The holiday season is almost here and it’s the time of year when families reunite with members gathered from all over the country. However, in many areas, that also means bad weather is here again and won’t leave until spring of next year. If you need to take long drives in the next few months, it’s essential that you prepare for all the rain, snow, wind, sleet, or hail that Mother Nature may throw at you. Here are some tips on how to do that as safely as possible.
Inspect your Car
It’s not exactly a driving technique, but it is the essential first step before going on a drive in bad weather. Ideally, the car should be inspected at a garage, but if your time is limited you can do that yourself. Lights and tires are the first items that need to be inspected, so make sure all tires are inflated and all the car’s lights work. Also, if the weather is cold, snow tires are essential. Even on a dry road, once the temperature drops below 45, snow tires do a better job than regular tires because they stay soft.
Other things you need to check are fluid levels, like gas, antifreeze, and oil. If you don’t remember the last time you had your oil changed, it would be a good idea to do that before the trip, just to be sure you won’t have any bad surprises along the way.
3 Reasons Your Family Needs a 2018 Pacifica Hybrid
Hybrid vehicles are a popular option in the marketplace today. But until recently, options for a family plug-in hybrid vehicle didn’t encompass a minivan. Chrysler eliminated this challenge by making a hybrid version of its popular Chrysler Pacifica. If you’re in the market for a family-friendly hybrid, here are three reasons to put the 2018 Pacifica Hybrid at the top of your list.
It’s the Only Plug-In Minivan
Top among the reasons to get the 2018 Pacifica Hybrid is the fact that it’s the only plug-in hybrid minivan on the market today. It has a battery pack and gas engine combination that will get you and your family around. Like a traditional hybrid, the gas engine comes on once the electric engine exhausts itself.
One of the greatest things about the 2018 Pacifica Hybrid is that its electric engine goes for about 30 miles before the traditional engine kicks in. On a full overnight charge, the Pacifica can go for almost 35 miles even at highway speeds.
If you’ve never tried off-roading before, you’re missing out. It’s without a doubt one of the best ways to go off the beaten path and appreciate what Mother Nature and your vehicle can do. It’s also really fun. Before you take off on your first off-roading adventure, keep these three tips in mind.
-
Understand the Terrain
Knowing what kind of terrain you’re going over while off-roading is important because you’ll need different tools and a different driving approach. The best way to get to know your terrain is to go over it just like professional race drivers do.
Pay attention to the changes in the trail. This allows you to anticipate what’s coming and adjust accordingly. On the horizon, you might see a trail go to one side or drop off completely. This might mean going down a hill or over an awkward patch of road. So, you have to find your line and figure out which rocks to put your tires on.
After a long day, there’s nothing better than a relaxing night in. Whether you’re planning to watch a movie or have a family board game night, avoid cooking and make the most of your night by ordering delivery. Check out these five awesome restaurants that deliver in the Highland Park area.
-
Mouchak Indian Cuisine
Few foods are more satisfying than hot curry on a cold winter night. For lamb tikka masala curry, tandoori chicken, cheese-stuffed naan, and more, order from Mouchak Indian Cuisine. This local favorite is known for its use of fresh, high-quality ingredients as well as for modern takes on classic Indian dishes. Check out the popular bullet naan, naan topped with chili, garlic and onion, and butter chicken curry dishes.
-
Amicci’s Pizza
Pizza is a delivery classic. Amicci’s Pizza offers deep-dish Detroit-style and super thin and crispy versions, plush the Flipster, a fresh-baked calzone stuffed with your choice of pizza toppings, served with a side of Amicci’s delicious pizza sauce. Try their oven breads, including mozzarella bread, pepperoni bread, and Tasty bread, fresh-baked bread strips that are covered in garlic butter and parmesan cheese. Plus you can order online and track your delivery as it moves through the kitchen and then into the delivery car, so you know exactly when your pizza will arrive.
