- [Tom] On this exciting episode of "UTR", we're back in Grand Rapids for a bakery with a backstory, a pickleball brewery, wait, what?

And a long walk in the woods.

We'll even take a coffee break at a place that has heart, literally!

Get ready to explore the cool people, places, and things that make Grand Rapids a great place to be.

(upbeat rock music) (wine pouring) (gentle upbeat music) (glasses clinking) (gentle upbeat music) - [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines, dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at stahlssauto.com.

(upbeat rock music) - I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to, and the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin, and this is "Under The Radar Michigan".

(upbeat rock music) (graphic whooshing) (transition whooshing) Hey, everybody, well, we're hitting the road again in typical "UTR" style and fashion.

Actually, we're in Jim's car eating junk food.

Anyway, that's not important, what is important is we're heading to Grand Rapids to show you why you need to take this very same trip, except you'll have to get your own junk food, right, Jim?

(bag crinkling) - [Jim] Those are mine.

- These, oh, this is your junk food?

Sorry.

Yep, Grand Rapids is a city that literally has something for everyone.

Every year, more and more people come here to enjoy incomparable culture, cool commerce, incredible energy, awesome art, and endless eateries of every kind.

It's a metropolitan masterpiece that's maneuverably manageable, 'cause as Goldilocks would say, it's just the right size.

But beyond the incredible architecture, multiple magnificent museums, great green spaces, and lofty, livable places, you'll also discover that Grand Rapids holds the distinction of being Beer City USA, with more than 40 craft breweries for you to partake in.

So if you're up for a frosty, cold adult malted beverage or two, this city is definitely for you.

But first, let's see where GR lives.

Get ready, this is a mouthful.

Grand Rapids is located in Michigan's western central lower mitten, just 30 minutes northeast of Holland, 30 minutes southeast of Muskegon, and about one hour west of Lansing, and not too far from the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, bonus.

(transition whooshing) (graphic whooshing) Well, as always, we rolled into Grand Rapids with our bellies a barking, so we decided to make a beeline for Wealthy Street Bakery on, well, on Wealthy Street.

Now, we'd heard great things about this bakery and the incredibly tasty, sweet, and savory offerings they make, but we'd heard even greater things about its owners, Andy and Ondrea Havemeier.

So with a hot cup of coffee, and a donut ready for dunking, we had a comfy and casual conversation.

I don't usually start conversations this way, but are you guys nuts?

Your bakery is open till 9:00 o'clock at night?

- Yeah.

- I mean, like, I mean, bakeries and restaurants are a hard way to make a living, I mean- - I try to explain that to everybody, that we are maybe a little bit nuts, and that this is like, yeah, 'cause it's got the best and worst of both worlds, right?

You have the hours of a bakery and the hours of a restaurant mashed into one.

So yeah, we're open 15 hours a day.

- Another reason you're crazy is you also own another bakery on the other side of town?

- Yeah, so it's actually only a couple miles away, but I think each kinda neighborhood in Grand Rapids has kind of its own subset, so we serve two different communities within the same community.

- So this is Wealthy and that one is?

- That one is Hall Street.

So that one is literally, eh, two miles that way.

Yeah.

- It's very European, it's like this little bakery services- - [Andy] Yeah.

- This community- - [Andy] Exactly, yeah.

- That one services that little neighborhood.

- Yeah, it's the neighborhood things, yeah.

- You just recently bought this place, correct?

- [Andy] Yeah, yep.

- And I understand your path to success was a little bit rocky.

- Yeah.

- A little more unusual.

- Yeah, it definitely had its ups and downs, yeah, that's to put it mildly, yes.

But no, so we took over in June.

Before that, I was GM of both locations for the three years previous to that.

But previous to that, I was coming right outta rehab, I was actually homeless five years ago, and drug and alcohol addiction brought me into some crazy depths and had me at the end.

And yeah, I just kinda had to rebuild from there.

- Well, your story is so inspirational, because so many of us at one time or another in our lives have those challenges.

I mean, different challenges- - Yeah.

- We all have, you know, it's not always, you know, drugs or alcohol, but this place is really, You have two successful businesses.

I mean, dude, you are such an inspiration.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend this route, though.

It is definitely it is definitely an easier way I feel.

Yeah.

I don't know about you.

Let's talk about your bakery.

That's why we're here at this place is.

and you know this side of it, I mean, this place is really, it's almost more about the community and what this place, this iconic place, means to the people in the neighborhood, right?

- Definitely, yeah.

