Private Murder Mystery Dinner in Michigan

A group of 7 couples wanted us to host a private Murder Mystery Dinner at our place, the Munro House B&B in downtown Jonesville, Michigan. They picked an available date, rented all 7 of our rooms and proceeded to have a big party while we prepared all of the food, organized the game, served the meal, and helped them have a good time.

We started off with appetizers of shrimp cocktail and caramel apples along with an assortment of wines from our local favorite winery, St. Julian's of Michigan.  We taught them how the game is played, assigned each of them a character, dressed them for their roles, and served up a 5 course home-made meal, featuring a beef tenderloin steak as the main entree, while they interacted and tried to solve the murder mystery.

We can tell how the game is going by how much laughter is coming out of the dining room.  This group of extroverts were enjoying each other's company, consuming a fine meal, and laughing a lot. Whether they figured out who-done-it or not was not important, the point of the game is to have some good clean fun--and they did.

A private game can be arranged on any available date for groups of 8-14 people. Groups of 6 or less can start a game on any available date and we will offer the game to the general public until we get at least the mandatory 8 players. For couples who just want to meet new people, we offer public murder mysteries 5-10 times a year. The Munro House hosts them every weekend in November along with New Years Eve and other periodic dates throughout the year. We have hosted hundreds of murder mystery dinners and try very hard to make every event a good one.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"

Geocaching in Jonesville Michigan

Geocaching is an outdoor activity where people use a GPS (Global Positioning System) to find hidden treasures.  Now that GPS devices are smaller and more affordable, there seems to be more people participating in this activity around my house--the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan.

Just having the GPS is not enough. First you have to find out where the cache is hidden.  That can be done by going on the internet to a website called Geocaching.com.  From there, you can type in your location and a list of hidden treasure coordinates will come up. They boast about having over a million active geocaches listed around the world.  You can then enter them into your GPS. A smart phone with a geocaching app can allow you to skip the logging on to the internet portion. Just call up your app and a list of caches near where you are will come up automatically.

Lately, I have noticed a lot of parents spending time with their kids looking for treasures during their Spring Break from school.  Kids like to get involved because the geocache containers have trinkets inside that you are allowed to take and replace with something of equal value. It is also a good way to explore your hometown or a place you are visiting. 

Back in 2005, a guest at the Munro House asked permission to place a geocache in my yard. At that time, I had no idea what he was talking about, but when he showed me, I knew it was a good idea.  It is an opportunity for me to make sure local folks know about my business and to let people from out-of-town know that there is an alternative lodging facility should they need a place to stay.  Either way, it is an opportunity to provide some good clean fun for adventurous spirits to occupy their time. I usually greet them when I notice they are milling around in my yard. When I have time, I also offer up a tour of my great old house.

Our cache is pretty easy to find (it's in the bush closest to the light pole).

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"

Springtime Special Deal in Jonesville Michigan

My property, the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan, has been a work in progress for several years. I am learning to be a gardener on my own in my spare time. There is a lot of trial and error going on my yard. Now that Springtime is here, it is time to reassess and reevaluate what I have done and what I hope to do.

It all started when I got tired of 7 forty foot tall pine trees that lined my parking lot. I had them removed and replaced the area they once occupied with a new brick patio, a privacy fence, a retaining wall, and lots of plants, shrubs, and trees. After 3 years, the area is beginning to mature, but the trees just don't grow fast enough.  The plan is for the future, so in time, it will become what I dream it will be.

My flowers are beginning to bloom. The daffodils and tulips are just beautiful, the iris and lilies are coming,  the annuals will be planted around Mother's Day. I need to increase the groupings and organize them better.  But I do have color throughout the yard, so I am moving in the right direction. I need to move the big stuff back and short stuff forward.  All of this takes time.  Sometimes I have it, and sometimes I don't.  Some people notice and some people don't.  I guess it's the effort that counts.

