Key West and the Florida Keys

I met Alicia, Aimee, and Laurie when we lived in North Carolina in 2002. After we moved to Illinois, they invited me to meet up in Miami with them in 2003...and we've been traveling together ever since!

(Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Belize should have gotten a writeup for sure. The time the bridge detour was driving on two planks over a ravine...trusting a guide will catch you before you plunge down a waterfall...riding a galloping horse when you have zero experience...)

This time we decided to explore Key West. Alicia and Laurie had been there long ago, but Aimee and I never had.

Day one
We all met up in Fort Lauderdale. The car rental line Aimee and Laurie had to wait in for Budget at the airport was so long, but I don’t know how to make the car rental process any better. They are still expensive and the lines are horribly slow, because there’s only ever one person working. I thought by now there would be a better option, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Aimee and Laurie were a couple of hours behind us, so Alicia and I took an Uber to the Fort Lauderdale boardwalk, where we walked a long way in the warm sunshine, people watched, and put our toes in the water. It is a beautiful beach and there are many choices for eating – I had my first blackened mahi sandwich, which I then ate at almost every place we went on the trip. So good!

Aimee and Laurie picked us up and we headed to Key West, stopping along the way at Mile Marker 88 for dinner and sunset. It’s right on the water, they have a serene, picturesque spot, and it was super pretty and popular.

We made it to Key West in the dark, wishing that we had the two hours back they waited in line for the car so we could see the drive but – not to worry! We’d be back the same way in the light.

Alicia found a rental house right off Duval Sreet (the main strip) on Petronia, and it had a back yard and pool! We hung out in the backyard and were surprised by a possum, but hey – that’s a city. Everybody wants to be there.

Day Two

I got up early and ran to the southernmost point, noting that there were chickens and roosters and chicks the entire way, the roosters crowing so enthusiastically! I then realized they were everywhere, and a lot of people put out feed for them. I thought it was super charming.

Alicia got us croissants from Croissants de France, and I ate my first chocolate croissant.   

We rented bikes at Blue Sky Rentals, which were $10 a day, because it was within walking distance of our place. We rode to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, and it was fantastic! Name any facts you can about Zachary Taylor. Done? Didn't take long? You will have MORE when you leave! We walked all around, rode our bikes on the trails, and then went to the beach there. It was picture perfect. White sand, blue sky, rocks, a little concession stand - and warm! Looked like paradise. Definitely a great spot.

Riding bikes around Key West is great if you aren't afraid of traffic. Even though you're riding a vintage bike, no helmet, right with cars...I still felt safe since it's the city, so no one can go very fast, and there are bikers and walkers everywhere so people are always watching for them. There are also lots of bike racks for locking up.

We rode to Schooners Wharf and ate right by the water, where a couple of charter boats were coming back with their fish. The pelicans gathered around and hoped for scraps, and the people all admired the fish. There were giant tarpons and nurse sharks in the water too. The pelicans were so tame! I've never gotten that close to them.

We rode to South Beach because Alicia said it had great people watching, and it did! Real characters there.

We walked to Mallory Square for the sunset, and there was a big crowd there to applaud it and watch street performers. On the way we stopped at the Mile 0 sign and then the Mile 222 sign - my favorite number!

We stopped by the Green Parrot for a drink and to watch the MSU basketball game, and then we went to Blue Heaven for ping pong (yay!) in their outer spot and dinner across the street. I love outdoor ping pong, even though you spend most of the time chasing the ball.

Day Three

Another run to see the sunrise...but this time as I started down the block, a rooster started chasing me! He was fast and chased me so long that I even took a video while running! This was a definite first.

We had booked paddleboards the day before with Lazy Dog in Cow Key. We drove the six miles there. The guide gave us a map and a suggested route, which we tried to follow but have no idea if we actually did. Do you know how alike mangroves look? THEY ALL LOOK ALIKE. So you're paddling and turning, pulling yourself through mangrove tunnels, looking at a map that basically is meaningless to you, and just hoping you make it back in time because maybe one of you has a work meeting you can't miss! (Yes, me.)

Alicia: I should have told you I wasn't listening to the directions.

Laurie: This is not the direction we came.

Aimee: The salt pond might be this way.

Me: This mangrove has a rope tied to it for people just like me.

Right as we were heading back, we saw manatees! One came right up beside my paddleboards and it was so cool! We were all so happy we saw them. Then a man in a kayak with a child leaned over to look, fell out, then jumped back in when he realized his phone had been in his pocket. He did not find it. Meanwhile, while on the trip my waterproof phone case somehow broke, so I was really careful on the way back so I didn't end up like him.

