More Vacation Pics

Don't You Dare Call the Musical Fountain Boring!

If you have not already guessed, I love living in Grand Haven. In all my travels, including overseas, I have not found a place that compares with the town I call "home." One of my favorite things about Grand Haven in the summer is the world- famous musical fountain. So many people see it once, then ignore it the rest of their lives. If I had the opportunity, I would walk the mile from my house down to the waterfront and sit and watch the musical fountains every single night. First of all, it starts around 10pm, so the town is fairly peaceful, definitely more quiet than during the day. Second, I love to just sit and listen to music; it is always interesting to hear what songs they come up with. Third, the movement of the water and the colors is practically hypnotizing; relaxing, to say the least. Last night I was fascinated as the colors changed right on the beat. Amazing! It truly reminds me of dancing....and for those of you who don't know (and for the ones who do know!), ballroom dancing is my number one hobby. So, there is a fourth reason for me to enjoy the musical fountain. Usually, I end up going by myself since no one else shares my passion for this spectacular event that takes place every summer night. But I don't mind. Going alone adds to the peacefulness and relaxation of the experience. All I can say is, you all are truly missing out on a lovely experience. Hope to see you there soon!

Gray Day Downtown

Any day is a good day to enjoy Grand Haven's delightful downtown area, but a gray day makes it easier since on a sunny day I would rather be at the beach. Quaint shops, yummy restaurants, and crowds of both locals and tourists line both sides of Washington Street, the heart of downtown.

Today Andrea and I (and Nick, but not on purpose, we just ran into him) popped in and out of several shops. Anyone who comes to visit me in Grand Haven must stop at Mackinaw Kite Co. Amidst the hundreds of toys and games there is a little table to stand at and play games. A worker came over to us and taught us four new games. Rat-a-tat-Cat, Sleeping Queens, Blink, and Ruckus. All four of them were tons of fun....if you get the chance to play any of them, don't pass it up! The bead store is also another favorite. I made two pairs of earrings today, and have made several other pieces of jewelry in the past. Melt-in-your-mouth Italian chocolate can be found at the Italian store so that, too, is a must.

We wrapped up our shopping adventure with one of Grand Haven's famous pronto pups. These are not your everyday corn dogs...no,no,no indeed. I can't begin to explain how delicious they are. You just have to come and taste for yourself!

Have I convinced anyone to come visit yet? What must I say to convince you?! Don't worry, if I have not yet convinced you, I will soon enough. When I am done you will not be able to stay away!!!

Finally Home

Mom and I actually arrived home two days early, but that was fine with both of us. After our car trouble I was quite tired and ready to be home. The vacation was a blast, though. I would say my top two favorite things were the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and seeing/touching the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Cadillac Ranch on Route 66 in Amarillo, TX was also extremely cool. Tijuana was a bit frightening at first, and we didn't stay long, but I at least can add another country to my list. Grand Canyon was, of course, breath-taking. I knew it was enormous, but I never knew just how enormous! In San Diego I really enjoyed the zoo, Old Town, and the Midway museum. Balboa Park was another beautiful site.

I give all praise and glory to God for the great deals we found at clean, safe motels. I also want to praise Him again for providing for my car's need as well. The weather was perfect the entire trip. Really we had nothing at all to complain about! I wish I had time to tell all the details of the trip, but you can email me if you want specifics. And, you can pray for all the people who picked up tracts that we passed out.

You'll Never Guess!

Well, here we are in Flagstaff, AZ for the second time. We got to San Diego, CA last Friday and stayed until yesterday. It was quite awesome! I will not spend alot of time describing everything here, since I am using a computer in the office of an auto shop. Yes, we are having car trouble. Started yesterday....we got the fuel filter changed this morning, but still have been having trouble so we are getting the fuel pump changed now. This should fix everything.....we are praying that it fixes everything! God has shown Himself amazing as always. How He provides...I can't even describe. Even though we had to back track yesterday in order to get our car fixed this morning, we found the nicest motel that we have stayed in yet and at a price we could definitely afford. As I was lying in the big, comfy bed last night I was thinking how we had full bellies (pizza!), an air-conditioned room with cozy covers, plenty of money, cell phones, and the list goes on. And that is just the material aspect! I am saved!!!! If I get stuck out west forever, who cares? I have Jesus Christ anywhere I go. Wow, my attitude certainly has changed. It is hard to trust God when I am this far from home, without my dad or TAD, having car trouble. But He has been working on me and the trusting is getting better. Pray for us, and praise with us!!!

I will post some great pictures and more about our trip when I get home.

And We're Off!!

Today is the day, folks. Mom and I are all packed and ready to go. The boys had to work this morning so we've said our goodbye's to them and are finishing up our last minute things. Tonight we'll be in St. Louis, MO to visit the Arch and spend the night. I don't have a laptop so I don't know when I will be able to post again, it may be at the end of our trip. We hope to get to a computer before that, though. Some of you will receive postcards that will keep you updated as to what we are doing. We plan to have fun, maybe be a little crazy, and try to stay out of trouble. (No guarantees though!=) Don't forget to pray for us. See you in three weeks!!

Gettin' Our Kicks On Route 66

So, I just realized that the route mom and I are taking on our trip runs right along with old Route 66!! I hadn't even thought of it until my cousin asked about it. Her little boys love the movie Cars and were hoping we would be traveling on Route 66. I checked, and, sure enough, we will be driving on 40, right alongside Route 66! Mom bought a great little book that tells all about the things to do, things to see, places to eat, and places to sleep along historic Route 66. Check out www.historic66.com for some very cool info on the Route. And, you will see exactly where mom and I will be traveling over the next three weeks. We won't end up in L.A., but you'll see the vast majority of our trip will be near (and sometimes on) old Route 66.

Vacation Frustration

When I was a kid my family took some pretty great vacations. Petoskey, Old Mission, Mackinac Island, King's Island, Yellowstone. We also took day trips to places like Chicago and Traverse City. My dad likes to travel, and I have been bitten by the same bug. One little thing about those vacations always annoyed me, however. Actually, the annoying part took place before we left. We would pack our bags, load the car, do some last minute clean up, and then we were on the road. The next thing I knew, my Dad would be pulling into the gas station for gas and/or a capuccino. "So what's the big deal?" you ask. The problem was not with the gas station stop, but the fact that it was only the first of several stops that also always included the bank and Meijer. I don't know why those things could not have been done ahead of time, but they never were. For my trip this summer, I vow to not make any of those stops! When the car is packed and we are in it, we will go until we absolutely have to stop and visit one of those lovely rest areas. =) Today I went to the bank, Meijer, and the gas station. I know I will have to go to the gas station one more time, but I will do it Sunday night on the way home from church so we are all set Monday morning!