Backroads of Michigan / Exploring Old Stomping Grounds / Ludington Lighthouse / Retro Ponderosa 2024

[@rHubErtOh]

I used to work at this ponderosa location in high school! I was dish/cook. Was a lot of fun.

[@leslieeberbach]

Prices all include the all you can eat buffet, dessert bar and soup bar .. and pretty much one of the better deals around. very clean place

[@laurarose8140]

That water is so clear it's beautiful. Those little towns are so peaceful and refreshing to see these days. Love seeing the Ponderosa brought back memories for me too I remember going there when I was a kid. Thanks for a great video

[@JimRoss-q81]

Video good 👍👍👍 Jim Ross ATL

[@Sublime_37]

I grew up on going to Ponderosa. I thought they had went out of business already, just as Kenny Roger’s chicken did, even though they were doing very well in Flint, Michigan. Man, I miss Halo Burger’s green olive burger.

[@beckivonluehrteky]

Ponderosa! Oh, the memories! Glad you had a nice lunch & dinner! Love seeing Michigan! Looking forward to new videos! Becki from KY

[@MsForrest1]

My mom visits Silver Lake every summer. I went with her last time. We went to Mac Woods, visited the gift shops and visited the Chicken Shack and Tasty Creationz daily. Little Sable is beautiful. To my surprise I found a Mac Woods vintage mug at Goodwill in Middle Tennessee. I gave it to Mom and she loved it! We also visited Ludington. Beautiful downtown and lake area there. The people are so nice. I'll have to go to Ponderosa next time!

[@geomadcat]

Yo! Ludington is my town, I grew up in Custer east of here, my dad is from there, he has a pix of him on a mural in the house of flavors from the 50”s rode the Badger about 4 times! Thanks for vlog!

[@Louis_Hatchett]

I found a Ponderosa in Vincennes, Indiana, about an hour above Evansville, Indiana. It was just like I remembered it! Nothing had changed! (Good!) I've been going there every few months ever since.

[@lisaissenmann8804]

Love those old little towns...so many memories for you guys... burger and fries looked delicious and never heard of Halo burgers.... Love those light houses... cool ponderosa and prices have changed a lot since the 70's... thanks for taking us along

[@Christopherdavey1]

Love it, see you guys in the next one!

[@wynonastroud6525]

That olive hamburger looked real good. Next time I make burgers I'm going to put olives on mine!

[@janetblake7315]

Wow you were just in my Neighbor hood! When you were at Halo burger! Would have been exciting to see you! Enjoy Michigan

[@ATJHTRAVELS]

Sledgehammered that like button sharing out full watch Great video as always

[@marylou.d6379]

Very cool...we would have gone into Ponderosa too! Memory lane

[@delanomiller]

Oh wow Ponderosa!!! That brought back memories. Thanks for sharing. Safe travels and God bless.

[@pixiedust1126]

I love when I come back from a long trip and I have several videos of yours to binge watch ❤😁

[@sandrarhea2328]

Well I live in Michigan but I’m in Pigeon Forge! I hope you enjoyed your visit there. I’ve never been to the thumb of Michigan. I want to visit there soon. God bless!!

[@WesleyKisorOfficial]

There are none in Tennessee. The closest one to Tennessee is in Lebanon Virginia.

[@kathyhowell5631]

Ludington is our happy place. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@Doreen623]

Beautiful beaches in Michigan. We love to visit Holland, Michigan.

[@JenniferBarnes-k6r]

That looked delicious ponderosa . If that price Includes trips to food bar that's not bad

[@deanosborne4830]

It's Colette thank you for the video. It's like I was there.seeing a lot of new things.plus I miss ponderosa. Have fun on your vacation.

[@Drivingusa25]

Love these small town traveling videos !!!

[@vivienleigh2121]

Enjoying watching your trip and wish we had a Ponderosa round here.

[@deborahbryant6015]

My home state, love the places you have visited, I am in TN too, just North of Sevierville. Love the great lakes. Watch the live Port Huron camera and the one at sault ste marie, love watching the big ships go by.