Near the end, we also saw many, many nurse sharks below us in the water. They were huge! Even though they don't bite people, it is a little bit of a thrill to see them waiting for you under your board to fall off.

Alicia picked up key lime pie from the Southernmost Key Lime Shop on Duval. It was frozen and covered in chocolate and perhaps the best food I ate all vacation. I'm not even a huge fan of pie, but this was more to me in the cheesecake family.

We swam in the pool, and then Aimee and I biked to Higgs Beach and see amazing kite surfers and some sort of other surfers with butterfly-shaped sails. They were doing tricks, there's a long pier to walk out on, and it was a cool spot.

We then had to get back in time to return our bikes and shower before we had to leave for the sunset sail. It took us longer than we planned, since we thought we knew the way and did not, but it turned into a nice little 50 minute bike ride!

We walked to Schooners Wharf dock to go on the Schooner Spirit of Independence sail boat. As soon as we got on, they asked it there were any volunteers to help, and I was so excited! I thought it would be pretend help, but I had to pull on ropes to lift the sail the same speed as the girl beside me, and it really did take some work. The skipper (is that the right word? It feels right. Or ...starboard.) said that when no one volunteers it's a real pain.

It was a beautiful sail! The weather was so warm, the water was so pretty, and we sailed for about two hours and watched the sun set.

We went to Caroline's, Irish Kevin's, and then to my favorite place Sloppy Joe's, because they had a live band and everyone was dancing! The band was the Lima Bean Riot,  and they were so fun to dance to - they hit the highlights of cover songs, so you didn't even have time to get tired of the repetitive parts!

Day Four

I ran to Higgs Beach to watch the sunrise and to figure out the way home. Unfortunately, it was hard to watch, because when Aimee and I went on our bike ride, I forgot my sunglasses and sunburnt my eyes. Can you tell I don't live close to the equator?

We left Key West and stopped in Marathon to eat at a waterfront restaurant called Key Fisheries. We drove on to Long Key State Park and went on their nature trail and through the park. Very secluded, very serene, and very hot if you went away from the water.

We drove over the Seven Mile Bridge and admired the view all the way to Islamorada Key. We stayed at Chesapeake Resort and went right out to their very open and pretty beach, pool, and hot tub.

We ate at Lazy Days, which was really popular, but it was right on the water so we didn't mind waiting - and saw more tarpon and nurse sharks. We ended the night by going to Florida Keys Brewing Company in their beer garden, where - this doesn't get old - it was so warm we didn't even need a jacket.

So! Key West was different than other places I've been in Florida, and I liked it and can see why it's popular. Hot, nice beaches, tourist town feel, and everything is open to the outside. I particularly liked biking and running around, the urban chickens, paddleboarding, and sailing. And of course - the company. Here's to lifelong travel partners!

And finally ... our first trip in Miami in 2003:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

                                 

Our friends Matt and Kate invited us to go to Cabo with them. Friends Greg, Adrienne, Betsy, and Chris went too!

We flew American to Cabo. Matt hooked us up with a driver. (You can also book one online ahead of time. I strongly suggest this because there are a ton of taxi drivers when you get there, trying to get your business. Ours was Rael at Brown's Private Services Transportation and I told him I’d recommend him, so here you go!

Matt and Kate rented an Airbnb in Ventanas de Cabo Sur, and it was a really nice place and neighborhood. As soon as we got there, they told us we were going out to eat by the marina.

They rented a car, so we drove there and parked in the parking garage by the mall and marina. We ate at a restaurant there and met up with some people – Chef Lenny and his friend Pamela Salinas. Matt owns a business that sells fishing forecasting analysis (Roff’s) so he knew some people. We went with Lenny to a market and bought fish for him to cook at the house.

We went back and gathered materials from a vacant lot for Kate to make a beautiful floral arrangement. I went running, and quickly found there were dirt roads to go on.

I got completely lost. I took one and tried to come back the same way I came, but I didn’t know where that was, my phone battery was at 19%, and I got a little nervous. Just lost in a foreign country with no GPS! However! I eventually found my way back. (Totally fine – I didn’t know how safe it was yet.)

We watched the beautiful sunset. Lenny came over and cooked us dinner, and Pamela came to drop off sushi. My job was to peel the asparagus. I’d never seen that before!

We ate a delicious meal of snook, mahi. Some people had octopus salad and sushi – not me, but they loved it.

