Places to Go (Vacation) - Mackinac Island, Part III - Fort Mackinac- The Fourth

For the last day of our island vacation, we FINALLY agreed to take a "taxi" into town (after the kids begged and begged). Unfortunately, the taxi dropped us off at the bottom of Fort Mackinac and the hike to the top was a little bit challenging for little feet. Oh well, something has to toughen them up.

Fort Mackinac was the third, and probably final, vacation fort of the summer (click here to preview the other forts we've visited). As far as forts go, Fort Mackinac really has it all - every building houses some sort of exhibit (the girls LOVED running from building to building and comparing notes on what they discovered). Plus, a well-done kids' room kept the girls entertained for a good half hour or so. Unfortunately, T wasn't feeling it, perhaps he doesn't like military history? Whatever the reason his fuss level was at an all time high. So we rode the ferry back to the mainland and started the LONG drive to Pittsburgh, ready to begin school (kindergarten, wow, kindergarten) and say goodbye to summer. Ugh, don't you just hate those two words together (goodbye and summer)? Always so sad to say.


Regarding the last picture, Mackinac Island has a lot of garter snakes. A lot. Luckily the island's "soldiers" know how to deal with such things.

WEEKEND LINKS:

*FreeRange kids has an interesting post on the Prince Pasta commercial and how parenting has changed in the last twenty or so years.

*A beautiful set of beach photos.

*Yes. I love days like this.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Mackinac Island, Part II - Bikes- The Fourth Stop on Our Roadtrip of Michigan

Our second day on the island we rented bikes. And as soon as we rode past the town, I realized why I remembered this place so fondly - breathtaking vistas around every corner. Seriously, every corner. We rented a bicycle built for two for the girls to take turns riding and a bicycle with a trailer for T. After about three minutes on the tandem, P decided it wasn't for her, so F became our sole child bike-rider. Watching F ride behind Dan sort of melted my heart, she just seemed so BIG all of a sudden. We stopped a lot - to climb rocks, throw pebbles in the water, wet our feet, and, sometimes, just to sit and look. As cheesy as it sounds, without cars everything really does seem more peaceful.

One of our best family days ever. And F even decided that she likes vacation again.




RANDOM LINKS:

*The free downloadable DesignSponge newspaper is pretty fun (and full of good eye candy), I just bought the book too and I can't say enough good things.

*Looking for a kid-friendly show to see this fall? KidFriendly DC has a wonderful list of the season's best entertainment options. Personally, I'm pretty excited about Big Apple Circus, we took the kids last year and the show even mesmerized T. KidFriendly DC also has a great list of places to go apple picking in the DC area.

*A new, free issue of Lonny is out, which always makes me want to spend thousands (millions?) of dollars redecorating our house.

*Best words of wisdom ever. Ever.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Mackinac Island, Part I - The Ferry & Mission Point Resort - The Fourth Stop on Our Roadtrip of Michigan

After Ann Arbor, we planned on driving to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Munising. It is so beautiful and isolated up there. But F started breaking down in Ann Arbor - stating over and over again she was sick of vacation and ready to go home. And we have done a lot of traveling this summer. So we changed the plan and decided to spend a few days on Mackinac Island then head back to Arlington.

As a kid, I visited Mackinac Island with my grandpa and parents and I remember it as one of our best family vacations ever. As for why I remember it so fondly, the details are hazy, though the bicycle built for two was definitely pretty amazing from my nine year old viewpoint. Anyways, I've always wanted to take our kids to the island and when Dan found out he had a week off between jobs this summer, I jumped at the chance to visit.

We stayed on the island at Mission Point Resort, primarily because of its kid-friendliness (kids eat free, which is a huge plus when you have three of them). Regarding the decor, Mission Point needs a makeover, the whole place screams 1980s (SCREAMS!). But the food was, well, not bad (and sometimes, quite good). And the family suite was the perfect room for our family - two separate bedrooms, one with a king and one with two singles (T slept between the girls on the floor, on a "T bed" made out of pillows). Best of all, Mission Point has a HUGE lawn - with seagulls and a gazebo and views of Lake Michigan. Perfect for running races. Sort of depressing to hear "but why are you tired Mommy?" after you've been running for a good thirty minutes. So be it. We had a wonderful night.