[@kimpeters9983]

Haven't been to MI since 1968. We traveled by car from PA to Seattle, WA. Then flew to Anchorage, AK, my first airplane ride. Went to see my brother who was in the Airforce. Nice seeing where Will grew up. Did you hear about the bear that got in the Bear Can concession stand at Anakeesta through the employee entrance on Thur., 6-20-24 @ 9:30 pm? Bear and employee startled each other. Both are okay. Great to see Denise and her husband Will. Love his nickname TOW. Thanks for sharing.⛴🛳

[@rethacharette7830]

I ove your new hat Will it looks great on you.I love the Ponderosa. I use to go to out to eat with my parents all the time to the Ponderosa. It was always so good. Have a great trip. God Bless,

[@joanndeland7969]

Yous were so close to my town ,north of Davison. I love your traveling in Michigan 😊

[@conniekennedy2455]

I spent alot of time there in Ilmay City roller skating rink. Plus over in Lapeer we would also go roller skating there.

[@JS-id7ks]

Love it that you went to ponderosa. We drove 1 1/2 to eat there a few times . Still good food but I agree very pricey.

[@heatherrowe4591]

Thanks for sharing. I like the small town tours. Reminds me of where I grew up. and Ponderosa. oh my. that’s a blast from the past !! we used to have one. now it’s a Mexican restaurant and the outside is unrecognizable now :/

[@timhagens340]

Several years ago we took a trip all the way south to north on the west side of Michigan. Did a lighthouse hop! Saw every lighthouse on Michigan's west coast! Was a lot of fun, also took the ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin!

[@helgabullabong]

Such a great road trip. Im enjoying exploring with you. Great hearing the stories of your youth. Thanks for sharing. Cheers

[@mnh11596]

Another great video!

[@matthewmoshe6315]

I remember going to the Ponderosa in owasso mi with my grandparents God rest there soles great memories do you remember the Ponderosa mascot sprinkle olso do. You remember back in the 90s Ponderosa used have a grab bag for the kids

[@charlenee1776]

We used to have a Ponderosa Steakhouse in Geneva, NY. My kids loved going there. It's gone now. A car wash is there. I guess that's called progress.

[@ann-marie4242]

So glad you both are having a fantastic time traveling, thanks for sharing! The Monarch catapillar was really cool to see.. good eye Dawn catching it! Enjoy the rest of your amazing trip 😊

[@gusnickles3672]

We got a laugh about the Ponderosa. We used to eat there all the time. Thanks for sharing.

[@jsmith3964]

thanks for the video . ive never traveled thru this area. that water crystal clear .im just rideing out a 90 degree plus day here in georgia.. ITS HOT HOT HOT PLUS THE HUMINITY .give me 82 and a cool pool..LOL

[@dianapearson1771]

Yep, the price has doubled at the Pondarosa!! And the restaurant looks very nice and clean!!

[@carlavision6143]

Will and Dawn, thank you for taking me along with you on your road trip adventures! What a beautiful state Michigan is! Never been there. Never been to a Ponderosa either. Love the history of the places y'all been to! And I can't wait till your next vlog. Love y'all and safe travels!♥️🙏♥️

[@candaceneel7685]

Beautiful area! Can't wait to visit up there and see it for myself! 😊

[@placidohernandez]

Nice video

[@PennyShull-og3cu]

Thank you for another great time!! The Ponderosa brought back so many memories for my niece and I. We really enjoyed it. Thank you for eating there so we could reminisce.

[@janetwolff4040]

What a great day! Hugs from Maumee

[@ShellyBiggans]

Hi Will and Dawn I live in Michigan and I watch all your videos.I love the Smokie Mountains.keep up the videos.😊

[@stevewinchell9181]

Our son lives in ludington he's been there since 2020 we love it up there we visit very often we live down by Jackson we love your vlogs Will and Dawn safe travels Grand Haven next ? We visit Grand Haven about every other weekend in the summer watch the channel boat going in and out of lake Try proto pups a little corndog place on lake shore drive safe travels

[@gracebarnes9785]

I would feel like I'm going back in time eating at a Ponderosa again. Love the beaches in Michigan but probably will never get there. The grocery stores there are amazing.

