Still Independent

This past weekend was a really enjoyable one. Isaac and I took a road trip basically all over the state of Michigan! Well, that's not exactly true, but we did hit quite a few places....... Friday night was race night, as is custom. Isaac raced the big yellow banana car (!) and took home the 3rd place trophy for the mid-season Points' Championship. He loves trophies;)
After that pretty successful evening, we headed straight to Lake City and spent the night in the campground...in the Escape! Totally wacky, I know, but free and actually pretty comfy. Happily took advantage of the 'complimentary' camp showers (the ones you have to keep pressing ON, just like an automatic turn-off faucet at a rest area....strange), and then we were on our way. Being unprepared for my first meal of the day, I grabbed the healthiest thing the local McDonalds could offer, and Isaac enjoyed something a bit less health-conscious ;) People-watching is one of our habits, so we sat enjoying our all-american food, while the little town of Lake City prepared for their 4th of July parade. It was interesting. They take it very seriously there apparently; every road was lined with lawn chairs, even in places with no people in sight. Not a space was free on the sidewalks, the grass, nuthin'! It was a pretty big affair.
After we'd had enough of that, we left them to enjoy their parade, and buzzed on up to Petoskey. It is a really nice little town, with some pretty streets, and right on a piece of water. I think I could live there. We found the house we were looking for, where Isaac was going to take a look at a dirt bike for sale. He tested it out, hopped off, and made the deal! Must've been a goodie…cuz now it’s ours. Right across the road from that house was a field with bails of hay, and Mary was watching over it…well, a statue of Mary anyway. I thought it was pretty, but the blackberry photo doesn’t really do it justice.

Next stop, Mackinaw. We decided it would be fun to spend the rest of the day strolling around the city, shopping, fudge-sampling, walking the beach, more people-watching, etc. etc. We stayed so long they gave us a $5 parking ticket! That's the thanks we get for enjoying their city and enhancing their economy I guess…..hmpfff ;) We'll send them their $5, so at least the tablet they wrote it on might be reimbursed, at least! Hehe.
Finally, we headed toward Higgins Lake to spend some time with my parents. We spent the night at our cabin, and the next day was beautiful weather. Isaac and I went for a short run in the morning, then a walk on the beach. The four of us took the boat out midday. We did some kneeboarding, which we have not done since like 2 or 3 years ago! Still got the 360 down…which is about the best trick we can do ;) Man, Higgins is still cold, that's for sure, so we did some laying out on the boat after that to soak up some sun. Loved it.

Spent the evening in Houghton Lake with some friends, experienced a really interesting meal at one of the small town restaurants (good food, just unprepared holiday staff)… It's cool, Isaac enjoyed his free nachos! Later everyone went for ice cream, except me, then we hit up the go-kart track, and I completely smoked everyone there in the pink #3 car! What can I say, I'm just good like that. JK. The best part of the day was when two ol' dudes who are friends of our friends, or something like that, loaned us there Zumas (kinda like Mopeds, but cooler). We drode around forever on those things, riding double. It was like a scene from the Italian Job, or the Bourne series! They went like 40 miles an hour, so not crazy, but I felt like we were flying….super fun!
Ike and I watched some fireworks down the beach at Higgins after dark. It's really nice to sit on the dock out over the water with no lights, no bugs, just calm.
Overall, it was a great weekend! We are really happy to be home, with some new memories, some new ideas for the future, a new toy which Ike is enjoying this very moment!, and our sweet doggies. Most of all though, we are really happy to just be free.