a seasonal and extremely popular excursion based on a famous movie during the holiday season. This four-and-a-half-hour trip includes cocoa, and a visit to the Ashley Christmas Village, as well as a festive train ride.  

Situated on the site of the former Ann Arbor Railroad’s steam shops and roundhouse in Owosso, SRI’s mission is to educate the public about steam-era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. From individuals to large groups of school children, SRI is open to the public on select days from April to September for visits and tours. You can also book private charters, ride the 7.5 gauge mini-railroad, and experience other special train events.

Matthew Buskard has been a long-time friend and restaurant colleague of Amy's from way, way back. It's always a very proud moment to have this restaurant empire owner on the show, knowing how hard he has worked to get here, with multiple locations of his Bobcat Bonnie's popping up all over the state. His most recent spot just opened in the Lansing Train Station, which was formerly the home of Clara's. Matty Cakes tells us about the care they took in this renovation, maintaining many historical parts while consciously updating, which sounds kind of Goop-y but is decidedly not. He also gives us an update on the huge Michigan Central Station rebuild in Corktown by Ford, which sounds incredibly exciting for everyone, including his original location of Bobcat Bonnie's.

Andrew Kercher, Community Engagement Manager and Historian for the Port Huron Museums, is another favorite guest, because his passion is just so apparent, and he makes learning effortless and fun. The museum family in Port Huron encompasses multiple locations, including the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, Carnegie Museum, the Huron Lightship, and the Edison Depot. That last one is our focus on this show, where Kercher shares with us Thomas Edison's childhood in Port Huron and the importance of trains to this young entrepreneur. Plan a visit to this interesting spot this summer to experience history firsthand. 

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