Summer trip, part II: Michigan

Before I get too far along in this part of our summer vacation description, I want to recognize the 4th birthday of our youngest, Stephen. The picture of the chunky newborn above was just a hint of the bundle of energy and spirit that we got with Stephen:

The picture above shows him about to blow out his birthday candle yesterday, when a bunch of his friends came over to help him celebrate. Now back to our vacation trip...

We left my mom and dad's on a beautiful Monday morning and drove eastward across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As we approached the Mackinac Bridge, we stopped along one of the gorgeous beaches on the north end of Lake Michigan for the kids to run in the water a bit:

The water temperature was spectacular, and the skies clear, sunny, and warm, and the kids just loved it! Unfortunately, we did not have a long time to spend--we still had hours and hours left to drive. But the kids got some much needed seagull chasing in:

While we headed down I-75 in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, we also made another must-stop: Sea Shell City!! I'm not sure how many of you have stopped there in your travels, but if you ever have the chance and like shells, it is still worth it! Our goal for this day's drive was to meet Hope's parents Rick and Ann Pruden at a small cabin we had rented near the Au Sable River in eastern Michigan. We intended to spend a couple days here fishing and sight-seeing. Below, Kenny and Stephen check out the beach at the small lake where our cabin was:

Rick showed his fishing prowess in our time along the Au Sable River, and at the lake at the cabin. Below, he lands a small northern caught in the river (where he also caught a number of smallmouth bass and panfish). We also caught panfish and bass from the dock by our cabin...

Part of one day had scattered rain, so we decided to do some sight-seeing. This included a trip to the Lumbermen's Memorial, which has a bronze sculpture dedicated to the hardy lumberman who once worked this area:

We also got out to the shores of Lake Huron, second largest of the Great Lakes. It was still raining off and on at this time, so we didn't dwell here long:

That evening, back at the cabin, Hope to advantage of the small rowboat that came with the cabin to give Kenny some pointers about how to row a boat:

The cabin we stayed in was small and lacked air conditioning (and it was hot for the area), but we survived with some horseplay:

We then drove to Rick and Ann's house in Whitmore Lake. In the picture below, Kenny stands guard while Hope, Rick, and Ann admire the straw-bale "fort" they just built:

The following day we drove down to a new national historic battlefield (River Raisin) in a small town south of Detroit that was the scene of a War of 1812 battle and post-battle massacre of Americans by the Indian allies of the British. This is a very small park, and quite recent, but it highlights an intriguing part of the history of the area. Below, Kenny, Beth, and Stephen in some period clothes:

Here, Beth poses by a small, sleigh mounted cannon used by the British during the winter periods:

After visiting this site, we then drove up to downtown Detroit and drove around the downtown area a bit, including a visit to Belle Island, which is in the river right next to the city. This park is but a shadow of what it once was, as budget cuts, declining populations, and urban decay have all set in...But you could still see quite a few people taking advantage of a natural setting right next to the downtown. Later that afternoon, we drove to Hope's grandparents' house in a Detroit suburb for dinner and a get-together with some of Hope's family. Below, our kids pose with Alexandria and Isabella, children of Hope's cousin Chris and his wife Sung:

Hope's grandparents are long since retired and spend much of their time grooming their backyard, which is filled with all sorts of gorgeous flowers. They have live in the house in the background for well over 50 years (this is where Rick Pruden grew up). Below, Hope's grandmother Kay gives Hope and her Aunt Sandy some gardening tips:

Our last full day in Michigan (Saturday) started with a couple hour drive to a fabulous pick-your-own blueberry patch, where we picked way too many berries:

That evening Hope and I dressed up a bit, left the kids with her folks, and went to Hope's 20th high school class reunion. It was actually a reunion of three different graduating classes, done that way because of how small the school was when she graduated. She got to see a number of her friends from school, and I think she enjoyed catching up.

We left for Monticello on Sunday (early) and arrived at home about 9 p.m. after a long but uneventful drive. Today, as I am typing this, the rain continues to fall--FINALLY! We desperately needed this rain, and finally got it over the last few days. Still behind for the year, but hopefully this will help the farmers and keep the fire risk lower...