Michigan, My Michigan

This is a Petoskey Stone from Google.

I don't even now that song, but it seemed like a good title.  I took AJ to MI to get rocks.  Rocks, you say? Yes.  Petoskey Stones, actually.  In Readers Workshop, we read a book called The Legend of the Petoskey Stone and the end note is all about how you can actually find these stones on the shores of Lake Michigan near this town.  Read here for more info about the stones.  Anyhoo, my friend and coworker Sue has wanted to go up there for some time, so we figured now is as good a time as any to drive 7 hours north to get a rock.

So up we went.

We stayed at The Inn at Bay Harbor, Bay Harbor , MI.  Go here to see it.

Our room had a lovely balcony overlooking Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan

AJ liked the view a lot.

We went down to the beach to look for rocks.

There was a big chess set on the lawn.  AJ played.

It wouldn't be vacation without ice cream for dinner, so we headed to Petoskey to eat it.  We heard that this was the best place.  Boy Howdy, it was darn good.  

On our drive around town, we saw this.  It called us to walk it.  It had edges.  I was reminded of my mother as I held AJ's hand in a death grip all the way down.  Almost all the way...

See my protective hand on his shoulder?  Luckily, Sue was with us and she has taken all 3 of her kids to edges and has never lost one.  I felt better. 

After a swim in the pool, we watched the fire pit and the sunset from the balcony.

AJ had some relaxing time in the comfy bed.

The next day we headed home and went through New Buffalo, MI.  We saw the "I Love Toy Trains" shop from AJ's favorite DVDs.  We were really jazzed about the visit.

But this is what awaited us at the door...BUMMER.

A little ways down the road, we came upon the Visitor Center and a Railroad Museum!  What luck!

Katrina, my coworker and new teaching partner, was along, too.  We posed in a military car.  

AJ liked the model train.

We had a good time and we decided we'll go somewhere next year, too.