Lately we've been reading these books a lot. The girls always fixate on Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth, as they love to make up stories about what happened to the girl in the painting. So when I took this picture, I couldn't help but wonder if P was trying to act out the artwork.


The resort has a few unused "great rooms" scattered throughout the property. Their decor consists mostly of plastic house plants and decayed old books, but I thought these chairs looked lovely in the noon light.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Ann Arbor, MI, Part II - Nichols Arboretum - The Third Stop on Our Roadtrip of Michigan

Dan proposed to me in Nichols Arboretum. It was our third year of law school, during finals and I hadn't showered in about two days. We brought my dog to run around and decided to take my roommate's dog too, so we had a cheering squad. I hate diamonds so Dan had this beautiful, quirky, emerald and sapphire ring custom made, which was so perfect for me (and which I've since lost, as I tend to lose everything). At first I thought he was joking, as he swore we WOULD NOT be one of those cheesy couples who gets engaged during the last few weeks of law school (and, truth be told, I think two other couples in our class became engaged the same weekend as us).

Anyways, we thought it would be fun to take the kids to the arb. The girls loved asking questions, like
"mommy, what did you look like then?"
"Well, like me only younger and skinnier."
"I can't picture it."
"I can't either anymore."

And - "What was daddy wearing? Did Dos (the dog) cry? Did you say yes? Where was I?"

T, on the other hand, decided to throw one huge whopper of a tantrum. Seriously, the kind where we had to carry him back to the car screaming. In retrospect, it was much easier to bring dogs with us. Oh well, seven years, three kids later and I'm more in love then ever. Even with a screaming toddler in the backseat.


*F brought her own camera (we gave her a "real" camera, no more kids' camera) and took the pic of me and Dan, which sort of made my day.
*I think I need to frame the one of Dan and all the kids. Lots of love there. Lots.
In Ann Arbor we stayed at the Regent Hotel and Suites, which was great with the kids (a pool, an outdoor gazebo, a fairly decent free breakfast, Rio on demand). The Cabbage Patch Kids continue to travel everywhere with us. Along with a huge suitcase of Cabbage Patch clothes. Remember Koosas?

WEEKEND LINKS:

*THIS is quite funny.

*Rummey Bears has a great post on blogs vs. real life where she asks "As a blog author do you retain ownership to portray your life as whatever you please? Or do you think as your readership grows you have an ethical responsibility to be more aware of the picture you are painting?" I struggle with this too, I try not to concentrate too much on the tough side of parenting (who wants to remember all the bad stuff in life?), but on the other hand I just blogged about a toddler tantrum. So it goes.

*I can't stop listening to Miss Moss's newest mix. Click here to download it for free.

*Bruschetta three ways - these look yummy!

*WOW!! Stunning.

*Violence against women - a photo essay. Prepare to be depressed.

*Noel Camardo. USA.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Ann Arbor, MI - Part I - University of Michigan Law School - The Third Stop On Our Michigan Roadtrip

Dan and I met during law school, at University of Michigan. So on our way to Mackinac Island (more posts on Mackinac next week) we stopped in Ann Arbor for a few nights.

After we arrived, we took a family walk through the law school quad and watched as a large wedding party posed for photos. The quad is sort of famous for it's gothic and striking beauty, the whole thing really takes your breath away the first time you see it - like a secret garden or something. But when the snow comes it becomes cold and desolate. Which is sort of how I remember all of Ann Arbor.

Most of my law school friends (including my husband) have wonderful memories of the city itself and it was fun to watch Dan walk the kids through the law school, telling stories about Constitutional law and Antitrust. And F asking "oh, so is that where you learned arithmetic? Did you have recess? Were your teachers nice? Did you color pictures in class?" (well, not exactly). As for me, I still find the place uninviting and cold - like photographs of desolate places in Antarctica - so fun to look at, but not the best place to live year round.

