A family trip to Michigan seemed like a good way to unwind and break up the summer, especially since our previous trip was cancelled. Virtually everything was taken care of for me so I enjoyed being able to "show up" for the day's activities...until I got sick and the nature of the trip changed pretty drastically. It was my first time in Michigan and though we did not stray too far from Grand Rapids we did get to see and do a variety of kid oriented activities. I went cherry picking for the first time which was both fun and tasty. We went to Millennium Park, a busy manicured beach on a lake with pleasantly warmish waters. We went for a day trip to Lake Michigan (windy so we swam in the nearby sheltered lake outlet instead). I hoped to get more runs in but really only managed one, an 8 mile jaunt from Rockford to Cedar Springs on an old railroad grade along a river and through a forest.
Probably the highlight was renting kayaks for a scenic 7 mile float down the Muskegon River from Thronapple to Newaygo. The weather was pleasant and the water great for dips. I saw well over a hundred water turtles sunning themselves on logs along the way (sliders of various sizes and occasionally a soft-shelled turtle). Most of the turtles carefully planned their basking spots for easy escape into deep water but we managed to catch one small one and one bigger one.
We stayed at Chris and Terry's neat rural place surrounded by forest. I got to drive a 1950s era Ford tractor and row around the pond at the bottom of their property among other amusements (like mulberries and blackberries and evening fireflies).
Overall the trip certainly did not go to plan but it was nice to change pace and see some new sights and sounds of the country. Many thanks to Chris and Terry for their hospitality and Heather for all the organizing.
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