Day 2

The boys chartered a fishing boat – Blue Sky Cabo. I offered to drive them at 5:30 a.m. There was no traffic on my way back, which was a great way to drive a Suburban for the first time in another country. My GPS tried to misdirect me, but I made it back fine. This time, I went running right back to where I got lost but with a full battery charge! I took what sort of seemed like a path up a mountain, but it sort of ended at some big rocks, so I was content with my pretty view and scratched up skin. Betsy texted, and I headed back and went for a walk in the hills with them – cactus! Views! All pretty! All the dirt roads in this area were pleasant for recreation.

Pamela came and did a yoga class right by the pool! I did my first headstand (since I was a kid) and it was great. You can contact her through her sushi restaurant, Sakow Sushi. 

We hung out by the pool until it was time to meet up with the guys downtown. This time I drove in traffic. No problem, but seems like a big vehicle on the narrow roads, and often when there’s two lanes people make it three, and sometimes a moped drives in between you. But really, mostly just regular city driving, but with more speed bumps. There were a lot of them.

We met up with the guys by the marina – they had a great fishing day! Four marlins and one mahi mahi, which is the only one you could keep and eat.

We went on the sunset cruise with Blue Sky Cabo, and it was truly amazing. We went out to Arch Rock and admired it and took a million pictures. The mountains along the water were beautiful. Then we saw WHALES. This was an unexpected treat. We followed them around and marveled at them. On the way back – sea lions, and then one was right by our boat in the marina! It looked just like a dog. This is my first must do in Cabo – it was magical.

We went to Misiones De Kino where they will cook up your fish for you, and we ate Kris’ mahi mahi! It was delicious, there were great musicians, and we all loved it there.

Day 3

Up for another run! I took a different dirt path and made it to more paths through the woods – high for an awesome view of ocean and mountains! I also found a machete in the woods. No, I didn’t take it with me. But a fun discovery!

We went to Cannery Beach and parked in an open lot. Parking was very cheap everywhere. This beach was at the foot of the rocks! We climbed up them, but couldn’t get far because it ended in a cliff.

Niles and Matt started going along the rocks and in the water, and Kris and I decided to go with them. We had to climb along rocks and in the water, so I didn’t bring my camera, which I will forever regret!

It was so fun – we really had to scramble along the rocks, and then we would go in the water when it was easier to go in the water. After rocks it would open up to beaches, each more beautiful and deserted than the last. We just kept going to see how far we could go, until we reached the last beach. There was one guy, and he disappeared behind a rock.

It looked like Star Wars – giant mountains of rock on either side of us, completely white sand at our feet, and gorgeous, wild crashing waves in front of us. Everything was glittering in the sun – and it was just us!

We kicked sand and splashed around and spun around, taking it all in. We thought about going through the water to arch rock, but it was too wild and deep to make it.

I searched for the guy behind the rock, asked him to take our picture and send it to me. He didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish, and I didn’t get the pictures. Oh well … go here and bring your camera! It was truly beautiful, and my favorite activity.

On the way I slipped on a rock, plus I cut my foot open on a barnacle, and I like both of those things because that means ... it was a more challenging hike.

The tide was lower on the way back, so it seemed like it didn’t take us much time at all to return. We were probably gone an hour and 45 minutes total.

The boys helped the neighbors move a washer, dryer, and furniture into their house AS YOU DO, we watched the sunset from the roof and ate, and then we went to the marina area to see all the wild Cabo nightlife. If you don’t like peddlers, don’t go to this area.

Day 4

We hiked Cerro de la Z! We followed the GPS to get there, which took us through some sketchy neighborhoods, but on the way back we just took the main roads we normally took. We parked at the bottom of the hill by other cars – not really a parking lot, but plenty of room to pull off. It starts with just a cement road, and then you come to a big fence that looks like you shouldn’t pass it, but everyone just sidestepped it. 

The people on this path were almost all locals. Families, people with dogs, runners, people working out – huge shoutout to the woman wearing ankle weights and holding a boulder, stepping up and down a wall. It was a quick and steep walk up to the giant weather station that looked like a huge soccer ball (you can see it from Cabo) and then some amazing views. We could see whales from here, too! The boats following them cued us in. Perfect blue sky, bluer ocean, mountains, just picturesque all around.

We went for a walk and saw more interesting cactus, and then all took Covid tests! Such a fun part of international travel.

