Marcella's Live 50's Show in Jonesville

Our gang walked to Marcella's in Jonesville for ice cream on Friday night.  The Munro House B&B is located just 2 blocks away.  To our delight, they had organized some local talent to put on a half hour 50's show while we enjoyed their hand-scooped ice cream.

The folks at Marcella's have been providing entertainment for quite a while now. It is a quality performance by local multi-generational talent. I was impressed by the song selection, the harmonies, the step routines, and the audience participation that is incorporated into this free show. 

This ensemble performs three sets on most Friday and Saturday nights at 7, 8 and 9 o'clock. It's a very enjoyable way to relax after dinner, go out out for ice cream, or to introduce the kids to live entertainment. The show is "free", but many shows are "sold out" as there is a limited amount of seating available.  A meal or refreshment is expected from all patrons, and you are encouraged to leave a gratuity in the tip jar for the performers.  It is always best to call ahead and reserve seating for the show of your choice.  (517) 849-2697.

Marcella's in downtown Jonesville is now a full service restaurant, with live entertainment on select weekends. In addition to panini, Marcella's now offers deli style sandwiches, burgers, and Italian pasta dishes 7 days a week.

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

Murder Mysteries in Michigan

We have hosted hundreds of Murder Mystery Dinners in Michigan. Since we purchased the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville back in 1999, we discovered that many people want to participate in a Murder Mystery, but few people want to host the party. So we developed a style and a menu that people from around the midwest have enjoyed.

Every weekend in November is usually a Murder Mystery Weekend in Jonesville.  People leave all of the detail in our hands as we advertise to fill the table with like-minded guests. The Munro House is one of the few B&Bs in Michigan that do not require a group to book the entire party in order to do a Murder Mystery. We have it open to the public so that couples can come and enjoy the company of other guests at our house while having fun playing the game and enjoying a five course meal.

Although November is Murder Mystery Month in Jonesville, we also offer the event on various dates throughout the year. We try to have at least one during every season. For people that want us to open a new date for a Murder Mystery, all we ask is that 2 couples get it started with at least 6 weeks notice on any available date, and we will fill the table.

Our first course is ususally shrimp cocktail. It is served with wine in our parlor while our hostess explains how the game is played. Characters are assigned based on guest interaction and personality--we want to give the most important parts to the most outgoing people. There is no pressure to bring a costume to get into character. We supply everything.  The game then moves into the dining room for soup, salad, entree, and dessert.  We feed our guests very well while they play the game.

A typical game begins around 6:30 and ends after 9:00.  The goal is not necessarily to figure out who-done-it. The goal is for adults to have a good time playing a game while enjoying a big meal and the company of friends. We judge the success of a party based on how much laughter is coming out of the dining room.  That is why we have chosen games that are light-hearted, not too hard to figure out, and fun to play.  We ususally hear a lot of laughter on Murder Mystery night.

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

Marcella's Free Disney Show Near Jonesville Michigan Bed and Breakfast

There is a shop in downtown Jonesville that specializes in coffee and pasta. It is called Marcella's.  These folks also run the hand-dipped ice cream parlor next door.   Both are located just 2 blocks from the Munro House Bed and Breakfast.

During the month of July, the staff along with some local talent put on a free show on Friday and Saturday nights at 7, 8, and 9 p.m.  This month is their 2nd Disney production that lasts about 30 minutes. It is an excellent show complete with Mouseketeers, singing, choreography, and audience participation.

I am a big fan of their ice cream. Blue Moon is my favorite of the Mackinac Flavors Brand Ice Cream that they feature. There's nothing like a cool refreshing dessert and some quality live entertainment on a hot summer night just a short walk from the place you're staying for the weekend.

The ensemble has developed some wonderful harmonies along with plenty of solo performances of some very familiar Disney songs.  Some well-choreographed dance steps throughout the entire show make it an audio and visual experience.  The polished production is delivered exceptionally well by the multi-generation cast. 

Our guests have returned from their night out and told me that they totally enjoyed the show.  They were impressed at the quality of the show--expecially because it was free and just a couple blocks away.  More live entertainment is planned for the month of August. 


