Elephant Rocks State Park

Ryan and I went hiking at Elephant Rocks during our first month of dating. I have fond memories of that trip and we've always talked about going back. Well it took us 7 years, but we finally did it. It rained almost the entire way there, so we stopped at the Missouri Mines State Historic Site to wait out the rain. That was about as exciting as it sounds. Ryan had to actually listen to the mining veteran speak while I chased Wade around.

Such a boy...climbing on the heavy equipment was required.

Wade and Mom at Elephant Rocks

Obviously they are holding that rock up.

We had a picnic at Elephant Rocks and after our hike, we stopped by Johnson's Shut Ins. I couldn't tell too much difference since the dam break, but I definitely want to go back sometime with our swimming suits. This time we just walked the trail and looked at every one else having fun.

Summer Fun

Now that it's not so hot, we finally tried out our bike trailer. Wade was a little unsure (mostly because his helmet falls over his eyes) but didn't cry or get upset. Ryan had a flat tire, so he borrowed my bike here, but hopefully the three of us can go together soon.

 On Saturday we went to Suson Park for a picnic lunch and to Laumeier Sculpture Park after dinner.

Yes, that's walking, folks! I haven't mentioned it yet because while Wade has been taking steps for 2 months, he was usually choosing crawling as his preferred mode of transportation.

Our entire family had fun at Laumeier Sculpture Park's "Dog Days of Summer" exhibit/trail.

Wade loved his first popsicle.

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Our Trip to Southwestern Michigan

We've always liked getting away for a second vacation to a cooler climate before Ryan goes back to school. This year we headed to southwestern Michigan, specifically South Haven. We left home last Tuesday and stayed halfway in Pontiac, Illinois. On Wednesday we stopped along the way for a picnic lunch at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and arrived at the Van Buren State Park campground mid-afternoon. We stayed there for two nights, exploring the town, playing at the beach, and picking blueberries. Ryan's college friend & roommate, Storm Huse, his wife, Katie, and their son, Owen met up with us at the South Haven/Covert KOA campground. We hit the beach again, went out for ice cream and walked around Saugatuck. The next day we visited Dutch Village, a family fun park, in Holland, Michigan. The Huses left after lunch and we went out to dinner for our final night. Sunday we had about a 7 hour drive home, made a little longer with a lunch stop at my sister's house in Indiana. It's always good to return home, but we'll miss the cooler weather and the vacation lifestyle as it's back to work time...for both of us. Ryan's first official day back is this Thursday, August 11.

U-Pick Blueberries, or in Wade's case, U-Eat Blueberries

Playing at Lake Michigan was very fun!

At Dutch Village in Holland, MI with the Huse Family

Our only family picture from the trip! Another shot at Dutch Village

As always, it was a great trip. We love to travel and were able to stick a new pin in our big US wall map with this vacation.