Family Vacation 2010!

We decided to go camping for our family vacation this summer - just on an overnighter. The day before we left Miles was sick (puking and lots of diaper changes...) But we figured this week was our one and only time to go and we'd already booked our campsite so we packed up and headed out Wednesday morning - we were going and we were going to have fun regardless of anyone being sick! Maybe we are crazy.... or just optimistic? We drove up to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the north-western part of Michigan. We drove up along the coast of Lake Michigan and it was a beautiful drive. We loved the cute little town of Manistee:We also saw this beautiful road:

Our next stop was at the Betsy Point Lighthouse where we could have spent hours looking for fun rocks and throwing them in the lake. We did end up with quite the rock collection!

It was raining just a little so we decided to hurry to our campsite and set up our tent just in case the rain got worse. Luckily it didn't and we got all set up and ready to go back to the lake! The kids had a fun time gathering moss to use as footstools at our camp while Brian and I set up:

Then we put on our suits and went back to the lake:

The lake was perfect and the weather was cloudy but warm. We had a great time! Miles wore out after a while and was being quite a trooper for being sick. After a while we decided to head back to camp so we could have dinner and cobbler and make it to a program the park was putting on at their ampitheater later that evening. We had a yummy dinner of hot dogs, chips, applesauce, juice and cobbler. Then we roasted marshmallows:
The most memorable part of our trip came after dinner. The park ranger had told Brian they had a show going on at 8pm called "Things that go bump in the night." Brian and I were picturing something really fun and cute for kids so we were really rushing so we could make it on time. All through dinner Miles was saying, "Mine tummy hurts!" I wasn't so sure we should go because I didn't want to risk Miles puking on anyone. But Brian really thought the girls would love it so we went. We walked and were a bit late so Brian went up ahead with Miles and kept urging me and the girls to hurry up (nicely, of course!). The funny thing was he took us a way that was twice as long as the way I had thought we should go. But when I said I thought we should go that way he said, "No, it's this way. You'll see." :) So we made it there and as we go sit down we see that the "show" is one park ranger talking about nocturnal animals. Not exactly what we were expecting. But the girls were enjoying it so we stayed. Right when we sat down Miles started saying his tummy hurt again so Brian stood up and ran up the stairs of the ampitheater and made it just in time for Miles to launch about a gallon of gatorade and lake water into the bushes at the top of the stairs. I started giggling and couldn't stop for anything. The girls were still listening to the ranger and a few minutes later I looked up and saw Brian holding Miles at the top of the stairs and they were both shirtless because Mile had puked all over both of them. That just did me in and I started laughing so hard tears were streaming down my face. Brian motioned for us that we needed to go so I kept trying to quietly tell the girls we needed to go but I couldn't even talk I was laughing/crying so hard. So I just left and they followed me. The girls really wanted to stay so Brian showed off his sweet farmer's tan and walked Miles back to camp and the girls and I stayed and finished the program! I eventually pulled myself together. I haven't laughed that hard since the time I almost dropped a watermelon in the grocery store and had to dive to the ground to save it.
The girls even got to participate by acting like frogs while the audience guessed what they were being. The picture is blurry but I was still laughing so it was hard to get a clear shot! By the time we got back to camp Miles was asleep and so the rest of us worked on these camp workbooks they give the kids so they can become Junior Rangers before they go. As you may have guessed it was a pretty long night... Poor Miles was miserable and had a fever. Brian did the dirty work of holding him and catching his puke all night and neither of us got much sleep. I think the mornings are the best part of camping. It's so beautiful and peaceful and you are always so relieved that morning has finally come!
After breakfast we packed up and stopped at the Ranger Station so the girls could turn in their workbooks and be sworn in as official Junior Rangers. It was pretty cute.
Then we headed to see some sights around the Park. We stopped to climb the Sand Dune. I was quite impressed with Nora. She climbed all the way to the top without stopping once (she's in the pink) and Brian carried Miles and helped Sophie who needed quite a bit of encouragement. But she had been kept up by Miles so she was pretty tired. And I opted to watch and take pictures! When they came down Nora said, "This wasn't as fun as I thought it would be." Sophie ran down so fast she crashed and face planted and was NOT happy about all the sand in her hair, eyes and clothes. Not the highlight of the trip, but you can't go to Sleeping Bear Dunes and not see the sand dunes!
Then we visited a few museums they have:
We had planned on going back to the lake but with Miles not feeling good and we didn't want to make it worse and have him puking in the car all the way home! So we promised the girls ice cream at home and a trip to lake Lansing and we started the drive back. I'm happy to say there was no puking in the car. It was nice to spend some time together with no other worries or commitments. Our trip was short but definitely memorable!
Now on to my giant laundry pile...