We ate lunch at La Taquiza T-zal, and while we were there, Matt needed to get to the marina before the food came, so I offered to drop him off and drive back. On the way back, I was paying attention so hard, basically just thinking – don’t get in an accident and screw this up for everyone! But it was easy and I was back in no time. 

We parked to go to Cachet Beach – also called Corazon. We paid to park in a public lot, and then we walked into a completely different beach than the day before! Lots of people, bars and restaurants on the water, great views, and people selling stuff. We were all offered bracelets, necklaces, and trinkets, and if you said no to those, weed and cocaine. Really full service. 

The view on this beach was great, and we had a drink at the Baja Brewing Company and then walked down to the marina to meet up with Matt. We had dinner at Agua Salada (giant burrito, my second of the day) and it was so delicious I was full the next day. We walked around downtown a little bit more and headed home.

Day 5

Kris and I ran and walked up in the hills. We got our same driver as the way there and enjoyed talking to him about Mexican politics. We had the same flight as Chris and Betsy – flight cancelled. (Second trip in a row this has happened - this one was due to bad weather in Arizona and Texas.) 

The app booked us on a flight two days later. I freaked out because my kids were staying with friends I didn’t want to burden. We ran to a desk and tried to get on another flight that was leaving right then. They said no. We tried with another airline. They said no. I tried to go through my brother to get on standby to get on a United flight. They herded us through a hall and said we had to go there to get our bags (we didn’t check any bags) and get rebooked. 

We walked that way and realized we were leaving the airport. We begged a customs agent to not make us leave the airport because we were trying to fly out. He kindly told us how to get back in, and we went to the American Airlines line (again) and tried just to get back into the country, because our covid test was only good for one day. (We could get another one but we didn’t have one and didn’t know how we would get one in the airport.) 

A kindly agent booked us on a flight with Alaska Air, United, and American Airlines that took us through San Francisco, a redeye to Chicago, then to Detroit the next day. Betsy and Chris ended up with an equally odd flight path, and Kate and Matt had trouble leaving too. But - after a lot of jockeying around, we all eventually made it back. 

Views on Cabo – beautiful. Loved the cruise, the hiking, the weather, and the views. Service was spectacular and friendly all around. So many people working. This is my third time to Mexico, and it was different than both other places (Puerto Vallarta and Cozumel.) Always felt safe. Cons – Getting out.

Special thanks to the Uptons and Roff's, without whom this trip would not have been possible!

Dairy farmers go to New Mexico dairy farm

Kris hit state #49 – New Mexico! Although I’ve been to New Mexico many times, I had never been to my family’s dairy farm in Portales. We planned to go there on our 20th wedding anniversary!

Headed to New Mexico

We got an evening flight out of Grand Rapids, and we shared a romantic meal in the airport while watching the MSU basketball game on Kris’ propped up phone. We’re fancy.

We had a layover in Dallas, and then the flight got delayed from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m., and then we boarded and got all ready to go, and I really thought we were going…and the flight attendant said, “Just pray the pilots make it.”

They cancelled the flight, we all got off, and our American Airlines app booked us on the next flight in the morning.

I really wanted to sleep on uncomfortable chairs in the airport, never really sleeping, but mostly groaning and making sure you still had your stuff, because I’d paid for a hotel in Albuquerque I couldn’t get refunded. But, Kris made a reservation at a Best Western two miles away, so we went and got five glorious hours of sleep. Happy anniversary!

I was worried about the rental car, because I’d done the skip-the-counter check in with Alamo, and we never made it that night. I figured I could try the bar code the next day, so after we landed we hurried to the rental car lot to find … zero cars! Not a one. So we went to Alamo the counter anyway, where they had a handwritten paper sign that read: ‘Go to Enterprise.’

We followed directions and rented from Enterprise. We got a tiny Mitsubishi Malibu – cons – it was so light it got blown on the road with the New Mexico winds. Pros – it was SO easy to park. We drove 3.5 hours to my Aunt Delia and Uncle Al’s house in Portales. It went mountains, desert, then dairy farms!

They moved to New Mexico and started their dairy farm in 1992. Al took us on a tour to show us everything, and it was so interesting the different parts of farms in the southwest! The cows aren’t in barns, because they just need a roof to block the sun because the weather’s so mild, their excess water just evaporates in a pond, their manure dries out and they can just pile it up to use it later. So many differences. They milk 1700 and own 1300 acres. 

Al then drove us around their neighborhood and showed us a calf ranch where a neighbor had about 10,000 animals in hutches that appeared to be made out of pallets. It was huge.

