Vacation of Visitation

 

We've returned home from a vacation of visitation, an unusual experience for us. Ordinarily, we are off to see the sights and soak up the culture (you know how we are about European churches). But this time was different. It was about seeing (and hugging) precious people that we'd not seen in way too long. And a few days at a lovely lakeside hotel with our older son and his family.

Himself and I had never thought we needed to go to Mackinac Island. We had nothing against the place, of course, but it just wasn't on our radar until Tom told me that he and his family were going to spend some time there in August and wouldn't Dad and I like to join them? And, as you can guess, it turned out that we would. Very much, we would. And once that was established, we plugged in the precious people before and after. 

This is a picture of the Harbor View Inn's inviting and comfortable porch, where I spent a great deal of time watching the horse-drawn vehicles passing by and looking over at the lake. It was lovely and relaxing and I got to overhear some really excellent conversations coming from the opposite end of the porch! 

Mackinac Island is a fine place, very pretty, with friendly natives and a lot to see. We got there a day ahead of Tom and Anastasia and left a day before they did, but we had plenty of time to be together, to enjoy excellent dinners, and catch up. There's some sort of mystique about the place that none of us quite understood -- it seemed as though every second shop was a fudge place and, in fact, since our return when I tell someone where I was, they inevitably ask, "Did you have some fudge?" I did. Anastasia picked out four flavors and I indulged, a bit, in the vanilla. It was as good or better than vanilla fudge I've had elsewhere. But still -- how did this ever come about?

Our first night was spent in Kent, Ohio, at the home of dear Reberta. She and her late husband Lloyd have been our friends since 1971 and we have had many, many good times together. Reberta picked out a yummy restaurant and thus began the many marvelous meals we consumed.

The next day we drove up Michigan to spend a night at Houghton Lake where we had the first of a few meals of fish and chips. We couldn't help ourselves -- places in Michigan have walleye, and we hadn't had it in years. The next day we finished the trek to Mackinaw City where we had a fish 'n' chips lunch (perch for me and walleye again for Himself) before boarding the ferry.

Everything was meticulously organized as far as luggage and parking and timing. The walk to to the hotel was not very long, but it was hotter than we'd expected. Fortunately, our hotel's porters brought our luggage from the pier directly to our room.

After three nights, we were off to the Detroit area where we met friends for dinner. Rob and Carol live in E. Lansing; they are the retired owners of the Lancaster County bed and breakfast where we held our quilt retreats for years and it's been ten or more years since they moved. Our young friend Ruth who just happens to be one of the retreat quilters, moved to that same area a year ago and the five of us had just the best time reminiscing and catching up. None of our friends looked any older; we don't know if they's say the same about us!

It had been a lot of driving for Joe and it wasn't finished yet. We spent another long day making our way to Pittsburgh, a place I'd not been before. What a great city! Our reason for going there was to reconnect with our niece, whom we hadn't seen in six years. She looked great and had brought along her sweetheart who really is a sweetheart! We had a lovely evening together.

The drive home from Pittsburgh took many hours, once again, and we are far from fond of the Pennsylvania Turnpike west of Lancaster, but there wasn't terrible traffic and we arrived home safely.

My Lancaster Diamond friend who doesn't applique had given me the last of her blocks of that type to bring along and I enjoyed finishing them on that gorgeous porch.