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

Goldwing Rider Runs Jonesville Michigan Bed and Breakfast

There is a motorcycle riders safety course offered at the Town and Country Harley Davidson dealer near the Artesian Wells in Cement City, about 20 minutes from my place, the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan. This innkeeper took the 4 day class last Summer and bought my first bike on Mothers Day this year.

I wanted a touring bike and pursued listings online at Craigslist.  After narrowing the selection down to about 20 different bikes, I chose to check out a Honda Goldwing that was offered by a guy up in a northern suburb of Detroit. I loved the bike, we struck a deal, and now I ride my Aspencade at every opportunity.

I had a couple thousand miles experience before I had the confidence to take a rider. Now, Lori and I go for a ride at every opportunity. We wait patiently for all of our guests to arrive, then take an early evening ride for dinner, ice cream, or just to enjoy the day. 

To encourage bikers to select our Southern Michigan Bed and Breakfast as a place to stay when touring the state, anyone who rides their bike to our house during 2010 can get any room for $50 off our regular rates priced at $139 and up by asking for the "2 Wheeler Special". Even if you are not a biker, it can pay to follow our blog as different groups or special promotions are offered on a regular basis.

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

Veteran Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA) visits Jonesville Michigan

A group of vintage automobile enthusiasts set up a tour of the tri-state area (Michigan-Indiana-Ohio) for a week of fun. They trailered their vehicles and met up in Fremont, Indiana. From their headquarters, they made day trip to visit cool places within 100 miles in their cool old cars. More than 50 members of the Veteran Motor Car Club of America made the trek to enjoy mid-America.

The car museums in Auburn, IN, Shipshewana, IN, and Spring Arbor were highlights for the drivers. But all enjoyed their trips for a meal in Turkeyville, tours of the historic cities of Marshall and Jonesville, plus the wood working place in Ohio that we know as Sauder Village.

The leaders, Rich and Jan, had been planning this trip since 2009. Arrangements were made to tour many places including the Historic Munro House Bed and Breakfast and the Grosvenor House Museum in Jonesville. In addition to being the oldest house in Hillsdale County, the Munro House was also used as a station on the underground railroad. These and more historic tales were enjoyed by the drivers and their passengers.

You can see all 26 pictures of these vintage automobiles on my facebook page.


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

Jonesville Michigan Geocaching

A mother-daughter team found the geocache in front of the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville Michigan over Memorial Day weekend. I spied them as they pulled up and knew what they were up to. I grabbed my camera, and by the time I got out there, they had already found the treasure and retreated to the comfort of their air-conditioned vehicle to fill out the log book.

It turns out that the daughter has a nose for finding hidden treasures and found this one instantly. They are experienced geocachers and are approaching 300 found treasures in their travels. The app on their smartphone led them to within feet of our hidden container.  As of this moment, they are still a ways away from finding all 1,084,870 treasures listed on the Geocaching website. It is a fun activity wherever your life takes you. The caches are usually found near places of interest. The Munro House was once a Station on the Underground Railroad and is now a comfortable place to stay in a great little town in south central Michigan.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper

"Life is good in Jonesville"

Geocache Found at Jonesville Michigan Bed and Breakfast

Once again, geocachers were seen searching through the bushes in front of the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan. They found the treasure and were signing the log book when they were greeted by Mike Venturini, the innkeeper.

It turns out that Lilly and her sister were on their first Geocaching adventure and were excited that the cache was easy to find and had some cool stuff inside to trade. They chose to take the rubber snake and a bouncy ball and left some stickers and a cool necklace.  As their mom said, "all treasures need to have some jewelry".

There are currently over 1,000,000 geocaches hidden near interesting locations all around the world. One is right outside this Michigan Bed and Breakfast. It's easy to find and is a fun activity for anyone with a GPS device.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"

Jonesville Riverfest River Festival

The annual Riverfest celebration in Jonesville, Michigan, is traditionally held on the weekend following Mother's Day.  In 2010 it will be held May 14-16 and features fun, food, and festivities. The fun stuff includes a triathlon, canoe races, and a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. The food features the fire department BBQ, sidewalk vendors, and local restaurants. The festivities include the fireman's waterball competition, an arts and crafts exhibition, car & bike show, live music at Saucy Dog's, cloggers, an hourly musical show at Marcella's Coffee House, plus tours of the Sauk Theater and the Grosvenor House Museum, along with the Domestic Harmony Duck Derby.

