We left last Sunday and headed to Sandusky, Ohio. We planned on a busy day at Cedar Point with a stopover at their hotel, Castaway Bay. We had two suites with bunk beds for the girls. Tom and Scott had their own room, and my co leader Sue and I had King sized beds. We decided to stay at the hotel since we enjoyed the Great Wolf Lodge and their indoor swimming. Plus we got into Cedar Point 1 hour early and the room rate included our admission to Cedar Point. We swam in the pools, rode the water slides and had dinner at the TGIF next door. Monday morning we were up early for a full day of roller coasters and spinny things. The big thrill was the Roadster roller coaster which shoots you out like a cannon at 120 MPH, then straight up and straight down. I passed, but most of the girls and Tom and Scott loved it. Allison enjoyed the old wooden roller coaster rides. Scott enjoyed everything. I did not recognize the place. Tom and I used to visit during our college years. I remember when the corkscrew was the amazing new ride and how much I loved it. Allison and Scott tried it and said it hurt their neck and back. I guess roller coasters have come a long way in technology. Everyone had a great day at the park. We also had to drop Cookie off at a local kennel since dogs were not allowed at the hotel.
Monday night we decided to head to Detroit where we stayed at my parents house in West Bloomfield after picking up Cookie and shutting down the park. All the girls slept in sleeping bags on air mattresses in the living room and the rest of us found beds or pull out couches. My parents were in town and I think a bit overwhelmed with all the activity. But we were up and out the door again headed for Charlevoix the next morning. I thought a stopover in Frankenmuth would be fun. I had decided to visit Zehnder's restaurant for a chicken dinner(I also have 1 vegetarian girl scout) and their menu was the most diverse and best prices. Tom was not looking forward to our visit which surprised me since it is a good old fashioned German town(beer and brats and sausages-what's not to like?). Actually, the visit turned out to be quite successful and ended up surprising him! While we girls munched on chicken dinners, Scott and Tom took Cookie out exploring and located a distillery called the Grand Traverse Distillery that specializes in cherry whiskey and cherry bourbon. Tom's new favorite. And you can only buy the bottles there or at the main distillery in Traverse City. The owners were kind enough to let Scott and Tom bring Cookie into their store while Tom sampled their wares and bought a few bottles. The boys also found a restaurant with tables outside where they were allowed to keep Cookie while they ate their lunch. And my girls enjoyed souvenir shopping, but only half of us made it to Bronners Christmas store. I promised a stopover on the way back. I am so glad I did. Tom had to drag me out of the store.
But now we were headed up north. We arrived in time to pick out rooms for the girls, empty the van and put on swim suits. After a quick swim, the girls enjoyed nachos for dinner and a campfire on the beach complete with singing GS campfire songs and s'mores. Scott was very helpful in building their fire.
On Weds everyone slept in. I couldn't talk them into picking cherries. But we headed into Charlevoix for more shopping and lunch and a sailing adventure! We took a two hour ride on a large catamaran and had a great time. One hour on Lake Charlevoix, then another hour on Lake Michigan. The highlight for the girls(and Scott) was being towed behind the boat on a long line(shark bait style). Weds night after burgers on the grill(thanks Tom!)we watched the movie Somewhere In Time. I wanted the girls to see the Christopher Reeve's movie filmed on Mackinac Island at the Grand Hotel since that was our next stop. The girls thought the movie was a bit cheesy(love story), but ended up enjoying the fact that they were actually visiting The Grand Hotel. They even went in search of places filmed at the hotel and on the island.
We got up early on Thursday and drove up to Mackinaw City. We took the ferry to the island and then walked up to the Grand Hotel. We started our tour with a buffet lunch at The Grand Hotel complete with peel and eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, salmon, turkey, chicken, potatoes and pastas, lots of fruit and veggies and an incredible dessert table. I fell in love with the cherry pie. After a huge lunch, we had a carriage ride around the island with a guided tour, a stop at the Butterfly house, the Stone Arch and the Mackinac Fort. We had dinner in town at a pizza place and stocked up on Murdick's fudge before heading home.
Friday it was time to head back to West Bloomfield. Tom and I did a few chores around the Charlevoix house before leaving, like cutting the grass, sweeping and vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms. It was nice to visit since it had been a few summers since we were up in Charlevoix. Even Cookie loved running around the yard and onto the beach. And we saw a lot of wild turkeys running around.
As promised, we stopped into Frankenmuth again(the girls really loved this town). Lots of souvenir shopping and more Christmas shopping at Bronners. We spent the night in West Bloomfield after dinner at the country singers restaurant- Toby Keith's at the Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall. I had one very happy girl(country music fan) and a few disappointed girls as the place is a bar/restaurant(very large) with a very loud country band playing during dinner. The food was actually very good. But it was loud. And the girls were kicked out after 10pm. So now they know what the bar scene is like in college(minus the cigarette smoke). I am glad they were not terribly impressed. Anyhow, after our night in West Bloomfield, we continued on to Baltimore on Saturday. A few of our girls were headed off on family vacations on Sunday and needed to get home. And then they will all be off to college!
I was glad to be back a day early, but I ended up spending the day with Scott and Allison at a Bronycon (My Little Pony convention for guys) held in downtown Baltimore at the convention center. Allison was very excited to meet some of the Utube fans. I thought it was a bit weird(guys who are obsessed with the new My Little Pony cartoon). But they could be obsessed with worse things I suppose. Scott reports he will not be a Brony.(Brothers who love My Little Pony). Anyhow, I was worn out from standing in long lines waiting to get into panel discussions all day.
But I think the overall trip was a success. We had a chance to check in on my parents and Tom helped them out with a few projects at both houses. And the girls had a chance to spend their last time together as a Girl Scout troop.
And that is the last of my big trips for the summer! Kathleen
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