We have a huge, huge group of people that come in every morning, you know, on their way to work, or after work, or work meetings, or we just had someone say that they studied for their college exam here, and they'll always remember this as their place that they passed their exam from, because they spent so much time here.

So it's all about the community here, it's great.

- Yeah, another cool thing you do for the community is you let local artists display and sell their artwork.

- Yeah.

- And you said, I mean, the stuff you have up here today is awesome.

- [Andy] Yeah.

- [Tom] And this is a guy that works at Channel Eight?

- Yeah, yeah, a local news investigative reporter, I guess is what he is.

- He also happens to be a great artist, so- - Yeah, so each location, we do a different artist each month, and yeah, it's a great way to get your work in front of, let's see, between the two locations, we have almost 25,000 people through the door a month.

- Gimme just the spectrum, you guys do fresh bread, you do?

- Yeah, so we do everything fresh every day.

Your standard fare, danishes, scones, muffins.

And then what you have in front of you there is called a townie, so it's croissant dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar, it's kinda like an elephant ear and a churro had a wild night together and that's the byproduct.

- Which shall be dunked in my coffee momentarily.

- Yeah, we also do the, like, cinnamon rolls and everything, but then we're a full restaurant as well.

So sandwiches on all of our fresh breads, fresh pizza every day, that dough we make every day, and we do in these large brick ovens, and yeah.

- That's what- - [Andy] Breakfast sandwiches.

- That's what I love about you guys and this place, both your places, it's very European.

- [Andy] Yeah.

- It's very, like I said, you service the community, you can come here, get a sandwich, get a coffee, talk to somebody, you know, either you can either, you know, meet your girlfriend here, or meet your friend, have a little business meeting here.

- Yep.

- Or just come here to reflect.

- [Andy] Yeah.

- You know, and gain some weight.

(Tom laughing) - Yeah, yeah.

- Right.

(bright upbeat music) - Well, to be honest, I don't know what gave me more satisfaction, hearing Andy's inspirational story, or picking out a generous selection of incredibly delicious fresh baked goods.

Not to mention the creative sandwiches and pizzas they provide.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a bakery?

I think so.

If you're looking to connect with a solid community, help an awesome couple continue their quest for greatness, and at the same time, enjoy a bountiful selection of bonafide baked goods, head for Wealthy Street or Hall Street Bakeries as soon as you can.

Oh, and as for what satisfied me more?

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one.

Mm, fluffy goodness.

(bright rock music) (transition whooshing) (graphic whooshing) Have you ever wanted to go out and have a drink with your friends and thought, "You know, we should probably do something" "a little healthier and physical"?

Well, we found a place where you can do both, bonus!

(balls thudding) Ouch.

That's right, just 20 minutes south of Grand Rapids in Kentwood, you'll find Broad Leaf Brewery, a great new place that's got top-notch craft brews, cool creative cocktails, an array of satisfying foods, cozy places for you and your friends to congregate, and yes, actual indoor pickleball courts where you can have fun and get active while you libate.

Now, if you've watched this show before, you know that I know how to drink beer.

But before I take my very first swing of a pickleball paddle, I thought it best to check in with Dirk Konyndyk and Chef Lee DeHaan.

Dudes, can I call you dudes?

- Absolutely.

- I've been to a lot of breweries before in my life, but when I walked in here, the atmosphere here, first of all, the sheer size of this place is amazing, but the atmosphere is so cool.

And whose awesome, wonderful, crazy weird idea was it to put pickleball courts in a brewery?

- I mean, collectively, it was one beer at a time, but.

(Tom laughing) - That's usually how it happens.

- The impetus and a lot of the push, the initial push, was from this guy right here, Lee.

- So you're the pickle, you were the inspiration?

- Yeah, no, I played pickleball for the last few years, it's just a great community event.

You know, you get out there with your friends, your family, and just have an awesome time, and who doesn't want some good food and a beer after playing pickleball, you know?

- Yeah, oh, after?

Darn it, anyway.

(everyone laughing) No, because, yeah, no, I mean, if you've got cabin fever, you know, if it's a rainy day, like today's a rainy day, to come here with your friends and get in some pickleball, and I've never seen anything like this before in a brewery.

And speaking of the brewery, I mean, you guys, the beer here, I mean you guys have quite a reputation, and I can see from behind you over there, you're a serious, a serious brewery- - [Dirk] Yeah.

- [Tom] I mean, you guys brew a lot of beer.

- We do, it's a good problem to have too.

