- [Tom] On this episode of "UTR," we head for the mountains, Mount Pleasant that is.

We'll celebrate Michigan's most Special Olympics.

Kick back in a bird bar that's been bringing 'em in for 90 years and catch a community full of art.

Heck, we'll even capture some Korean cuisine and culture.

Get ready to explore the cool people, places, and things that make Mount Pleasant worth the ascent.

- [Narrator] Pure is what you make of it.

It's taking it all in and never taking anything for granted.

The sun sets, the moon rises, and you realize the end of one perfect summer day is the beginning of another.

Pursue your pure in pure Michigan.

- [Announcer] A visit to the Stahls Auto collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at stahlsauto.com.

- [Narrator] Brought to you by Midland, Michigan, a Great Lakes Bay region community.

Visit Gogreat.com for more info.

(upbeat music) - I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to, and the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin, and this is "Under the Radar, Michigan."

(driving rock music) Mount Pleasant is literally Michigan's middle earth because it's smack dab in the middle of Michigan's lower peninsula and halfway on your way to, well, everywhere.

And now in honor of its name, Mount Pleasant, I'm going to climb to the highest elevation here, Bundy Hill.

Five minutes later.

(Tom panting) Well, I made it to the top.

Boy, the air's thin up here.

Good thing I brought this canister of oxygen.

Oh, wait a minute.

It whipped cream.

(Tom talking with his mouth full) Now even though there's no actual mountain here, it really is a pleasant place, and that's because it's home to over 20,000 inspired students at Central Michigan University, a rich, native American culture and community, an awesome historic downtown with tons to see, eat and do, and a collective consciousness that's comfortable and cool.

They even have Soaring Eagle, a world class casino that offers more fun and entertainment than you can shake a sure thing at.

Yep, Mount Pleasant is definitely a place you should explore next time you're looking for something new to do.

You know, we've been here before on the show.

My daughter went to school here.

I have friends who live here and love it, and I vacationed here.

So get your good time gear on cause we're gonna conquer Mount Pleasant.

Hey, do I have to walk back down or can I get a ride from up here?

(whip cream squirting) Actually, truth be told, if you come to Bundy Hill, you'll find the hike to be formidable, fun and fantastically beautiful.

And just in case you missed me pointing at my hand earlier, Mount Pleasant is located right in the middle of Michigan's mighty mitten.

Pretty convenient, don't you think?

Now, what happens when extraordinary athletes compete at a storied institution?

Well, hold on to your gold medals.

You're about to find out.

Yeah, this looks easy.

(Tom grunting) Oh, my back.

Oh, boy.

Now what can I say about Michigan's Special Olympics that hasn't already been said?

It's a wonderful and meaningful event that gives some of our most amazing sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters the chance to learn, grow, thrive, and achieve, all through friendship, comradery, and athletic competition.

And for more than 50 years now, Central Michigan University has been the proud host of these historic games.

I was lucky enough to spend some time with Tim Hileman who gave me some real insight into just how important these games really are.

Well, first of all, Tim, I gotta say thank you for what you do, cause I mean, it means so much to so many families and even us, folks like me who don't have a special needs person.

It's just so neat that you're doing this for these families.

- Yeah, I mean, it really is something for everyone.

And one of my favorite things now is not just watching the athletes compete, like that's awesome, but it's watching the parents, the neighbors, the aunts and uncles in the stands, and watching their face light up and be able to cheer for the athlete.

- How cool is it having this event at Central Michigan University?

I mean, this is a storied institution, and you get to do it here, and it's been going on for a while, right?

- It has been.

It's, Central Michigan University has been a huge part of the history and story of Special Olympics, especially the state summer games.

Our first state summer games were held at Central Michigan in 1973.

They actually hosted Special Olympics World Games in '75.

And we've been coming here ever since.

And obviously the university has changed, Special Olympics has changed, and different sports and venues, but it's still, it's still really, you know, like home for so many of our athletes coming here.

- And just name off some of the events you have because it blew my mind.

I mean, this is serious stuff that these athletes are doing.

- Yeah, so and when we say, I mean, Special Olympics is an everyday, everywhere movement.