-
Hello Shawarma Restaurant
Hello Shawarma Restaurant offers a variety of yummy Middle Eastern specialties. The shawarma combo plate comes with mixed chicken and beef shawarma as well as rice or fries and soup or salad. There are several vegetarian options, including falafel, hummus tabouli, and hummus salad sandwiches, as well as vegetarian platter combos. Check out the variety of juices and smoothies on offer, including lassi smoothies and a make-your-own juice option. The family combo platters also offer a whole range of options, served with chicken kebab, kafta, fries, salad, and several others.
-
Nosh Pit Detroit
Nosh Pit Detroit boasts a variety of interesting sandwich options, plus starters like potato latkes, homemade vegan mac and cheese, and hummus and roasted vegetables. There’s a sandwich for everyone, from the Redmond sandwich, a homemade meatball sandwich on a bun with tomato sauce and vegan cheese, to the Larry sandwich, a variation on the classic Reuben with homemade corned beets, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing.
-
Polish Village Cafe
For something a little different (but definitely delicious), Polish Village Cafe offers classic Polish dishes like pierogis, smoked kielbasa, and dill pickle soup. The mixed pierogi plate, which comes with two sweet cheese, two potato and cheese, and two2 kraut pierogis, and the stuffed cabbage dinner are local favorites. The potato pancakes and pierogi and the Polish plate dinner, which comes with a piece of stuffed cabbage, a chunk of kielbasa, and a pierogi, plus kraut and mashed potato, offer choices for everyone.
These five local, independent restaurants host a whole variety of options for food delivery to complement your movie or game night. These are just some of the wonderful restaurants that deliver to the Highland Park area.
Image by tortugadatacorp used under CCO
One of the best things about the U.S. being a blend of many cultures is the way we all share each other’s cooking traditions. On any night you can take a culinary trip almost everywhere in the world, and most of the time you don’t even need to leave your town. Poland is a country with many amazingly delicious foods — here are the best places in and around Highland Park where you can experience that.
Polish Village Café
Opened in 1976 and initially named Yemans Bar and Grill, the Wietrzykowski family business was taken over by the daughter, Carolyn, back in 2000 and renamed Polish Village Café. The change brought an upgrade in style and a rise in popularity, keeping old traditions intact while adding a youthful touch.
Its specialties are traditional central European dishes, such as pierogies, dill pickle soup, or a smoked Polish sausage called Kielbasa. Its commitment to authenticity makes it very popular in the area, but also with visitors from all around the country.
Polonia Restaurant
Having been a part of the Detroit metropolitan area’s dining scene for over four decades, this authentic Polish restaurant offers a large variety of Polish food, plus other traditional dishes from central and eastern Europe. The entire place is decorated with paintings and artifacts by Polish artists, creating an intimate and hospitable atmosphere for every guest.
Polonia Restaurant celebrates the dishes of its owners’ homeland, combining old peasant culinary traditions with those of the Polish nobility. All the classic dishes, like golabki, kielbasa, or the house specialty, nalesniki, are a throwback to their childhood for many ethnic Poles and simply a delicious meal for anyone else.
Wawel Royal Castle Polish Bar & Restaurant
Wawel Restaurant is a part of The American Polish Cultural Center, so a trip there will reveal a lot more Polish traditions than just the cuisine. The Center hosts events of different types and sizes and the restaurant is a central part in that, but that doesn’t mean you and your friends or family can’t pop in for a taste of authentic Polish cuisine.
Open every day of the week, except when an event is taking place on a Saturday, Wawel welcomes its guests in a relaxing atmosphere and offers a delicious blend of old and new Polish cuisine. Its specialty is the handmade Pierogi.
Jim’s Place
Although the name couldn’t be more American, Jim’s Place is a traditional Polish restaurant, serving the people of Michigan for almost half a century. Its homemade food is a hit with anyone passing through the doors, but the dish that makes it famous is the Polish Combo, consisting of three pierogies, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, a cabbage roll, and either kielbasa or meatballs, as well as a bowl of soup. Other popular traditional dishes found here are the barley soup and the kielbasa omelet.
