Canada to Mackinac

so i've gotten sidetracked.  i need to make this summer road trip thing done with. i mean, even i'm thinking....are we there yet?

on our journey home, we hopped into the car in the middle of the night and left new hampshire to head up through canada.  it was the best way to go distance wise, but we also just kinda wanted the adventure.  we had some nerves passing through customs at three in the morning with the kids all sleeping, but they let us in to the country unscathed. 

i drove most of canada.  reading signs in french and driving in kilometers.

the bridge across to the good ole usa.

then the bridge onto mackinac city, michigan where we spent the night.

the boys and i killed some time on this playground by our hotel while our car was getting jumped and taken to the mechanic.  we weren't sure if it was going to make home.  we half way expected to have to sell it somewhere on the way and buy something different.  i say "different" instead of "new" quite purposefully.

the hoodlums and i each had a little refresher in town.  all sporting their new kicks from grandma.  still waiting.  nothing says "vacation" like waiting to see if your car needs to be towed from your hotel.

we finally jumped aboard the ferry over to mackinac island for the day.

it's seriously beautiful and oh so quaint. if you've never heard of it, look it up.  might just be your next vacation destination....

there are no cars on the island.  only horse drawn carriages and bikes.  just our speed.  our only regret was we had the option of getting a tandem bike for jon and i but didn't.  it seemed too complicated, but it really wouldn't have been.

there were all these balancing rock sculptures all over the beaches.

of course we had to make one.

or ten.  we did this for a long time.

you know i don't make them pose, right?  never.  ever.  i said, "hey rowan."  and that's how the kid looks at me.

dressed for ease, warmth and comfort.

we could have stayed for days, but we only got four hours to try and pack it all in.  

QUIP O'THE DAY

my first summer to life guard was when i was fourteen, and we had just moved to south korea.