Summer Getaway!

I never get tired of viewing the Mackinac Bridge

It was supposed to be a week of vacation.  I've been working some pretty crazy hours since last December, and had only had one vacation day since LAST August.   So I was really looking forward to a week at the cabin.    But alas, a crisis the weekend before we were to leave turned our week into a long weekend.    I learned, however, that a vacation doesn't have to be long to be refreshing. 

We had just three full days at the cabin but managed to pack a lot into it.  I left home with a migraine that lingered for a week, but whenever I was at the beach or in the kayak, it was barely noticable.   We were blessed with perfect weather and capped the trip off with a stop in Plainwell, MI (an hour from home) for ice cream on our way home.    Yum!

Grand Marais (MI) music festival

For the many years we've been vacationing in the Michigan UP, I have always wanted to take in the Grand Marais Music Festival but somehow, we've always missed it.   We finally managed to get there!   Dogs weren't allowed so we found a spot just outside the gated area where we could see and hear well, and save the $35 entrance fee, to boot!  It used to be called a FOLK Music festival and I was a little disappointed that it is no longer strictly folk and acoustic groups, but we did hear a couple that I enjoyed very much.    When the metal bands took the stage, we wandered off to the gorgeous beach, and found a wonderful new pizza place.    Can't wait to go back there next year! 

I have to credit Tim with this amazing picture along the
Au Train River. 

We dismantled a fire pit at Tim's property near Grand Marais,
carried the rocks in 5 gallon buckets to the car, made three trips
out to the main road to prevent the car from bottoming out and
rebuilt the firepit at Au Train.   My back hurt for days!! 

Kayaking the Au Train River with my best bud 

Jam session at the Falling Rock

The other two days consisted of raspberry picking,  kayaking (with my brand new 12 foot Punto ..... it is awesome!), a  jam session at the Falling Rock Cafe that Tim plays in, and a LOT of beach time.    The water was warm and the dogs had an absolute blast retrieving sticks and crashing into the waves.    Zak - who is always tentative at first - finally realized that he REALLY CAN swim and just loved the water.     When it was time to go home, I knew I needed to CARRY him to the car.    Tim was a little skeptical.    I said, "No - he sees me packing up and he's not going to want to go home."    I was right.    In fact, I had trouble catching him in the CABIN - a small cabin at that.   He was under the bed, behind every piece of furniture he could find, cowering with pleading eyes,   "Mom - we've only been here three days.   We can't go home YET!"  It was hard to leave, but Tim told me that Oval Beach in Saugatuck opens to dogs (it's called "local season") after Labor Day so we plan to meet there next weekend for one last rendevous in the water.

After some serious swimming and stick-chasing, Scarlett
dug herself a bed in the warm sand, crawled in and went
right to sleep.   Have to say - I love this picture.  It
captures my girl so well. 

This boy had fun! 

It's a 425 mile trip up there, but I was so desperate for a weekend of refreshment that it was well worth it and fit the bill.    I have another week off to look forward to in October.   Those plans have changed somewhat too, but with all my reservations made, we're going to take a swing down to Brown County, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee anyway and hopefully see some dazzling fall colors.   That will be our next post!

Swimming in the big waves of Lake Superior! 

Sunset at Au Train Beach