You know, our state games, as I mentioned, we have volleyball, there's bocci, there's athletics, which is track and field, swimming, power lifting is awesome.

You'll have to make sure you get over and watch some of the power lifting, you know, horseshoes, so all sorts of activities.

But one of the great things about Special Olympics is when the summer games wraps up, Special Olympics doesn't stop.

And so all of a sudden, you know, the athletes will take a few days.

They'll, you know, revel in that feeling of winning that medal or ribbon, and then they start working on their next sport or their next participation.

So that's one of the great things.

We're in every county in the state of Michigan, and there's always a local activity or a local program or sport that's happening as well.

- It does such good for the community that I can't imagine it, now that it's here, I can't imagine not having a Special Olympics.

- Yeah, absolutely.

So one of the great things about Special Olympics, Michigan, as mentioned, we're in every county, every corner of the state of Michigan, great state of Michigan, but we are really volunteer oriented, a grassroots organization.

We have 40 staff members on Special Olympics, Michigan.

We can't do the programs.

We can't do some of the work without volunteers.

State games alone, we have 45 what's called games committee members that spend six months working and planning.

We've got 1,500 volunteers just this weekend alone to help support.

And so as you had mentioned for any viewer, get involved at your local program, but come to one of these states events, it's really life changing.

It sounds cliche, but you come here, and you get the high five.

You get the fist bump.

You see those smiles.

You see what true sports is really about, and there's nothing like it.

- Yeah, and being at CMU, you're halfway from everybody.

So it's convenient.

- It is, absolutely.

I mean, we've got, you know, talking this morning, and we've got buses coming from the Upper peninsula to the corner of St. Joe's to Monroe County, and we're right smack in kind of the heart of the state.

- Yeah, well, again dude, thanks for what you do.

- Oh, my pleasure, yeah - I don't usually stop on a handshake, but you deserve much more than that.

- Oh, well, thanks.

It's our pleasure.

- The Michigan Special Olympics really is an extraordinary event.

It brings joy to your heart, tears to your eyes, and makes you feel good about being a human being again.

And spending a little time at Central Michigan University will also enlighten and inspire you just as it does so many of our young minds.

Let's face it, CMU is just one more reason why we should all be proud of Mount Pleasant and the great state of Michigan.

Well, now that we've been inspired by a great university and some amazing young athletes, it's time to do what we always end up doing in the "UTR."

That's right, eat.

Oh, that looks, oh, and we're not just gonna eat.

We're also gonna drink, be merry and meld our minds with this great community.

Yep, since way back in 1934, the Bird Bar and Grill has been a family-owned awesome anchor in this town.

It's literally an eatable, audible, and quaffable melting pot where CMU students, faculty, alumni, and even citizens at large can rub elbows and lock frontal lobes.

A.K.A., it's one heck of a watering hole.

Now to make sure I get as cool and comfortable as this place looks, I took what belly I had up to the bar with Ben Breidenstein and his awesome sister Stacey.

Everybody knows that one of the hardest ways to make a living is with a restaurant.

Now add a bar to the restaurant, it gets even harder.

Now work with your brother and your sister.

How do you guys even do that?

- I think it's easier because it is a bar and not just a restaurant, right?

- Oh, so you can, right, you can self-medicate.

- And if I have a problem, I bounce it off of Ben.

If Ben has a problem, he bounces off of me, so.

- We all have our roles to play too.

I mean, everybody's got their specific jobs.

It's a lot easier if, you know, you're relying on somebody else to take care of a portion.

You know, it takes out of like a lot of micromanaging and stuff like that.

- Yeah, but I mean, this is a big responsibility.

I mean, this place is an institution.

It's been here how many years?

- 90.

- 90 years, not here but 90 years that the liquor license has been in our family.

- [Ben] Same family, same liquor license in Mount Pleasant.

- [Tom] Really, and the name Bird Bar?

- Started as the Ratskeller originally when our grandpa started it, and it's just evolved through the years.

- What'd you say, Gramps, they've already used that name.

Think of something else.

- Well, I mean, that was 1933, so I mean, yeah.

- Well, everybody I mentioned to that we were coming here, everybody said, oh, good choice.

That's where you should go.

Oh great, that's awesome.

They, I mean, everybody was thrilled we're coming here.