The river-themed triathlon features running, biking, and canoeing, and kicks off the weekend at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night. The canoe races run all day Saturday on the St Joseph River in downtown Jonesville with competitions in various categories with cash prizes for the top 3 finishers. Even the inexperienced can participate by renting a canoe, finding a partner, and joining the fun. The basketball tournament is held at the high school with early rounds of competition on Saturday morning and the finals on Sunday.

The River Rats have cleaned up the shoreline to help make Riverfest a pleasant experience for canoers and race-watchers. The events have attracted competitors from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Canada. Riverfest began in 1974 and is enjoying its 36th annual celebration of River Fest in Jonesville.

Riverfest details and participation forms can be found online at Jonesville Riverfest.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"

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"

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"

Murder Mysteries in Jonesville Michigan

We have hosted hundreds of murder mystery dinners at the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan. Most of our events are open for couples to join. We need at least 4 couples to play and have always been able to meet the minimum. Some of our events are private for groups of friends. We have hosted families, clubs, and many diverse groups of people.

We have the setup down to a science. We generally use a festive tablecloth with our antique china and adorn the table with candles. We have developed a menu that includes appetizer, soup, salad, entree, and dessert. A typical meal includes shrimp cocktail for the appetizer. We make our favorite seasonal soup. In the Fall, we serve our Harvest Soup for the second course. Our new house salad is spectacular. It includes our home-made dressing, dried cherries, glazed almonds, and Parmesan cheese. The main course is a beef tenderloin steak served with potatoes and vegetables. Lately we have been finishing the evening with our chocolate caramel brownies served with ice cream.

We spend a good part of the afternoon preparing the meal, so a prompt arrival time is imperative. Many of our guests purchase the two night package, so they are already in town. For those guests who buy the one night package, an arrival before 5:00 p.m. is required. The event starts at around 6:30, so we need our guests to have been checked in so that we can finish the prep work, uninterrupted.

The evening starts in the parlor with an introduction of participants and an explanation of how the game is played while the appetizer and beverages are served. We try to get a feeling for the personalities of the guests so that they all will get an appropriate role. Those people with the biggest personalities will get the biggest parts. Additionally, each player gets a hat from our costume closet. We have collected a variety of funky head ware that helps to lighten the mood and transform our peeps into their new roles. That means that there is no pressure for guests to find their own costume for an event at our house. We take care of it, and keep it simple.

The guests then move into the dining room and play the game while the meal is served. Each person has a 3 page script with 4-8 clues on each sheet that they must get into the conversation over dinner. The clues are very interactive and include topics that many participants have comments to insert. In the first act, each person learns a little bit more about their character. In the second act, there is a lot of finger pointing and innuendo. The third act is where everyone has an alibi--some are good, some are not so good.

When all three acts are complete, there is discussion over dessert about who-done-it. One by one the participants are asked who they think did it, and why. Then, one-by-one we tell you who didn't do it, and why. At the end, the clues that incriminate the guilty party are divulged and it becomes obvious who was guilty.

We always host a murder mystery that is open to individual couples on every Saturday night in November and on New Years Eve. Additionally, we hold events on the first weekend in January and on random dates throughout the year. We will host a murder mystery dinner on any available date with at least a group of four and six weeks notice. We will then fill up the table to play with a minimum of 8 total players.

We have even offered murder mystery luncheons for private groups only. It is a lower cost event and is generally done on a Sunday afternoon for private groups only. We need 8 to play with a maximum of 14 players. 12 is the ideal size, but all even numbers between 8 and 14 make for a good game.

We enjoy hosting parties at our house. We have developed our own style and have chosen games that are fun to play. Our goal is to have our guests have a good time whether they figure out the mystery or not. At our house it is more about laughing and having a good time than it is about studying your part and taking notes. The games we play can be figured out if the players pay a reasonalbe amount of attention to the conversation over dinner. On nights when no one does, it doesn't matter. Because this is a game, not a contest, so there is no pressure to win.

If you're looking for some good adult-themed fun with other like-minded couples, a murder mystery may be just the ticket. Check out our website or call 1-800-320-3792 to find out more about an upcoming murder mystery.

Mike Venturini - Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"