(Dirk and Tom laughing) I say it all the time, both Lee and Terry, our brewer, they make my job as a server so easy.

If anyone says, "Well, what do you think about this?"

I'm like, "Go for it."

There's never a miss, you know?

- [Tom] Right.

- [Dirk] Every single thing, if that tantalizes you in your mind- - [Tom] Yeah.

- You're gonna like it just as much when you're eating it.

- And Lee, you're the chef, and I've looked at the menu, I'm gonna try everything, so prepare yourself.

- Right on, one of everything, my favorite order.

- Yeah, oughta sharpen your knives.

But I noticed that you've taken brewery and pub food, like to a whole different level, it's like an Asian fusion kind of a thing?

- Yep.

Yeah, I like to take from my roots a little bit, you know, I'm Korean, I didn't grow up there, but I adopted from there.

- [Tom] Yeah.

- And I think it's important for us to pay homage to our heritage.

So I like to take a lot of inspiration from Korean street food and Japanese street food.

Not only are they just fantastic dishes, you know, like full of flavor, full of unique styles, but they're super fun to produce.

And it makes, you know, keeps us line cooks on our toes.

(Tom laughing) Super fun to put out, and people just seem to love it, so - I also noticed when we came in, there's a stage.

You're expecting me to perform or something?

(Tom laughing) - Well, if you had come on Wednesday, we would've loved a karaoke performance.

(Tom laughing) Because on Wednesdays we do karaoke, Monday is our open mic, and then typically once a month we'll have live music.

This time in April, we actually get a twofer, but typically third Saturday every month we do a live event up there on stage.

- So as far as the pickleball goes, I mean, do you just come in, grab a brew, and you can grab a game?

Or do you reserve the courts, or how does that work?

- So we have an online system on CourtReserve.

So we have different time slots available, and you can reserve whichever court you'd like.

- [Tom] Oh, does it make a difference?

'Cause I think I'll suck on all of 'em, but.

(everyone laughing) Yeah, so you've got two dedicated, and do people usually play like foursomes, or is it one on one?

- [Lee] Four is recommended.

- [Dirk] Yeah.

- [Tom] Four is recommended?

- I would say that's probably the majority are, there's, you know, sometimes even like a dad will come in and play against his two kids even, so.

- Right, okay.

So anyway, yeah, I can't wait.

Can't wait.

- [Dirk] Awesome.

- To suck.

(everyone laughing) - I was gonna say.

I can't wait for Chef to slam one right down.

(Tom laughing) - Like I said, I walked in here and this place has me written all over it.

Wait 'til I get my hands on a Sharpie, I'm gonna write my name everywhere.

(Tom and Dirk laughing) - Should have one in here somewhere.

- Yeah.

(Lee laughing) - [Tom] Well, I thought for safety's sake, I should probably try my hand at pickleball before I wrap my hand around a pint or two.

So I took the courts for a rousing round with the fellers.

(racket thwacking) - [Dirk] Perfect form.

(racket thwacking) (racket thwacking) (racket thwacking) (racket thwacking) (racket thwacking) Just like here.

- Well, looks like I should probably stick to what I do best, and that's consuming.

and quaffing real made Michigan craft brews.

Boy, playing pickleball poorly sure works up an appetite.

If you're into multitasking, check out Broad Leaf Brewery and Spirits in Kentwood, it's the place to go where you and your friends can do a ton of fun stuff all at once.

Heck, even if you don't play pickleball, you can always sit back with a frosty cold adult malted beverage and watch someone like me play, that should be good for a few laughs.

Doh!

(bright rock music) (transition whooshing) (graphic whooshing) Well, after a wild night of mastering pickleball, not, the next morning, I was in dire need of a pick me up.

So I decided to go to a place that would pick up my heart and soul as well.

Has Heart Coffee Shop is an amazing and inspirational place that was started by a veteran, for veterans, that also happens to serve up a lot of love, support, and a great cup of coffee.

Michael Hyacinthe is a Navy veteran, and he's the caring and motivated mastermind who invented some very creative ways to say a simple and sincere thanks.

Well, first thing I gotta do is, I gotta thank you for your service.

- Hoorah.

- And I sincerely mean it.

- My pleasure.

- You were in the Navy, right?

- Navy, I was a Seabee.

- When I was a little boy, I always wanted to be in the Navy, I just never did it, so- - Yeah.

- But yeah, thanks for your service.

And I gotta say what you're doing here, we could do a documentary on everything you're doing here, but we don't have that kinda time in the show.