In this traditionally Polish region, an authentic Polish meal is never far away. A visit to any of these restaurants is sure to be a hit!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/limaoscarjuliet/13234636375/sizes/l
Image via Flickr by limaoscarjuliet used under CC By 2.0
America’s wonderful mixture of people and cultures has had a major impact on all aspects of society. It can be seen in everything from diverse neighborhoods to different types of foods, as well as the huge diversity in places of worship. Highland Park is a great example for that, as the many historic churches and their special architecture attract locals and tourists alike. Here are some of the most representative ones.
First United Methodist Church
Located on Woodward Avenue, its history began back in 1868, where a chapel that could host services for different faiths was built where the current building now stands. After years of declining numbers of worshipers, it became an Episcopal Chapel in 1885 and finally a Methodist one in 1892. It was only in 1916 that the present building, an impressive Gothic-style church similar to those in Central and Western Europe, was built. The original chapel from the 19th century was demolished in 1956 and the building that took its place now hosts the Soul Harvest Ministries.
Its architecture is as spectacular on the inside as it is on the outside, with an imposing wood-carved altar, oak woodwork, and an organ. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan’s list since 1982 and it is a great place to visit, no matter the nature or intensity of your faith. Visitors can stop by anytime to admire the building’s exterior, or visit on a Sunday to attend one of several services.
4 Smart Driving Techniques for Bad Stormy Weather
The holiday season is almost here and it’s the time of year when families reunite with members gathered from all over the country. However, in many areas, that also means bad weather is here again and won’t leave until spring of next year. If you need to take long drives in the next few months, it’s essential that you prepare for all the rain, snow, wind, sleet, or hail that Mother Nature may throw at you. Here are some tips on how to do that as safely as possible.
Inspect your Car
It’s not exactly a driving technique, but it is the essential first step before going on a drive in bad weather. Ideally, the car should be inspected at a garage, but if your time is limited you can do that yourself. Lights and tires are the first items that need to be inspected, so make sure all tires are inflated and all the car’s lights work. Also, if the weather is cold, snow tires are essential. Even on a dry road, once the temperature drops below 45, snow tires do a better job than regular tires because they stay soft.
Other things you need to check are fluid levels, like gas, antifreeze, and oil. If you don’t remember the last time you had your oil changed, it would be a good idea to do that before the trip, just to be sure you won’t have any bad surprises along the way.
Plan your Drive
A good way to increase your chances of a safe journey is planning your drive beforehand. Often around Thanksgiving or Christmas, the roads are filled with people driving to get home to their families, so checking a GPS app for the best time of day to take the drive is a useful first step. Less traffic usually means fewer things that can go wrong, not to mention a faster trip.
Keep an Appropriate Distance from Other Cars
Bad weather conditions can sneak up on inexperienced drivers who don’t change the way they drive based on the road conditions. The first thing any driver must remember when driving through bad weather is that braking distances are longer than on a dry road. Also, it’s not enough to keep a safe distance from the car in front; a driver must constantly be aware of cars behind to make sure they keep a safe distance.
Don’t Drive Through Intense Storms
If rain, snow, sleet, or hail starts to fall up to a point where visibility is gravely affected, it’s best to park your car and wait for it to mellow down. Avoid parking next to trees or any other kind of tall object, like billboards or telephone poles, as strong winds can topple them.
Unless you can quickly get inside a building, staying in your car during lightning storms is crucial, because the car’s metal body protects passengers from being hit by lightning. Once the storm mellows out a bit and you have decent visibility, you can get back on the move.
Keep these tips in mind when you’re on the road over the holidays, or anytime stormy weather strikes. And whenever a storm seems like more than you can handle, remember – it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Image via Flickr by theogeo Used under CC BY 2.0
The Jeep made its transition from military vehicle to civilian favorite over seven decades ago. In that time, not only did the common name for any all-terrain vehicle become simply “a Jeep,” but its iconic shape has been seen in hundreds of movies and TV shows, truly making it a part of American folklore. Here are some of the Jeep’s most famous TV appearances.