[@Gussy818]

Another awesome video y'all❤

[@deborahmcdermott6927]

Wow....I didn't know that there were any Ponderosa's still out there. That brings back memories. Altho, the prices were more reasonable. I haven't been to the western side of Michigan / Lake Michigan in a long time. I'm enjoying your trip!

[@lizcortez4897]

What a fun day,..lunch and dinner looked amazing but those water views…oh my goodness absolutely beautiful…see i wouldn’t be able to walk to that light house cause i would be afraid of the walk but y’all go for me so there you go….😊..Dawn i love your outfit you look so pretty…this is a fun trip thank y’all for taking us along, I’m really enjoying it!!!!😊💕

[@ashleys_sadness]

It’s Juneteenth. Thanks for sharing your travels.

[@pammiedoodle8693]

I have a faint memory of going to Michigan when I was a kid. The only thing I remember was going for a dune buggy ride on sand dunes and a ride on some sort of big ship. I have no idea what part of Michigan we were in, though🤷‍♀️😢

[@Kanne60]

Maybe you were at Silver Lake in Mears along the west side lake shore?

[@starlaphillips9169]

I watch the Port Huron live cam sometimes . It's cool seeing those big ships come in

[@deborahmcdermott6927]

I do too!

[@blondeebear]

I work in downtown Lapeer and am super bummed you were in town on a day that I wasn't working! I would have loved to have met the two of you! Hope you make it back to Lapeer again!!!

[@dianapearson1771]

Nice seeing where you grew up, Will!!

[@michaelpardue2400]

Thanks for sharing this trip with us

[@RobOlgatree]

Exciting trip around the Mitten. It's so interesting to see these small towns of Americana. Be safe and have fun.

[@VL-gs2wr]

I love Ponderosa's steaks! They are my favorite. They don't have Ponderosa where I live anymore. Seems very expensive, though.

[@go1tigers]

Those prices at Ponderosa is absolutely ridiculous. Steaks are NEVER FRESH

[@leslieeberbach]

Prices all include the all you can eat buffet, dessert bar and soup bar .. and pretty much one of the better deals around. very clean place

[@AngelS-br3vv]

Love this video!! Enjoy west Michigan

[@kristinehuber8613]

Hoping you keep heading north to Traverse City! You could spend a couple days there easily. I used to live there and you would both love it! Grand Traverse Bay looks like the Caribbean Sea with turquoise blue and green waters! So much to see ❤

[@laurafoote214]

Lake Michigan is so beautiful on the west side, we stayed in Holland a few years back. there are lighthouses all along the way up the coast starting at New Buffalo and up, just beautiful, and the homes are gorgeous.

[@pameladulany1457]

Beautiful lake!! Old School Ponderosa!!❤

[@teresacantrell2024]

Love your road-trip adventures ❤ safe travels 🙏

[@patsackett7339]

The lakes are beautiful,, great video.❤

[@keephopealways100]

road trip, let's go thank you for sharing 🥰

[@tracycc123]

Dudes! Hope ya waved when ya went through GR!!

[@maz367]

Your videos are so fun. When’s the next Europe trip?

[@Michael-ud4wr]

Looks like a great trip Will and Dawn, that you both enjoyed - I hope the weather wasn't too hot!!

[@keithatkins9783]

In Pennsylvania they still have 2 bonanzas one in Chambersburg pa near interstate 81 and the other one is in upstate Pennsylvania along interstate 80 near Bloomsburg pa and I think in butler pa near Pittsburgh pa they have a ponderosa still

[@cathyratliff398]

The lakes and beaches that you've shown in Michigan are absolutely beautiful, also enjoyed the walk around town 💕

[@Toyeboy89]

Dude I work in Lapeer! Imlay City has the awesome Eastern Michigan State fair every year and Lapeer has Lapeer days with free music.

[@KimL1000]

Excellent video. Best part was seeing the Ponderosa.

[@sheilateddy5617]

Wonderful video!! Brings back memories ❤

[@piedmontpengwing]

I spent Juneteenth in University of Tennessee Medical Center!

