It was time to go home!! It had been 3 years since John had visited his family in KC and it was time for a visit. But just before we left Riva stopped in to spend a couple of days with us in Greenville. Chihuly was on exhibit at the Biltmore estate and we were so excited to be able to take in all of the incredible works in glass. It is truly an amazing work of art!! So glad that Riva suggested that we do this together!!
And off we go! Our first stop was Mammoth Cave in Kentucky! It was an interesting tour but it was especially interesting to learn that to date they have mapped 114 miles of this cave! Amazing.
On to the Corvette Museum also in Kentucky! It really was interesting,
especially the exhibit that showed the salvaged and restored cars from
the sinkhole collapse but guess who loved this stop the most?
Then we stopped in Campaign, Ill to see Matt and Rachel. It was so
great to see them in their new community and new church. I feel like
this visit was therapeutic for us because we were gone to Florida before
they departed St. Giles and it was good to see them happily settling
in. My goodness do we miss those smiling faces!!
On to Branson, Missouri where we caught Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. We had heard that it was one of those not to be missed shows and it really was incredible. Wow can those kids ride horses!!
On Thursday we arrived in Independence. John was able to dive into the Bloom last day of school tradition of a water balloon fight which he will not soon forget. Yeah Bloom family! We had a wonderful time visiting with John's sister, Beth and all of her kids and now their children. As always it is so heartwarming to see the people that you have loved for all your life as incredible and loving parents, wives and husbands. It was good for our souls to check in with them and thanks so much to TJ and Laurie for being such wonderful hosts!
After a wonderfully long Memorial Day weekend we traveled to Minnesota ,took in the Mall of America, had lunch with a long lost cousin and on to Duluth, the city where John was born. At the Mall of America..... which is so huge that the directories are electronic and interactive, they tell you not only the route to take to get to your destination but how long it will take you to walk it. The center of the mall is all rides and attractions for the kids. Simply larger than life!
Next was Pictured Rocks in UP of Michigan. They really are beautiful rock formations but the tour went downhill, not literally, quickly when the temperatures dropped 20 degrees and fog set in. We bundled up our coats, thank goodness we were prepared, and the boat returned to the dock. The only upside was that our tour was refunded!! Still got some good photos!
Next was a stop in Saute. Ste. Marie, which I now know how to pronounce. We enjoyed an absolutely beautiful park on the the Canadian side ( I just couldn't resist this slide) and then checked out the locks and had a lovely seafood dinner on the American side.
Our final stop on this trip was to Mackinac Island, which I can now also pronounce correctly. It is a quaint island for the rich and well to do. The modes of transportation include by foot, by bicycle and by horses and there are plenty of them. In season there are 500 horses and 2 veterinarians which exceed the 1 human doctor. The Grand Hotel is a 350 guest hotel that was built in 90 days.
It was a wonderful trip!!! So glad that we saw some great sights and
ate some great food but the best part by far was the time with our family and friends!!
No comments:
Post a Comment