I felt like the sun was setting the entire time on the tour, and the sky seemed so huge with nothing blocking it, and it was beautiful.

My cousin Cass, his wife Dorie, and their daughters Mia and Joelle came over for dinner, cards, and an MSU bowl win! What a great night.

Portales

We went with Cass, Delia, and Al to do their morning chores at 6:00 a.m. the next day. It was so fun to ride around with them and hear all about their farm and how they do things. 

Al and Delia took us into Portales to show us around and treated us with peanut butter shakes, in part because when they first moved there they worked in a peanut factory! We saw Eastern New Mexico University, their downtown, and had lunch with my whole family again. It was a lovely visit! 

Kris and I drove back to Albuquerque for New Year’s Eve. We got an Airbnb on Stover St, and it was a nice little area that was walking distance to the downtown area. However, there were lots of places that were closed, partly due to New Year’s Eve I guess…even though that seems like a great time to make money! 

We tried three places that said they were open online, but were not open in real life. (Rio Bravo, Sidetrack, Boese Brothers). We went to open places – Red Door, had football on, very friendly, Thirsty Eye, and the owner and coworker were there and gave us hiking suggestions, and we were the only people there. We went to Bow and Arrow, but they were not friendly and didn’t have food, so we went to Tractor Brewing in Wells Park, and their food truck hadn’t come, but they did have live music. Finally, we hit the jackpot – Bourbon and Boots! It had it all – live band, full dance floor, and food! We loved it there – great fun! It absolutely poured when we caught our Uber back, and just on the walk to the car we got completely soaked. Ah, deserts are funny. It was a great way to ring in 2022.

Albuquerque & Santa Fe

I ran in the Albuquerque downtown in the morning. At one point, it was just me, a coughing homeless man, and a parking garage that made really weird high pitched noises. I felt uneasy. But then – I found a penny on the ground AND a woman yelled ‘happy new year’ to me out her car window. So not a bad run, all in all!

Kris and I did my favorite vacation activity – hiking! We drove to the La Luz Trail on snowy roads. It was an absolutely beautiful hike. It was snowy, it had stunning vistas of mountains, and we even got to hike above the clouds. ‘Cloud hikers!’ a hiker greeted us coming the opposite way. This is an out and back trail that goes for seven miles, so we hiked up one hour and then back, and we were treated to even more views! We could actually feel the elevation in our lungs, too. Wonderful!

We drove to Santa Fe, and it was even snowier there! They also don’t shovel the sidewalks – I assume it must melt pretty quickly, but it was funny. Santa Fe was not like Albuquerque – it was full of tourists! We heard so many different languages. We parked near the plaza, and we walked around and looked at the shops, the churches, and ate at Chile Line Brewery. We then drove over and checked out St. Johns College, which is perched right on top of the city. We drove down Canyon Road, which had over a hundred art galleries. It’s artsy!

We went back to Albuquerque for dinner, since we had to fly out early the next morning. Kris had a drink at Bosque Brewing, we played shuffleboard and darts at Boxing Bear, and we ate Mexican food and watched the end of the Rose Bowl at Range Café. All good spots – and open! They all were pretty full and had good service.

We went back to our hotel (Hilton Garden Inn – Airport) and set our alarms for an early flight. Then we got the notification – our flight was delayed 3 hours, and we wouldn’t make our connection, and we could book the next day. What followed was a flurry of activity trying to call American (4 hour hold time), Expedia (can’t help you), my brother (putting Kris on as one of the people who can fly standby under his name), and then it automatically rebooked us on … another flight that didn’t connect, but this time with two stops!

Heading home (eventually)

We got to the airport as soon as it opened and begged an airport worker to get us somewhere, anywhere in Michigan. She booked us on a flight that got to Detroit, which meant my family had to pick me up in a different airport…and then we waited an hour on that while it had maintenance issues. But! Thanks to my dad and brother who got us, and retrieved my car, we made it on the same day.

The airport troubles were national news, as a lot of factors (weather, sickness, covid, the holidays) came together to make air travel difficult. But – it was all completely worth it. I loved seeing the Andersons, new places, and celebrating with Kris, and we’re doing it all again next month!  

Las Vegas and Valley of Fire

Kris had a work conference in Las Vegas, so I tagged along! I've been here twice for work myself, and once we spent the night here on the way home from visiting three national parks in Utah. This time was definitely the most time I spent in the city.