M.A.S.H.
The first on our list is a throwback from the days where Jeep was primarily a vehicle used by the military. Set in the Korean War in the early 50s, M.A.S.H. is the story of a medical army unit and its adventures, ranging from hilarious to tragic.
The most-used Jeep throughout the show was the M38, a model actually used during the war in Korea. As opposed to Jeeps used in World War II, the M38 was actually a military version of a civilian model, the Jeep CJ-3A. However, the classic Willis MB used by the American forces in World War II was also used throughout the show.
When it comes to full-size trucks, the competition is fierce. Pickup trucks are some of the bestselling vehicles in America, and so the companies that make them are constantly offering new configurations, new innovations, and new ideas the competition hasn’t thought of yet.
For 2019, it’s Ram’s turn to pull ahead thanks to the completely redesigned Ram 1500 pickup truck. Not only does the new model come with all the unique Ram features you could get last year, but it also has several brand-new features that are firsts for any pickup. The 2019 Ram 1500 may or may not be the perfect truck, but there are several reasons it’s definitely the best choice available today.
RamBoxes
This is one of the Ram 1500’s older features, but it’s still the only pickup truck to offer lockable boxes built into the long sides of the bed. These boxes are long enough to fit garden tools like shovels and rakes, and you can also use them to store smaller tools, work gloves, and other items you wouldn’t want to keep in an open bed or be hard to reach under a tonneau cover. RamBoxes are also waterproof and drainable, so you can fill the whole length with ice and use them to store drinks or keep fish fresh.
Air Suspension
The 2019 Ram 1500 is still the only light-duty pickup truck to offer an air suspension system. An air suspension uses cushions of compressed air as springs to keep bumps in the road from rattling the frame, and they have several benefits over traditional springs. One of the biggest advantages is the fact that you can adjust your ride height, and so the Ram 1500’s air suspension system lets you adjust the rear suspension up and down. This helps give you a level bed even when it’s loaded to capacity.
eTorque
The biggest innovation of the 2019 Ram 1500 is the new eTorque system that’s available with both available engines. eTorque is a light hybrid system, and what it does is replace the traditional alternator with a small electric motor. This motor is smaller than what you’d get on a regular hybrid vehicle, and it doesn’t change the Ram 1500’s top speed or horsepower, but it does help the pickup truck accelerate faster from a full stop by using the instant torque electric motors offer.
12-inch Touchscreen
The interior of the 2019 Ram 1500 got a few big upgrades, too. One of the most obvious would have to be the available 12-inch touchscreen in the center console. The big screen makes it easy to see things like the navigation screen, and you can switch to split-screen mode to see climate control switches and other controls.
The 2019 Ram 1500 combines popular old innovations with several new features that are completely new to the light duty pickup class. Thanks to this, it’s easy to see why the new 1500 could lay claim to being very possibly the best example of its class ever built to date.
Image via RamTrucks.com
Highland Park is technically an independent town, but as a first-circle suburb of Detroit, Michigan, there’s not much to the city beyond the urban sprawl of the Detroit metro area. Once upon a time, Highland Park was a farming community, but those days are long since passed. Still, if Highland Park residents want to get a feel for that old farming life, there are organizations and destinations in the Detroit area that let people experience life in the open fields.
“You Pick” Farms
Visit any grocery store and you’ll see crates and shelves full of produce. However, fruits and vegetables have to survive several days or weeks on conveyor belts, sitting in warehouses and big trucks, and then sitting some more in a grocery store. To make it through that long journey, farmers often harvest unripe crops that then ripen during the journey.
However, there’s a way to get the freshest, ripest fruits and vegetables available in your area. They’re called “You Pick” farms, or else “U Pick” or “U Pick ‘Em.” At places like the Long Family Orchard northwest of Detroit, the owners let visitors pick their own apples, strawberries, or pumpkins. Other area farms have berry patches for visitors to gather blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and more. In fact, Destiny Farm has plots for well over a dozen kinds of plants.
Connect with us
