A diary from my first press trip

I’d never heard of Saugatuck, Michigan before Soucie Horner Design Collective invited me there on a press trip. Strolling down the streets lined with homemade cherry jam stores and oil paint art galleries thirty minutes after checking in, I immediately realized Saugatuck could serve as a Hallmark movie set. It’s practically Stars Hollow. It’s not a New England town, but it’s definitely New England-adjacent, and it’s called the Cape Cod of Michigan for a reason. It’s the kind of place where someone returns home for Christmas to visit their parents, falls in love with the local bookstore owner they went to high school with and hated until a heartfelt poem changed everything, and then they never return to collect their things from whichever big city they left behind. And I kind of imagined myself doing the same thing—Saugatuck has the power to cast romance novel spells, and the Wickwood Inn is its magic wand.

Wickwood Inn was purchased a few years ago by Chicago-based Soucie Horner Design Collective, and they’ve fully restored it and lovingly flooded it with perfect vintage finds. It’s essentially a living and breathing estate sale—everything on the walls, every single piece of furniture, every detail is available to purchase and take home. My room had the most beautiful sketches framed and gilded in gold, and had I not brought only a seemingly postage-stamp sized carry-on, I would have heavily considered leaving with a piece of the Wickwood myself as a souvenir to commemorate my very first press trip.

What struck me the most wasn’t any detail singled out, but the accumulation of details and how they made me feel. Every morning, I smelled my made-to-order breakfast from bed, before I could lay eyes on it. Rose Duong is the Wickwood’s own Sookie St. James—their lovable, hardworking and passionate chef, beloved by the entire town. Rose is responsible for the decadent wake up call, the intoxicating smell of french toast drifting down the hallways and into the rooms, better and more effective than any hotel alarm clock. Freshly baked cookies appeared near the tea station every afternoon, their numbers dwindling quickly, but always replenished quietly and swiftly. Rose is the one to thank, yet again. I arrived to a handwritten welcome note on my pillow and freshly cut peonies on the writing desk beside my bed, and I knew immediately that these details weren’t one-off gestures Rose was doing for the press trip guests alone—she’s also the inn’s general manager, and the one in charge of cultivating the entire guest experience, check in to check out.

To me, the highest form of hospitality isn’t responding to what guests need, it’s anticipating it before they know they need it themselves. Rose is a master of anticipating. Rose has nailed the timing and smell of breakfast because she understands that waking up in an unfamiliar place can feel disorienting, and that scent is the fastest way to feel at ease and at home. That’s not an amenity. That’s empathy expressed through design—the feeling of childhood nostalgia and warmth baked into the historic walls. And it was deliciously comforting! I haven’t woken up to the smell of caramelized sugar and syrup since Eggo cinnamon toast waffles in grade school.

This press trip gave me the space to think creatively, experience the gravitational pull of a deep sense of place, make new friends (Ali LaBelle, Carly Kuhn, Dan Howarth), and spend time with my pal Abena Anim-Somuah. I picked up a pencil and sketched for the first time in months. I shot rolls and rolls of film. I shook off my imposter syndrome that was weighing me down when I arrived. I came up with new writing ideas. I felt reborn. I slept really well.

I also learned a lot about how press trips actually work—how to get invited, how to pitch yourself, what to expect, and what nobody tells you. I regurgitated all of it into a draft on the flight home, which I’ll be sharing soon, because I wish more people on Substack talked about this.

Here’s a full diary of everything I did in 48 hours on Michigan’s art coast.

xx,

Bella

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I drove up from Chicago and arrived a day early ahead of the rest of the group on Sunday, so I was settled for the start of the trip. I slept 9 hours in my comfy palatial bed, and then took a morning walk around to get my bearings.

Ali arrived a day early too, so after grabbing an acai bowl and tea from Uncommon Coffee, we hung out by the Wickwood pool in the sun until the rest of the group arrived. I had an agenda of reading my book and responding to emails, but then Ali and I lost track of time chatting the late morning away and getting to know each other. I felt an immense sense of relief immediately identifying another introvert—press trips are daunting!

The lunch that Rose made on the first day was crazy good. Juicy, thick turkey and beef banh mi sandwiches, freshly picked Michigan cherries, and of course, Diet Coke. Early summer perfection. After lunch, Rose put out the freshly baked cookies and Ali and I shared one of each, for research purposes. Double chocolate came out on top.

After lounging the day away, I went back to my room to quickly shower, change into the most unreal hotel robe, catch up on emails, and take a requisite lay down before dinner.

The rest of the group arrived and we congregated for welcome drinks and a lovely kickoff dinner, made by Rose and the team. After sharing family-style plates of in-season morels, spring farro salad, and juicy beef tenderloin, we all got to know each other over wine and raspberry pavlova, and then we capped the night with a bonfire and chatting about the history of the inn.

There was optional yoga and a meditation early in the morning, but I allowed myself to catch up on sleep and luxuriate in bed instead. Breakfast was delicious—I ordered scrambled eggs, but I stole a bite of someone’s french toast and immediately had order envy. The fluffy texture brought back the nostalgic feeling of being a kid again on the first day of no-school summer—the hiss of yard sprinklers, the smell of fresh cut grass, the staticky buzz of a neighbor kid radioing my walkie talkie.

After breakfast, we got a tour of the nearby Ox-Bow Artists’ Residency, which is basically a heaven of instructed art summer camp for adults. We had the pleasure of dropping in on some of their 2-week courses, witnessing perfumery, traditional Korean paper making, oil painting, and blacksmithing. I walked away with major inspiration for a future trip I want to host and invite readers on in Mexico City!

Then came my favorite part of the day—visiting the Saugatuck Antique Pavilion. I cannot stress how exciting a small-town treasure hunt situation is to me, and if exorbitant shipping fees hadn’t held me back, I would have shipped half of the pavilion down south to my Mexico City home. There were so many gems that I left behind, but I did walk away with a Taxco spiral silver brooch that Ali spied out of the corner of her eye and then graciously let me have—it reminded us of Alexander Calder.

After running around the antique pavilion like a track star, I was starving, so I was thrilled to return to The Wickwood for a lovely tea time and conversation on hospitality hosted by Abena and Rose.

I could have listened to Abena interviewing Rose about her origin story for hours—she emigrated from Vietnam to the United States when she was six years old, helped run her family’s bakery business as a teenager, worked her way up to catering for Oprah’s TV network in Chicago, and then was offered the role of Executive Chef and General Manager of the Wickwood. Total boss lady.

After tea, we changed out of our garden party attire and hit the town to do some shopping. My favorite stops were:

• Dune Gallery—Wonderfully curated items for the home and cute jewelry.

• American Spoon—Exceptional jams made with local berries that make fun food gifts.

• James Brandess Gallery—James has painted the portrait of almost every single year-round Saugatuck resident. He also sells pre-stamped postcards of his oil paintings that you can mail at the post office next door.

• The Butler Pantry—Shoppy shop and kitchen store, owned by Kevin, a chill ex-finance guy who wanted more out of his life than spreadsheets and numbers. Kevin is the best. His snacks are the best.

I refreshed in the hotel room, which practically meant that I just re-styled the Etro button down that I scored at Salvation Army for $15 a few years back. Then we received a special tour of Fairview, the gorgeous rental home in Saugatuck that Soucie Horner also designed. While exploring Fairview, we were treated to a delightful summer thunderstorm, cocktails, and an illustration workshop by Carly Kuhn.

Then, we had one last meal as a group and Abena, Ali, Carly, and I gossiped over risotto and skipped down the dark and empty streets of Saugatuck, just in time for an 11PM bedtime.

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