Mirage and casinos

Kris' conference was at the Mirage, which had a volcano that erupted every night for a few hours on the hour. You could feel the heat of it, and it lasted about four minutes. I was very entertained. We walked down to the Bellagio to watch the fountains, and there's just something about water dancing to music! Totally worth seeing. This also happens every ten minutes with different songs, so you can watch for a long time.

What I didn't like - this isn't a place I'd bring my kids. I went running off the strip and went right back because there were so many druggies. Both on the strip and off, there are a lot of cracked out people. The street performers are also pretty explicit. It's not awful - no one bothered me, but it's just not somewhere I'd bring them.  

                                            

New York, New York

I couldn't remember if I rode the roller coaster here before, so if I couldn't remember - I should totally pay the $19 to do it again! Happily, I also got to go in the front car! This was a great roller coaster - seemed long and it was fun. I'll remember it this time!

Venetian

I remembered when I came the first time that there was a room that looked like the sky. I couldn't find exactly what I remembered (is it possible things have changed in 20 years?!) but I did find something beautiful. There's a place in the Venetian called St George Square, which looks and feels like you're outside in a city square. The ceiling is painted like the sky, and it really gives that feeling. There were performers here dressed in 1800s fashion singing 'Shallow' in Italian, and it was even better than dancing water.

Ferris Wheel at Linq - High Roller

We wondered why we hadn't been on this before, and it's because it didn't exist until 2014! It cost $20 to ride, and it was worth it for the view of the city. It's the world's second largest Ferris wheel, and definitely the tallest thing in Las Vegas. It takes 30 minutes to go around, and we really enjoyed it! It's roomy, glass, and not at all scary! 

Cirque du soleil

I hear mixed reviews about these shows, but for me, it's definitely worth going. It features the most amazing athletes doing things you can't imagine...every night, twice a night! I'm talking roller blading on ramps over each other, doing tricks on trampolines, hanging from silks from the ceiling while someone bungees off of you to the floor, contortionists, people on a trapeze that circles and if they fell they would DIE because there's just a stage below them! I saw Love, and I'm not even a big Beatles fan, but I loved the performance so much. The talent!

Valley of Fire

We rented a car from the Avis in our hotel, which was one of the quickest car rental transactions I've ever had. I started driving north, and five minutes later...we were out of the city! Just desert. And there is really nothing. No houses, no signs - really, nothing. A half hour away, there was a gas station, and all the cars and trucks in front of us turned in. I get why! You better get it while you can!

Then in the middle of the desert, you can see the red rocks rising! The Valley of Fire State Park.

We went on a three-mile loop trail. We started on Fire Wave and connected it to White Domes. It was gorgeous and different the whole way. Red rocks, striped rocks, canyons, mountains, and bighorn sheep! In the wild! Vicious no doubt. 

We had no service here, so check what you want to see ahead of time. We could have seen more, but they were out of maps at the entrance and visitor's center, and we couldn't look anything up. Happily we chose a good trail, but there are things like elephant rock, petroglyphs, and other sights I would have seen if I had known about them ahead of time. 

I love that this is so close to Las Vegas, because it was a gorgeous hike. We wanted to do this AND go to Hoover Dam, but we didn't have enough time after Kris' meeting because when we came in November, the sunset was at 4:15 p.m. Not much daylight! So, I'm glad we came here, because we'll save that for another work trip!

Washington DC

I've been to Washington DC more times than I can count. Even though this was a really short trip, since it was for work, I still got to see some things (and people!) I really enjoyed.

The National Mall

I love the setup of the National Mall, because it's designed so perfectly. Everything is so symmetrical! Aimee drove four hours from Raleigh to pick me up from the airport, Alicia drove from Annapolis, and they parked on the street near my hotel so we could walk there. We walked to the World War II Memorial, along the pool, up to the giant Lincoln Memorial, and by the Vietnam Memorial. We also walked past the National Monument. Basically, walking anywhere here you're going to see something historical! 

Gardens and art

We saw the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden and walked around admiring the art. Then we went inside the Hirshhorn and saw among other cool sights, Laurie Anderson's exhibit, which is descried as an 'immersive audiovisual experience.' I loved it! 

District Wharf

Part of my conference was located here, but Alicia, Aimee and I hadn't been here. Later, I found out that it's because it's new! They've created an entertainment area by the water. We ate here at Kirwan's On the Wharf, but there are a lot of choices. Later that night I went to the conference event right on the water here, too. Super nice area.

Honestly, I've met up with these girls in various states and countries, so the fact they'd drive to Washington DC just for lunch shouldn't surprise me, but it did - just so awesome to see them. 

