Sugarbush Farms in Allen Michigan

Sugarbush Farms in Allen Michigan is a combination farmers market, specialty shop, and ice cream stand. They are the source for the maple syrup supply at our Jonesville Michigan Bed and Breakfast. The property is fronted by a small forest of maple trees which supplies much of the sap for their home-made maple syrup.

Fresh flowers and produce are always available at Sugarbush.  Mums, pumpkins, and acorn squash are currently in abundant supply. U-Pick strawberries are still growing in their berry towers which have not yet been affected by frost. It is hopeful that fresh picked strawberries will be available until early November, as they were in 2009.

Soft serve ice cream plus hard pack Mackinac Flavors ice cream are also available at the walk up window. A good size gazebo with several tables and plenty of seating is a great place to sit back and enjoy a mid day refreshment.

Sugarbush Farms is located about 2 miles west of Allen on US-12 in South Central Michigan. It is about 10 minutes from the Munro House bed and breakfast. We highly recommend this as a final stop after a day of shopping in Allen, the antique capital of Michigan.

Mike Venturini
Jonesville Michigan Bed and Breakfast Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"
Munro House Bed and Breakfast

Allen Antique Capital of Michigan

Allen, the Antique Capital of Michigan, is located on highway 12 in South Central Michigan about 5 miles West of the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville. It is a community that is small in every respect except the availability of antique shops.

A town that was once a series of homes transformed into antique stores has expanded to include several antique malls, including Michigan's Largest. Capital Antiques boasts 36,000 square feet and 300 dealers.  Allen Antique Barn has 300 dealers on 2 floors. Hog Creek has 23,000 square feet and is Allen's newest mall. The Primitive Connection is just what it says it is. There is also Allen Antique Mall, Thistle Dew Antiques, Michiana Antiques, Peddler's Alley, and Preston's Gas Light Village.

In addition to traditional antiques, are memorabilia, knick-knacks, and collectibles. There is a booth that just offers Coca-Cola items, one with candles, several with sports cards, and many with glassware, tea sets, and furniture. Arts and crafts, books, games, and toys are also available to provide an eclectic variety of items. Barbie, G.I. Joe, and American Girl are well represented. There are also records, video tapes, magazines, and text books.

Many booths have a collection of cookbooks, kitchenware, and baskets along with cabinets, table sets, and lamps.  Some have bedroom sets, end tables, and victrolas. There is also wall art and table art in surprising quantities. Basically, there is an enormous assortment of valuables within a few minutes of each other.

Many Munro House guests spend a liesure day walking. shopping, and reminiscing at one or more of the Antique Malls in Allen. The malls are open most every day from 10-5, so any day can be a good day to go antiquing.


Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"
Munro House Bed and Breakfast

Winter Getaway in Michigan

Christmas is over, New Years has been celebrated, and the next holiday on the calendar is Valentine's Day. But is a winter holiday necessary to take a weekend getaway in Michigan?  Some people call it cabin fever when there is a desire to get out of town for a few days in January and February. The cure for this ailment could be a weekend getaway to an interesting bed and breakfast in a small South Central Michigan town.  I'm talking about my town, Jonesville.

Jonesville is located at highways 12 & 99 about 20 miles North of the Ohio, Indiana, Michigan border. Toledo, Battle Creek, and Kalamazoo are all about an hour away. Detroit and Fort Wayne are about an hour and a half from here.  Chicago, Cleveland, and Indianapolis are a 3 hour drive. Near or far, we try to provide a great experience with a reasonable drive time.

Here, at the Munro House, we offer onsite spa services 7 days a week. We have professionals who can provide a manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, body wrap, and waxing services. A day at the spa or just an hour of massage can provide a great cold weather pick-me-up or alternative to just sitting home.

A wide variety of eateries are available from fast food to fine dining to what US Today once claimed was the best hamburger in the world at Ray's in Reading.

The pace is slower around here. Traffic jams are virtually non-existant, the food is good, and there is a lot of antique shopping within 10 minutes. Allen is the "Antique Capital of Michigan" and is just 5 miles away on highway 12. Several antique malls boast a total of over 1,000 dealers who display their treasures in a climate-controlled atmosphere. Dishes, tools, signs, toys, books, and lots of memories can be found here. The inventory is constantly changing so  there will always be a new selection of goods to peruse and reminisce about with you family, friends, or mate.  I am partial to the big red barn know as the Allen Antique Barn, but there is a big selection at Allen Antique Mall, Capital Antiques, and Hog Creek Antique Mall.