So just in a nutshell, how did this all happen?

How did this start?

- Yeah, really interesting is the, you know, creativity and innovation.

Met a gentleman by the name of Tyler Wade, who's my co-founder.

- [Tom] He's a designer, artist?

- He's a designer, yeah, he used to design for "Wolverine", design for LeBron James shoes, and some of the big basketball players.

And so, when I first moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, I wanted to create an opportunity to allow veterans to be a part of art prize.

But when I first came here, I did not see enough engagement with the veteran population through art.

And so we really saw an opportunity utilize art as a means of engagement and expression.

But veterans who've sacrificed for creativity just, you know, I felt was just not being a part of it.

- Yeah.

- So I went to school and reached out and put a call out to say, "Hey, I'm looking for an artist" "that would help me create designs to help veterans."

And so we started off by creating designs, collaborating, he and I, and we first met over a cup of coffee.

- So much in this world happens over a cup of coffee- - Yeah, and so every project that we've done with our veterans start over a cup of coffee.

And so when we first started, he and I were just coming up with ideas, putting it on T-shirts, and giving proceeds to veteran organizations.

But this one event, we met this quadriplegic who was wounded in Iraq, and one of his lifelong goals was to become a T-shirt designer.

- Ah.

- And so that's when we knew, instead of us creating the designs, let's connect with veterans and pair them with an artist and have them create artwork, so that not only are they benefiting from the creative process, but their messages could actually be seen, you know, around the country.

And that's where has Has Heart was born.

- [Tom] And the T-shirts here, are those from the gentlemen you were talking about?

- [Michael] Yeah, so all of those designs have very powerful meanings.

- [Tom] Yeah.

- And so you can purchase the T-shirts, and then each design has a story that tells that veteran's injury and what they're doing to rehabilitate or continue to connect with the community that they've served with.

And so those art pieces are then taken and distributed on multiple things.

So we have greeting cards.

- [Tom] Yeah.

- We have sweaters, we're actually getting ready to launch a line of candles, where the artwork will be labeled around the vessels, and we're launching that in Meyer beginning fall of 2024.

- You are so, dude, you are so inspirational and you've got such a big heart, the world needs more people like you.

I mean, what you're doing, you're doing more for veterans and for the world than 10 other people put together.

I gotta, I mean, thanks for your service, and thanks for what you're doing now.

I mean, yeah, you're very inspirational.

- I couldn't have done it without the collaboration of some really amazing people.

- [Tom] Yeah.

- And I truly am very fortunate to have been around some awesome people, but I also credit a lot of my success to my military service.

Growing up in the Bronx, you know, traveling around the world with the Navy really opened my heart, opened my mind, and allowed me to see that, you know, we can continue to do good and support people that look different from us, that act different from us.

And so through Has Heart, you know, my military service is coming back to give back to our community.

- I have to say that what Michael is doing here is extraordinarily cool and extraordinarily kind.

It's not often you meet someone who almost completely dedicates themself to helping others.

If you're looking for a classic place that serves up a great cup of coffee, and some sweet snacks, oh, and that pays veterans around the country a very creative debt of gratitude for their service, grab a cup of hot brew, and maybe a T-shirt or two, at Has Heart Coffee Shop in Grand Rapids.

A lot of very brave men and women will thank you for it.

(bright rock music) (transition whooshing) (graphic whooshing) Hey, you wanna go on a hike with me?

It's a long one, like 4,800 miles long.

(Tom laughing) Hope you brought some power bars.

You heard right, because the North Country Trail is the longest national scenic trail in America, and goes across eight states, including our own Michigan.

It's one of our country's premier backpackers paradises.

To find out more about this incredible trail, and to make sure I put several of my best footsteps forward, I checked in with Kate Lemon.

So I can't believe that I have never heard of the North Country Scenic Trail.

I mean is it really as long as the Pacific Rim Trail and the Adirondack, or the Appalachian Trail, together?

- Yes, it is 4,800 miles long, across eight states, from North Dakota to Vermont.

It is the longest national scenic trail in our country.

- How did this escape me?

I mean, that's so bizarre.

And the fact that the headquarters for this entire trail is in Lowell is, that's gotta be a feather in your cab.

- [Kate] It is, we're pretty proud of it.

- [Tom] Right, I mean, this little section that we're on here, what river is this?

- [Kate] This is the Flat River.

- [Tom] The Flat River- - [Kate] Yes.

- [Tom] Just outside of a Lowell.

