Summer 2019 - MI, VT, Bethany Beach (a forgotten post, oops)

This is a post I wrote a long long long time ago and forgot to put on the blog:

Taking a trip down memory lane, in the summer (2019) we fit in road trips to Michigan and Vermont and spent a great week with Nana and Papa at Bethany Beach. 

Lisa and I continued our sometimes annual family adventure in Charlevoix, MI with the kids and visited some of our favorite spots - Sleeping Bear Dunes (on a rainy day), biking around Mackinac Island (a favorite!), and a new adventure rafting the Sturgeon River (a NEW favorite). 

This year we tacked on a special adventure which I don't have a picture for but I'll never forget. Lisa and I left the kids at the house to go on a run one morning which led us across a drawbridge that's in Charlevoix. No big deal except on the way back the bridge was BROKEN. Just stuck, halfway between up and down. Funny at first, but then we overheard bystanders talking about how the last time this happened it took all day to fix. Not so funny. After some brainstorming (do we swim across these dangerous waters?!!!), a kind young college-aged boy on a jetski came to our rescue and offered to jet-ski us back to the other side at a speed of about 2 miles an hour. I guess we didn't give off an impression of seeking high adventure. Anyway, we made it to the other side, and by the time we had grabbed a coffee, the bridge was fixed. Which made the drama of it all even more amazing.   

This was not from the day we were saved by a jet-skier, but it does showcase our aura of high adventure.

July 2019 - Amelia (4), Alice (14), Owen (9), Will (11), Jacob (10)

Started raining just when they all got to the top...

On another day, we rented a raft to go down the Sturgeon River. No rapids, but lots of obstacles (tree branches, stumps, etc.), in our path which actually made it so fun. We started our journey as 8 nervous individuals, since we had no idea what we were getting into. But, with Amelia warning us (constantly) when to duck down into the boat so as not to get knocked over by branches (there were SO many branches wanting to knock us over, it was ridiculous), Owen & Alice hyper focused on keeping us focused, Jacob & Will keeping us entertained with stories of what might lurk ahead, and Lisa and I wondering when it was ever going to end, it did end and we survived. After we finished the course, we were finally able to appreciate how much fun it was and feel like we accomplished something, and discover we worked pretty well together as a team! I wish they had something like it closer to home in case we ever need reminding.     

This rafting place (Big Bear Adventures) also had a ropes course that was a lot of fun.

This is a fountain in Charlevoix that Jacob never fails to run through when he's wearing his street clothes.

On the ferry on our way to Mackinaw Island

Good old Mackinac Island! We love renting bikes and riding the 7 or so miles around the island.

After saying farewell (for now) to the Anderson's, we were soon off to our next adventure and we trekked up to Vermont to see Mary & Robert. We love to visit our dear friends who are always up to something interesting. This visit, Amelia and I got to sleep in their RV, which felt adventurous, and which had I known there would be a pandemic in just a matter of months I would have bought from them, but, sadly I am not a clairvoyant. 

Jacob, Owen, Anderson and I went on a fantastic bike ride in Burlington, VT along the Grand Isle bike path along Lake Champlain. This is a seriously beautiful bike path - there's a causeway with the lake on both sides - which I highly recommend and would like to do again when I can go the entire way,  perhaps without children asking when we would turn around (note to self).

THEN, we decided to do a corn maze.

This was soon after we started the maze.

Now, see Nancy's face right there? That's when she starts realizing we might not make it out.

We lost a couple different people for a while at different times, we went in circles, we stood on the platform and saw no beginning or end. We ignored Anderson. We heard Anderson. We wondered where Anderson went. We felt claustrophic. We couldn't see above the corn. There were corn stalks everywhere. Then we listened to Anderson. Then Anderson found us. Then Anderson led us all to the exit. All is well with the world.

And, finally, we ended our summer with our beach week with Nana and Papa in Bethany. We saw bunches of cousins, and family and friends and celebrated Jacob's 11th birthday and had another great time together. 

