Butterfly House

Returning home to Michigan didn't mean stopping our explorations.  With just a few days remaining before school and my return to work, we looked for local adventures to be had.

One nearby, yet off the beaten path location was the Butterfly House in Whitehouse, Ohio.

This was a wonderful little stop, where the kids could wander about the greenhouse-like enclosure and observe the numerous butterflies flitting about.  If you were lucky, they would land on you, and you could observe each other up close and personal.  

There were butterflies of all sizes and colors, and the kids quickly figured out, how to work the odds in your favor that a butterfly would land on you.  And once it did, how to move very slowly so that it would stay a while.  The third trick, of course, was how to coax it to fly away without touching its wings, when you were ready to go.  After all, we couldn't take any of these beautiful creatures home.

Mammoth Cave, KY

On our way back home, we made a stop at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. 

The weather cooperated, giving us a beautifully sunny day to walk around the woods outside the park. 

We also enjoyed a family-friendly tour down into one set of caves, viewing many stalactites and stalagmites, as well as bats and the other critters who live below.

We capped off our stop by looking at the original mammoth entrance.  Then we hit the road again, on our way home to Michigan.  Everyone agreed that this was yet again a stop, which could have used more time.  J

Hilton Head Island, SC

After Maryland, we headed over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel  further down the coast.  After a full day’s drive, we ended up at our destination, Hilton Head Island.

We spent several days exploring the island.  The old plantations were quite interesting, as we observed the fiddler crabs, osprey nests, as well as many other local plants and animals.  We really enjoyed the Spanish moss hanging from all the trees.

The beach, as always, was a hit with everyone!  Juliana found a turtle nesting area just next to our beach towels. 

And of course, we made a return pilgrimage to the old HHI lighthouse.  After a long trek to the top of the tower, we quite enjoyed the view all around.

Off to the Eastern Shore

It had been several years since we’d been to Maryland for the annual family reunion.  This time, a new date and location allowed us as well as Cousin Tim and his family, and my parents to all go down together. 

Our destination was Tuckahoe State Park where we had rented a cabin.  (Being new to trailering, we decided not to take it on the road this far quite yet.)  Cousin Tim and family had the cabin right next to ours, and my folks got the camping site just on the other side of us, so we were able to let the kids run free between all 3 sites.  It was HOT, MUGGY weather, and we were very thankful for the air conditioning inside the cabins!

While on the Eastern Shore, we took a “mandatory” day trip to Ocean City to cool off and play in the waves.   

We also spent a day at Saint Michael’s where we saw how maritime life on the Chesapeake Bay has been over the years.  The kids got a chance to explore all the rooms of an old lighthouse as well as check some crab traps hanging in the bay.  We topped off the experience with some true Maryland steamed blue crabs and ice cream!

The reunion itself was a lot of fun! We got a chance to reconnect with relatives that hadn’t been seen in quite a while, and all the kids got to know more of their roots.  Added bonus was the seining demonstration in the little pond at the state park, that the kids could participate in during the reunion!

July 4th – Maiden Voyage for the Trailer

After quite a bit of preparation and even some “driveway camping”, we finally took our trailer on its maiden voyage to Ludington State Park, Michigan. 

It was a last minute attempt to get a campsite over the holiday weekend, and we had beginner’s luck – due to a last minute cancellation, we had a last minute reservation in a prime location.
 Our site was the last one in the loop, so we only had a neighbor on one side, woods in front of us, and sand dunes to Lake Michigan behind us. 

The kids spent hours running up and down the dunes, and playing along the water’s edge. 

Even though the camp was full, it was nice and quiet and the kids were able to ride scooters and tricycles to the bathhouse. 

We all decided that next time, we absolutely MUST stay longer!

Summer Fun - Making Ice Cream

What kid doesn’t love ice cream? 

We were blessed with a batch of fresh strawberries from our local Farmer’s Market, which were getting a little less than firm, but had fantastic taste. 

So we got out the old fashioned ice cream maker, gathered up our ingredients, and got the kids working! 

After quite a bit of churning, the mass of liquid started turning into a solid! 

And after letting it cure a little, everyone was treated to some of the best strawberry ice cream we’d ever had!

A Day at the Capital in Lansing, Michigan

Juliana and I were invited to spend a day at the capital with our local State Senator, Rebekkah Warren. 

It was a great introduction to our State Government for Juliana. 

We started in Sen. Warren’s office and then took a tour of the capital building. 

We got to see both chambers of the state legislature in session (they were off to caucus most of the time we were there), as well as were treated to lunch with the Senator and her staff. 

It was great to expose Juliana to another of the many of career paths a woman may take, as well as give her an up close and personal view of how one can interact with one’s elected representative. 
 
 

Spring Break – A quick trip to the magical World of Disney

After our return from Mexico and a bit of Michigan Winter to cool us off, we headed down to Florida to visit some of Mom and Dad’s friends for Spring Break! 

We handed a road atlas to the kids so that they could track our driving progress. 

Though the weather was warmer than in Michigan, it wasn’t exactly balmy.  We were well prepared with our winter coats and stroller bag, but watched the many tourists shiver in their shorts.

The kids really enjoyed the whole trip.  We put the more educational pieces up front: Epcot’s permaculture exhibits are fascinating! The kids spotted all kinds of fruits, veggies, and other plants from home, as well as those we’d seen in tropical Mexico.  

And the rest of the trip was dedicated to just plain fun!  The kids enjoyed all the animals in Animal Kingdom and the rides in Magic Kingdom.

We topped it off with a stop at the Lego store in Downtown Disney.  As we were about to leave, Juliana ran into to her Teacher’s Assistant from school.  Goes to show that it truly is a small world out there!

Final Notes from the Puerto Escondido

There were so many other miscellaneous wonderful experiences during our time in Puerto Escondido.  Among them a few highlights...

Being on the water, there was opportunity to buy the freshest fish, which Alex's parents prepared into a wonderful meal!

Our wonderful hosts, David and Macri, shared with us the traditional Oaxacan tamales and local salsa, another delicious treat!

David and Macri's girls showed Juliana all of the local flowers and other plants, including some who's seed pods "explode" open, when left in a glass of water.

Between times in the sun, we played lots of card games like Uno and the kids did their homework at the breakfast table.

There was plenty of time to play in the sand with grandparents and swim in the pool!

And at night, we were graced with beautiful sunsets, and views of the stars.  There were a few nights, where you could even see the arms o the Milky Way, if you went out in the middle of the night!

Finally, it was time to bid farewell to our little paradise on the beach and look forward to a return trip sometime in the future!

Pacific Marine Life

One of the perks of staying directly on the ocean is that you have a good chance of seeing marine life throughout the day.

Over breakfast one morning, we watched a humpback whale and her calf swim on by the house.  On several occasions, we watched pods of dolphins swim by.  Of course, it always happened when our camera wasn't handy so we would simply run to where our swimming pool met the beach and watch for their dark backs to crest the water.


One afternoon we drove to another location down the beach for some wonderful seafood and an opportunity to go out on a little boat and see the wildlife up close.

We watched the birds light upon a nearby rock (which stinks up close, due to their copious droppings).

We watched numerous pairs of sea turtles, which were floating in the water, given that its mating season.   

We left well enough alone with the mating turtles, but spotted a loner out there, and jumped in for a quick swim with a real live sea turtle!

Then we rode around the water on the lookout for dolphins.  Just as we were going to give up, we were found by a very large pod of dolphins who graced us we a display of jumps out of the water.