It was another gorgeous day to travel north! Our Michigan weather this summer has really been perfect!
We were able to book three days at Matson's Campground and once again stay in the same place we stayed last year. It was so quiet and peaceful there! We enjoyed sitting around with the kiddos playing "Would You Rather".
We really do appreciate the spirit of our children. They are a blessing to spend time with...yes, I just said that about three teenagers!
Ted finally started to relax too! It is amazing how many emails he had to field on our three hour drive. My...I hope they can make without him the next couple days!
Reception and lack of wifi proved to be more difficult to stay tuned in...hmmm...rats! Ha ha ha
We had to laugh...wet wood...again! This time the guys were prepared! We brought starter logs and the blow torch!
Thursday morning we slept in (HOORAY!), packed a lunch, and headed up the road to go kayaking. We had a little bit of a fear factor meltdown, but quickly recovered and geared up to head to the river...after a pit stop...the girls stopped short of entering the bathroom "BECAUSE THERE IS A LIZARD!!!!" Oh...good grief! I charged ahead and stomped to scare it away, "At least it eats the bugs that would otherwise be in the campground bathroom. City girls! Now get in here and go! The guys are waiting on us...again!"
"Uh, Mom, there is a bug on the door." Yes, there is. It is a walking stick...keep walking!
We dropped off our vehicle at the end point and hitched a ride with the outfitter to our start point.
As you can see...we had a blow up boat and two kayaks. Not our original plan and not what we would do had we had a "take two" opportunity. We made a decision to keep our number four chair filler from totally losing it in front of the man who was giving us tips and cautions. Alisa had a comfy ride...while two of us did most of the work in this boat. The other four of us took turns enjoying the ease of kayak maneuverability!
The river was FULL of hairpin turns and a good flowing current of very chilly water! The nice man who helped us forgot to mention how MUCH HARDER IT WOULD BE TO STEER THE BLOW UP LIFE RAFT!
Ted and I laughed our way through the excessive paddling...till pain took hold and redirected our choice. It turned out to be a great teaching moment for our fearful daughter, our two have-fun-inspite-of the change kiddos, and a reassurance that we as parents need to push our kiddos through those fearful times...even if there would have been tears...it would have been the better choice. 5 Kayaks.
Ted asked me later, "Do you think about what you can learn from the daily choices and struggles?" Honestly, I don't really think about "learning moments" in the "small matters of life". I usually hone in on those big ones that turn your day or life upside down! It was a good question for me to consider.
Kayaking down the Pine River with our family was a special activity on our vacation...relatively not a big deal...but taught us a great deal about how we handle things...and will handle things in the future.
It was a beautiful day with beautiful scenery...a definite "would do this again" thing!
We saw more wildlife as we headed back to camp. Ready for bed...already!
Friday was a beautiful day for a beach day! We packed a lunch and enjoyed the waves! I got in too.
The water was pleasant and the air hot.
The sound of the crashing waves is soothing!
Ted indulges us with beach time...still not his favorite..."you are sitting in a huge ash tray or litter box...take your pick!" Sad to say...he was right...we were surrounded by smokers who just threw their garbage all over the beach...it is just nasty. And then...there were the dog people who don't seem to be able to read the signs that say NO DOGS ALLOWED ON THE BEACH...hello, it is a city beach on top of it! The one gal stopped while her dog did his business looking back at her guy...who walked up and kicked sand over it...while the mother or mother-in-law came walking up behind them not knowing or seeing...and walked right through the same area. Oh my head!!! I enjoyed Ted's narration through the entire episode. People are always interesting to watch.
After sunburning ourselves to a nice shade of red...no thanks to the SPRAY ON SUNSCREEN...we headed back to de-sand and eat some supper...and then took another drive to town...
at the request of the kiddos and the desire of the dad!
House of Flavors...you have to get the Bear Claw...in a waffle cone!
More wildlife across the road in front of us...and in the fields beside us!
One last crackle of the campfire...
before the mosquitoes chased us inside the cabin.
The smell and sounds of the woods was refreshing! The rest needed...and all too soon it was time to pack up and go home on Saturday morning.
Teddy had asked if there were any places that had pasties. We found one and enjoyed them for lunch as we traveled...perfect way to end our trip up north!
Time to prepare for Sunday! Laundry was started as soon as we got home. The girls cleaned the sand out of the Yukon. Ted's company made it work without him. Chevy was glad to come home. My head started whirling with all the things to do. The kiddos are looking forward to preseason. I guess...this was our official end to summer. So thankful for the opportunities that were allowed us...wish we could bottle up the sights, sounds, smells, and rest that we have enjoyed to use on those extra busy days!
