Gifts That SW Michigan Towns Would Bring to a Housewarming Party

Earlier this week, I stumbled on a post on Reddit asking people, "If all 50 states were invited to a housewarming party, what would they bring as a gift?"

The answers range from Pennsylvania bringing Hershey’s chocolate and Wisconsin bringing cheese to the very accurate gift from Florida: a dead animal stuffed with Meth. I laughed out loud at that one.

But, it made me wonder...what would the gifts look like if SW Michigan towns were attending the party?

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Keep in mind, I haven't visited all of these towns, but this is what people (and the internet) have told me about these places. Let's see if you agree:

Battle Creek:

The first, and maybe most obvious, is Battle Creek. I have a feeling they would bring you a few boxes, maybe even an entire palette of Kellogg's cereal direct from the headquarters located within the town. Milk sold separately.

Portage:

My favorite trip to Portage was a recent one where I finally visited the Airzoo. A nice housewarming gift would be a few tickets to this popular, interactive museum. However, a REAL friend would steal an entire plane and deliver it to your house. Good luck topping THAT, other SW Michigan towns! *I can't believe I need to say this but this is a joke. Please do not steal airplanes from the Airzoo. Or anywhere.*

Paw Paw: 

Now, I don't know much about Paw Paw. But, when I did a search of "things to do" the top three listed were wineries. So, I would expect a delicious bottle of wine from Paw Paw. Or several if they really want to impress you.

Plainwell:

This may be another obvious one. If Plainwell doesn't bring ice cream to your housewarming party it would be surprising. After all, Plainwell Ice Cream Co. is well known and still family owned after over 40 years in business. For the record...Plainwell is welcome to bring me ice cream no matter the occasion.

Mattawan:

Researching the history of this town, I discovered that in the late 1800's Mattawan prospered by growing peaches and grapes and shipping them all over the country. I would expect a lovely fruit basket from this town as your housewarming gift.

Allegan:

Allegan will definitely bring you something deep fried. They host one of the largest county fairs in Michigan, the Allegan County Fair. They've even earned the title of 'most popular county fair in Michigan' from USA Today. Elephant ears are delicious, yes, but I'm crossing my fingers that Allegan will snag some deep fried Oreos instead.

Ostego:

Don't be surprised if Ostego shows up with a pair of skis or a snowboard. They have to make sure you're ready for the next season at Bittersweet Ski Resort! Bittersweet Ski Resort boasts 350 vertical feet, 20 runs, 7 chairs lifts and more. They also have a restaurant and bar which is where you'll find my uncoordinated self. I tried skiing once and that...that did not go well.

Vicksburg:

Vicksburg would bring pizza. Specifically, Jaspare's Pizza. They once were voted one of the best pizza places in West Michigan by you, the people.

Kalamazoo:

Last on my list, but not the least, is Kalamazoo. Now, you may be jumping to the conclusion that Kalamazoo would bring Bell's beer to the party but you'd be wrong. Okay...they probably would bring some beer too BUT, Kalamazoo should bring celery. Did you know that this town was once the celery capitol of the country? In fact, Kalamazoo was once known as Celery City around the world. Not the most exciting housewarming gift but...at least its historical. Read more about the history here.