Duned
Trip Start
Aug 14, 2010
1
21
24
Trip End
Sep 05, 2010
Where I stayed
Holland, Michigan
Friday, September 3, 2010
Miles traveled: 248
States covered: Michigan
Weather: Overcast, rainy, and windy with frequent sandstorms
Meltdowns: 0 notable ones.
Highlights: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, climbing the dunes, watching a storm come in at Saugatuck
Abby QOTD:
As we waited in line to buy diapers at the Wal-Mart, Holland, MI (don't judge us anti-Wal-mart family contingent, we needed baby items and it was close):
Abby: "Mom, are we going to Notre Dame tomorrow."
Ann: "Yes."
Abby: "I don't get to play in the game (football), but I want to go to law school there." (Ann swears this was uncoached)
Today's trivia: Going with some National Park trivia today -- How many national park units are there in the National Parks System? Bonus: Guess how many stamps Paul has? Double Bonus: How many national park sites did we visit on our trip?
Yesterday's Trivia: Nice participation again on yesterday's trivia. Uncle Jeff gets the win with Andy a close night-owl second: The Edmund Fitzgerald was the ship that sank in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975 immortalized in the Gordon Lightfoot song.
The weather was not working with us today. It was overcast, rainy, and very windy. We have been very lucky with the weather on our trip overall, but this was not a good day for us to experience wind and rain since we planned to hit some Lake Michigan beaches. Our first stop was Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Believe us, you really don't want to be on a huge sand dune when a wicked wind kicks up. As we approached an overlook, no less than 15 wind-whipped people told us not to do it, and that it was "no place for kids." Several people described it as feeling like you were in a sandblaster (not sure how they knew what that was like, but it didn't sound good). Paul made a run for the overlook while Ann waited in a sheltered area with the little ones. Paul made it to the overlook (he has the pictures to prove it), but is still picking sand out of his clothes and hair. Then we went to the dune climbing area. The wind died down a bit and Abby took the 110 foot dune by storm 3 times, once with each parent and then by herself. She really didn't want to leave.
Then we drove to Saugatuck to see Oval Beach, just as a big storm was coming in (Paul read this beach was voted one of the 25 best beaches in the world by Conde Nast and one of the country's top two by NatGeo, but Ann questions this ranking). To be fair, it is hard to judge beach quality when the wind and waves are raging, but it looked like it had potential. With the sand blowing, Paul got his wish to drive on the beach - or rather the parking lot turned beach - with the van.
We then went to Holland, MI where they like all things Dutch and take their windmills and tulips very seriously (we were wondering why Holland, PA where Nana and Pa live does not try to capitalize on the Dutch theme more?). Unfortunately, the town's 240 year old windmill was closed for a private event, so we were denied a family photo opportunity. Ann got her Steak 'n Shake fix for dinner (harkening back to her days in SB and then Ohio eating cheese fries with Yvette, Kathleen and Sarah -- although this time she ate them while holding Owen instead of at 2am!)
As for tomorrow, GO IRISH!
Comments
For Abby, I saw a thing on tv, where they were "sandboarding", just like on snow but on sand!!...The trivia today is a tricky one-there are 56 or 58 actual parks, I think, but hundreds if you include Nationa Monuments.( I think 300 plus). I bet Paul must have at least 40+ of the park stamps and lots more of the NM....Go Irish!
I'm sooooooo jealous! pancheros, cheese fries, pie a la mode??? next you must have a hot dog at ND stadium and use the lovely udder dispensers for ketchup. I bet Abby will like that! Have fun on campus, it's been way too long for me so we ned to plan our reunion/birthday trip next June. We're off to Puerto Vallarta now. chao!
i guess 188 partks, paul has 90 stamps and you have visited 10 on your trip....i like the dunes pics....see yu soon....