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July 16, 2012

Memorable Vacation and Visit

I've had a very enjoyable visit with our son, wife and her family. They traveled roughly 800 miles to visit with us!  We toured some small towns north of us and then Mackinac Island.

I started the day with a snapshot of my garden area near the fountain.  It was a beautiful morning and I was pleased my flowers had filled in so nicely.  It takes a while for the impatiens to bulk up.
I was about to get in the van and noticed the beautiful blue sky and how it was decorated with wispy clouds.
 Even the moon was still visible!

~Leland~
We ventured up to Leland which is about 25 miles from our home.

It's historical district known as Fishtown is always interesting to visit.

You can charter fishing trips and take a ferry over to South Manitou Island
where people like to hike and tour the uninhabited island.

~Glen Arbor and The Dunes~
We traveled to the Glen Arbor area and the Sleeping Bears Dunes National Park.  There is an area known as the Pierce Stocking Drive that we drove through and checked out the views and one of the dunes. 

This particular one has about a 450 ft. rise. They actually don't want anybody to go down it, but many do anyways.  Those are people trekking back up the dune....There is another set of dunes that are popular for people to climb up that are more friendly.

There are some overlooks that really get you out there and a chance to enjoy the beauty!

 Tom and Emily, my daughter-in-law's parents enjoying the sights

Some walkways to help you get around on the sand.

~Mackinac Island~
On Thursday we went to Mackinac Island.
We boarded a ferry to head over.  
That's my son Ryan, his wife Angela and her brother T.J. We sat on the top deck of the ferry.  You get the best view and less prone to seasickness!
That's my chubby mug and my husband Dan
(I hate pictures of me- reality bites!)

Once we got on the island we decided to head to the Fort Mackinac first because it's quite a climb to get  up there and we figured while we were fresh we'd do the hardest thing first!

This was about 1/3 rd of the way up... 
It's pretty steep and long!

 Looking down over the park area and the marina

Once inside the fort area it's another world. All the barracks and officers quarters are still there. 

A historical picture (circa 1890) showing this large soldiers barracks building.

My picture circa 2012!

Inside one of the officer's quarters

Kitchen
That's a good sized stove!

A shot through the fence of the fort.

 Our daughter Chelsea was with us too. She traveled from where she lives (about 2 1/2 hrs South of us) to join us for the trip!

Back down on the streets- This places was so charming I had to take pictures!

Isn't it the cutest! There are many more charming Inn's like this too. 

On the main street through town. One of the hotels, you can stay at.  

This is how you get things done on the island.  Roofing materials being transported.
  
~A special dinner~
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a place called "The Boathouse" and the food was not only awesome it was beautifully displayed!  The restaurant sits by Lake Michigan on the Peninsula and has a lovely view of the bay. We were celebrating the first wedding anniversary of our kids, which was July 2nd- and for all of us being together!
 One of the entree specials the restaurant was offering that evening with a fillet of sole
 One of the side dishes that was ordered- Macaroni and cheese with shrimp!
Filet Mignon with pureed parsnips, finely chopped mushrooms, and an onion ring on top!
A specially prepared lobster for our daughter.  All cracked opened & ready to eat!

~Adventurous~ 

Dan, Tom and Ryan went Parasaling 
 Up up and away!
They ascend to about 550 ft.
I'm not brave enough to try but they say it's very peaceful!
Just for fun they bring them down and let their feet touch the water.  
They are really good at controlling the riders and bringing them back on the boat.  It's a nice and smooth as they bring you back and you literally are brought in so carefully your feet touch the deck of the boat and then they finish securing you.

  ~The wind down~
 The last evening we prepared a home 
cooked dinner and relaxed.

We hung out on the patio 
 A crackling fire... always good for relaxing!

~Having to say good-bye~

 The morning they were leaving we met at our favorite spot called The Omelette Shop...
(that's how they spell it!)
Hated to say good-bye but grateful for the memories!

I know it was a long post, but I wanted to create a lasting memory of our visit!

I hope you enjoyed the tour!



10 comments:

  1. Oh what a great time you all had. It is a memory post and all of the pics are wonderful. I love seeing families enjoying each others company. Best kind of trips ever. Hugs, Marty

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  2. What a great post. I want to visit this island. Definitely on my bucket list. xo

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  3. First off, your garden is gorgeous! Second, what a gorgeous place you visited! Your photos are awesome!What a fun trip! Glad your daughter came up to go with you!

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  4. Great pictures, Liz. Fun seeing your trip. I love the picture from the fence of the fort. You can see the 2 lighthouses in the bay. One is Round Island and I can't remember the other one. I have pictures of them somewhere in my archives.

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  5. It looks like you had a wonderful visit. Thanks for sharing your local sites. What gorgeous scenery!
    And, you're a beautiful woman, Liz, and look great in your picture. Don't you doubt that for a second!
    Wendi xo

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  6. Hi Liz, what a fun trip you had with your company. The yellow cottage is so darn cute. I hear ya girl, I'm too chicken to parasal. My hubby did it in Puerta Vallarta and saw a whale and her baby. I hate pics of myself also, but hey just happy to be having fun. Who cares, and I love seeing what my blog friends look like. I have alot that I like but have no idea what they look like.
    Hugs.
    Jann

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  7. You are just having a good time teasing us with all these beautiful sites and fabulous food!!!! I'm sitting here now thinking how the sauerkraut I have cooking seems so inadequate now, and how the "scenic route" I took home from my parents' house yesterday is sorely lacking in comparison. This was a fabulous way to relax and vacation!!! I would have gotten woozy just thinking about getting on that ferry, but it would be totally worth it to experience the beauty of Mackinac Island! I'm not sure I would have wanted to try the parasailing, either, but I'm glad the guys had fun! You were the hostess with the mostess in so many ways! So glad you guys had a ball!!!

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  8. Beautiful photos Liz. Looks like everyone really had a great time. See, you worried for nothing.

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  9. Hi, Liz! What a fun, fun trip! The pictures are so beautiful! So wonderful you got to spend time with your son and family!

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  10. Beautiful pictures Liz! You're really good with a camera!!

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Thank you for your comments! I don’t always get a chance to reply but I do read them!




ABOUT ME



Welcome to Home and Gardening With Liz. I have combined my previous blogs “Infuse With Liz” and “Sit With Me In My Garden” into this new blog. I love interior decorating and gardening. I enjoy redefining interior spaces by moving things around and reusing decorative items already found in the home. I also enjoy creating tablescapes and an occasional crafting project. I'm so pleased you've stopped by. I invite you to follow me and I do hope you will keep coming back! Liz
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