More Vacation Fun

We tried to pack as much activity into our vacation as we could and still be able to have plenty of down time and relaxation. 

On Monday we went to the Call of the Wild Museum. I always see the billboard advertisement on the expressway whenever we head up north but have never actually stopped there. Shauna wanted to take  the boys to see all the animal dioramas. 

I think they loved it but had more fun pressing the buttons to turn on lights and listen to narratives of the scenes. I didn't take too many pictures but the grizzly bear and a full grown moose are huge! I would hate to run into them in the wild! 

We also went putt-putt golfing but I didn't take any pictures. I was trying to just be in the moment! Of course there was a gift shop and the boys got some new wildlife related toys! 

Tuesday was a rainy day so we just kind of kicked back and took it easy. 

On Wednesday we drove to Petoskey MI. Maxwell wanted to see a lighthouse so we walked down the pier so he could see the lighthouse (unimpressive) and watch the boats go by on Lake Michigan. 

And of course no trip to Lake Michigan is complete without searching for Petoskey stones. I took this from Wikipedia

A Petoskey stone is a rock and a fossil, often pebble-shaped, that is composed of a fossilized rugose coral, Hexagonaria percarinata.^[1] Such stones were formed as a result of glaciation, in which sheets of ice plucked stones from the bedrock, grinding off their rough edges and depositing them in the northwestern (and some in the northeastern) portion of Michigan's lower peninsula. 

I managed to find four of them in the 15-20 minutes I had to search for them. You have to look at or past the waterline because when they are dry they just look like any other stone. 

 

Here I sprayed them with water so show what they really look like. You either have to polish them or paint them with clear paint or nail polish for the pattern to show all the time. 

The boys liked being on the rocky beach and throwing rocks into the water to their hearts content! 

One evening we took a walk and came across some construction equipment sitting on the side of the road. Maxwell and Levi LOVE any construction equipment so they were over the moon!  It took us a while to get them away from it! 

We spent our last full day there at Otsego Lake State Park which was only a few miles from where we were. They had a huge beautiful beach for the boys to play on. The water was nice and warm, too! 

We built sand castles for them to knock down a soon as were were done with them! We also dug a giant hole in the sand and Maxwell and Levi (with a little help from us) filled it with water using buckets and watering cans that I made them from laundry detergent bottles. 

Sitting on the picnic table eating ice cream was a regular thing! 

Maxwell even made himself a unibrow! 

Sometimes we just goofed around and got our silly on! 

Every morning we enjoyed sitting on the porch looking at the water and listening to the loons call. 

And in the evening the sunset never failed to be beautiful! 

This vacation was always about just spending time with my family and it did not disappoint! Every day was a joy and wonderful memories were made! I tear up thinking about how grateful I am for my wonderful family and the opportunity to spend this time together! 

Brad is already checking out places for next year and I can't wait! 

Until the next time stay safe and well my friends!