And your ears shall hear…

One of the things I love about road trips and traveling is finding new record stores. We decided to do a 50th birthday trip to Grand Rapids because Ireland was just too much to put into play this fall. We made this autumnal trip years before we had kids, so we know it’s our happy place. Vinyl Alchemy Records was the perfect Yesterdog side dish. If you’ve never been to Yesterdog, then you haven’t had the best hot dog in the world. Yes, it’s that good, and it’s right next door to Vinyl Alchemy, so you can see for yourself.

I picked up the CD version of Bill Evan’s Live At Montreux, INXS’s last album, Switch featuring singer J.D. Fortune on CD, and a Morrissey bootleg named Poetry Hour (Colorado Broadcast 1992) on vinyl. I got all three selections for the same price as Abby’s vinyl purchase of T. Swift’s Reputation. Paige opted for a sticker set that included the Beatles, Coldplay and Olivia Rodrigo.

Vinyl Alchemy has a lot of new vinyl, and it’s pricey, but if you’re looking for something special in Grand Rapids, they probably have it (notice the three records on display in their window). They also have a good selection of used CDs that range from $3.99 to $9.99. They do have used vinyl, but not a lot that’s worth the cost of admission. It’s a fun record store, and they have the right amount of memorabilia, pop culture collectibles, T-shirts, and signed concert posters to make it worth a stop on your trip through GR.

I always support local record stores, even if I’m not a fan of their selection or if they’re too expensive. I told Abby and Paige that we were making a few more music stops over the weekend so we could each just get one thing, and that worked out great! We spent a good amount of money and all got something fun to marvel at in the hotel room. Hopefully, local music stores will continue to thrive.

After you finish eating hot dogs and record shopping, Founders Brewing is a great place to ride out your day. Have a homespun draft or two, and don’t sleep on their pretzels.

Do you have a special place that my family needs to experience? Please let me know, and maybe think about writing a guest post for the Cut Out Kid.