An addition to the law school is under construction, which ironically contains a lovely GLASS CEILING. maybe they'll call it the women's lounge. now I just sound bitter.

After our law school "tour" we walked past Domick's bar, home of the regionally famous sangria and famed law school hang out, and then my own memories came flashing back. I miss you Dominick's. I miss you.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Warren Dunes State Park (Sawyer, MI) - The Second Stop on Our Roadtrip of Michigan

After the kids and I spent a week at my mom's house, Dan flew in to meet us so we could embark on a road trip of Michigan. First stop - a day at Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer, MI (a little over one and a half hours from Chicago).

As a family, we've gone to the beach quite a few times, but our trips usually occur while we're staying on our near the water; whereas we stopped by Warren Dunes for a few hours on our way to Ann Arbor (more on Ann Arbor on Wednesday). I found it rather amusing to watch Dan and T attempt to rally for a day at the beach - sand irritates them both (not only do they look alike, they think alike), so they spent a large part of the morning cuddled in a corner of the blanket, trying to avoid contact with the tiny granules that get everywhere.

The girls and I, however, couldn't stop playing in the water. I love summer.


My old Cabbage Patch Kids now travel everywhere with us. Luckily, they didn't go in the water.

RANDOM LINKS:

*Save America's oldest seed company!! Click here to find out how you can help.

*I REALLY want these shoes.

*This little girls' shirt literally made my stomach turn (link via A Day That Is Dessert). Luckily, these kids' t-shirts are AWESOME!(thanks Michelle!). I used to buy the kids a ton of t-shirts from Reckon, until they were old enough to say "these are too weird to wear."

*You are Not a Photographer. I found the idea for this blog somewhat offensive, but the pictures are REALLY funny.

*Gorgeous instagram photos. I can't decide which one I like best, maybe the lamp?

Places to Go (Vacation) - South Haven, MI - Kids' Corner & The Beach - The First Stop On Our Michigan Roadtrip

As I mentioned on Monday, during our trip to visit my mom we spent a few days at my aunt and uncle's cottage in South Haven, MI. For most people, this sort of family gathering probably happens everyday. But for us, it was sort of a big deal, as my mom and her sister had been estranged for the past 30-some years.

The reconciliation occurred when my aunt and her daughters attended my father's funeral in February. I met my cousins for the first time that day (Yay! I have cousins! Smart, beautiful, funny cousins!!). I'm not really sure why my mom and my aunt stopped talking, my mom has never said anything bad about her sister, just that their relationship didn't work (a large age gap, a mom who died when they were young, an evil stepmother - that sort of stuff).

Now my aunt and uncle are back in our lives. And the kids and I had a blast hanging out with them and getting to know them (odd that last time I saw my uncle I was the same age as F is now). As we pulled into the driveway, we immediately spotted a large homemade sign welcoming the kids. F squealed "look mom, there's my name! It says my name!" Across from the sign, a large baby pool with floaties waited for the kids to dive in. Plus my aunt prepared hot dogs, mac and cheese, graham crackers, tons of fruit and all the other delicacies that children (especially my children) love. At night we went to a HUGE maze-like playground called Kids' Corner where the kids explored for hours. Then the next day we blueberry picked and visited the beach. So much fun.

Odd, how as I get older every moment seems so precious as life seems so short. 30 years go by and all of a sudden you have cousins and an aunt and uncle - who welcome you into the family with hand-made signs.


Kids' Corner playground had all these maze-like, kid-sized entries and exists. At first I worried that T would get lost or scared in all the little passageways, but he seemed to love having a toddler-sized space to explore. Often ten or so minutes would go by when I couldn't see him at all, until, finally I'd spot a little hand peaking over the wood and waving, "Hi mama!"


And, of course, lots of mazes = lots of shadows = really fun picture taking for me.



South Haven has a beautiful beach, with a playground and everything, which was nice because T DOES NOT like sand (hence the swing picture). The waves were pretty high, with a bunch of kite surfers in the water, who we couldn't stop watching jump through through the waves. We walked all the way to the lighthouse, but T kept saying "mama, I don't like this" every time a wave crashed into the pier.