[@Rhondagail]

Very nice giftshop

[@christineschwartz8269]

The lakes look awesome ❤,, coulda done without the gory store though,,,, your food looked scrumptious too..😊,, Thank you for sharing 🎉

[@edithcunnagin]

When you visited Pizza Hut in Hillsboro Ohio there is a Ponderosa on the other end of the road you were on

[@valerieh8882]

Enjoyed watching your travels. Can’t wait till your next video. Be safe❤

[@Rhondagail]

hi there 👋😊 Will and Dawn thanks for the video 📸

[@lynnharmon3370]

Love going back to my hometown and visiting places and eateries I frequented growing up. Sweet memories ❤

[@watchingfromthesideline1408]

It's been a long time since I saw a ponderosa. Thanks for sharing 👍 keep up the good work 👍 👏

[@piedmontpengwing]

I have never been to Michigan!

[@glory58]

I always liked traveling the backroads of Michigan. I use to work at the old pickle factory Vlasic's in Memphis Mich in the 80's. I stuffed the jars 😋 Lansing hash bash i remember once. Awesome video

[@yankeeinthesouth]

Thanks for sharing

[@Paul_Howe0216]

How can you go to Halo Burger and not get a Boston Cooler? We love the westside, you need to visit in the winter when the waves freeze, the colors are amazing.

[@yankeeinthesouth]

Next time!

[@JeffinBville]

This is going to cause some arguments, but the West side of Michigan is vastly superior to the east side of the state. And anyone who says otherwise is, well, wrong. Come on out and I'll show you around. The inside of our state Capitol building is worth the trip to Lansing all by itself. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

[@Ann-m8q4i]

The east side of the state has rocky coastlines. The west side of the state has soft, sandy beaches.

[@amandarupert8631]

Ludington Michigan isn't that far from me!

[@kimenfield195]

This video brought back a lot of memories for me. My husband and I stayed in Ludington about 10 years ago on our way home to MN from Niagara Fall's. We took the SS Badger from Ludington over to Wis and from there we drove home. It was about as close to a cruise as we've ever gone on and it was a lot of fun!

[@evinrude1236]

Beautiful beaches in Michigan. 🥰

[@cynthia6055]

"A bug check" , haha....very smart tho'......the lighthouse and water....so beautiful !! Love seeing and hearing the ferry! Great video!! Thanks Dawn and Will ! I miss Ponderosa's....you guys are having an awesome trip!!

[@yankeeinthesouth]

The best!

[@eagerlyawaiting5698]

Are you sure that was a freighter or were you tooting😂😂😂😂

[@Rhondagail]

Thanks for the history

[@richardmoore2590]

Well now, I’m in pigeon Forge and your in Michigan. This ain’t working out for meeting you😍

[@Kbvols]

Ran into you two at the Ludington Wally Word…was good meeting you.

[@yankeeinthesouth]

It nice meeting you ☺️

[@darlenedrummer8478]

HI DAWN ! HI WILL ! 👋😃🦋

[@suzannedeaton76]

I grew up in the very southeast corner of Michigan

[@conniecull7206]

We camped in, Muskegon Pentwater and Ludingtom during the summer. I loved running on the dunes and swimming in the lake. Thanks for the memories ☺️😊

[@terrib627]

Here's a recommendation if you do that trip across again: stop in Owosso for the Steam Railroading Institute. It's the home of the Pere Marquette 1225 that inspired the movie "The Polar Express." It's literally the largest steam engine I've ever seen. I believe they said it takes 24 hours to take the boilers from cold to full power! Around Christmastime, people can take their own Polar Express trip. In the fall, they used to hold train robberies which were fun, plus there's a small gauge railway to ride around the grounds on. I can't remember if you guys have ever stopped at Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. If you haven't it's a MUST see. I love the Japanese garden there. In re: Ludington (if you ever return), we've stayed at the Summer's Inn of Ludington. It's a former motor inn from the old days that's really nice, with a lush garden and fish pond. It's a couple blocks from the beach. The only down side is that they don't allow one night stays. It must be 2 nights. I am hoping you'll travel north and explore the Leelanau peninsula. I've had some of best donuts of my life at some of the roadside farmstands up there!