But you guys also do, I mean, I've heard great things about your food too.

What's moon bread?

- It's a just a, we make our own dough, and we shred our own cheese, and it's a pizza dough that we put a packet of pizza seasonings in it, - Herb dough.

- And you put cheese in it.

- Say herb dough.

- Herb dough, yeah, whatever.

And then you slice it and you just, anybody that comes in, if they're like, if anyone's ever like, I don't know what to get.

I'm like, number one, I make this cause I'm in the kitchen all the time too.

So I can tell you this week what we've made the most of, you know.

- [Tom] Oh, okay.

- [Stacey] And our subs, we take our pizza dough and we put everything on the inside and we wrap it up, braid it and bake it in the oven.

So it's a hot sub kind of thing.

- [Ben] Very unique item.

- And so, and then you got the burgers on top of that that dad started in 1986 with the broiler.

We're still using the same bun company.

- Really?

- And it's the same burger.

We still put slaw on it because cabbage doesn't go, doesn't wilt as fast as lettuce, honestly was his original reason for doing it.

So we still put slaw on 'em, and it's been trying to do it the same ever since cause it's worked for.

- Well, it's tradition.

It's like everybody expects you guys to be a certain thing because you are.

It's like you're, it's almost like your family.

It's like you don't wanna come home and there's a different mom in the kitchen.

It's just like, wait a minute, who are you?

I'm your new mom.

It's like, no, I want my real mom, so yeah.

- I say this to people all the time.

Customers come back, you know, oh, I haven't been back here in, you know, eight years, 10 years.

This place looks exactly the same.

And I'm like, holy crap, I hope not cause I've done a lot.

- By the way, we painted.

We've got new booths and we did one new sink.

- Yeah, but you know, we, you know, we strive to, you know, I think people think it still looks the same to them because it feels the same.

You know, it's a comfortable feeling when you walk into this room.

- [Tom] They're coming back home.

- [Ben] Yeah.

- [Tom] Yeah, it makes you feel like you're back home.

- And for the college students, I mean, it's almost like a rite of passage thing, you know?

This is, this is where they meet, you know, forever friends.

This is where they get their heart broken.

This is where they meet the love of their lives.

We have people come back, oh, you know, I met my wife right over there in that booth 60 years ago.

And I'm like, holy crap.

- That'd be me, I remember I did a TV show, right.

- I'm like, that is amazing.

You know?

You were here in 19, whatever.

Oh, it would've been my grandma waiting on you back then.

Oh, really?

Like, yeah.

- Well, that's gotta be so cool.

- Yeah, it is.

- Like I said, it makes you feel like you're a part of history.

Like you're carrying on something that should never stop.

- Right.

- Which is why you're having kids, right because they're gonna be, like you said, I saw 'em running around.

I'm like, I'm gonna, my son is probably gonna be talking to them, sitting here doing a TV show in like 30 years.

So, yeah, I mean, I just think it's so, places like this are just so special to me.

It's like, it's the heart of the community, you know?

And I hate to say a bar is the heart of the community, but it's where everybody goes to just be who they really are, so what better heart is there than that?

- Yeah, that's a fact.

And we see singles come in all the time.

Like, oh, you know, so-and-so's out of town, so I was alone, so I, you know, I came to the Bird, you know, I'm gonna have a couple drinks.

I'm like, you're never alone at the Bird, you know.

- This really is the kind of place that after only a couple of visits, it becomes a part of you.

It's a safe, cool and comfortable place where everyone's equal and all have a good time.

Heck, even the Special Olympians come here to celebrate their awesome efforts.

Like I always say, if you really wanna get to know a community, spend a little time at their local watering hole.

And when it comes to The Bird Bar & Grill, hop in.

The water's fine.

You know, you've heard me say like 1,000 times on the show that art is the icing on the cake of life.

Well, maybe like 20 times, but it really does bring people together to share, care and create.

Oh, nice.

Huh, very nice.

And at Art Reach of Mid-Michigan, that's exactly what they're doing.

And in so many ways, it boggles the mind.

From classes and concerts to local creations you can purchase, in countless colors and a myriad of mediums, they're making a rich mosaic that's connecting this entire community.

