Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Presidents' Day Weekend on the North Shore

The last time our family took a winter vacation on Lake Superior was three years ago, and the kids looked like this:




When I look at those old photos, I get a huge pang of nostalgia for those chubby, sweet-faced children. But I have to admit that traveling with their older incarnations was a heck of a lot easier and calmer. No diaper changes in strange bathrooms, no stops to nurse a screaming baby on the roadside. I got in two long cross-country skis for the first time in years, and ample time to sit on the couch staring out at the lake.

I was reminded once again that the best things to do on vacation with kids are usually simple, close by, and free. I think they could have spent the whole trip scrambling around on the rocks near our cabin, throwing chunks of ice in the big lake. When I tried to take my cues from them, I had much more fun than when I got all invested in running around trying to see and do as much as possible while we were up there. It was a delicious time, one I'm so grateful we got to have together at this stage of our lives.







1 comment:

Los Pyefeld said...

Oh, jealousy, jealousy, jealousy!! We spent every President's Day weekend at Lake Superior growing up! I am so happy for you that you are able to do that with your kids. Climbing on the rocks is definitely the best part. Beautiful pix!!