Mackinac Island - check in my box!

After living though years of "Somewhere in Time" fantasy, I finally have made it to the Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island at the top of the mitten.

Kathleen and Pilar Macomber took us around the island and the fort as well

High Points by Mom:

• The Grand Hotel and then watching the movie with Kathleen and Will
• Having no cars on the streets
• Taking a horse-drawn taxi
• Chocolate stuffed french toast
• An old-fashioned picture of the kids

Indiana Sand Dunes National Lakeshore

Its not like a sand dune you'd expect to see, but I am glad its protected.

Its forested, meadow, swamp and bog, as well as dunes.

 

Owen practicing for winter.

 

High Point by Mom:

• Spending the night in a National Park
• Having a beach day, though the evening was flannel sheet cold.
• Seeing the various ecosystems in one spot.

Chicago with the Browns!

We will be sure to hit Illinois again, but seeing Chicago with Ann as our tour guide was wonderful!

Ann brought Chandler and Henry up for a 4 day visit.
Havent seen them in too long, so it was the best- you'd almost think the kids had never been apart!

We did Navy Pier, walked downtown and shopped, the Shedd Aquarium and drove the city.

 

Which boy survived the day?

High Points by Mom:

• Staying at the Grand Lakes Naval Training Center, right on Lake Michigan!
• Having a personal tour guide and friend.
• Enjoying Chicago as a city.
• Deep dish pizza
• Shedd Aquarium
• Letting the kids each see their own movie, courtesy of Ann, while we got some girl time.
• Learning to fix my RV plumbing problems myself, with Owen's genius to boot.

Wisconsin - cheese curds and all

First stop - Pendarvis, a historical Cornish mining village.

They must have been small people because the doors and ceilings were low.

On to the most awesome cave ever - Cave of Mounds.

http://www.caveofthemounds.com/about.htm#overview

It rivals Carslbad Caverns.

 The bouncy pillow at the KOA - 50 ft by 20 ft at least!

 And a most wonderful and relaxing visit with the Gingras family in Hartland, WI

High points by Mom:

• Having the kids realize what early living was like at Pendarvis - small, dark, dank
• Finding the wonderful Cave of Mounds, where Hannah ran to get jackets because she knew I wouldnt survive in 50 degrees for an hour.
• Wednesday eve church in Madison and ice cream with the members
• Meeting and staying with Margaret Lewis!
• Beautiful Fond du Lac and getting little things repaired in the RV
• The awesome bouncy pillow at the KOA in FDL!
• Getting to know Nancy and Mike Gingras, feeling like family and being spoiled - pontoon ride, fishing for Owen, wireless for Hannah and the TV! A BBQ, cheese curds and relaxing in a hot shower!

Didnt think there was much in Iowa...

The Grotto of Redemtion

(We stopped here thinking of our good friends, the Aschemans!)

It was a jewel in the middle of nowhere and well worth the drive.

And the Herbert Hoover Birthplace and Library

He came from solid Quaker stock with grounded values and work ethic.

Lastly, we hit the Field of Dreams movie set. 

High Points by Mom:

• Making off-the-wall decisions and having them work out, like the Grotto.
• Feeling nostalgic when I walked out on to the Field of Dreams and into the corn!
• Wanting to invest in lots of ethanol cause the corn is endless