Diversity Rules Magazine

Joey Amato is the founder and publisher of Pride Journeys, an LGBTQ travel website and syndicated column. For more LGBTQ travel ideas, please visit www. pridejourneys.com. Yes, Kalamazoo is a real place! I personally never ques oned its realness, however, I did see a ton of souvenirs with that slogan so I guess that may be a ques on on some of your minds. Kalamazoo is located in south- west Michigan, not too far from Grand Rapids and Saugatuck, two des na ons I reported on a few years ago. Kalamazoo is one of those ci es that you may not know a lot about, which is actually really exci ng for me. I love to travel to those type of des na ons, so I have absolutely zero expecta ons going into the trip. I really didn't know what to expect. This may make some people nervous, but I love go- ing on new adventures. My guest Devin and I drove to the city from Indianapolis. We were running a bit early, so we decided to swing by the Lillian Anderson Ar- boretum for a quick hike and to see the beau ful fall foliage. The 140-a- cre property is a private facility, owned by Kalamazoo College and can easily be passed if you aren't paying a en on, but once you enter the property, guests are drawn in by its natural beauty. We were lucky enough to have vis- ited at the perfect me of year to get those Insta- gram-friendly photos of the beau ful fall colors. The goal of this trip was a fall getaway, so Devin and I wanted to indulge in all the fall ac vi es humanly possible in two days. We stopped by Kalamazoo Candle Company located in the heart of downtown. Here you can either purchase the perfect fall- themed candle, or if you are brave enough, you can make your own. The homemade candles, which are very affordable, take about an hour to make. While you wait for your candle to se le, you can visit the dozens of quaint bou ques along Kalamazoo Mall – it's a street, not an indoor mall. My candle was exactly what I was hoping it would be. I'm not sure what I put in it and will certainly not be able to rec- reate the scent, but I love it. Conveniently located a block from the mall is Radis- son Plaza Hotel, a modern property complete with tons of ameni es including mul ple dining op ons as well as a Starbucks. Check into the Upjohn Suite, a magnificent room consis ng of a full living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom and two bathrooms. This suite was larger than my lo in Indy. The property offers a huge pool, fitness center and sauna and really is in the heart of downtown. Almost every ac vity we had planned was a quick 5-10 minute walk from the hotel. Kalamazoo loves its beer and Bell's Brewery is one of the local favorites. Although not gay-owned, the brewery is a huge supporter of the LGBTQ commu- nity as well as the local pride events. If you visit, make sure you check out the gi shop and ask for one of their rainbow beer sweat shirts. You can either grab a quick bite at Bell's or head back over to the Mall where you will find an Ital- ian restaurant called Rus ca. Devin began his meal with an incredible Wedge Salad while I opted for the Braised Heirloom Beet salad with currant, ha- zelnut, rico a and port glacé. My salad was so large I decided not to finish it as I wanted to save room for the main entrée, Bouillabaisse, a seafood stew 6 | Diversity Rules Magazine | Dec 2021 Pride Journeys Kalamazoo, MI By Joey Amato

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