Awesome Weekend!

So we are back from our fantastic weekend.  Friday night wasn't exactly the way that I planned.  Chuck and I set up in the rain and by the time we had dinner, we were all so exhausted that we all went to sleep.  And listened to the rain.  All night.

Saturday brought overcast skies and lots (LOTS) of wind, but no rain.  We went out to Lake Michigan.

Yes, it was cold enough for winter coats!  We saw some great color on the way into Empire for lunch.

Then it was off to Glen Arbor and a little Cherry Republic (YUM!).  We decided to drive up the Leelenau Peninsula.  We stop in Leland and had a chance to see the salmon run.

The kids really got a kick out of Fishtown.  I think they could have watched the fish jump all day.  Then we drove up to the tip of the peninsula to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.  We missed the haunted tour for the day, but we walked out to the beach and picked up some rocks.

We saw this tree with these awesome branches, it is just so fun to have these fun experiences with the kids!  We stopped at the 45th parallel, just for a picture!

Sunday, we climbed the dunes and drove the scenic drive.

The Lake Michigan overlook was so windy we couldn't make it up there.  Calah and I are still picking sand out of our ears!  After lunch it was some shopping in Traverse City and a quick trip up the Old Mission Peninsula.  There is still some great color!  Later we stopped so the kids could play at the park. 

We made sure they took their cameras and they love to take pictures.

So each night we headed back to the campsite and had a little dinner and a campfire...complete with smores and apples and caramel, just like I was looking forward to.  The kids absolutely LOVE camping!

Thanks to the "Big Heat" we stayed nice and toasty at night.  And the wind dried everything out nicely.  Turns out, the campground was shutting down the loops for the winter, and we were the last ones to camp at our spot for the 2011 season. 

Nothing beats fall camping, cool nights and good color make a great trip.  I really wish I was less responsible.  I would chuck it all and move the family to the great north.