                                 

Museums

I love museums, and I love that they're free here! I was walking to the Capitol Building and passing right by the National Gallery of Art. How could I resist? It was about 15 minutes to closing time, so I just went in to spend those minutes walking around. 

The amazing thing about being in this museum is that sometimes in them I'm struggling to find something I find interesting. There's always something, but in smaller museums you sometimes have to work for it. But this one...room after room...you could get lost in it, it's so huge, and full of amazing art! I also love going to museums by myself, because I can go anywhere I want and stay as long as I want (or at least until it closes.)

I walked past a hallway and a picture caught my eye, and it was like seeing someone you recognized. It was Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci, which my mom has a replica of in her house. She used to go to DC a lot with my dad for meetings, and she said when she came here, she would always visit the painting to stare at it, because she loves it so much. I was so happy to happen to see it, and I stared at it too.

                                               

Capitol Building

I love visiting capitol buildings in our state capitals, and since they often share the same style, but wow - this one always seems so huge.

Running

                                      

I always like to run in other cities because you always get a different feel. The first morning I ran here, a rat jumped out of a planter and ran alongside me for a few steps. Ah, cities. I had to go early, and it was pitch black and cold. I ran to the Lincoln Memorial. The mall pathway was lit, but it was just a pool of darkness beyond it. I wondered about the safety of running there by myself, but it seemed fine. There was not one person in sight, so when I visited Lincoln, it was just him and me. You don't always get touristy spots to yourself, and I really liked the early morning visit. Not only was he a great leader, but that is one beautiful statue. 

                                               

Work

Since I was there for work, we stayed at the Marriot, and ate at Bobby Van's Steakhouse and Proper 21. I had a good time with my work friends, too.

There are a million more things to do in DC when you have time! I've ridden the hop on and off bus, explored the Smithsonian and other museums, and done the night scene. I'll be back, I know ... because my kids haven't even been here yet!

Summer in Michigan

I love summer in Michigan. Not only did I go to Lake Michigan an unprecedented five weekends in a row, but there are so many other great places! There's so much to see and do in my little state. This summer I hit up:

Saugatuck

My favorite beach used to be Oval Beach. It was always white sand, empty, beautiful. It cost $10 dollars to park there, and I felt like that cut down on the crowds. Well, no longer! We came here twice this summer and it was super packed the first time, and even more packed the second time. Both weekdays! 

This is what I love about Oval Beach - you can park right in between giant dunes and the beach, and you can easily go back to your car anytime you want, so you're not walking a mile to get sunscreen or food. 

We also climbed up Mount Baldhead, which is a series of many steps that leads to an outlook. Always a good time. We always also eat at Dairy Daze, where they give you giant - I'm not joking, giant - portions of ice cream. 

Luther, Pine River & Silver Creek State Forest Campground

We did something new this year, and we joined our friends in a big group on their annual canoe trip. They've been going for 20-some years, and so they had everything planned so perfectly! They camp at Silver State campground. They rent from a place they like, and they know just how to figure the cars so that there are the right amount at the end of the 7-hour trip! 

Along the way we saw cliffs, we climbed a giant dune, and we enjoyed the company of our friends. This was canoeing, different than kayaking for me, because it's so much less stable. It also was a more challenging river than just floating. It was awesome.

Old Mission Peninsula

We visited Kris' cousin Melissa and her husband Tom, and they have the good sense to live in Traverse City on Old Mission Peninsula, right on Lake Michigan. In fact, the road between their house and the lake is closed right now, because part of it is crumbling into the lake. It made it even nicer for walking and running, though obviously the residents aren't thrilled - not the ones that live in the middle of it, anyway.

We walked up to a high point and could see vineyards all around us. There's just something about the ordered rows of a vineyard that I find incredibly beautiful. 

Tom and Melissa took us on their boat across the lake to Elk Rapids, where we ate lunch. We spent the rest of the time kayaking and paddleboarding and hanging out by the water. Nice area to visit!

South Haven

Right when we got to South Haven, we went to South Beach and were delighted with how empty it was! We noticed a lot of police, looked it up, and saw that a guy had just shot two people on the pier and then himself. South Beach is NOT like this, but then the next morning we got the paper at our Airbnb and it talked about a shooting at a party. I went to run and Kris was like ... be careful. But it was not like that at all ... just another nice beach town, but sad events, for sure.

