I grew up in Lansing, Michigan. My dad closed his business for a week each August and our family went on vacation at one of the beautiful lakes in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, including Walloon Lake and Higgins Lake. My dad drove, hauling our ski boat. I remember sitting in the boat in a hot life jacket with the motor roaring in my ears watching my parents slalom, waiting my turn to jump into deep cold water and paddle around in my life jacket while they rested. I learned to water ski at 10 (a year before I learned to swim without a life jacket). Even now I hate the sound of motors and prefer sailing to motoring. The farthest I ever traveled as a kid was to the UP (Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) and to Windsor, Canada with my grand parents and sister, which I thought were great adventures. The rest of each summer I “traveled” by reading books, explored the neighborhood on my bike, and drew pictures.
I continue to love to read, travel, make pictures and try to share those experiences with family and friends. This past June we flew to Sacramento to stay in Sonoma, California then on to SeaTac, Seattle/Tacoma, Washington for a tour of the area National Parks, botanical gardens, art and craft galleries and museums, and local restaurants as well as visit with family and friends. In August we drove to Michigan to visit family and friends as well as see Lake Michigan, kayak in Pentwater Lake and sight see in the beautiful dune country we enjoyed as kids. I took way too many pictures to share at one sitting, so as I sift through them I will post some for you to enjoy. Maybe I’ll tackle making a DVD or two one of these days.
Jacuzzi Winery, Sonoma, California
Artichoke Flower, Cornerstone Gardens, Sonoma, California