Community Corner

The Perfect Ferndale Weekend? Take It From Jean and Bob Peplinski

In honor of Valentine's Day, we're taking a look at some of Ferndale's cutest couples.

Ferndale has its fair share of lovebirds, so we decided to check in with a few of them before Valentine's Day and ask them to share relationship and date night secrets.

Today, we take a closer look at what makes Ferndale residents Jean and Bob Peplinski so sweet.

How long have you been together?

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We first hooked up in July of 1998, so together for about 14-1/2 yrs & married for 12-1/2 of those.

What’s the secret to a successful and happy relationship?

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The usual: mutual respect, attraction, admiration, common interests, similar tastes, sense of humor, etc. Life has thrown us some pretty big curveballs, but we’ve always made one another the highest priority and we’ve come through every challenge stronger than ever. Being together makes the hard times bearable and everything else more fun! Also, we both really love beer and TV. Just like in the fairy tales.

What famous couple would you compare yourselves to?

 H.I. & Ed McDonough, without all the thievin.

Why did you settle in Ferndale, and how long have you lived here?

We moved to Ferndale in July 2009 after having lived way too long in the middle of nowhere, and it is FANTASTIC to live in a walkable community with so many fun places to shop, eat, drink, and hang out! We love how all the residents and businesses are so involved and invested in making Ferndale a great place to live. We love the nonstop festivals, quirky sights, and unique characters. And it’s wonderful to be part of such a diverse community, where nobody presumes that just because you are married, you don’t automatically have (or even want) children.

What’s your favorite romantic night out in Ferndale and why?

Why not a whole romantic weekend? If the weather is nice, we love to walk the neighborhoods, ending up in town for some shopping (Rust Belt & Naka are favorites) and maybe a little treat at Pinwheel or Treat Dreams. And clearly, a romantic date is nothing without a cocktail or two at Valentine Vodka!

Then, if our stomachs (and livers) had unlimited capacity, we’d have the queso & pita chips at Dino’s, poutine and microbrews at One-Eyed-Betty’s, burgers at The Emory, nachos & beer at the WAB, and ride out the rest of a warm summer night with pizza on the patio at Como’s. And if we’re SUPER lucky, the next day would mean a great game on TV, best enjoyed at Rosie’s with all of our friends!

Since the weather has not been conducive to pub crawls & patios lately, we STRONGLY recommend picking up a few tasty bottles of red at Winezilla, and drinking them at MiChigo with the best deep dish pizza in the known universe. Comfort food & warm wine is the perfect remedy for these cold cloudy nights!


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