We continued on our path to healing by soaking up some Arcadia Beach sunshine; note the picture of the kiddos getting along…NO FIGHTING. After a long car ride with these 2, this was amazing. Joe perfected his architectural sand skills by completing a homestead any fan of Game of Thrones would be proud of. And Nook thoroughly enjoyed swimming….and chewing on lots of sticks. I reminisced about the times Leah came with us to Lake Michigan and how much she loved the water…I closed my eyes and listened to the waves and imagined her with us.

What’s a vacation without some sweat…and tears too! We hiked the Arcadia Dunes Baldy Trailhead. The view at the top of Baldy was indescribable…and completely worth the mosquito bites, the pup getting tired and having to be carried, and the kiddos trying to go off trail more than once. The peace on top of that dune is palpable, and is highly recommended that if you want to experience it for more than 30 seconds, DO NOT LET the boy hold the pup’s leash and drop it to let the pup go running full speed down the side of the dune toward what only looks like a drop off in to the beautiful blue.

We strapped Leah’s raccoon to the front of my kayak and off we went down the Betsie River. June in my kayak and Dez in Joe’s we paddled along with our friends. I let the smooth water, the dragonflies, the rustling of the trees work on my soul…the IPA helped too. We stopped at this fantastic little shop called the Conundrum Cafe and stocked up on some snacks and local brew before our adventure. I need more kayaking in my life…this was incredible. We stopped at a great spot to let the kids swim and play….we ended up having an epic mud fight and laughing till our guts were on fire!