Helix House Vacations: The Good, the Tropical, and the Michigan

Before you get annoyed at the title, this blog was written by our native Michigander copywriter. Compared to the other vacation spots, you’ll understand it. At Helix House, we like to travel (safely, of course). The pandemic put an end to many of our travel plans and we’re starting to slowly get back into the swing of things. Most of the visits are family trips, but hey, it still counts!

Casey's Long Weekend in Holland, Michigan

Our copywriter, Casey Watts, recently vacationed in Holland, Michigan, a quaint city just a few miles away from Lake Michigan. We know what you’re thinking: Why Holland, Michigan? Yes, Michigan is known for The Great Lakes, wonderful water views, farmland, and green trees, but Holland? It’s not on Lake Michigan, it’s full of farmland (corn, soy, and blueberries mostly) and isn’t exactly a hotspot for activity. Sure, it’s close enough to the water and beaches, but why stay right there? One word: Family.

Via Giphy

We’ve all been cooped up at home for the better (or worse) part of nearly 2 years, which means many of us haven’t seen our family in just as long. In Casey’s case, this is true. She hasn’t seen her parents, sister since Christmas of 2019 and hasn’t seen her grandparents for even longer. So in August, she took the trip up to see everyone.They had a housewarming party to celebrate her parents’ new home, rented a boat for the day to enjoy the one thing Michigan has that the Phoenix Valley doesn’t — natural lakes — and visited The Critter Barn to enjoy baby chicks, bunnies, pigs, and goats. It was a good trip with minimal downtime, which helped Casey adjust to the three-hour time change quickly. After all that, it was time to board a flight and weather the time change once again (thanks daylight savings) before settling back into the good life here in Arizona.

Indre's Tropical Vacation to Hawaii

[caption id="attachment_9719" align="aligncenter" width="659"]

Beers on top of Mauna Kea[/caption]Our lead designer Indre was lucky enough to vacation in Hawaii. We’re not jealous at all. Nope. Not even a little bit. She calls it a “work from home relocation,” but we know better. Did she work? Yes. But was she (safely) on a tropical island far from Arizona and soaking in the amazing weather while we all were locked up at home? Also yes. Like we said, we’re not jealous at all. Jokes aside, Indre visited The Big Island for a month in February 2021. She stayed with her aunt at a coffee and avocado farm near Kona on the side of a volcano. Her sister and mom joined her on this family trip, which made it extra special since they live in Massachusetts.After testing negative for COVID and spending two weeks in quarantine to ensure everyone was healthy, her trip began. During the trip, Indre said they did everything COVID allowed. They traveled the whole island and tried to visit as many landmarks and beaches as they could. She dedicated different weekends to visit different sides of the island so she could see and experience as much as possible. She visited an active volcano, saw lava at night, hiked in a rainy jungle, snorkeled over a protected area of coral and saw thousands of tropical fish, bathed in hot springs, and did so much more. It was Indre’s favorite trip by far. She enjoyed her time frolicking on the most beautiful beaches and jungles, while spending time with her family.

-------------------

Vianka's Vacation to see Family in Seattle

[caption id="attachment_9723" align="aligncenter" width="669"]

Seattle Skyline[/caption]Our social media manager Vianka recently visited Seattle to see family. Like with most of us, it has been two years since she’s seen them so it was long overdue. It was also her first trip to the area so she was excited for it!Her trip was super chill and she had a great time exploring the city. Vianka went to all the touristy areas for the first couple of days: Pike Place Market, the original Starbucks café, Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture, took a ferry to Bainbridge Island, and most importantly, she ate at the Starbucks Reserve! 🤩On the third and fourth day, she  went to a drag show, played Pokémon GO Community Day, went out to a bar in Capitol Hill, and ate/shopped at the International District. Vianka absolutely loved Seattle and called the city so cute and homey. The weather was warmer than usual, but it was bearable. She can’t wait to visit again!