Now to make sure I paint a life-like picture of all this place has to offer, I had a creative conversation with Executive Director Amy Powell.

The way I look at Art Reach is it's like, well, this is how I see it.

The town is a big cake, and you guys are like the icing that runs over it and through it, that makes life here more exciting, more fun.

- More flavorful.

- More creative, yeah, more creative.

I mean, and the multitude of things you do.

Oh just, I mean, run some through some of them.

It's just amazing what you guys do.

- Well, one of our big things coming up on Saturday is Paint the Pavement, and that is a public art installation on the streets throughout Mount Pleasant, where we tape out a design and like 400 of our closest friends come out, and they literally paint on the streets.

And we make the streets beautiful and colorful for the whole summer.

That's just one little thing that we do.

- I know I did some research on you guys, and my brain exploded.

I mean, you guys bring the community together in such a creative way, and you create this, I don't know, it's almost this symbiotic relationship between art and people and the city.

And it's just very, very cool.

- Yeah, we, one of our kind of tags that we use is make memories.

And we know, and research will tell you that when people have a memory around an experience, that that's something that they will carry with them forever.

And so when I try to engage people, even with thinking about like what's one of your earliest memories around, you know, a theater or music or, you know, something like that, they can picture what they were wearing and who they were with and what they saw and what they heard.

And all of that is because they created a memory.

So what we really hope to do is create memories with families, with individuals, with experiences.

And we do that through an abundance of programming throughout the year.

- You've got kids programs, adult programs.

You can come here and buy art, become an artist, support the arts, or just appreciate art, I mean.

- Yes, all of it.

- Yeah, but like tonight, you've got a class, don't you?

- Yes, it's a multi-week class.

And the goal with that is throughout those weeks of, you know, coming every week, they're learning a skill.

They're practicing homework between, and then at the end of that, they'll have a skill.

They could, you know, go on to the next level and the next level and the next level.

So they're really building and honing that specific skill.

We have some one time fun classes that you come, you have fun, and you leave with something that you've made.

So maybe it's jewelry, maybe it's a candle, maybe it's a painting class.

But you have something tangible that you could take away from, you know, that class as well.

- And this space is so cool.

And you can do private events here as well.

- Yes, yes, so we have a gallery space.

In our Morey Family Gallery, we have art exhibits that change out about once a month, which is another way that we engage with the community, give them ways to appreciate the art and give artists a way to showcase their work.

Also, that space is available for rent.

So, you know, this evening we've got, you know, a local businessman, and he's got the space reserved for a private function.

We've rented it out for baby showers and high school graduation, senior recitals for piano.

- Well, you guys even have, there's a concert series here in town.

- Yes, so we are partnering with Mid-Michigan Industries, and they have scheduled and are hosting a concert every single Thursday.

- [Tom] At island park, right?

- [Amy] At Island park.

- [Tom] Which is beautiful.

- At the park's pavilion.

But every Thursday free concert at Island Park during the months of June and July.

And one of the things that we kind of try to educate folks is that art isn't just a painting on a wall or a sculpture that you see in the middle of your town.

It's music, and it's poetry and it's movement, it's theater.

- It's dance, it's everything.

- All of those different things that fall into the what we, you know, would consider the creative sector, so.

- You know, they say that art is in the eye of the beholder.

Well, at Art Reach, they do so much creative creating and community connecting that you're gonna need a third eye.

Good luck getting sunglasses.

So next time you're looking for a cool and innovative outing, direct your auto to Art Reach of mid-Michigan in Mount Pleasant.

Who knows?

You just might even get artsy.

I sure did.

Well, last but not least, you're gonna meet somebody who came from a world away to find her dream right here in Mount Pleasant.

Well, actually she's from this world.

Just the other side of it.

You'll see, and when it comes to her American dream, Maya Denslow doesn't just keep it to herself.

She shares her dream along with her art and cuisine with her customers, her community, and all who want to expand their culinary consciousness.

Yep, dining at Jib-Bob isn't just a dinner, it's a deep dive into the heart and soul of Korean culture and caring conversation.

But before we indulge in a deluge of Korean delights, it's time to find what's in the mind of Maya.

Maya, I have a thousand questions for you, but I'll try and keep it to a hundred.

