My sister has been talking about coming to visit me again for a while. It had been 16 years since her last visit to Michigan. Between schools ending and starting at different times, all the kids' activities, the fact that we often travel West, so we'd just see everyone there, it just kept getting pushed back. Finally, she was able to bring 3 of her kids for a 4-day visit. And now, they're talking about coming again sometime soon to see the Upper Peninsula!
After I picked them up from the airport on Thursday just before noon, we came back to my house for some lunch and reacquainting (or aquainting for the younger two who hadn't been here ever!) We made plans for the next few days that would fit everyone's needs and allow us to be most comfortable with the weather (off and on raining the first day, extreme heat the second, and decent the next two).
Knowing we would be under the umbrella of trees and also looking at the forecast, we made that first day the one to venture out to Maybury for a Michigan hike, ie, nature walk. It helped Nik and Peter, who have had Erik and Austin puffing along behind them on those Utah mountains, appreciate the fact that our hikes are literally walking around a forest. They also got to experience the humidity and the warnings of not going off the path to risk getting ticks or, worse for me, poison ivy. It rained a bit at the end, and then just in time after we got into the car. We hit Downtown Plymouth for the best ice cream from Dairy King, which is a local ice cream shop that also has incredible prices!
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| Austin was at cross-country camp, so he wasn't here yet. (I'll post about that later.) |
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| They always have fun together! |
When we returned, the kids had fun visiting and hanging out at our house. We got Detroit-style pizza from Buddy's and played games, which is Drew's favorite activity.
The next day was supposed to be the doozy in terms of heat and humidity. We opted to go to the Henry Ford Museum to stay indoors. We learned, enjoyed, and best of all, stayed cool!
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| Breakfast before the museum. |
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| Henry Ford statue. |
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| Lots of cars! |
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| Even though they're all teens, they still loved the interactive parts. |
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| Entryway |
We stopped by one of the biggest Mosques in the area for a photo op.
We went on to have a Mediterranean meal at Al Ameer. The best pitas, lentil soup, and lamb kabobs!
Since it wasn't quite as hot by 7 pm, we went to Downtown Plymouth to see the Friday night concert of Motown hits. We also had to get more ice cream from Dairy King, because that's what you do in DTP on a Friday night! We wandered around to give them the midwestern feel of the beautiful homes there. By the time we got back, though, we were all tired, so no games that night, at least not with those of us who are 28 or over! I think the young teens stayed up and played games.
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DTP, music in the park. Some enjoyed it more than others, but we tried to get something in for everyone.
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I took Karina on my Saturday running route while the kids slept. We had a good 6.5-mile walk before getting ready for Island Lake for the day. That was the day with the best weather! The water was perfect, the air was perfect, and the sun was shining! Paddleboarding, swimming, and games occupied us there for many hours. We had a great spot with two tables in the shade. We heated up our leftover pizza in the Dutch oven. It turned out perfect!
I made tikka masala for dinner when we returned and served it with some leftover hummus from the restaurant the night before, amazing pitas that I get at BJs, roasted cauliflower, and Indian rice. It turned out really good. We didn't feel like spending a lot on another meal, so this was great. We had our own Aldi ice cream for dessert and introduced everyone to the Michigan card game of Euchre. It was a hit!
Their final day, which was all of Sunday, since their flight left at 8 am Monday, we went to Frankenmuth. It's a German Town that is a definite tourist attraction, but just so endearing. We wandered around, ate crepe sandwiches at the La Crepe du Jour, window shopped, and enjoyed the German vibes. The younger kids explored the mirror maze, some of us went to the crystal shop, and we all really enjoyed the Cuco Clock Shop! They gave us many demonstrations of the different clocks there.
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| The teens rode with Kade and beat us there. They are across the river. |
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| They had fun with their poses. |
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| And then we had to get Drew in with the action! |
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| Waiting for lunch! |
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| Being goofy |
Since it's an over an hour drive, we had good visits on the rides up and back. When we returned home, we had a smorgasbord of leftovers and then played some more Euchre for a while before getting ready for bed for their early flight home.
We're so glad they could come to visit and look forward to their next visit!