What a beautiful trail this is, and- - [Kate] It's gorgeous.

- The trail is so clearly marked, it's like it, I can see a mark there, I can see a mark there, I can see a mark there, I can see a mark, you can't get lost.

- You can't.

There are certain parts that get a little more complicated, but fortunately here, the chapter had permission to be able to put very clear signage and very clear blazes up on the trees.

They did a fantastic job.

And it is a really, really wonderful opportunity for just a leisurely stroll.

- It starts in Vermont and goes all the way to North Dakota?

- [Kate] Yes, sir.

- That's, 4,800 miles, like I said, and it goes up like the west side of Michigan.

- [Kate] Correct.

- And across, how do you get across the Mackinac Bridge?

- On foot, there is one day a year that you can cross it on foot, on Labor Day, during the Mackinac Bridge walk.

- What if I get there the day before?

(Tom laughing) (Kate laughing) - Guess you're outta luck.

(Tom and Kate laughing) - I'll hitchhike, but anyway, yeah.

- Yes, technically it is North Country National Scenic Trail too, so if you have done the Bridge Walk, you've done five miles of the trail.

- Wow, now what is the responsibility of your association?

I mean, your headquarters is very cool, so what do you guys do for the trail?

- Yeah, so we are the North Country Trail Association, we are the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.

So the National Park Service is the administer of the trail, they administer a handful of the national scenic trails across the country.

And administer is kind of fancy word for, they help with a lot of the intensive trail planning and the protection of the trail, and they also provide some resources to keep the trail built and maintained and our volunteers trained.

But they provide some of that funding, but then we fundraise for the rest of it.

We actually leverage every dollar by about seven times.

So we're the nonprofit association, and we organize volunteers and partners across the entire trail to keep the trail built, maintained, protected, and promoted.

- Are there towns it goes through you could stop and?

- Yeah, absolutely, so we cross over 160 different land management units.

So unlike a national park where you go in, there's a designated area, you're in the park, you pay your fee, you leave, the trail is a little bit different.

It crosses public lands, it crosses private lands where we've gotten permission, and it goes through, you know, different land management areas.

So the Michigan DNR, a county, a state, you know, all kinds of things like that, in Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, it's the park service up there, because it's a national lake shore.

So all along the way, it depends where you are, but there are designated camp sites, there are places where you can do dispersed camping, you just have to follow a few rules, like in a national forest.

- [Tom] Right.

- And then there are sometimes places where you can grab BnB or a hotel, so it goes through a lot of towns and cities too.

- Well this location's beautiful, where I'm watching kayakers go by, we're seeing all kinds of wildlife, and I read that it's like three quarters of the trail is through forested lands where you can see tons of natural wildlife.

- Yes, absolutely.

From North Dakota to Vermont, there's a huge variety.

And I mean, birding is huge all over the place, in the UP and northern Minnesota, there's moose.

There's moose out in the Adirondacks as well.

There's deer, there's even an elk herd in Michigan too, but you have the opportunity to see just about anything.

- Well, if you're at all an outdoor enthusiast, or you just like to hike or walk or just get out in the, nothing is better for you than a walk in the woods.

A walk in the woods seriously can fix anything.

- It really can.

- Except for me, I've done a lot of walking in the woods and it has not fixed me.

But seriously, a walk in the woods is better than mind games, crossword puzzles.

They say a walk in the woods every day is so good for your brain and your psyche, so.

So what do you say, you wanna hit Vermont with me?

- Heck yeah, let's go.

- [Tom] Let's go, come on.

I hope we're going the right way.

- [Kate] Yikes.

- Ow, my ankle, Oh God, oh God, oh- - Well.

- Well.

- We tried.

- Yeah, well you tried, I don't know what I'm doing.

There we go.

Awesome, thank you.

I had absolutely no idea this national scenic trail even existed.

But now that I do, and as soon as my ankle gets better, I'll be spending some serious quiet time traversing it.

This is a natural adventure I cannot wait to take on.

So whether you hike a small portion, or the entirety of the North Country Scenic Trail, while you're out there, take a moment to think about and thank the many volunteers who keep this natural footpath pristine and available to all.

And next time you're looking for a cool place to eat, stay, play, or heck, even live, give Grand Rapids a try.

It's got everything you need for a life well lived.

(bright acoustic music) (wine pouring) (gentle upbeat music) (glasses clinking) (gentle upbeat music) - [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at stahlsauto.com.

(upbeat rock music) (upbeat rock music continues) (gentle music)