Up North July 2014

 Because I'm sure you've all been wondering where I've been.  A few Fourth Of July Weekend pictures to share with you today.

 Top of the Logslide.  This is an area of the dunes where the loggers would push the cut tree trunks down the slide and float them on the lake to the saw mills.  A 500 ft high sand dune on the shores of Lake Superior.  Going down is always easy.  Coming back up, not so much.

 The Logslide is part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  The lake was very calm this day.  But sooooooo cold.  There was still ice in April/May this year.

 Here we are lining up for the parade on the Fourth.  Small town.

 Best balloon animal ever.  Mosquito.

 Later on the Fourth we went to the beach along Lake Michigan.  The wild strawberries were abundant!

 We had a bonfire, hotdogs and gourmet smores.  Then we waited for dark and the fireworks.

 On our last day, we went to Mackinac Island.  (it's Mack-in-ahhhh, please don't pronounce that last "c")  Mr. Riley and I haven't been in probably 15 years.  None of the kids had been.  Here they are on the ferry out to the island.  The weather could not have been better.  We visited the Fort, ate icecream, walked around, shopped, ate dinner and caught the last ferry back to the mainland.

 One of the freighters out in the Straits of Mackinac.  Note the website printed on the side. :)

 Arch Rock on the Island.

 Walking part of the trail around the Island.  The baby's got it made.

 Almost one....

Back to sewing tomorrow!  I promise.