Just, it'll be easier that way.

- Okay.

- First of all, when you pull up outside, all those carvings are amazing.

You did the, you're responsible for those?

- [Maya] Yes.

- [Tom] You did them, I mean, you physically did them yourself?

- [Maya] Yes.

- [Tom] How?

- My father-in-law, he has a, like a, like lots of the land, his friend gave those old rotten, 10 years old maple tree.

And I just saw it.

I just decide to carve something for people, and I got some idea for sharing with the people, and I believe the people need it, so that's what I did.

- Yeah ,now the name Jib-Bob means something, correct?

- Jib-Bob means a mother's homemade food.

Like example, I miss Jib-Bob.

That means I miss my mom's food.

That does means a place, that means my mother's scratch food, that's I miss, that means Jib-Bob.

- Well I understand people come here for more than just the food that they come here almost as much for you as the food.

Why do you think that is?

- Because Korean people, we like attention which is, you show and do with your heart, and then people know it.

Even though sometimes I may not understand about what you're saying or some slangs or I try to explain something to my customer.

They may not understand what I'm trying to say, but they kind of understand themself because I do something with my heart so they can read.

So I think that that's why people like it.

- Well, cooking authentic, I mean, real Korean cuisine in Michigan, is that difficult?

How do you source the stuff that you use?

- I actually, some of them I growing.

- [Tom] Oh.

- [Maya] I never done it, but I do now and well, which is my father-in-law kind of, you know, help me start it because I never done it.

- What are some of your favorite dishes that you create here that, you know, that some people may not be aware of?

- I like everything.

Some people, when I give them menu and ask me, what's your favorite?

Mm, I said everything.

It depends on my mood.

- Right.

- It depends on the weather.

Like example, we do have a little different menu for the we call it special.

Winter, Michigan is so cold, I wanna eat soup or stew every day.

But summer I don't wanna eat hot stew or, you know, so we change the stew to noodles.

So that's a little different.

- Well, people are becoming more food enlightened.

All of, I mean, like you said, 20 years ago there was maybe a Chinese restaurant in town that had almond chicken.

And that was your exotic experience with food.

- Yep.

- And now like you said, there's all different kinds of cuisines.

We all want to experiment and try new things and explore new, one of the cheapest ways to travel the world is through food.

- True.

- And to discover new cultures and people is through food, and people are becoming enlightened, and they wanna know where their food comes from.

They wanna know who's making it, and they want to know some of the backstory, some of the culture behind it.

And that's why what you're doing is, I think it's really important work.

It's you're helping enlighten the world.

- Yes, yes, I think it's very important because if you eat something not the right food, your stomach's gonna tell you, and your stomach tell you, your mood gonna tell you.

And your mood gonna tell you, and your whole family gonna, yeah.

It's important, and also I really enjoy, unexpectedly, I really, really love what I'm doing.

Just my body does not like me because everything is a hand cut, hand washing, hand chop, hand peel.

That's what my mother does.

That's what my grandma did.

And that's what I wanna do.

And I think people deserve it.

And if you wanna eat some real Korean food, come because Maya gonna peel it, wash it, cook it, and serve it for you.

- With love.

- Love, yeah.

- Well, since food is one of the funnest and easiest ways to travel the world, we put away our passports and dove into platefuls of Maya's masterpieces.

Imagine amazing flavor profiles like this from a world away available for munching right here in Mount Pleasant.

If you're looking for a dinner that'll develop into more of a captivating cultural experience, follow your taste buds to Jib-Bob Korean Restaurant.

And speaking of experiences, the next time you're looking for a cool place to eat, stay, play, or heck even live, take a little trip to Mount Pleasant.

Even if you don't climb the mountain that's not here, you'll discover so much that you'll have a mountain of stories to tell when you get home.

Advantage or I mean bonus.

- [Announcer] Pure is what you make of it.

It's taking it all in and never taking anything for granted.

The sun sets, the moon rises, and you realize the end of one perfect summer day is the beginning of another.

Pursue your pure in pure Michigan.

- [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at stahlsauto.com.

- [Announcer] Brought to you by Midland, Michigan, a Great Lakes Bay region community.

Visit gogreat.com for more info.

(driving rock music)