walloon.

We are just back from Walloon and getting back into the routine. Ben and I headed up for the 4th of July week and overlapped with my Mom for a couple days. It was Michigan at her best. We had great weather, mornings on the dock drinking coffee, grilling every night with ice cream in Walloon and otherwise just a full week of relaxing. We're bias but there is truly no better place in the world, if you ask us!

top 20.

Guess who made Smithsonian's list of the 20 Best Small Towns in America? Petoskey! And Walloon got a mention in it. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing...we don't need more people finding out about the best kept secret.

But yeah, on this slushy day in DC, I am mentally putting myself on the dock right now....

Click here to read the rest...(go to page 7). 

long weekend.

Back again! Walloon with Jordan + Hannah + Stella was great. Ben and I got up there on Friday night and left Monday afternoon. It was short but we got good quality time, ate well, swam and sat on the dock, swung by the Boyne City Farmer's Market, ate at the Lake Street Market and stopped into Kilwins for good measure. We also got coffee one morning at American Spoon in Petoskey, went for a couple runs along South Shore Drive, followed Stella up and down up and down the stairs! We wanted more time to read and relax. Ben and I also owe Hannah and Jordan a serious game of bananagrams but it was a fantastic Labor Day Weekend.

One of my favorite views of the lake.

 Car show at the farmer's market...we all fell in love with this wagon. 

 

Ben brought up meat from his Ann Arbor butcher...

Off the end of the dock...

Kilwins was had (Ben and I also made a stop in Ann Arbor before I headed for the airport). 

Afternoon beers on the dock....

Lake Street Market in Boyne for sandwiches...

 True foot therapy in blue Walloon waters...

After a long drive south to Ann Arbor, Ben and I grabbed a quick dinner at Frita Batidos...I loved this touch on the picnic tables!

 

And now, I am mentally prepared for fall to come. Scott is coming to visit this week and my Dad next week as life starts moving quickly again. Cheers to a great summer!