I may never be a master gardener, but I am getting more confidence and pride in what I am doing in the yard.  I know that there are lots of people who love gardening and would like to share their knowledge. To those people I am proposing that if they will bring me a flat of their favorite flowers and help me choose a spot and help me plant them, they can buy one night and get the second night free at my B&B through May 5. I have ordered flowers through local fund raisers that will be here in early May, so this offer is only good until I get my flats.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper

"Life is good in Jonesville"

Tea Party in Hillsdale County

The Munro House Bed and Breakfast in downtown Jonesville was the site of the latest tea party in Hillsdale County. No politicians were there to speak and the subject of taxes never came up.  This was a real tea party for young people celebrating a birthday. They came all dressed up for the celebration and were given access to a collection of hats to complete their ensembles. 

 

Mike Venturini hosted the party and played the role of butler to these fine young bebutants.  Dressed in a tuxedo, he became servant for the day while the young ladies enjoyed cake and ice cream with lemonade.  They took advantage of Butler Mike and had him perform menial tasks all through the party.

 

This event was not complete until the girls performed a fashion show for the parents in attendence.  With hip-hop music playing, the ladies moved down the catwalk, twirled, and showed off their outfits while a prepared script describing their formal wear was recited by their host. 

 

The gift exchange was full of oohs and ahhs as the birthday girl got some nice presents. No one left empty-handed as the attendees also received gifts for attending the party. Lots of smiles and laughter were eminating from the parlor as the ladies enjoyed each other's company.

A trip to the Munro House is not complete without a full tour.  The girls went from room to room while interesting stories about the history of the house and of Hillsdale County were told. They were almost unanimous in voting Sara's Room as their favorite.

A nice alternative for young people to have a birthday party is when they get to dress up and become ladies for a few hours in a great old house that welcomes kids.  Sunday afternoon is almost always the best day to have a private event for up to 12 children ages 6 and up.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper

"Life is good in Jonesville"

Hillsdale County Minister Weds Local Couples

A nice young couple wanted to get married, but were unafilliated with a church in Hillsdale County.  They also didn't want to do it at the courthouse with criminals, traffic violators, and people resolving disputes watching, so they called on Reverand Mike at the Munro House Bed and Breakfast to perform a private ceremony in a comfortable yet elegant setting in downtown Jonesville, Michigan. With 6 guests to witness the event, the marriage took place on a weekday afternoon followed by a toast to their longevity as a couple.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper & Minister
"Life is good in Jonesville"

Map of Michigan Looks Like a Mitten

Those of us who live in Lower Michigan have become accustomed to show people where we are by pointing to a spot on our right hand.  Our state is shaped like a mitten, so we, Michiganders, carry a map with us at all times.  The folks who live in the Flint-Tri Cities area refer to their portion of the state as "the Thumb" for obvious reasons.

I own the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville.  Not many people know where Jonesville is--even people who have lived in Michigan all of their lives.  It just happens that Jonesville is located approximately where 2 creases in my palm form an "X".  When I am out of town, and people ask me where I'm from, I just show them on my personal map and tell them that "X marks the spot".


Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"

Breakfast Guests

We just never know who will be walking through the door to be our guests at the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan.  That is the best part about being an innkeeper at a B&B in Michigan.  Our area is not recognized as a travel destination like Disneyland, Hawaii, New York City or Las Vegas, but we still get to meet, and spend time with people from all walks of life.  We have found that people who choose a bed and breakfast to be of a kindred spirit.  Generally, they are extroverts who look forward to sharing a meal with strangers.  We get to meet interesting people from all across the country and all around the world who sleep over at our house and join us for the first meal of the day.

No celebritites have stayed with us, yet, but many people with interesting jobs, lifestyles, and experiences have.  We've had farmers, preachers, students, shopkeepers, cops, engineers, politicians, and rocket scientists spend some time with us.  All have been interesting--most beyond their occupations.

I enjoy hearing stories about how couples got together, or how our everyday living compares to foreign countries, or what my guest's children are aspiring to be.  I am interested in the decisions people have made about their education and job choices that have effected their life in a positive way.  I am inquizitive about the paths people have taken to get to where they are today and where they will be tomorrow.  I think there is something facinating about each of us, and people are just waiting for someone to ask them about their story.

People are just people at our house.  Their physical appearance or ethnnic background has no bearing, except that that is what might make them a little more interesting.  Everybody has a story, and if you want to tell it, I will listen.


Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"