You can find anything in rural America if you look hard enough. Ladies and gentleman, i'm convinced that this is the only GTE pay phone remaining (and possible one of the last five pay phones period). You can find it in Hart, Michigan, a sleepy little orchard town of maybe 1,000 permanent residents about 30 minutes north of Muskegon. Things are a lil slower up there. So slow that they apparently still have a pay phone run by a company that hasn't existed in nine years. (GTE is now Verizon after merging with Bell Atlantic. Thank you Wikipedia!)
Oh and It's in the parking lot of the only McDonald's within a 30 mile radius as well.
Now, I've been driving up in this area for years. Love it. It's quiet and peaceful. Small town life with big city recreation. If you call Lansing and Grand Rapids big cities. Shirts are required, but sleeves are not. Wear whatever bathing suit you have when you play in Silver Lake or Lake Michigan. Bring your ATV, because the sand dunes are calling you. I really don't get into any of that. Instead, I'd rather take a chance on one of the golf courses along Lake Michigan from Manistee to Grand Haven or hit the beach and work on the tan (because good Lord you know I needed to!).
Anyway if you have ever wanted to venture up there and have questions you can ask me whenever you want (and I promise I won't tell you that your trip begins at Michigan.org, sorry Tim Allen)
**Mike Lorber is a married man! A wonderful sunset ceremony overlooking one of the biggest inland lakes in the state of Michigan. It was at the bride's family home in Roscommon. Beautiful lakeside house.It was quick too. 20 minutes and I had a glass of champagne in my hand. (now if I could only put the glass down...)
Family and friends. A good mix of a couple hundred guests (the low end of that number). Dinner in front, party in the back! I expected fun and it was. Kudos to all and congrats to Mike and Jen. He's off all week and Righthand Man Jim will fill in. (as soon as the rain stops)
**The drive back was highlighted by a few things. One, a quick trip through Rockford, Michigan was disappointing. We couldn't find the Ginger Zee monument dedicated to the native's great contribution to broadcasting. (By the way, her mentor Bill Steffen of WOOD-TV 8 has an 8-day forecast! Sure glad he doesn't work for Channel 63!)
The second highlight was the worst Burger King ever! Only ones in the restaurant. 5 cars in the parking lot. 30 minutes for food. I might as well have gone to Steak N Shake. Keep that in mind if you ever pass thru Zeeland.
**First day back and I was welcomed with a horrendous ride in for all of you. Rain at 5:30 AM in the form of a torrential downpour means flooding and a long day on the Eisenhower. An hour and a half? Yuck! Should be better on the ride home.
**Less than two months until a whole new traffic experience on NBC 5!
**Lastly, the goatee is gone, thoughts?