Amelia & Avery

Uncle Harris & Lois

David, Wendy, Anne & Mike

Drew, Avery, Amelia, Adah, Oliver, Jacob, Owen & Henry 

Owen, Jacob, Grant, Avery, Amelia, Finley, & Drew

Jacob & Lyle

So appreciative that we had this time all together!

Road Trip - Michigan 2017

Three years ago Jacob, Owen and I met up with my friend Lisa and her kids Will and Alice up in Michigan. I was pregnant with the kid we now call Amelia. We decided to return this summer and rented a house on a lake and explored some places we hadn't been and revisited some we had. As I'm sure you know, I don't mind a good road trip, BUT this marked my first one alone with all THREE kids, so I felt quite accomplished AND COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED when we returned. Phew!

We stayed in a house on Turtle Lake in Beulah, MI across from the Turtle Lake Campground, closer to Traverse City. Last time we stayed in a small town further north near Charlevoix.  Our itinerary: Day 1 we explored a nearby town, Empire, and did the Sleeping Bear Dunes scenic drive. Day 2 we went into Traverse City. Day 3 we went back to Sleeping Bear Dunes to hike up the big (though not the biggest!) sand dune, and play on the South Bar Lake area of Lake Michigan. Day 4 we made our way north to Mackinac Island. Day 5 we hung out at our house, played in the lake and kayaked. Day 6 we went into the quaint town of Leland, MI and then tubed down the Platte River. Day 7 we woke up at the crack of dawn and made the 12 hour drive home to MD and Lisa back to Iowa.

Holiday Road!!!!

This is the part of Sleeping Bear Dunes that is super steep and they warn you at the top if you go down and require help getting back up you'll have to pay the thousands of $$ it takes to rescue you. We decided to enjoy the view from the top. We watched as people sped down only to be forced to take numerous breaks on the climb back up. Maybe one day...when I'm not carrying a child (who often refuses to look at the camera) on my back.

 Instead we found a more manageable climb nearby.

 We made it down and then up again and again, and again, and again.

Then off to Traverse City, a quaint little town where we spent the day going to an old school arcade and jumping in ball pits.

Next day we headed back to Sleeping Bear Dunes for the Dune Climb, which has no warning signs about needing to be rescued. As we are a group of rule followers, we found this climb to be taxing enough, especially for those carrying an extra 30lbs on her back in the form of Amelia.

Owen on his way down after going up and down and then back up again. Then we went back up....again.

A break along the way. Finally Amelia looked this way and blocked Owen. Hmph.

Midweek we threw practicality and rational thinking to the wind and drove 2.5 hours to Mackinaw City to catch the ferry (fortunately, just a 20 minute ride) to Mackinac (both pronounced Mackinaw by the way) Island to relive the amazing day we had when we visited a few years ago. That time Mike was there and rode tandem with Jacob, and I was pregnant with Amelia and pulled Owen along in a trailer (OMG!). This time would you believe both boys biked the WHOLE perimeter of the island (8 MILES!) on their own?! Even newly 7 year-old Owen! I couldn't have been more impressed. Thankfully Lisa was there to stay a few miles or so ahead with the big kids who don't know the meaning of "relaxing bike ride" since I again found myself pulling up the rear with a trailer, this time holding Amelia. Also, I've learned since returning that apparently there's a whole interior portion of Mackinac Island that I'll just have to save for later when I can meander through life again. 

This guy! 8 Miles, 7 Years old, 0 complaints!

Ice cream for everyone!

Thursday we kayaked the lake in our backyard. Jacob even went out on his own even though there's no picture to document it. Owen paddled us all the way across and back.

Peace and Quiet.

Until the last day...after shopping in the adorable fish shanty town of Leland, we went tubing down the Platte River. We were quite the motley crew for that part of our adventure. Fortunately, we took the short tour (1 hour), but we made it.

These three (Jacob, Will and Alice) made it their mission to play and swim in the lake every single night of the trip, whether it was 50 degrees or raining or even after one of them found a leech on his foot (Will), ew. They are such kindred spirits. It was so great to see our children have such fun together, even after several years since our last trip. I'm so happy and thankful to have had this time together with Lisa and our families.