We went here with Kris' family for a vacation weekend all together! Since it was Kris' sister, her husband, their two kids, and Kris' parents, plus us five, we got an Airbnb house that was a mile from the beach. It was fantastic. It was at 914 Phoenix Street, and not only was it giant, with a great backyard, she also had TOYS for us. A beach tent, bodyboards, bikes, scooters, wagon, beach toys - it was amazing.

We loved the farmers market on Saturday morning, running to the pier, checking out the downtown shops, eating ice cream, and going to Two Blondes for lunch. I loved South Beach and North Beach - North Beach had amazing, wild waves one day, while South Beach remained relatively calm. There was paid parking on the beach - $10 for the day, so it was easy to get to if you're not staying over, too.

One funny thing was the drawbridge. It kept not working. Once we waiting in our Jeep for a long time before deciding to turn and find another route, but one time we were on bikes waiting. We eventually just crossed!

Kris' parents went back for their anniversary two weeks later, so they liked it too! It surpassed Oval Beach as our favorite, but it's just a liiiiiitle farther from home.

Berrien Springs

Kris and I took the boys camping at Shamrock Park when they were not-one and three. Of course, they didn't remember it. This time we went without Kris, because of harvest.

We camped right along the river. Spots 74-79 seem like the best ones. We bought bait at a sketchy store right outside the campground, we fished, we waded in the water, and then we decided to go to Lake Michigan, you know, since we all love it. It was just a 12-mile drive straight west from the campground. We got there and saw it was called Weko Beach, and it was attached to a campground. You have to pay to get it, but the attendant just waved us in because it was 5:00 p.m.

Don't go to Weko Beach. There were dogs running around, and their owners weren't doing anything to control them. We saw a German Shepherd go after a dog that was walking by, and then when we walked by, the dog started chasing Max and barking like crazy. I ran in between them and yelled at him to go away in my meanest voice. The owners did nothing. Nothing. Max ran into the water to get away from the dog and it followed him into the water and bit him! I said, "RUN!" and we four sprinted away down the beach away from that dog and those terrible people. It broke his skin, but not his bathing suit, so I knew there was no dog bacteria in him, but that's not a fun vacation activity.

We got ice cream afterward at Scoops. Max didn't cry or scream and basically acted like he gets bitten by dogs every day. The ice cream helped me, anyway.

Our tent was inexplicably under a mercury light. We tried very hard to light a fire, but since the fire pit was open underneath, we couldn't do it. We went out to the river after dark and shone the flashlight into the river to see lots of creatures. The next morning Cole blocked the bottom of the pit and built a beautiful fire at 5:00 a.m., despite me shushing him.

We went to Warren Dunes State Park and climbed up the giant dune, and we went to the beach for a few minutes, then hit Western Michigan University on the way home to show my kids where I went for undergrad.

St Joseph

Our friends Erin and Jay live in St Joseph on Lake Michigan, and we try to visit them every year. I've lost count of how many times we've been there. We've done a lot of things in St Joseph, but this year we did some new things! For one, their yacht club had a huge party with a live band after a regatta race. There were so many people there, and it was super fun. 

The next day Jay took us to a hike at Grand Mere. I loved the hike. It went through pavement, then woods, then mud, then dunes, then to Lake Michigan! The beach had really steep dunes, and it was beautiful. Then Jay drove us to Three Oak, another new town, and we went to Journeyman Distillery, which is a restaurant in an old stay factory. While you waited for your table, they had an 18-hole putting green! This delighted me, as I've never seen that, and it was so fun to play. Hopefully this will become a commonality at restaurants.  

Mackinac Island

I went to Mackinac Island for a conference, so I despite the countless times I've been here, I did all new things! We stayed at the Grand Hotel (this for sure never would have happened), to social events on the porch, to yoga, and on a behind-the-scenes tour. 

For the first time in my life, I rode in a horse and carriage. We went to the Woods, the back nine of the golf course at the Grand. It was a scramble, and Kris and I had amazing partners. I also made two birdie putts, with one of them being a 30-footer, so they were fooled into thinking I was good, too!

All in all, it was a wonderful summer in Michigan. If you ever have any questions about a location, please don't hesitate to contact me! 

Oval Beach with cousins

Grand Hotel

Secret Garden in front of Grand Hotel

Mackinac Island

Grand Hotel porch

Pine River

Grand Mere hike

Grand Mere trail

Warren Dunes State Park

Lake Michigan, Traverse City

Kayaking on Lake Michigan

With all the Wardins in South Haven

North Beach

Camping