New Pictures

[Abigail]

I posted some of the pictures from our vacation in Michigan's upper penninsula and on Mackinaw Island. If you've never been fortunate enough to go, you have no idea what you are missing out on.

Some high points and funny points from the trip. . . .

The kids and I drove up on our own. It was my first vacation with just the kids and although I missed Sushi something awful, there was also something fun and adventerous about going it alone.

The kids behaved very well in the car and we made great time. We managed to cross the bridge in 3 1/2 hours and a couple of hours earlier than planned. I decided to treat the kids to a trip to Mackinaw Island but it started raining as soon as we checked into our motel room. So we settled for some dinner and souvenire shops and headed to the island early the next morning.

I love Mackinaw Island and spent a lot of time there as a kid. However, as an adult with two young kids, I was exhausted after 3 hours. Just keeping track of them and making sure one didn't wander off or the other didn't fall behind was a full-time job. But I am glad we went. :) The kids loved watching the "soldiers" fire the old guns and cannons. I loved the history.

Later, back on the mainland, we stopped for lunch and prepared to make the last leg of our journey. We arrived at my dad's later than we had planned, but still early enough for a swim. Conditions were perfect for fun in the water - high waves and lots of wind.

Unfortunately, the lake is low this year and there were three sandbars, and still the water hadn't gotten deep enough to turn the kids around back towards shore. (In previous years they were still intimidated enough by the size of the lake that they didn't stray far from shore anyway). There is a drop off in the lake, though it is quite a ways out. I watched with increasing anxiety as the kids moved further and further away - far enough away that they couldn't hear my hollaring for them to come back. So I did what any adult in that situation would do and went swimming in my clothes - lol. The good news was that after I reigned the kids back in, I went looking for the drop off and it was far enough out that the water would have gotten too deep for the kids to reach it.

The next morning, Jacob woke me up at 6:30 a.m. by opening all of the curtains in the hotel room and asking if it was time to go swimming. So, we made it the perfect swim day. We started with a couple of hours on the Gladstone beach, ate lunch and went for a swim on Pappa's beach, and after dinner went for a swim in the hotel pool.

We also went and visited with a woman who used to be my babysitter when I was a kid. (This part DMiller will appreciate). She has a granddaughter now who is 5. Speaking as any well raised Yooper would - little Megan wanted to know why WE talked so funny.

Jacob ended up with a bug of some sort, so he missed out on some of the fun. However, Aaron got to go to a really cool zoo, where he got to hold a baby tiger, a baby arctic fox, and a snake. He also got kisses from a fawn!

[bowtwi]

What fabulous pictures! What a terrific vacation!

I know growing up in Milwaukee I used to hear that from Yoopers too - they thought WE talked funny? Hell-OH!

Those pictures are priceless! Great shots! No doubt they'll remember THIS vacation forever!

I also remember Mackinaw Island being THE place to go.

[Shellon]

:) Dig those!!!

[Sudo]

Abigail,

OK.. I'm a dummy... but where are the pictures??

sudo

[Linda Z]

Sudo, click on "Gallery" at the top. They're in there.

Abi, great pictures. Glad you all had such a good time!

[Sudo]

Ahhh!!

Thank you, Linda!

sudo

[ChattyKathy]

The view from the boat is beautiful!

Aaron and the fawn are just precious!

Who is walking away with a guitar?

Abi, those are wonderful pictures, thank you so much for sharing them.

[topoftheworld]

Great pics, Abi! Aren't petting zoos wonderful?

Glad you had a good time.

[excathedra]

did jacob get to go at all ?

[Abigail]

Thanks, I am glad you are enjoying the pictures.

Yeah, Jacob came to the upper peninsula with us. But he started running a 101 fever by Tuesday and I was worried it was sun stroke (even though he wasn't burned). He just missed out on the zoo trip. But I made sure he had fun anyway.

He's in the pictures - coming down the slide, on the blanket, at the parade, etc.

Edited July 9, 2006 by Abigail

[T-Bone]

Great pictures - thanks Abigail !...Now I want to go somewhere...Mackinaw looks like a great place!

[ebn57]

Mackinac Island is definately a wonderful vacation spot. One of the things that we have enjoyed the most is

to bike around the island - just over eight miles of beautiful rock formations and trees on the left, with the

bluest, clearest water you can imagine on the right.

If you take the last ferry back to the main land (both upper and lower peninsulas offer plenty of places to

stay at a great price) you are treated to the sight of the bridge in its sparkling glory.

Have to have lake perch from Scalawags, fudge - let me count the ways, and fresh washed cherries while

you are there.

Do it once and you'll do it again and again.

[Shellon]

It is such a fun place and having been born and raised in the great lakes state, I think everyone should do one tirp to the island.

:)

[likeaneagle]

How about the Grand Hotel...very beautiful old place.

I was up there about 15 yrs ago and remember one of the residents told me, that in the winter after CHristmas,everyone collects their left over trees and augs ice holes and places them into the holes. this way they have a path to drive thier snow mobiles across to mainland..

A Dr. Iworked with was a participant in the Macanaw sail boat races every year. THe couple of years I worked for him, I remember having to do his medical emergency kits.....Suture, sterile instruments. syringes filled Zilocaine/Novacaine. He loved it up there.

I love Traverse Bay!!

beautiful pics!!

Edited July 9, 2006 by likeaneagle