Delovely: Autumn Holiday 08: Outings

Sorry if you thought I was done bragging about our little holiday. Prepare for the rest of the story.

We made a few day trips.

One afternoon we ventured over to the mighty Ocqueoc Falls, the largest waterfall in lower Michigan. The location's title and subtitle are truly laughable. In any other place in the wide world this stretch of river might generously be referred to as a bit of rapids of no note. We had a nice picnic though.

This is it. Ocqueoc Falls. An amazing 18 inch drop...

We spent a day out touring the UP (upper peninsula). It was a great trip. By the end of the day, we had seen the shores of 3 of the Great Lakes. First, we spent some time at the locks in Sault St. Marie.

Next, we went up to Whitefish Point and visited a really interesting shipwreck museum. Lake Superior is as treacherous as the ocean and has claimed her share of ships. The drive was just beautiful.

We topped the day by stopping for a burger in Paradise on the way home.

There is a great driving loop that hits Pond Hill, then winds through the famous 'tunnel of trees' on M119, and drops off at a restaurant called Legs Inn. The morning at the Farm was cold and a little rainy, but so much fun. I will never get over this place. Papa Ray and Grandma Sandy helped Gracie with the squash rocket.

"Say cheese!" Those are some huge pumpkins.

Are these two from the same family or what?

Taken at Legs Inn. It is a fun Polish restaurant that has been named for the hundreds of pot bellied stove legs that adorn its outer facade. The food is different and super tasty. We make new little memories every time we go. The memory made on this particular trip deserves a bit of back story.

Every time there was a tab to be paid (gas, grocery, meal, admission) there was a struggle by the male heads of each family to be the financier. These were mostly good natured banterous kids of arguments with an occasional physical altercation.

We made this particular lunch stop on the afternoon of Cori's birthday, and Cori announced that we would pick up the bill. He went so far as to specifically tell the waitress to bring the bill to him and no one else.

After we had finished eating and had declined the dessert menu, Ray and Super Grandpa conspicuously left the table. I told Cori I thought they were probably going up to preemptively pay the bill. Cori kept his calm. Our waitress brought the bill. Cori gave her his card. A couple minutes later, she returned with the receipt. He was signing it when Ray and Super Grandpa came back. Ray had a triumphant grin across his face as he jabbed Cori that there would be a problem as he (Ray) had already paid the bill. We soon found out that Ray had paid a bill, just not ours. Oh, it still makes me laugh.