For those who just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy their mate, we've got rooms with big double Jacuzzi tubs, rooms with fireplaces, and musical instruments that include a baby grand piano, accoustic guitar, mandolin, and ukele that our guests are welcome to use.  Our movie collection has hundreds of titles and Blockbuster is just a couple minutes away for our movie lovers.

Of course, I'm going to bake cookies and have soft drinks available all of the time.  We also make a big breakfast 7 days a week.  We are famous for Lori's Secret Recipe Belgian Waffles, but we offer other things for breakfast, too.  A big bowl of fresh cut fruit along with coffee and juice is offered every morning.

If a getaway to Southern Michigan is what you are looking for, we are open 7 days a week through all seasons and will be happy to accommodate your needs.  Find out for yourself why "life is good in Jonesville."


Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"

Lodging when Visiting Allen Michigan

Allen, Michigan, is the "antique capital of Michigan". It is located in the northwest corner of Hillsdale County at highways 12 and 49. The village of Allen has a population of about 225. It seems that everyone is an antique dealer. Many of the businesses in Allen are homes turned into antique stores. There are several antique malls about a mile outside of the village limits. One of them boasts over 400 dealers.

The Allen Antique Barn, Allen Antique Mall, Capitol Antiques, Hog Creek Craft and Antique Mall, Preston's Antique Gaslight Village, and Primitive Connection combine for over 1,000 booths of antiquities and collectibles. All are clean and climate controlled for comfortable shopping nearly every day of the year.

Allen has no hotels or motels. Jonesville, just 5 miles East of town has the nearest lodging facilities. The Munro House Bed and Breakfast is the most comfortable lodging in town and is located near a dozen restaurants from home cooking to fast food to fine dining. A historic home with incredible history, a tour of the home and interesting stories are always included with an overnight stay. Open 7 days a week, the Munro House has hosted guests from all 50 states and over 60 foreign countries.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"

Antique Shopping Allen Michigan Limoges Set

Many of our guests at the Munro House Bed & Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan, spend their liesure time perusing the goods at the many antique shops in our area. Allen, the "antique capital of Michigan", is just 5 minutes away on U.S. 12 and is the home of several antique malls that are clean, climate controlled, and very well stocked.

Our guest, Leonard, had left for the day to have some fun enjoying his favorite pastime, antique shopping. He came back rather quickly and was very excited. He told us that he had to get online so he could check something out on e-bay. He needed to find the value of a particular style of china.

It turned out that Leonard was a very sentimental fellow. A 55 piece Limoges china set matching the exact pattern his grandmother had owned was for sale at a local shop. The only problem, was that there was a $75 price tag on the tea pot, but no prices on the rest of the set. He enquired if it was $75 for the tea pot--the going rate--or $75 for the whole set--a steal. The proprietor did not know, as the set was in his shop on consignment, so he called the seller but got an answering machine. He left a message to call Leonard at the Munro House with the correct pricing. Leonard used our PC to get online and found the current bid for a similar set to be $1,500. He began to physically shake with excitement at the prospect of getting an incredible deal on a chance shopping excursion to a small town in Michigan.

Soon, Leonard received the call. The seller wanted $75--for the whole set. He rushed to the store with cash in hand. When he arrived, he had to wait in line behind a man who was trying to buy that same Limoges set. The shopkeeper was explaining that he had just confirmed that it was $75 for the set, but it had been promised to a man named Leonard who was due in any minute. That was when Leonard identified himself.

The other fellow casually waited while Leonard completed the transaction. As he was boxing up his treasure, the late-comer offered him $1,300 cash-on-the-spot. Leonard thanked him for the offer but turned him down, explaining that he bought the set for sentimental reasons and had no intention of ever selling it.

We meet the nicest people at our bed and breakfast. Each of them has an interesting story to tell and we are happy to listen and share. My peeps keep my life interesting. That's why life is good in Jonesville.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"