If you’re heading out west this weekend to catch the UConn game against Western Michigan University, enjoy Kalamazoo.    I used to live in that city with the funny name, and it’s a fun place.

Back in the early 1990s, I worked as a sports anchor and news anchor at WWMT, the CBS affiliate in the Grand Rapids Kalamazoo market, also a Channel 3.   Kara  also worked in that market, as did Channel 3’s Robert Goulston and ESPN’s Steve Bunin.  You can read about that here:  http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/did-she-say-battle-creek-michigan/

During my time in Kazoo (people call it that)  I attended a few games at Waldo Stadium, and I highly recommend stopping by Harvey’s right downtown, or Waldo’s Tavern, before or after the game.   If it rains, and you are prone to melting, Waldo’s has a great view of the game.   Here I am doing a live shot from inside Waldo’s during a pre-game show wearing a WMU shirt.   I became a UConn fan after moving to Hartford.

Yankees fans can also check out Kalamazoo Central High School, where I once interviewed an up and coming baseball player named Derek Jeter.

If you are there for the weekend and the weather is nice, I highly recommend taking the short drive to South Haven, where I also lived at an apartment at 306 Kalamazoo Street.  It is a great beach town on Lake Michigan and one of my favorite places.  If you haven’t been swimming in one of the Great Lakes, I highly recommend it.

                                       Lake Michigan off the coast of Grand Haven, Summer ’92

Also check out this amazing tourism video for Michigan.    Look for shots of Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Mackinac Island and the hotel where Kara and I got engaged,  and plenty of other places you should visit….but you need more than a weekend to see it all.

Michigan video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puv-wGYbcPM

my old station